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Reparations economic working group unveils Notion‑based resource hub for Evanston businesses
Summary
A working‑group demonstration introduced a community‑driven online resource database for Evanston Black‑owned and local businesses; the site is hosted on Notion, is free to use, and includes a verification/approval workflow and submission form.
The Reparations Committee’s Economic Development Working Group on Feb. 6 demonstrated a newly created online resource hub intended for Evanston businesses and entrepreneurs.
The working group said the hub is currently hosted using Notion and includes a searchable repository of resources (training, funding, networking and technical assistance), a public submission form and an approval process so staff can verify entries before they appear. The demonstration showed multiple views: alphabetical lists, filterable by resource type, and geography. The presenters said the hub is intended to complement — not duplicate — resources already available through city economic development and local business groups.
Why it matters: local business owners told the working group they need a central place to find service providers, grants, training and fiscal‑sponsorship options; the hub is designed to be community‑driven and crowdsourced so users can submit resources for approval.
Key details from the demonstration: - The hub shows the resource name, type, cost or access level and geography. Some resources are free; others have fees or loan equity requirements. The cost label refers to the resource itself, not to use of the hub. - Anyone can submit a resource using the form; a behind‑the‑scenes verification checkbox prevents automatic publication until a reviewer confirms the entry. - At the time of the screen share there were about 55 approved resources; the presenter said the list had grown from 48 during the demo recording. - Hosting is on a working‑group member’s Notion account; maintenance cost was described as low (about $20 per month under the presenter’s account). The working group asked the committee to consider how the city might permanently host or fund the hub.
Committee members asked about coordination with the city’s Economic Development Committee and outreach to the Black Business Consortium; the presenter said staff and working‑group members had engaged city staff and local business organizations during development. Members encouraged the group to submit a short funding request so the city could evaluate taking over hosting costs.
Next steps: the working group will continue to solicit resources, pursue a permanent hosting arrangement and coordinate further with city economic development staff and local business organizations.
