A powerful community town hall dedicated to dismantling extractive economic models and building true neighborhood wealth. The conversation tackled the "hard questions" head-on: examining why city and state programs often undercut the very areas they aim to serve and how traditional banking fails local residents.

Participants explored what real small business empowerment looks like when it is rooted in community ownership rather than outside interests. This event served as a vital step in our mission to shift Chicago’s South and West Sides toward a future of shared equity and sustainable growth.