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

Kim Janey, Boston’s District 7 City Councilor, sees the dark clouds of racial and economic disparity that often hamper her constituents from connecting with opportunities for advancement. Yet she is drawn to the light. “You build bridges while the sun is shining,” she says. “You don’t wait for the storms to come.” Read More

In addition to galvanizing ICIC’s alumni and friends around supporting their local independent bookstores on Saturday, April 27, we thought it would be the right time to recognize our own. Frugal Bookstore, located directly across the street from the ICIC office. Read More

Ivy Lawson, founder and CEO of Ivyees ‘Everything Honey’, is the first person of color to open a business in Boston’s historic North End neighborhood. Considered a pioneer by many, Ivy sees herself simply as a woman who “followed a sign” to create her business selling raw honey-based products. Read More

Bo Menkiti, Founder and CEO of the Washington, DC-based The Menkiti Group, is in the business of real estate. Others who witness Bo’s work first-hand would say he’s in the business of transformation. Not only an alumnus of the ICCC program, Bo was the 2017 recipient of the Marcia Lamb Inner City Innovation Award, which recognizes visionary leadership at the forefront of creating positive change in urban economic development and inner cities. He also serves on the advisory board of our newly launched Inner City Alumni Network (ICAN). Read More