Loyola Quinlan Launching Incubator To Fight Chicago Poverty
In spring 2016, the Quinlan School of Business launched the Urban Social Benefit Incubator, which aims to connect social entrepreneurs and business leaders to create innovative solutions to help marginalized communities in the fight against poverty. According to statistics reported by Quinlan, 14 percent of Chicago metro residents live below the federal poverty line, which is currently defined as an income of $24,300 for a family of four. This is slightly above the U.S. national average of 13.5 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Built with a team of students, staff and faculty, and overseen by the leadership of Quinlan’s Loyola Business Leadership Hub, the incubator will provide counsel, organize resources and create strategic businesses plans to help better serve target audiences in impoverished communities.
John Caltagirone, director for Quinlan’s Supply and Value Chain Center, was one of the progenitors of the Incubator:
“When we saw the impact poverty was having on Chicago-area families, we realized that we could—and should—use the expertise within our business school to help.”
In the last six months, the incubator has counseled social enterprises such as A Safe Haven, an organization dedicated to fighting homelessness in Chicago. Several projects for A Safe Haven included creating marketing and operational plans, and consulting on the structure and implementation of lean management techniques.
Mark Mulroe is the COO and executive vice president of A Safe Haven, and earned his MBA at Qunilan in 2015.
“Loyola students approach their assignments professionally and with an understanding that the quality of their work would have a direct impact on the lives of many homeless individuals throughout the city.”
The Urban Social Benefit Incubator has also benefited the following enterprises:
- EATS Groceries: A grocery supermarket dedicated to providing fresh and healthy food in food deserts
- Greater Roseland West Pullman Food Network: A coordinated network to combat food insecurity on Chicago’s South Side
- Top Box Foods: A social enterprise providing healthy and affordable grocery boxes to food-insecure neighborhoods
Interested in joining? Contact Harry Haney at hhaney@luc.edu for more information.
About the Author
Max Pulcini
Max Pulcini is a Philadelphia-based writer and reporter. He has an affinity for Philly sports teams, Super Smash Bros. and cured meats and cheeses. Max has written for Philadelphia-based publications such as Spirit News, Philadelphia City Paper, and Billy Penn, as well as national news outlets like The Daily Beast.
