Our Partners
Rogers Park Business Alliance (RPBA) places great emphasis on community leadership and involvement in planning processes, often working with community-based steering committees composed of residents, business owners and other stakeholders.
Business and Community Groups
RPBA partners with many business and community groups and organizations to further our mission and vision, including:
Leadership Roles
RPBA staff have seats on the:
Our Collaborators
Rogers Park Business Alliance (RPBA) provides solutions, expert assistance and promotional tools to entrepreneurs. RPBA participates in programming that makes a real difference to the local economy and business community due to investments from donors and funders. Their partnership provides support to help us strengthen business and build community.
Cook County Small Business Source
The Cook County Small Business Source strives to support, grow and elevate small businesses, the backbone of Cook County’s economy. This program directly connects small business owners with expert guidance and support to take businesses to the next level. Cook County established the award-winning program to ensure that businesses emerge from COVID-19 intact and positioned for growth.
RPBA is a proud partner of this small business support network. You can reach us at helpdesk@rpba.org.
The Cook County Small Small Business Source features a network of over 30 organizations dedicated to supporting small businesses in any stage of development. This model of support prioritizes getting businesses the help they need when they need it. In addition to one-on-one advising services, the program also provides free toolkits, webinars and timely online resources and information for small businesses.
Advising services and resources cover topics:
- Building a business plan for your startup or growing business
- Finding the right financing source for your needs
- Getting your business ready to apply for funding
- Marketing your business through digital and traditional methods
- Accessing new customers online
- …And much more!
Illinois SBDC at RPBA
Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity) and the City of Chicago.
The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Rogers Park Business Alliance provides information, confidential business guidance, training and other resources to start-up and existing small businesses.
The Center assists in the development of business and marketing plans, along with improving business ownership skills, financial analysis of businesses, accessing specialized services including export and government marketing and other business management needs. More information here.
Neighborhood Business Development Center (NBDC)
The City of Chicago, Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), Neighborhood Business Development Centers (NBDC) program provides grants to Chicago-based chambers of commerce and business support organizations, otherwise known as NBDC delegate agencies, to assist in the development of small businesses in Chicago, serve as a liaison between local businesses and the City of Chicago, and provide neighborhood business development services.
RPBA is committed to helping you grow your small business by providing you the tools to support your entrepreneurial journey!
RPBA was awarded for a 2-year contract for:
- Place-Based Generalist– supporting general business needs at the hyper-local level
We provide NBDC standard business development assistance, which includes but not limited to helping business owners and
entrepreneurs apply for business license(s) and public way use permit(s), helping navigate City government, developing a
business plan, marketing assistance, contract assistance, product/service/workforce development, access to training and
resources, assistance with COVID-related business supports as well as reopening guidelines, at a hyper-local level.
We are prepared to assist you in the following:
| Business-to-business networking opportunities | Information about a particular neighborhood |
| Employment and workforce development assistance | Getting a new small business started |
| Consumer marketing assistance | Troubleshooting City-related issues for small businesses |
| Connecting your business to the local community | Connecting businesses to financial resources |
We offer services in the following languages: English and Spanish
To speak with an RPBA team member call, 773-508-5885 or email helpdesk@rpba.org to make an appointment.
The Coleman Foundation
The Coleman Foundation invests in the work of Business Support Organizations which provide neighborhood-based entrepreneurs with the training, education and connections they need to thrive. We collaborate with other funders and a growing network of nonprofit organizations committed to supporting entrepreneurs and building Chicago’s small business sector.
They invest in the capacity of twenty-five Chicago business support organizations, particularly those that serve low-income communities and/ or under-resourced populations.
Their grantmaking supports organizations and institutions that play an important and active role in an ecosystem that includes nonprofits serving entrepreneurs, financial institutions, technology, academia, and local government.
The Foundation’s support allows these organizations to:
- Partner and engage in coalitions and alliances with other organizations
- Pilot innovative programs that address access to capital
- Advance tech-based, high-growth businesses within the Greater Chicago region
- Organize educational opportunities and resources for entrepreneurs in the region
More information here.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (DCEO)
The mission of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is to create equitable economic opportunities across the State of Illinois. By attracting and supporting major job creators, investing in communities, strengthening Illinois’ world-class workforce, fostering innovation, and ushering in the new clean energy economy, DCEO works to fortify Illinois’ reputation as a global economic powerhouse while ensuring Illinois is the best state to live, work and do business.
Economic Empowerment Centers Program
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (DCEO) Office of Economic Equity & Empowerment (OE3), launched the Illinois Economic Empowerment Centers Program (EEC Program) to provide grants to eligible career education agencies and not-for-profit corporations, including, but not limited to, local development corporations, chambers of commerce, community-based business outreach centers and other community based organizations, that offer training, mentorship, support, resources and other enterprise-building opportunities to various individuals seeking to explore business enterprise opportunities.
