This week, the Illinois Small Business Center at Western Illinois University Quad Cities announced the winners of the 2020 Western Illinois University QC Minority Empowerment Equipment Grant. The Minority Empowerment Equipment Grant was started in 2018 with a very generous donation from a local anonymous donor. For the third consecutive year, the grant allows ethnic minority entrepreneurs to have access to capital to purchase a new piece of equipment or repair an existing piece of equipment that will allow their business to grow.
2018 award ceremony at Western Illinois University Riverfront Hall
To date, about $41,000 has been awarded to 27 individual small business owners through the program. This year, through a grateful additional donation from Mercado on Fifth and the expansion of the grant due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ALL requests were granted this year. “We hope this donation will bring some smiles during a very difficult time,” said Maria Ontiveros, President of Mercado on Fifth.
Vicente Zepeda recieving a grant to repair a washing machine at his laundromat
As a result of the Governor’s Safer at Home order, there will be no award ceremony this year. A virtual ceremony will be available to the public at a later date. This year’s winners are: Urbina’s Creations, Mento’s Auto Service, Isa Balloon Design and More, Chapa Produce, Family Lopez Construction, Taqueria Rolys, Lopez Landscaping Services QC, Tamales For Hope, Curry Out, Tacos al Vapor, Gonzalez Construction QC, El Tesoro/SunStar Cleaning, Gomez Express Auto, Cesar’s Detail Shop, Paleteria Y Dulceria San Jose, Beauty by Myra, Aguas Frescas Camila, Moore Divahs, Marceleno’s All Season Services, Antojitos My Diaz and QC Bilingual Income Tax Services.
2018 grant recipients
The Illinois SBDC and International Trade Center at WIU - QC opened in 2017 to assist small business development and growth in the Quad Cites region and in northwest Illinois. The center’s free services are offered to help entrepreneurs start, grow and sustain their businesses. The Illinois Small Business Development Center is a unit of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University. The Illinois Small Business Development Center is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Western Illinois University.
2019 grant recipients