This story is the first in a series of Stories of Resilience that demonstrate the generosity, creativity and community-building spirit that countless ICIC alumni have shown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Blaisdell’s Business Products has been delivering office supplies and support to communities for over 70 years. What originally started as a small retail ... Read More

Rebecca Braun is currently studying for her MBA at Harvard Business School, Class of 2021 and interning for the summer with ICIC.  Across the USA, states are lifting stay-at-home orders and allowing businesses to re-open their doors. For the small businesses which have temporarily closed since March and for those that ... Read More

Kaiser Permanente’s recent announcement about a series of bold actions to fight racial injustice and economic inequity represents a dramatic expansion of their transformative strategy to revitalize many of this country’s most under-resourced communities and improve the wellness outcomes of their residents. Read More

Quentella Enty has been a champion of Chicago’s small businesses for years.  As the Supplier Diversity Program Manager at the Chicago Urban League, Quentella became a bedrock in her community, providing invaluable assistance and support to thousands of Chicago-based small businesses. At ICIC, we’re deeply thankful for Quentella’s support for the ... Read More

This article originally appeared in the Boston Business Journal on June 12, 2020 and was written by Shafaq Patel  Marynee Pontes, the lead program coordinator at Boston-based entrepreneurship nonprofit Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, was hesitant to participate in the protests at first. Pontes, 26, who is also a board ... Read More