Rogers Park Business Alliance is part of the EEC Program. Our GROW More and PROGRESANDO Más entrepreneurial training programs are a result of this grant. The EEC Program addresses the need for tailored support at a local, community and cultural level for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals (SEDI)-owned businesses, Very Small Businesses (VSBs), or entrepreneurs from one or more members of the following groups: minorities, women, individuals with a disability, dislocated workers, veterans, and youth entrepreneurs across Illinois. Through this new grant program, an EEC will create an inclusive business ecosystem for marginalized communities that have traditionally faced systemic barriers to entry and growth through dynamic partnerships, targeted outreach, and customized training programs and initiatives.
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Illinois State-Designated Cultural Districts
State-Designated Cultural Districts are communities, towns or specific geographic areas that have a distinct shared historical and cultural identity that binds the community together.
Located in Rogers Park, the Clark Street/Camino Clark cultural district spans approximately two miles, from Howard Street on the north to Devon Avenue on the south. This vibrant corridor is home to over 70 diverse retail, dining, entertainment, and service businesses, embodying the rich cultural tapestry of the Rogers Park neighborhood. The district’s cultural identity is deeply rooted in its Mexican heritage, making it both a marketplace and a cherished home for those who live, work, and do business here.
The Clark Street/Camino Clark cultural district aims to strengthen and celebrate its Mexican cultural identity, highlighting the uniqueness of this historic area for residents, visitors, and tourists alike. By fostering local cultural development, promoting growth, and expanding equality, the district seeks to support one-of-a-kind businesses and experiences. This designation will help bolster the customer base for Mexican and other long-standing businesses, preventing displacement and preserving the diverse character of the neighborhood. 
Ubicado en Rogers Park, el distrito cultural de la Calle Clark/Camino Clark abarca aproximadamente dos millas, desde la calle Howard al norte hasta la avenida Devon al sur. Este vibrante corredor alberga más de 70 negocios diversos de venta minorista, gastronomía, entretenimiento y servicios, encarnando el rico tapiz cultural del vecindario de Rogers Park. La identidad cultural del distrito está profundamente arraigada en su herencia mexicana, lo que lo convierte en un mercado y en un hogar preciado para quienes viven, trabajan y hacen negocios aquí.
El distrito cultural de la Calle Clark/Camino Clark tiene como objetivo fortalecer y celebrar su identidad cultural mexicana, destacando la singularidad de esta histórica área para residentes, visitantes y turistas por igual. Al fomentar el desarrollo cultural local, promover el crecimiento y expandir la equidad, el distrito busca apoyar negocios y experiencias únicas. Esta designación ayudará a fortalecer la base de clientes para los negocios mexicanos y otros de larga data, previniendo el desplazamiento y preservando el carácter diverso del vecindario.
The Fund for Equitable Business Growth - El Fondo Para el Crecimiento Equitativo de Negocios
The Fund for Equitable Business Growth’s mission is to help entrepreneurs of color succeed by funding organizations and institutions that support these entrepreneurs every step of creating and growing their businesses.
Small Business Majority, Rogers Park Business Alliance and New Covenant Community Development Center are collaborating to bolster access to entrepreneurial education, capital access and financial management education for Chicago’s entrepreneurs of color, particularly Black women operating on the North and West sides.
This collaboration provides a comprehensive, no-cost entrepreneurial educational path including:
- Small Business Majority’s Boot Camp
- RPBA’s GROW/PROGRESANDO Entrepreneurial Training Program
- New Covenant’s Business Financial Dashboard
Current funders of the FEBG are The Chicago Community Trust, The Christopher Family Foundation, The Coleman Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, JPMorgan Chase & Co., MacArthur Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation.
For more information, contact Sheree Moratto, Sustainability Director at RPBA at smoratto@rpba.org.
La misión del Fondo Para el Crecimiento Equitativo de Negocios es ayudar a los empresarios de color a tener éxito mediante la financiación de organizaciones e instituciones que apoyan a estos empresarios en cada paso de la creación y el crecimiento de sus negocios.
Small Business Majority, Rogers Park Business Alliance y New Covenant Community Development Center están colaborando para reforzar el acceso a la educación empresarial, el acceso al capital y la educación en gestión financiera para los empresarios de color de Chicago, en particular las mujeres negras que operan en los lados norte y oeste.
Esta colaboración proporciona un camino educativo empresarial integral y sin costo que incluye:
- Campamento de entrenamiento de Small Business Majority
- Programa de entrenamiento emprsarial GROW/PROGRESANDO de RPBA
- Panel financiero empresarial de New Covenant
Los financiadores actuales de la FEBG son The Chicago Community Trust, The Christopher Family Foundation, The Coleman Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, JPMorgan Chase & Co., MacArthur Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation y The Rockefeller Foundation.
Para obtener más información, comuníquese con Sheree Moratto, Directora de Sostenibilidad de RPBA en smoratto@rpba.org.
Neighborhood Guides
Funders
Ready to get started? Let's roll!
Rogers Park Business Alliance
1448 W. Morse Ave.
Chicago, IL 60626
Phone: 773.508.5885
Fax: 773.508.9488
Email: info@rpba.org
