UIC College of Business partners with Chicago Sky Foundation to support local entrepreneurs

The UIC College of Business Administration hosted a workshop on strategy, innovation and scale June 18 for local small-business owners selected to participate in the Chicago Sky Foundation’s 2026 Women’s Small Business Cohort.

This summer’s 12 cohort members were selected to accelerate Chicago-based, women-owned small businesses through networking, workshops and an opportunity to pitch for one of four $20,000 nondilutive grants at the completion of the program in July.

The one-day workshop, hosted at UIC’s Innovation Center, provided instruction, collaboration and coaching to support cohort members in value proposition design for strategic competitive advantage. It helped them identify pathways to innovation by thinking about their business models and considering ways to grow and scale their businesses.

The workshop was led by Kim Moon, a senior marketing lecturer in the College of Business, and Dan Hogan, senior entrepreneurship lecturer.

UIC’s Flames Athletic Center served as the official training camp home this year for the Chicago Sky, the city’s professional women’s basketball team. The Chicago Sky Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Chicago Sky team. As an extension of the partnership between the team and the athletic center, the business college and the Chicago Sky Foundation began discussions to explore opportunities for impactful partnership in Chicago. The workshop piloted the extension of this relationship, and ongoing collaboration and engagement is anticipated going forward.