The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce held its second Breakfast Membership Meeting on May 19 at the Union League Club of Chicago. Jaime di Paulo, President, and CEO emceed the event. We had the honor of having Emanuel Chris Welch, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives as our keynote speaker. He spoke about rebuilding our infrastructure and focusing on equity and investing in the growth of small businesses.
Carlos Ponce shared some kind words during a tribute to his friend and IHCC founder, Vincent Rangel, who passed away on May 14th. He was always a strong supporter of IHCC’s programs and not too long ago, he was honored at the IHCC gala.
The IHCC President also shared the recognition we received from the Small Business Administration (SBA) naming our IHCC Illinois Small Business Development Center as the 2022 SBDC of the year.
Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, Assistant Majority Leader, Illinois State Representative, 24th District, and Celina Villanueva, Illinois State Senator of the 11th District also shared the work that they’ve been doing in Springfield and the important role that organizations like the IHCC have in order to help Latino businesses grow.
Goldman Sachs and Office Depot were our sponsors for this membership breakfast. Goldman Sachs Outreach Director, Liem Le spoke about the $250 million investment to reach 10,000 small businesses and all the work they’ve been doing with the help of business advisors that help reach their goals like the ones at IHCC. Office Depot, who worked with Elevate Together and IHCC presented three small businesses: M&E Unisex, Luxe Ducts, and Flores by Alba with $10,000 grant checks during the breakfast. In addition to the grant money, they will also be receiving mentoring to help their businesses thrive.
Ambassador Reyna Torres Mendivil, Consul General of Mexico, closed the event by highlighting the various events they had during Mexico week, which included art demonstrations all over downtown, as well as their work with the IME Becas Scholarship Program.
The chamber’s Breakfast Membership meetings are a signature event of the organization and an opportunity for stakeholders and members to network and learn from the public, private and prominent leaders about trending issues affecting our businesses in Illinois, particularly those competing to obtain government contracts. The event featured over 200 guests, including elected officials, board members, and members of the business community.
