Illinois Valley Community College will host a panel discussion about small business funding opportunities on April 28 at 4:30 p.m. in CTC 124-125.
“Access to Capital: Support for Small Business” will feature a panel of local lenders who can advise small business owners looking to secure capital financing.
There is a growing interest in the area about entrepreneurship and small business start-ups, said IVCC President Dr. Tracy Morris.
“Talking to people in our community, there is great interest in starting up small businesses, but it can be overwhelming. One of the largest barriers is funding — so we are partnering with experts and lenders in our community to bring together resources to help. We hope that anyone who is thinking about starting up a small business will be able to ask questions and learn more so they can make their dreams a reality,” Dr. Morris said.
The panel will be moderated by consultant Connor Cofoid and include Allies for Community Business representative Amanda Askew, Midland States Bank senior manager Javier Placencia, First National Bank of Ottawa President Steve Gonzalo, First State Bank President Kirk Ross, and Eureka Savings Bank President John McCormick.
Participants will have an opportunity before and after the panel to meet the financial experts and others at a resource fair that will also include representatives from Hometown Bank, Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, Streator Onized Credit Union, and North Central Bank. Several institutions will have bilingual staff members available to answer questions.
Lead partners in the event are Allies for Community Business, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in the Chicagoland area, and Midland States Bank.
“We are proud to partner with IVCC on this important workshop and look forward to continuing to serve and empower entrepreneurs,” said Amanda Askew, senior community lender at Allies for Community Business, which provides the capital, coaching, and connections for entrepreneurs. “We rely on local partnerships to help identify more entrepreneurs to serve and to educate small business owners about financial readiness and access to capital.”
Pre-registration is required and can be completed by visiting www.ivcc.edu/cebs .
Registration and networking begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by the panel discussion at 5 p.m. and another round of networking at 6 p.m.
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