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Evanston reparations committee backs pilot "Kickstarter" support for Black entrepreneurs
Summary
A reparations working group proposed a tiered entrepreneurship support program partnering with Oakton College's Small Business Development Center to provide coaching, AI training and grants ranging roughly $500–$5,000 to about 12–20 Black business owners in year one.
Neil Reeves, staff liaison to the committee's Economic Development working group, briefed the Evanston Reparations Committee on a proposed entrepreneurship program intended to support Black business owners across stages of development. Reeves said the program would pair the committee with Oakton College's Small Business Development Center and provide tiered financial awards and training.
Reeves said the first year would aim to support about 12 to 20 entrepreneurs with funding tiers roughly described as $500, $2,000 and $3,000 for education, launch support and capacity building, respectively. "The first idea here is under the first funding tier there will be $500 for specific programs or so of specific educational training," Reeves said. He added that the program would include a grant component and coaching to improve business sustainability.
Working group members Tracy (committee member) and Mari Gilbert, a partner from Oakton, described the program's emphasis on wraparound supports, including AI training and one‑on‑one coaching to help participants compete in the local market. "We're really excited to connect businesses not only with financial resources but also education to make sure that it's being applied well," one committee member said.
Committee members asked staff to clarify how this pilot would relate to other local business supports, including Main Street programs. Committee member Carla Sutton said larger city grant programs for downtown businesses have historically left the Fifth Ward underfunded; staff agreed to check whether similar resources on Main Street could be extended or made accessible to business corridors in majority-Black neighborhoods.
The committee did not take formal action because it lacked a quorum, but members present expressed support for moving the program forward and asked staff for a detailed implementation plan, participant-selection criteria and an estimated budget for year one. The committee also requested coordination with the city's finance staff and the Small Business Development Center on participant recruitment and reporting.
Next steps: staff will return with a more detailed program design and cost estimate for committee review once quorum allows formal action.
