Jaime di Paulo is President & CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC), the leading Hispanic business networking, advocacy, and development organization in the Midwest. Under his leadership since 2019, the IHCC team intensified their commitment to assist the Latino business community, providing direct assistance and working closely in collaboration with all stakeholders.
As CEO, di Paulo has sought to multiply the networks with various Chambers of Commerce locally and nationally, working with them to bring resources to the small business community.
In 2020, IHCC created and helped retain 18,092 total jobs –a number that exceeded the 2019 figure by 42 times. Additionally, the IHCC’s assistance to small businesses to access financial resources increased by 315% from 2019 and a total of $88.1M to the present date. This is the total dollar amount of contracts awarded, revenue growth, business loans from the Small Business Administration, private lenders, business grants, etc. This increase is mainly because of the IHCC team’s rapid response throughout its programs, including:
Illinois SBDC Illinois PTAC SBTRC
Illinois Tollway Technical Assistance Program
Cook County COVID-19: Small Business Assistance Program
Jaime di Paulo Integrated the first cohort for the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program: Entrepreneurship Initiative, City Learning and Action Lab serving as chair of the cohort. He provided relevant insights on the local economy, main macroeconomic trends, and research opportunities for the program. The first Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Steering Committee designed specific policies to advance the Latino economy in the region.
In 2020, di Paulo became a distinguished member of The Economic Club of Chicago, a prestigious organization dedicated to bringing together the most influential men and women in the economic circle of Chicago, the third most important city in the United States. Also, the Government of Mexico, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officially recognized him as one of the most influential Mexican Americans in the Midwest, the second most important economic region in the country.
In association with 1871 –one of the best business incubators in the country, di Paulo has tried to strengthen the LATINX Incubator program, enabling young Hispanics tech companies to develop as innovators in technology and present their ideas to prominent equity holders, allowing them to gain capital funds.
At IHCC, di Paulo promoted the first Roundtable of Women CEOs, bringing together influential Hispanics to connect, collaborate, and create many new opportunities. In 2020, he made an old dream come true by establishing a critical alliance with the Black Chamber of Commerce of Illinois (BCCI). The purpose was to bring together the Congressmen of Illinois in a conference and participate more actively as minorities in the 2020 legislative schedule. In 2021, di Paulo testified before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Small Business about the relevance of supporting small businesses and the work of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
By assuming as CEO of IHCC, di Paulo established four priorities:
Turn the Chamber into a meeting point for the big Latino businesses in the State of Illinois.
Multiplying the ways to train Hispanics with small businesses.
Ensuring that Hispanic companies can have all the information to access credit and Government contracts.
Bringing together minorities in the State of Illinois to access better business opportunities.
With constant work and the support of a team of professionals with the same mission, he continues to make significant progress.
Professional experience
Appointed as a member of the Business Enterprise Council for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities (BEP) Commission in September 2018.
Served as the Executive Director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce (LVCC) for five years. There, he transformed the chamber into a real business development center and advocacy organization.
Joined the Northwestern University Foundation Board of Directors in 2019.
Served as Business Development Director for the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Worked in Mexico as the Director of the Mexican & American Thinking Together Foundation, a binational nonprofit organization, where he oversaw finding quality employment for returning and deported immigrants.
Received bachelor’s degrees in Public Administration and Political Science, from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City, Mexico.
He is married and the proud father of three sons and a daughter.
IHCC Social Media Channels:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ illinois-hispanic-chamber-of-commerce/
@ihccbusiness https://www.facebook.com/ihccbusiness @ihccbusiness
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/ in/jaime-di-paulo-zozaya-738a7217
Twitter: @jaime_dipaulo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jdipaulo Instagram: @jaime.dipaulo