Thanks to all that attended our LGBTQ+ Biz Boot Camp OutPitch Event on April 17, 2024 at the Morgan Arts Complex. The Boot Camp was Sponsored by JP Morgan Chase, Beverages Provided by Lynfred Winery & Molson Coors and Delicious Food Provided by Catered By Design.
Congratulations Second Glance Productions & Grey Matter Photography our First & Second Place Winners
Founded in 2019, the LGBT Business Foundation of Illinois introduced our LGBTQ+ Biz Boot Camp program. We are proud of the impact this program has made within the LGBTQ+ community, having awarded 60+ members with this incredible opportunity. The success of our Boot Camp curriculum is possible thanks to our valued and dedicated partners at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Those accepted into the program will leave fully equipped with the tools and expertise necessary to further advance their careers and executive presence. Participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with Chamber affiliated mentors and will leave the program with a complete business plan and pitch deck.
Over the course of 8 weeks, participants will be expected to attend a 4-hour class once a week on Saturdays, facilitated by our seasoned and savvy Business Advisor and Expert, Kristina Wynne, MPH, Owner of The Wynners Club. Upon completion of our Biz Boot Camp program, and as official new members of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, participants will compete in our LGBTQ+ Biz Boot Camp OUT-Pitch Competition for a chance to win:
- First place winner of our OUT-Pitch Competition will be awarded a $2,500 small business grant, courtesy of JP Morgan Chase & Co.
- The runner-up will receive a $1,000 small business grant from the LGBT Business Foundation of Illinois.
Who should apply?
- Any entrepreneur who has their own business that has been in operation for at least one year, and who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
- Membership with the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois is not required.
- Deadline to apply is Sunday, January 21, 2024.
Program Timeline:
- This program’s cohorts started Saturday, February 10, 2024. Stayed tuned to lgbtcc.com for future offerings.
- The first class will take place on Saturday, February 10, 2024, and will run every Saturday until Saturday, March 30, 2024.
- Participants competing in the OUT-Pitch Competition will have 2 weeks thereafter to prepare their presentation.
- OUT-Pitch Competition event will take place April 17, 2024. Register to attend via our Events Page.
MEET OUR PROGRAM FACILITATOR
KRISTINA M. WYNNE, CEO & OWNER, THE WYNNERS CLUB
Kristina M. Wynne is the Owner/Founder of The Wynners Club LLC, a business development consulting company that offers business coaching, business plan & pitch deck creation, grant & proposal writing, web development & design, and social media marketing. Her devotion to small business started almost 20 years ago when she began working for her family’s company, 200 Pharmacy Inc., at 16 as a licensed pharmacy technician. Her love for her family’s business and science led her to achieving a Bachelors of Biophysics from Chicago State University and a Master of Public Health from St. Benedictine University. Ultimately, as an adult, Kristina worked for her family’s business for 8 years. She stepped down as the Director of Business Development in 2017 to take on an opportunity with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program (10KSB), where her true passion was revealed, small business. Kristina currently holds the positions of Outreach and Alumni Director for 10KSB Chicago. In all that she has accomplished so far, her greatest achievement is by far her amazing 10-year-old daughter Kyleigh.
Frank Robinson,
Senior Business Consultant, Vice President Business Banking, JPMorgan Chase & Co
Matt Cardoni,
Founder, Green Lightning Marketing & Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University Kellogg Executive Education
Stephanie Leese Emrich,
Founder + CEO of ServiceSpeaks Solutions, Professor of Hospitality & Tourism at Roosevelt University’s Heller College of Business, &Author of “Service Still Speaks: A Constant in a Changing World”
Michael Zuckerman, Esq. (he/him/his), Mediator and Arbitrator,
Zuckerman Dispute Resolution LLC
THIS PROGRAM COULD NOT TAKE PLACE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF:
