Chicago Politics

National Small Business Week Press Conference 5.5.25

Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the National Small Business Week Press Conference

Transcript

4:04 Well, good morning, everyone. Thank you all for joining us today. Really excited standing alongside of some incredible human beings. Our BACP Commissioner, Mr. Ivan Capofale, the U.S. Small Business Administration's Illinois District Director, Willette LeGrant, and the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce President, CEO, all is good, and then the owner of Play Hyde Park, Ms. Ann Kinsley. Together, we are thrilled to kick off what we call the National Small Business Week here in Chicago.

4:40 Yeah, right. There's one little woo-hoo. Yes, let's try that again. Together, we are thrilled. Let's try that again. Cut and action. Together, we are thrilled to kick off Small Business Week right here in the greatest freakish city in the world, the city of Chicago. And it's important that we do this. It's an opportunity for us to celebrate small businesses and, of course, their impact on all of our communities.

5:10 You know, most importantly, though, it's time that we actually spend some money in our small businesses so that we can generate the revenue that keeps small businesses moving forward and continues to allow them to employ right here in our communities. Small businesses are the heart of our communities, and it's really the backbone of our economy. Each of our Chicago 77 community areas are unique and vibrant because of the small businesses that define the character of these communities.

5:41 From restaurants that bring us authentic cuisine from around the world to local retail owners and service providers who share their passion and talents with our communities. Small businesses are the key to safe, equitable, and thriving communities as they employ our residents, fuel our economy, and uplift our neighborhoods. The city of Chicago is committed to supporting and investing in small businesses as we continue to work to drive economic, equitable growth that benefit all of the commercial corridors of our city.

6:17 Through my administration's Build Better Together, this initiative, we are transforming city programs, policies, and processes to spur more economic development and growth throughout all of our 77 communities. One key way that we invest in small businesses and our commercial development is my administration's $1.25 billion investment for housing and economic development. It's the largest investment for housing and small businesses in the history of Chicago, the largest public investment.

6:55 And half of that funding is committed to housing priorities, and the other half, of course, is committed to small businesses. the innovation as well as job growth that they provide. With this bond, we have already supported groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings on mixed-use affordable housing complexes, primarily on the south and west sides of Chicago, that need housing and commercial opportunities the most. As my administration continues to invest in our communities, and particularly our businesses,

7:26 I hope the people of Chicago will join us and show their support for the National Small Business Week. There are close to 50,000 different business licenses in the city of Chicago, so that's plenty of opportunities for families to be able to find what they're looking for. In closing, I hope that our city's local restaurants, grocery stores, and retail shops, service providers, and others will feel Chicago's love and support this week. I look forward to continued partnership with BACP, our local business service organizations and community partners to ensure that right here in Chicago, those who want to achieve their dreams of launching and running a small business can actually succeed.

8:10 And so, Chicago, let's get to shopping and let's make sure that we do it local. And so with that, I'm pleased to bring to the podium our BACP Commissioner, Mr. Ivan Kapafali. Please give him a round of applause. Good morning, everyone. My name is Ivan Capifali. I am the commissioner for the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. You guys know it as BACP. It is wonderful to be here in Hyde Park, a community known for its vibrant mix of cultural attractions,

8:42 historical landmarks, and a thriving shopping district that attracts visitors from all over Chicago. Thank you, Mayor Johnson, for offlifting our communities and our city in profound ways as we continue to build better together. I want to thank also the Small Business Administration for sponsoring National Small Business Week, the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce, and of course, Plate High Park for hosting us today. Pleasure meeting you, Anne. You have an amazing business. Congratulations. As the Mayor mentioned today, we are kicking off National Small Business Week, which recognizes the hard work and the contributions to the economy made by small business owners.

9:23 This week is another opportunity for us to shop locally. When residents shop and dine locally, it creates a positive ripple effect that resonates across our entire city. When you buy a toy from a toy store like this one, you're not only helping the business stay afloat, but you're also helping wages get paid and people keep their jobs. So, just an example, like Ann, owner of Play, she depends on customers to continue to operate.

9:55 She has supported our communities and invested in our city by opening her fifth store. And this is an amazing accomplishment for a business owner here in Hyde Park. So, it is clear that when you shop local, you support the city's diverse range of local small businesses and create jobs. You help boost the economy, and when you promote your local business in your neighborhood, it enhances neighborhoods. And you know that a well-run business can bring a lot of added value to your community.

