At the Illinois SBDC-ITC-APEX Accelerator at The Joseph Center, we are dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners to thrive in their ventures. Whether you’re a seasoned business owner or just starting out, our services are designed to meet your needs and support your growth.
Who do we serve? Here is a few of our partners:
Joseph Business School
Students and Alumni from the Joseph Business School are warmly invited to benefit from our suite of services. If it’s your first meeting with our Center, you will be prompted to sign up as a client (at no cost).
Returning clients are able to advance to the next screen and schedule an appointment. If you want to schedule a follow-up appointment with one of our team members, please feel free to email them directly for their appointment link.
R.I.S.E (Restoring Inheritance Stewarding Excellence)
R.I.S.E’s goal is the eradication of poverty and violence. The mission is to restore value, self-worth and hope to the community using employment, education, entrepreneurship as tools for developing self-sufficiency. R.I.S.E has provided over 1,700 jobs through the program over the past year.
Liberty Bank and Trust
Liberty Bank and Trust is a community-focused financial institution that provides services, loans and financial education primarily to underserved communities. The bank has over $1 billion in assets and branches in 11 states making it the largest black or African American owned financial institution in the United States.
Huntington Bank
Huntington Bank is a regional bank offering a range of financial services. It operates over 1,000 branches across 11 states focusing on providing loans, mortgages, wealth management and credit services to individuals and small/medium businesses. As of 2023, the bank had around $180 billion in assets and $140 billion in deposits.
Wintrust Bank
Wintrust is a financial holding company with over 175 community bank locations across Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. Wintrust emphasizes community banking, maintaining local decision making and strong customer relationships. As of 2023, the bank had approximately $50 billion dollars in assets and $40 billion in deposits.