Illinois Times, the capital city's weekly source of news, politics, arts, entertainment, culture
Illinois Times, the capital city's weekly source of news, politics, arts, entertainment, culture
Spring in Central Illinois is the perfect time to put your business in front of new customers—and the Women Entrepreneurs of Central Illinois (WECI) Women’s Business Showcase is built to do exactly that. Join us on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel for one of the region’s most anticipated events celebrating women-owned…
In communities that are growing and thriving, opportunity is not reserved for a select few, it is cultivated intentionally, shared broadly and supported through meaningful partnerships. At the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance (SSGA), that belief is central to our mission. While our work often focuses on attracting new businesses and supporting major economic development projects,…
Physician and public health professional Dr. Kemia Sarraf (“Dr. K”) with no regret shares with the world her experience with impostor syndrome through a video noting Women’s History Month in March. Sarraf, CEO of the trauma-responsive coaching and consulting business Lodestar, shares her life’s mission and how at times she doesn’t feel “up to the task”…
Women entrepreneurs are one of the fastest-growing forces in the American economy. Yet when it comes time to scale – buying a building, expanding a facility or investing in equipment – many founders run into a familiar obstacle: access to the right kind of capital. I am president of Small Business Growth Corporation, an SBA…
A few years ago, I did what many women consider at some point in their careers. I stepped out on my own and built a consulting business. I craved a sense of control, autonomy and the chance to work with leaders who truly wanted to “buy what I was selling.” For six years, I ran…
