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.
Chrishon Lampley is a negociant, wine enthusiast and founder of LCS Entertainment, LLC, which features Love Cork Screw wines. Love Cork Screw is a lifestyle brand that launched six varieties in 2013. Since its inception, the LCS brand has been acquired by over 1,800 retailers including Target, Jewel-Osco, Walmart, World Market, Mariano’s, Binny’s, Whole Foods, Miejers, Total Wines and more. Lampley leverages her platform to mentor young women and budding entrepreneurs who can benefit from her lessons and her success.
Johnathon is a passionate entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience running and managing a business. At the age of 13, Johnathon Bush started his Chicago-based business Not Just Cookies (NJC). As a young entrepreneur and passionate baker, he's focused on providing delicious, quality baked goods the right way. This spirit of “baking hustle” carries on today and is what makes Not Just Cookies Wholesale Bakery a different kind of bakery.
Rachel Bernier-Green is the owner of Laine’s Bake Shop, LLC. She initially started her business using a shared kitchen space, working on the side to get her business off the ground. After a few years of baking part-time, Rachel decided to finally quit her job and start a bake shop full-time with her husband Jaryd.
Lisa Weiss is the founder of Storybeat Studio. As a 3x Emmy Award-winning producer and journalist who worked for Oprah Winfrey and CBS News, Lisa harnesses deep industry knowledge and expertise to help organizations and leaders tell compelling stories. She was named a Forbes Next1000 entrepreneur (December 2021) and a Tory Burch Fellow (2021-2022). Through her 20+ year career, Lisa has created and supervised content viewed and streamed by mass audiences.
Evera Ivy of Ivy League Farms LLC works with her family to grow various organic vegetables in Kankakee County. Throughout its time in operation, the farm has grown produce ranging from string beans, okra and watermelon–to eggplant, corn and greens, among others. Additionally, the team has been learning about industrial hemp and growing this versatile crop.
Rogers Park Business Alliance (RPBA) is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Established in 1993,
Defy Ventures is a national nonprofit with a vision to cut recidivism in half by leveraging entrepreneurship to increase economic opportunity and transform lives. Defy's programs are helping currently and formerly incarcerated people across the country defy the odds by providing pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, and a successful reentry.
Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic has been a tall order for small businesses, creating financial chaos and instability for all entrepreneurs regardless of how many years they’ve been in business. For Manish Mallick, owner of Bar Goa, an Indian gastropub, and ROOH Chicago, a progressive Indian restaurant and cocktail bar, seeing his once-bustling restaurant turn into an empty eatery has been devastating.
Tasha directs Small Business Majority's outreach, education and policy efforts in the Midwest region from our Chicago office where she focuses on enhancing financial security for small business owners, their employees and their families.
Copyright © 2006-2024 Small Business Majority, All rights reserved. Small Business Majority is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization.