• Founder identifies as one of the following: Latinx, Black, Asian, Women, LGBTQIA+, Military Veteran, or located in a Low to Moderate Income area
• Must be a for-profit company with annual revenues between $100K and $3 million
• Current staff of 2-20 employees
• Will have the ability to add 1-2+ net new premium wage jobs in the next 12 months
• Must be located in the state of Illinois
National Nonprofit, Founders First CDC, Awards $100,000 to Illinois Businesses For 3rd Annual Year
Founders First CDC Awards 25 Grants to Minority Businesses Throughout the State to Create and Promote Premium Wage Employment Opportunities in Underserved Communities
Founders First CDC, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers expansion in diverse, founder-led, revenue-generating businesses, announced the winners of its Job Creators Quest Grant today during a virtual press conference. More than 1,300 Illinois businesses applied for the grants and 25 finalists were selected, with minority and underrepresented business owners receiving $100,000, collectively in cash and full-tuition scholarships to a Founders First CDC business accelerator program. The grant recipients were selected from throughout the state of Illinois, serving a variety of industries – from construction and manufacturing to STEM and healthcare, to hospitality, and more.
“Before I joined the Bootcamp accelerator program and received the Chicago Job Creators grant in 2021, I was working solo, but the program and funding have opened up opportunities for growth and expansion beyond what I had envisioned.” said Ryan Clark, CEO of Mr. SharePoint, a company that designs and deploys technical solutions to help businesses better leverage investments in automation and the modern workplace. “I utilized the grant funds to cover the overhead costs of a major project and brought on a contractor to assist in its completion. This grant funding provided a distinct advantage, as I did not have to rely on my personal savings. With the help of my new hire, we successfully completed the project and secured the contract we were targeting, leading to an influx of new work. I now have a team of three individuals supporting me, and as Founders First would say, ‘I am now working more on my business than I am working in my business.”