Successes

"At DC Rise Real Estate, we absolutely love being part of Manufacturing & Trades Day! We recognize that most high school sophomores haven't given much thought to the real estate industry or the many career opportunities it offers. This event gives us a chance to open their eyes to the possibilities available right here in Jo Daviess County and the surrounding communities. Real estate is about so much more than buying and selling homes, and we love introducing students to an industry that offers entrepreneurship, flexibility, and unlimited potential for growth. We're always happy to welcome students interested in job shadowing or internship opportunities to explore the industry firsthand. If we spark even one student's interest in a future career in real estate, that's a win in our book! Thank you again for organizing this opportunity and investing in the future of our local workforce. We're already looking forward to participating again!

“We enjoyed welcoming students to Neumiller Farms and showing them how much goes into growing, harvesting, and delivering the food they eat. Agriculture offers careers in everything from mechanics and trucking to technology and business. We hope their visit helped them see that they can build a rewarding future right here in northwest Illinois.”Enter the new content here!

"Thank you so much for inviting 4-C to participate in trades day. Silvia Diaz (Higher Education and Workforce Development Navigator from the Northwestern Illinois YMCA) and I had a fantastic time sharing elements of early childhood education with the 85 high school students that we spoke with. They seemed to really enjoy the hands-on activity of changing diapers on dolls. We are hopeful that we planted some seeds about the need for and importance of early childhood education and care."

"You will never know how much it means to us to receive this award.  Starting a business has many challenges and it can be discouraging at times, yet this award demonstrates your belief in our future and that means the world to us.”

“Having been awarded the Genz Small Business Development Fund from NWILED is a major game-changer for our developing company.  We'll be able to provide our current and prospective clients with industry standard high-end content using state-of-the-art photo and video equipment. With the awarded funds, we plan to purchase a formidable Apple MacStudio workstation and a robust 6K video camera package from DJI. We look forward to combining our community's classic feel with the modern contemporary digital landscape.”

“This is our second year of attending Build It Grow It. The information shared every class focuses on what small businesses and entrepreneurs REALLY need to know. The guest speakers are phenomenal and take the time to answer questions, share their experience and knowledge, and help you to build your business better. This class gives you unique networking opportunities with so many diverse local businesses to broaden your business' horizons with possible partnerships and connections. We enjoyed every minute of every class. Thank you to NWILED and David Schmit for caring about our community and small local businesses, like Hudson's Tack & More, and offering this class! The knowledge we have gained here has had a very positive impact on our business and benefited our clients. Can't wait to attend the next class!”

In the few short months that we have been attending the program, the sessions have helped us come up with new ideas for our store, better ways to run our business and helped us network with other local businesses. The TCEDA Build It -Grow It program is by far the most productive and beneficial business program we've participated in over the past 5 years. It is a great program that can help strengthen any business. More successful businesses can help in building a thriving community.

"Thank you and the panel of judges for awarding All Good Things the Build It Grow It Shark Tank presentation award. I am honored and grateful for your support. This funding helped puchase the concrete foundationfor our future All Good Things Lavender Farm Fresh Store. Your generosity not only provided financial assistance, but affirms the vision behind my business. Thank you again for believing in All Good Things. I look forward to making the most of this opportunity and keeping you updated on the progress we make.

“We welcome the partnership with the Illinois Finance Authority in our community as a way to offer options for existing businesses and attract new development or redevelopment opportunities using environmental initiatives.”

“The new Jo Daviess County C-PACE program will benefit our existing businesses who need financing options for their expansions or renovations, and it will better position the County to attract new businesses.”