ECDC Business Mentorship Program
What is ECDC?
The Evanston Community Development Corporation (ECDC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and was established as a community organization in 2003 in response to the growing interest in the development and redevelopment of the Westside of Evanston. While ECDC embraces the changes happening on the Westside of Evanston, the programs are designed to assist current residents and businesses during this period of change. One of ECDC’s core business and economic development programs involves a microenterprise technical assistance or mentorship program.
What is the mentorship program?
In response to the growing need for essential business skills among small business-owners on the Westside Evanston, the Evanston Community Development Corporation [ECDC] founded a business mentorship program. The program seeks to connect skilled professionals as mentors with low to moderate-income micro-enterprises in West Evanston. ECDC is committed to strategically partnering mentors with small business owners based on mentors’ skills and small-business owners’ expressed needs.
How is the program structured?
The program structure involves weekly meetings between the mentors and mentees, for a period of 10-12 weeks. Meeting timings and locations will be left entirely flexible however, both mentors and mentees are required to report updates on their progress on a weekly basis. Mentors spend the first two weeks getting acquainted with the nature of the business, seeking to understand ownership dynamics, and building trust with the organization. In the following weeks, mentors delve further into specific areas in which the business requires assistance, including business strategy, advertising, marketing, or finance/accounting, and form recommendations for how the business can solve its problems in the long-term.
How does one get involved as a mentor?
We are looking for mentors who are willing to make a small time commitment on a weekly basis and who seek to share their leadership and experience with their fellow community members. To become a mentor, you will go through a simple, two step process; the first involves an application where personal information, areas of interest and expertise will be delineated. This will be followed by an interview by ECDC so as to decide how to best pair your skill set and experience with a micro-enterprise.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, or would like to learn more about the program, please contact David Ellis at (630) 853-3256 or Karampreet Sachathep at (224) 595-2295.