10:28 So please continue to support small businesses. Let us be reminded that Chicago's strong small business ecosystem is due to the resources and support available under Mayor Johnson's administration. BACP is proud to continue to inform and educate small businesses by providing business education, business counseling, and connecting small businesses to easy-to-access resources. We complement and reinforce the efforts of organizations like the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce,

10:59 and I encourage every current and aspiring business owner to connect with their local business service organization, whether it's a Chamber of Commerce or another, to enjoy a no-cost, hyper-local technical assistance provided to you because of this administration makes that possible. These efforts are just a small example how the city of Chicago is here to support small businesses. So let this be a reminder, as I am full of reminders today, of the crucial role local businesses play in reinvigorating communities,

11:32 and I encourage all Chicagos to continue to shop local. Now I'm going to turn it over to Willette Grant, U.S. Small Business Administration District Director. Thank you. Thank you so much. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Thank you. I like the energy. This is for you. My name is Willette LeGrant. I am the District Director for the Small Business Administration. I've got to tell you, I'm absolutely, positively thrilled to be here today. Today is our Oscars for the rest of the week.

12:05 It's our Oscars. The thing that the Small Business Administration does more than anything that likes to do, and I certainly love to do, is celebrate small businesses. So the National Small Business Week honors the nation's 34 million, 34 million small businesses for their perseverance, their ingenuity, and commitment to excellence. Now, here in Illinois, more than 1.3 million exceptional small businesses, some of which are here today, congratulations to each of you for the vital contributions that you make to the nation's economy every day.

12:42 Now, whether it's in Hyde Park, in retail stores, on factory floors, or the frontiers of technology, small businesses are igniting the next generation of creativity and building the products that keep America strong, competitive, and secure. They are the very backbone of our economy. They are the job creators who make economic prosperity attainable for millions of Americans. Small businesses create two out of every three new jobs and employ nearly half of the workforce.

13:17 I never get tired of saying that. I don't think it fully resonates the impact that small businesses have on this nation. And too often when I'm in the community and I'm talking to small businesses, you know what they say to me? They say I'm just a small business. I'm just a small business. Almost as though they don't really understand the direct, not indirect, The direct impact, the contributions that they make to our nation. So to each of you, I say, take a very well-deserved bow.

13:48 Not only are you the job creators, you are the difference makers. You are the economic engine of this country. Now, I would be remiss if I didn't recognize the extraordinary resource partners that helped to fuel this engine. In Illinois, we have 41 small business development centers, and I'm proud of the partnership that we have with the state of Illinois to make that happen. We also have five chapters of Service Corps Retired Executives for Women's Business Center and a Veterans Business Outreach Center.

14:23 In collaboration with SBA, they deliver essential, essential counseling and training and capital access and business development and contracting and so much more. The SBA is proud of the work that we get to do. Notice that I said we get to do this work. I took this position about a year and a half ago, and I've got to tell you, I took it because of the mission. The mission that SBA has to serve small businesses. Our commitment to small businesses is unwavering. We are always looking for opportunities to help small businesses excel to even greater heights.

14:58 There are several initiatives on the horizon that SBA is launching to do just that. With a focus on Main Street, Made in America, and accountability, the SBA is going to get rid of regulatory red tape, expand access to capital, invest in workforce development, and continue to build a dedicated infrastructure to help small businesses succeed. So the future looks bright for small businesses and our economy. Again, please join me in honoring and applauding

15:29 the difference makers, America's small businesses. Thank you. And with that, I'd like to turn it over to Mr. Wallace Goode. Welcome to High Park. My name is Wallace Goode. I'm the Executive Director and CEO of High Park Chamber of Commerce. It's a true honor to welcome you to High Park as we celebrate the kickoff of National Small Business Week alongside Mayor Brandon Johnson,

16:00 BACP Commissioner, and SBA Illinois District Director, as well as the owner of this great place, Anne Kinsley. We're so excited. I want to thank them for their steadfast leadership and partnership. Your presence here today speaks volumes about the commitment our city, state, and nation has to uplift small businesses and neighborhood economies. Annually, High Park welcomes more than 1.5 million visitors drawn by our culture and academic institutions, our 100

16:31 different culinary experiences, our bookstores, the lakefront, our parks, local boutiques, and the character that only small businesses can provide. The Hyde Park Chamber has served this incredible community for 105 years, proudly serves 292 active members, and supports over 29,000 neighborhood residents. As a BACP Neighborhood Business Development Center, the Chamber is proud to be on the front line of supporting and guiding Chicago's business ecosystem.

