2021 Annual Report
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Area of Impact - Programming
Review Our 2021 Programming
Chicago United’s programming curates meaningful learning and engagement opportunities that inform and promote best-in-class diversity, equity and inclusion practices and highlight actionable strategies that can be applied in a member’s respective workplace.
Area of Impact - Membership
CHAMPIONING INCLUSION AS A BUSINESS IMPERATIVE ACROSS CHICAGO
Chicago United’s nearly 100 Member Companies include Fortune 500, large, mid-, and small-sized businesses, minority-owned businesses, as well as civic and nonprofit institutions. Our corporate members employ and engage over ## million people In the U.S. and more than ## million people worldwide.
Area of Impact - Business Leaders of Color
QUALIFIED AND READY
Chicago United’s biennial Business Leaders of Color (BLC) honor and publication serves to highlight and demonstrate the level of diverse talent available in Chicago.
In 2021, we honored 50 new members of Chicago’s business community. Since its inception in 2003, the BLC honor and publication has identified 470 board-ready candidates who have served in over 300 corporate directorships.
Area of Impact - Corporate Inclusion Institute
DRIVING BUSINESS PERFORMANCE THROUGH INCLUSION
Chicago United’s Corporate Inclusion Institute (CII) is building a community of inclusive leaders throughout Chicagoland. As of Cohort IV in 2021, 152 Corporate Guides and Fellows have completed the program with 102 Executive Sponsors and Direct Managers having benefitted from workshops and resources around inclusive leadership competencies.
Area of Impact - Minority Business Partnerships Program
CULTIVATING A THRIVING MINORITY BUSINESS COMMUNITY
In 2021, under directives from our newly implemented Three-Year Strategic Plan, Chicago United’s Minority Business Partnerships program, which includes The Five Forward Initiative™, expanded its area of focus to a holistic approach to help minority businesses grow.
Outcomes:
- Long-term strategic partnerships aligned with Committed Corporations’ aspirations.
- Accelerated success for Chicagoland’s Minority Business Enterprises and a more competitive pool of diverse businesses.
- Job growth and a stronger local economy.
We are very proud of the impact CII is having on the business community. Nothing is more meaningful than to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion practices deliver meaningful benefits and transform corporate culture.
Tiffany Hamel Johnson
President and CEO | Chicago United
Make a Meaningful Impact
Every day, Chicago United’s work sparks transformative change within the Chicagoland region, impacting the lives of the underrepresented with the help of our generous supporters. Stand with us!
