Phase II Executive Study 01.08.2021
INTRODUCTION
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Adelante's Mission ● The mission of the Adelante Center for Entrepreneurship is to create wealth in distressed communities -- especially eastern Waukegan, North Chicago, and Zion -- through entrepreneurship, community development, and living wage job creation, all through a focus on addressing food insecurity. |
COVID Development Pivot ● In 2019, New Venture Advisors (NVA) began working with Adelante on a market assessment for a set of projects including a food hall, a kitchen incubator, and an urban farm with a market and café. Predevelopment work for this ambitious set of projects began by conducting a preliminary assessment of the food system to identify and clarify the set of enterprises that are most needed and likely to meet project goals. ● Through an extensive interview process, and both a demographic and consumer spending analysis, NVA assessed this cluster of food enterprises. However, as the research was concluding, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic changed the economic and food system landscape abruptly and drastically, causing Adelante to shift its development focus toward programs to address food insecurity and delivery systems. |
A New Model ● This report outlines an operating model for a network of food businesses and programs that address improved food quality and access in eastern Waukegan, North Chicago, Zion and the surrounding area, ranging from supply-side enterprises that aggregate and distribute fresh, healthy food right into these communities, to demand-side programs that connect the community with healthy, affordable food. ● From an aquaponics farm to farm-to-school programming and a Comedor meal program serving the housing insecure, a network of enterprises will also aim to provide mentoring and job opportunities and continue to create economic prosperity in the region. ● This network of programs and enterprises will be developed and operated through a Collective Impact network model. |