17:01 In the past year alone, we have curated 42 business development events. 2024 promises to be even better. 2025 promises to be even better. 2024 was really good. I want to relive that. Hyde Park's business community succeeds because they are not just part of our economy. They are the heart of our community. They are where our neighbors work, where our families gather, and where our community's diversity shines brightest. Our nation's small businesses are more than engines of economic growth.

17:33 They are champions of innovation, keepers of culture, and guardians of equity. They hire locally, give generously, and dream boldly. And they do it in the face of rising costs, competition from global retailers, and the lasting impact of the pandemic. That's why this week and every week we stand with them. We celebrate them. Let me take a moment to recognize the fact that in this High Park shopping center, this is the third new business, small business, that has formed here recently.

18:08 Whether you want French coffee at La Boulangerie or whether you want Indian, Caribbean, and African-infused cuisine at Mahari, please come back and enjoy this, but definitely come back and buy a toy. lastly the chamber is proud to advance our work through discover high park a strategic committee of the chamber that positions high park as a premier destination our vision for 2025 is clear and collective we are continuing to build a high park that is dynamic walkable safe and accessible

18:39 a place where small businesses can thrive where art and culture are preserved and where community engagement is not just encouraged, but celebrated. To all our small business owners, you are the heartfelt, the heartbeat of this community. Thank you, and let's make this week and this year a powerful step forward from Hyde Park and for all small businesses across our nation. It is my honor to introduce the owner of this incredible establishment, Ann Kinsley. Thank you, Ann. Thank you, Wallace.

19:14 Thanks. Spot Local. My name is Ann Kinsley, and I opened Play, a toy store, in 2010 in Logan Square. This is our 15th anniversary, Labor Day weekend, and now we're celebrating the opening of our fifth shop here in Hyde Park. So welcome. We are exactly three weeks old. In those 15 years, we have made it through multiple expansions, a global pandemic.

19:45 a supply chain crisis. We thrived through all of this with the support of our loyal customers and their endless cheerleading, and now we're faced with a global trade war, and supporting small business continues to be more imperative than ever. The only way your neighborhood shops will survive is if you support them. Chicago has a vibrant collection of small businesses woven through each neighborhood, bringing character and culture and community in a way that no one else can. While Chicago is world-renowned for its restaurant

20:21 scene and its beautiful lakeshore, I'm going to say that it should also be known for its collection of small businesses. Cool, eclectic local retail scene makes it an amazing place to explore. Shopping and dining local is really the only way Chicago thrives. So I implore you, whether you're visiting or you're a local, to promote Chicago, explore Chicago, shop, drink, and dine

20:51 Chicago. Thank you so much for coming to our shop, and we hope to see you soon. Yeah, thank you, Anne. Thank you, Mr. Good and Ms. LeGrand. Thank you to our Commissioner Capofale, and thank you all for being here today. With that, we'll take a couple of questions. Yeah, Mia. You have a question on topic, and I have a question on topic. On and on? On and off. Got it. Okay. All right.

21:21 All right. I didn't have my coffee yet. It's okay. Well, you know where to go, right? Absolutely. So having these small businesses in particular, and we talked about three that just opened here in this area, crime continues to be an issue for them. In fact, just in this plaza, there were some issues, and some of these businesses, they keep the doors locked because they're concerned about crime. So how would you address these issues that these small business owners have? Because it's very expensive to have security, and they want to be welcoming.

21:56 So what are you doing to help small businesses deal with crime? Well, it is an issue. It's a top issue that I confront every single day, and it's something that is going to really require all of us collectively to ensure maximum safety. One of the ways in which you create safe and vibrant communities is by the expansion of small businesses in these commercial corridors where there are actually more people who are moving about, because that is what engenders safety.

22:27 When more people are around and more people are shopping and more people are out, those type of incidences and tragedies are less likely to happen. Now, as you also know, that crime is down in Chicago. It continues to fall. April was one of the lowest months of homicides that we've seen since for a very long time, 1962, between January and April. And I believe violent crime is down roughly 23%, 24%. Robberies are down.

