CUL Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Business Coaches 

The Chicago Urban League Entrepreneurship Center has a first class faculty of coaches, volunteer subject matter experts, and organizations to provide you with superior counsel for your business.    

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James Parker 

James Parker is Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program Manager at Chicago Urban League Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.  He is also founder of Best Date Night, an app that creates date nights for couples. 

Hours Available: Virtual Only: Every Friday from 11am-1pm

Subject Matter Expertise

  • PPP Technical Assistance

  • Business Strategy

  • Leadership and Management

  • Design (UX/UI)

  • Marketing/ Branding

  • Pitch Preparation

  • Technology / Innovation

  • How to Start a Business

  • Social Media

 

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Leslie Williams

Leslie Williams is the Technology and Innovation Program Manager at the Chicago urban League. He has over 15 years of experience in the IT industry serving as a System Administrator, Tech Support Specialist and Consultant.

Hours Available:  Virtual Only Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 11am-3pm

Subject Matter Expertise

  • Digital Business Transformation

  • Website Design

  • Social Media Management

  • CRMs

  • Cloud-Based Business Applications

Diane McDonald-RBT Consulting 

Founding Partner of Absolutely Anything Essential, a Certified Minority/Women Own Business.

RBT Consulting is the spirit of empowerment where we pass on our gift by creating opportunities for women, men, & our youth who's interested in starting their own business.

The uniqueness of our brand is that the addition to our products, vending, accessory making classes, and art classes we also have mentor other businesses

from retail businesses, event planners, bakers, caterers, painters, and more....

RBT is always looking to collaborate with other businesses to expand and Network.

Hours Available:  See link for availbility

Subject Matter Expertise

  • Retail

  • Business Strategy

  • Social Media Presence

  • Vending your product

  • Marketing your product

  • Business Branding

  • Software technology for e-commerce sales


Karim Dure

Karim Dure is the NextStart Business Start-up Program Manager at the Chicago Urban League. He has over 14 years of experience as a entrepreneur, teacher, mentor and business coach and consultant.

Hours Available: Virtual Only Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9am-2pm

Subject matter expertise:

  • Business plan writing

  • Elevator pitch coaching

  • Legal matters/incorporation needs

  • Basics of entrepreneurship 

  • Franchise consulting - buying a franchise or franchising an existing business