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May 2023
34% of consumers reported that they discovered a brand solely through influencer social media posts, according to the Marketing Dive. Our May networking event will bring together our community of small business owners with influencer marketing experts to showcase how to expand your reach and build audience trust through ambassador and influencer marketing.
Date: Wednesday, May 24th
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Location: The Hatchery Chicago (135 N. Kedzie Ave.)
Make City Mentions + The Hatchery Chicago® Headlines
Award
Alchemeat
New Program
Victus Ars
Congratulations to Alchemeat's Plant-Based Steak for being a recipient of the 2023 Food and Beverage (FABI) Awards! Their innovative product will be showcased at the upcoming National Restuarant Association Show. Learn about the future of plant-based protein.
Food development lab Victus Ars has launched the Institute of Confectionary Excellence. The program takes a lab-based approach to education with a curriculum designed to cultivate an understanding of the science and technology of food development and manufacturing. 
New Retail Location
Dolci Amori
Restaurant Opening
Taylor's Tacos
Dolci Amori, an authentic Italian pastry shop, recently opened their newest café location in Gold Coast where they sell cannolis, cornetti, Neopolitan Baba, and much more. See all of their locations and browse their menu.
Taylor's Tacos, graduates of The Hatchery, opened their first brick-and-mortar location at 1512 West Taylor Street. The Taco Shop is open for pick-up and dine-in orders of their street style tacos with a "whole lot of soul" on Tuesdays through Saturdays.
Join us and our local industrial retention partners for a job fair! On Thursday, May 18th from 10 AM to 2 PM, manufacturing employers will welcome jobseekers into The Hatchery for interviews and networking to help place them into local positions. If you'd like to be involved or have any questions, connect with Ashlee Krawcyzk, Economic Development and Advocacy Specialist.

Date: Thursday, May 18th
Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: The Hatchery Chicago (135 N. Kedzie Ave.)
CDOT plans to make changes to Grand Avenue between Chicago Ave to Ogden Ave this July. The "Chicago Complete Streets" project prioritizes changes for pedestrian and cyclist needs and include: 
  • Wider sidewalks with street trees 
  • LED street lighting 
  • Raised crosswalks 
  • Countdown timers 
  • Protected bike lanes  
  • Increased bus stop space  
 
You can read more about the Chicago Complete Streets project here.  

ICNC would like to hear your feedback and questions regarding the Grand Ave Chicago Complete Streets project. Please complete this feedback form to share your thoughts, concerns, or questions with us. We would like to share this feedback with CDOT, so your voices are heard.  
 
Should you have any questions, please reach out to Ashlee.
Connect with Us at Upcoming Classes + Events
ICNC's Workforce Team Can Support Your Business
The Workforce Development team at ICNC works to provide support, quality, and services that connect a skilled and qualified jobseeker with employment, as well as a variety of labor market services to meet the needs of local businesses.
Grow Your Business @ Make City + The Hatchery
Make City - 320 N. Damen
The Hatchery Chicago - 135 N. Kedzie
ICNC's Make City incubator offers a thriving entrepreneurial community and immediate access to ICNC's advising, export, and advocacy services alongside 100 other small, modern urban manufacturing businesses. ICNC supports small businesses and the West Side community through incubation, advocacy, and advising.
The Hatchery Chicago is a non-profit food and beverage incubator dedicated to helping local entrepreneurs build and grow successful businesses through cutting-edge kitchen facilities, entrepreneurship curriculum, partnerships with generous corporate sponsors and foundations to create local job opportunities and accelerate local economic growth.
Check out our partners:
Learn more about the Illinois SBDC at ICNC here. The Illinois Small Business Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, and the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago (ICNC). Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Please contact the center at (312)433-2373.