22:57 We implemented a robbery strategy just over a year ago. So we're going to continue to show up, but it's not just policing. It can't be policing alone. And as we continue to make these critical investments, incentivizing more businesses, small businesses to go forward and to thrive, it creates more activity. You know, my son is a junior right around the corner from here at Kenwood. And, you know, I'm feeling a way because he's starting to really enjoy the south side of Chicago. And as a west sider, I just kind of feel a way about that.

23:29 But, you know, students come up, come out of Kenwood Academy as they look to explore or spend time for open campus. So public safety is top priority. And we're going to continue to drive violence down in the city of Chicago. Close to one another. Just what can you tell us about them and what what's going on with police training? Well, these cases are will be investigated thoroughly by all of the respective bodies.

24:05 I'll have a conversation, a deeper conversation with the superintendent a little later today to get a better understanding of of what went on. But what I can say is, you know, we have fully embraced constitutional policing since I've been in office. The compliance rate has gone up significantly. The training that we are offering for our police officers have already shown repeated benefit. We saw how we handled the Democratic National Convention and, you know, other elements of engagement.

24:35 So we'll get the full scope of what went down, you know, and my number one priority is not just creating constitutional policing, but making sure. we engender absolute confidence between our local law enforcement and the community because that's ultimately how we secure safer communities when that trust is maintained. Thank you. Hi, Mayor. Council is set to resume discussion today on the curfew proposal. Can you tell us, has your view changed? Where do you stand on that right now? Well, one of the things that, I mean, I think the people of Chicago will appreciate about me,

25:10 as much as I believe that we have to constantly involve in our thinking, we cannot succumb to elements of practices that just don't prove to be effective. So my position around curfew is it's the position that 12 rigorous studies have gone through, that there is no empirical evidence that lowering the curfew is going to reduce or eliminate those type of incidents. What we have to do is continue to come together as a city to have conversations around how do we hold people accountable, how do we create opportunities, and how we continue to

25:41 collaborate. I spent Friday afternoon spending the most part of my day in the second ward talking to folks in River North and Streeterville and the like to having these substantive conversations. And you know what they all agree on? That we have to invest in our young people. Everybody agrees with that. And so we're going to continue to make sure that we have these collaborative conversations. That's my responsibility to continue to bring people together so that we can come up with effective solutions. Now, here's the thing. These incidences have gone down. One is one too

26:13 many. Just like violent crime continues to go down in the city of Chicago, it's not just because of one entity. It's because of this, the collective work, making sure we're investing in housing. That's how we build safer communities, investing in our small businesses. That's why I put forth the $1.25 billion investment for housing and economic development. Those two components together is how we build better together. And that's what we're going to continue to do. We're going to stay focused on what works. We're going to continue to come together and remain firm to

26:44 ensure that a better, stronger, safer Chicago becomes the reality. It could come back with lawsuits and legal battles against the city. Have you talked to legal staff within the city about whether it would pass the Constitution? Well, look, I've made that very clear from the very beginning. I'm not entirely sure of the constitutionality of a measure that would be solely concentrated in one particular area now since i brought folks together there is a broader

27:16 conversation but here's the thing that's most important we want to prevent these type of occurrences from happening and everything that we do to invest in the front end we don't have to scramble on the back end let me just tell you this being a father raising three children if you don't prepare the night before i'm just saying right so we have to do a better job at preparing and our police superintendent is doing that but it has to be a holistic approach there's a reason why violent crime is going down in chicago is because we're showing up on the front end for too long

27:48 we've had a very um puerile lazy approach towards governance and so we're taking a mature approach we're doing the things that work and i know that there's a level of trepidation and fear and anxiety that exists i get that i'm raising my family in a very beautiful community it's the austin neighborhood. We love it. And I'm the first mayor in the history of Chicago to wake up in one of the most violent neighborhoods in the entire city. You know, a couple of years ago, my son started at Kenwood first week in school. A kid goes out for lunch and gets murdered, right? These are things that I think about every single day. I don't want children harmed. And that's why I've

28:22 invested millions and millions of dollars into youth employment. We're going to hire 29,000 young people working with small businesses around the city to hire these young people, also with government agencies as a city we will do what works and even in the midst of some level of fear and trepidation and some anxiety we have to hold firm to our values and our values are accountable making people accountable, keeping people accountable, making sure we're creating opportunities, making these investments

28:53 and working together and we're going to continue to do that alright thank you all very much appreciate you all

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