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WIN Spotlight: Melissa Tanner     Melissa Tanner is no stranger to the Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce.  She has been a part of the Women In Network (WIN) committee for several years.  Prior to becoming WIN the committee was called Women In Business which Melissa was also part of their Executive Committee. Melissa joined…

Board Bootcamp Launches, Empowering Young & Emerging  Local Leaders  Kankakee, IL. – A new program called Board Bootcamp is set to launch in January of  2023. This four-session training is designed to equip professionals in Kankakee and  Iroquois Counties with the skills and knowledge to serve effectively on nonprofit boards.  Board Bootcamp will cover diverse…

B2B New Biz Grants B2B NEW BIZ Grants for businesses launched during pandemic. Brick-and-Mortar and home-based can apply, applicants are eligible for up to $30,000 in grants. The application opens Thursday, November 30th through January 11, 2024.   https://b2bnewbiz.com/ ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS  1. For-profit business and nonprofit organizations (Registered as a 501(c) organization) 2. Must be independently…

Additional grant opportunities! There are two grant opportunities available through Illinois DCEO that you may be interested in. Please see below and the links to find additional information. The Tourism Private Sector Grant –  To provide grants for the purpose of attracting, hosting and developing new events and festivals in Illinois or enhancing existing festivals…

Partner Spotlight Bear Construction BEAR Construction Company is a family-owned business. We take great pride in the outstanding reputation our company has earned during the past 39 years. Our management team and field staff are career professionals with extensive experience in all facets of general contracting. We have been providing client-focused General Contracting and Construction…

Investor Spotlight Peoples Bank of Kankakee County Peoples Bank of Kankakee County is a family owned, community bank with offices in Kankakee, Bourbonnais, and Manteno, Illinois.  It was originally founded in 1962 by Romy Hammes.  Truly a family business, Romy’s son, Jerry Hammes, has served as Bank Chairman since 1980 while Jerry’s son, Jeff, has…

Ambassador Spotlight Abigial Smith I grew up in Kankakee and graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with degrees in marketing and fashion merchandising. I then went back to ONU for my MBA. About 5 years ago I moved back to Kankakee County to work for the family business. My Grandparents started this business in the 60s, and the…

Women In Networking Spotlight Amber Turner Amber Turner Account Manager – Agente Staffing  Amber has been with Agente Staffing since April 2019. Responsible for effectively developing and managing existing and new client relationships to secure orders for staffing and placement of talent. Works closely with the recruiting team to identify opportunities, assess the feasibility of…

Visit Kankakee County Announces Second Round of Community Tourism Action  Plan (CTAP) Grant Recipients   KANKAKEE COUNTY, IL—October 6, 2023   The Visit Kankakee County (formally known as the Kankakee County Convention and Visitors Bureau)  Board of Directors is thrilled to continue their commitment to enhancing tourism in Kankakee County by  building upon the successful initiatives that…