May 10, 2013 is Deadline to Participate in the Inner City Capital Connections Training Seminar

A three day intensive Inner City Capital Connections Training has been announced by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC).

The actual training seminar, the Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) program, is designed to help small businesses in economically distressed areas access capital, achieve sustainable growth, and connect with debt and equity providers. The three-day executive education seminar will be held at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business from June 6-8, 2013 and will led by Harvard Business School Professor Stephen Rogers.

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Cook County, and Citi Bank are local supporters / partners for this year’s ICCC training seminar, and it is free for companies that qualify for the program.

Eligible companies must be growth-oriented , headquartered in, or that have 51% or more of their physical operations present in, or that have 40% or more of their employees present in an economically distressed urban area. Qualified participants must also be a for-profit corporation, partnership or proprietorship with revenues of $500,000 or more.

The deadline for applications is May 10, 2013. Companies may apply for the program online by going to their application link.

Since the launch of the ICCC program in 2005, approximately 375 inner city companies and 150 equity providers have been selected to participate. Participating companies have raised more than $703 million in capital – 90% of which was raised within two years of participation. In addition, ICCC companies have created or helped to create more than 5,600 jobs and on average hire 40% of their workforce from within the inner city.

The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) is a nonprofit research and strategy organization and the leading authority on U.S. inner city economies and the businesses that thrive there. Founded in 1994 by Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, ICIC expands inner city economies by providing businesses, governments and investors with the most comprehensive and actionable information in the field about urban market opportunities. ICIC’s unique knowledge and expertise about inner city success factors and thriving companies is developed from specialized urban networks and path-breaking research. For more information, go to their website www.icic.org