Initiatives seeks to expand access for Black and Latinx innovators

The Ladder is Chicago Innovation’s latest initiative to provide access to Black and Latinx innovators through one-on-one mentoring. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY LAUREN NORTIER
The Ladder is Chicago Innovation’s latest initiative to provide access to Black and Latinx innovators through one-on-one mentoring. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY LAUREN NORTIER

 Initiatives seeks to expand access for Black and Latinx innovators

By Tia Carol Jones

Chicago Innovation began 21 years ago to spotlight the Chicago region as an innovation hub, and to celebrate the organizations that were innovating, launching new products and services, with an awards ceremony. Now, it is a year-round community initiatives with more than 36,000 people who participate.

The Ladder is Chicago Innovation’s latest initiative that focuses on Black and Latinx innovators. The initiative was born from research done in early 2021. The research showed that there was a need for access to a community, where Black and Latinx innovators could get advice and a sort of playbook for their careers.

“We heard from interviewees that funding itself, for entrepreneurs and start up owners of color has become more accessible in the last couple of years, which is great … but they’re really still seeking that network of professionals to help them grow their careers and reach the next stage,” said Alex Milinazzo, manager of mentoring and inclusion programs at Chicago Innovation.

On the company side, the research showed that companies were struggling to retain Black and Latino talent. Those insights led to a focus on initiatives to diversify the workforce, while also creating a culture of belonging and inclusivity within those companies. Both of which are important for not just attracting diverse talent but also retaining that talent.

Throughout the 21 years, Chicago Innovation added on programs to address different needs in the community. Seven years ago, it launched the Women’s Mentoring Co-Op to support women who were looking to elevate their careers. It started with 25 women and now there are more than 800 women who are involved in mentoring and nurturing relationships. Those women attend events to build their networks. Luke Tanen, president and CEO of Chicago Innovation, said the women who participate in the mentoring co-op have been propelled to positions of leadership in different organizations.

Chicago Innovation also created a Chicago Student Invention Convention to bring invention education to children in grades kindergarten through eighth grade in public schools. The goal was to get students excited about inventions and entrepreneurship. All of these programs go along with Chicago Innovation’s vision statement: Innovation is for everyone.

The Ladder will have its first cohort of 25 this month. It will be a community-based mentorship model, which will offer one-on-one mentorship. Participants in the cohort are encouraged to connect with one another outside of their one-on-one mentoring relationships. There will be special monthly events, exclusively for The Ladder participants and those will focus on topics and elements of personal and professional growth.

The aim of the Ladder is for Black and Latinx innovators to reach the next stage in their careers through the relationship oriented model. The first 25 founding mentors of the program include Dorri McWhorter, the president and CEO of YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago; Andrea Zopp, the managing partner at Cleveland Avenue; and Rich Rodriguez, the president and CEO of Acero Schools.

“We wanted to make sure these were some really high-powered influential people who could really make a difference in the lives of the mentees who were accepted into the program,” Tanen said. “These are Black and Latinx individuals who started young, early in their careers and over time navigated their way to incredibly influential positions in the city, in their organizations and can do so much to provide  great advice and guidance and open doors to the mentees.”

For more information about Chicago Innovation, visit https://chicagoinnovation.com.

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