Member Opportunities: 

NEW: Female Founders Series Launches at Innovation DuPage
We're excited to introduce Female Founders, an ongoing series of in-person events where women entrepreneurs can connect authentically and support each other's growth. Facilitated by nationally recognized Emotional Intelligence coach Jules Wilhelm, with involvement from our Entrepreneur in Residence Melissa Villanueva.

First meeting: August 7th, 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Innovation DuPage

These sessions create a supportive environment for meaningful conversations, personal reflection, and building lasting relationships with fellow women business owners.

Please RSVP here.

Grant Opportunity: American Express Backing Small Businesses
American Express is supporting local small businesses with $10,000 grants to help overcome challenges, foster growth, and strengthen community connections. These funds can support projects that build sustainable growth and long-term resilience.

Applications are due July 31 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Projects should be achievable with the grant amount by year-end. Selected recipients may qualify for additional $30,000 Enhancement Grants.

Learn more and apply here. 

NIU MBA Capstone Program
Northern Illinois University's MBA Capstone Program offers an exciting opportunity for local companies to receive comprehensive strategic business plans developed by Executive MBA student teams. Under the guidance of Professor Ed Buckley, these teams integrate their expertise in sales, marketing, finance, operations, and technology to create value for participating organizations. If your company is interested in having an MBA team develop a business plan, please contact Ed Buckley by August 11th at ed.buckley@allqualityinc.com or (847) 778-6960.

Special Thanks:

Thank You to Our Member Meetup Speakers
Thank you to Dr. Christina Podraza of Peak Principal Consulting for her Member Spotlight presentation at our previous Member Meetup. Christina shared her entrepreneurial journey from educator to consultant and highlighted how she helps new school principals develop effective leadership skills. She discussed the various ways a principal's preparedness and leadership approach can significantly impact both staff performance and student outcomes. Attendees also got to hear Joe Cassidy and Dan Facchini present findings from our Annual Survey, review Innovation DuPage's impact over the past six years, and preview exciting developments ahead for our organization.

Thank You to Our Manufacturing Summit Attendees
We want to thank all the Innovation DuPage members who came out to the 2025 Manufacturing Solutions Summit! It was great to see so many of you there as we heard from leaders at Argonne National Laboratory, Nicor Gas, and the Technology & Manufacturing Association share insights on what's happening in Illinois manufacturing. The conversations about building on our state's competitive edge were excellent.

Community Wins:

Local Glass Studio on WGN 9
Congratulations to Brenda Bickett, Founder and CEO of Local Glass Studio, for being featured on WGN 9's Around Town with Ana Belaval! The segment showcased the studio's hands-on glass-making classes and highlighted the creative opportunities available to students of all ages.

Special thanks to fellow Innovation DuPage member Marcella Raymond from Marcella Raymond Media for making the connection that led to this great feature.

You can catch the full segment here.

Welcome Matt Korman!
We're excited to welcome Matt Korman to his new position as IT Project Assistant, where he'll be supporting the clean energy incubation program.

Coming up:

• Member Meetup, 08:06: Mark your calendars for our next Member Meetup featuring James Ratke, President of Trusty Home Care, as our Member Spotlight, and Monica Hernandez from the International Trade Center as our Member Resource.
• ID Workshop: The Certification Process, 08.13: Join us on August 13 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. for a workshop on small business contracting certifications with Dr. Ileen Kelly from Illinois APEX at the Business Development Center at College of DuPage. Learn which certification is right for your business and navigate set-aside programs for women-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned, and economically disadvantaged businesses. Dr. Kelly will cover eligibility requirements, application processes, and how to leverage certifications to win government contracts. As always, our workshops are free and open to the public. Register here.

Sign up to present at an upcoming Member Meetup 
Showcase your business at a Member Meetup! We're looking for members to present as our Member Spotlight, ID Member Resource, or host a Problem Solving session. This is your chance to present your work, share your achievements, and connect with fellow entrepreneurs. Sign up here.

Let us help you share your success with the ID community!
Share a win from this week – big or small. It could be featured in our next letter! Email your accomplishment to Hannah Macey.

Reminder: Innovation DuPage is open for members as a coworking space 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

Many thanks, and have a great week,

Dan Facchini,
Managing Director,
Innovation DuPage