Illinois Small Business Council
Our Illinois Small Business Council consists of small business owners from various industries across the state. Council members volunteer their time and entrepreneurial expertise at board meetings, public events and in the media to help Small Business Majority identify and address the biggest issues facing small businesses today.
Nikki Bravo
Nikki Bravo is a dynamic entrepreneur and community builder. As a first-generation American with West Indian-born parents, she is dedicated to economic development and community empowerment. She spent most of her early career in city government with Chicago's Department of Planning and Development and later served as the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Administrative Officer of the Public Building Commission of Chicago.
In 2019, Nikki and her husband, Tracy Powell, co-founded Momentum Coffee and Coworking. With six locations in under-resourced areas of Chicago, this independent coffee shop connects communities through delicious beverages and food. In 2024, Momentum Coffee launched a Food Incubator program to increase resources and knowledge for emerging food entrepreneurs, highlighting their commitment to small businesses and community development.
Nikki's journey showcases her as a force for positive change in her community and beyond. She is a member of Small Business Majority's National Council, the Magnificent Mile Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated, the National Association of Women Business Owners, and Let’s Talk Womxn Chicago. Furthermore, she is an alum of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, Founders First and Breedlove Entrepreneurship Programs.
Chrishon Lampley
Chrishon Lampley is a negociant, entrepreneur, wine enthusiast and the CEO & Founder of Love Cork Screw. Chicago-based wine and lifestyle brand, Love Cork Screw, combines a unique selection of premium red, white and rosé wines with a mission to make a change in the wine industry. Featured in Forbes, VinePair, Cosmopolitan, Food Network, the Chicago Tribune and more, the success of Love Cork Screw is a result of Lampley’s 20 years of experience in the industry, which has given her leverage to develop a keen awareness of what people enjoy and what the market is missing.
Bold, determined and unapologetically herself, Lampley’s leadership-by-example continues to shift the narrative for black women in wine. As an advocate, a public speaker, an educator, a mentor, a disruptor and Vice President of the Association of African American Vintners (AAAV), she is committed to shattering glass ceilings one bottle of wine at a time, looking to build a legacy that will leave a lasting imprint on the industry for years to come.
