Entrepreneurs Get Chicago’s South Side On Track

The IJ Clinic, based at the University of Chicago Law School, empowers Chicago’s low-income entrepreneurs through free legal services, resources, and advocacy.

In October, we hosted our 11th Annual South Side Pitch, a Shark Tank-style competition to celebrate entrepreneurship on the South Side of Chicago. Nearly 100 budding small businesses applied to participate. The five finalists met with experienced business coaches to prepare and sharpen their pitches before presenting them on stage in front of a live audience.

Each finalist won a cash prize awarded by four esteemed judges: Amor Montes de Oca, strategic initiatives program manager at mHUB; Terrence Johnson, executive director of Greenwood Archer Capital; Britney Robbins, social entrepreneur and founder and CEO of The Gray Matter Experience; and Richard Jones, senior manager in airport operations and supplier performance with United Airlines.

A tech startup called InHeirit took first place. Founders Astin Hayes, Amanda Moutrage, and Rendel Solomon aim to use thoughtful innovation to dispel common myths, disrupt the traditional legal pricing model, and ease uncertainties in estate planning. The company plans to use its winnings to complete development and bring the first iteration of their platform to the community.  

Finalist 7323 Chicago Café, operating from a repurposed shipping container in a city park, won both the Community Favorite Award (by audience vote) and the Social Impact Award from the University of Chicago Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation.

Clifton Muhammad and Connie Anderson of The Record Track were there to cheer on their fellow entrepreneurs. As 2022 South Side Pitch finalists, they presented a vision to shore up and modernize an outdated vinyl record storefront they inherited to create a reimagined “third space” for youth and the community to experience music. They joined the IJ Clinic as a client following the competition.

In the two years since their pitch, they completed building renovations after the IJ Clinic helped them secure financing, obtain city building permits, pass inspections, and navigate a complicated grant reimbursement process with numerous seemingly insurmountable hurdles. We celebrated their progress at a ribbon cutting ceremony this fall.

Next, they will be outfitting the new space with donated musical instruments and novel interactive video stations. They hope to welcome customers in the coming months. 

And they’re just getting started. Against the odds, on a block with many vacant lots and empty storefronts, The Record Track is on track to purchase from the city seven vacant lots next door. They envision a beautiful garden gathering space with an area for small-scale music performances to boost their business and enliven the community.

Cliff and Connie learned from dedicated coaches during South Side Pitch how to convey their story and vision in an impactful way. With that experience as a springboard, they are now making their vision a reality.

We look forward to seeing how this year’s finalists manifest their dreams of entrepreneurship to reinvigorate the South Side community!

Aleksei Kaminski, Beth Kregor, and Catherine Gryczan are staff at IJ’s Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago.