Hawthorne Strategy Group

While the Illinois Department of Early Childhood is working to make childcare options accessible to families, supporting childcare providers is the other side of the coin.

In a recently published Chicago Sun-Times letter, the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) Childcare Business team—Managing Director Aisha Ahrens and Director Yvonne Villalpando—break down how supporting the small-business owners can help close the gaps in childcare across Illinois.

Congratulations to our client, the WBDC, on a great feature and for continuing to champion issues that directly impact their clients.

Read the letter here:

New state agency should make childcare deserts a top priority The Illinois Department of Early Childhood has the potential to benefit families and providers. Also, funding Chicago Public Schools and a response to an op-ed about "techno-peasants."

When eighth grade students outperform the stock market, it's news.

We're proud to have secured coverage on WGN TV and WBBM Newsradio for Big Shoulders Fund's stock market program to highlight the success of these bright students. Over the last school year, eighth grade students across Chicago managed a $3,000 stock portfolio. They picked stocks, conducted research, and created presentations to justify their decisions. The winning portfolio from St. Mary Catholic Community School grew 50.2%! Everyone worked hard and deserved a shoutout, so we're happy to have helped make that happen on two major Chicago news stations!

Congrats to the students and mentors involved!

Light up Chicago like nobody else!

BOMA/Chicago is offering one Illinoisan the chance to determine the colors of the city's skyline for up to a week in 2027. This new Skyline Lighting Raffle gives the winner the opportunity to design a custom lighting display and have it captured by renowned cityscape photographer Barry Butler. We're thrilled to support our client by securing media coverage and spreading awareness for this incredible opportunity.

Read this article from NBC to learn more about BOMA and how you can enter the raffle:

One lucky Illinois resident will get the rare chance to control Chicago’s skyline. Here's how Soon, a lucky someone will get to choose the color of the Chicago skyline for a set period - for whatever reason they choose.