According to a report by UCLA’s Latino Policy & Politics Initiative, Latinas are leaving the workforce at higher rates than any other demographic.
For some Latinas, the mirage of the American Dream faded amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and many chose to divest from the cultural, societal, and professional standards placed on first- and second-generation communities. READ MORE AT REFINERY 29
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 10, 2021
CONTACT:
DCASE Communications, dcase@cityofchicago.org
Jamey Lundblad, Jamey.Lundblad@cityofchicago.org
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT AND DCASE ANNOUNCE NEW “CHICAGO MADE” INITIATIVE TO STRENGTHEN CHICAGO’S TV & FILM INDUSTRY
Innovative workforce development program and public awareness campaign are outcomes of Mayor Lightfoot’s COVID-19 Recovery Task Force
CHICAGO—Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Chicago Film Office at the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) today announced a new initiative to strengthen Chicago’s TV and film industry. The new “Chicago Made” workforce development program and public awareness campaign are based on recommendations from the City of Chicago’s COVID-19 Recovery Task Force outlined in the Forward Together advisory report. “This initiative will play an important role in the resurgence of our city’s TV and film industry, which remains one of the largest and most diverse in the country,” said Mayor Lightfoot.
“Chicago’s growing film industry not only ranks our city first in the Midwest for production, it also highlights the diverse culture and immense talent
found throughout our 77 neighborhoods.” The Chicago Film Office at DCASE has partnered with management consulting firm XD-TECH to deliver an innovative workforce development program that aims to transform the region’s TV and film workforce — by offering job training and placement to Chicago residents ages 24 to 50, primarily from underserved areas of our city, to help meet the industry’s increasing demand for skilled workers. Many of the positions are entry-level and do not require a college degree including carpenter, costumer, grip, lighting tech, production assistant and set decorator.
Twenty-five participants will be selected for the first cohort, across 12 career pathways. More than 20 industry partners are providing training or other supports for the program. Chicagoans interested in this opportunity should register for a virtual info session on Friday, December 10 at 6pm CST and can learn more (including eligibility criteria and pre-requisite requirements) at XDTechIndustry.com/ChicagoMade. Applications to participate in this free program are due by December 15.*
*Participants with previous training and/or specific pre-requisite skillsets will be prioritized in order to maximize the effectiveness of the condensed training period.
“Chicago film production is on track to hit an all-time high this year,” said Kwame Amoaku, Director of the Chicago Film Office. “The new ‘Chicago Made’ initiatives will increase our capacity to serve and accelerate the growth of the local industry — building our workforce while supporting residents in every neighborhood.”
The Chicago Film Office led the City’s efforts to bring a record 15 productions to Chicago this summer, at an estimated economic value of well over $700 million this year alone. In 2019, the Illinois film industry employed 20,000 people and 51% of local crew hires were women or minorities. NBCUniversal, Netflix, The Walt Disney Company and WarnerMedia will provide onset training for the workforce development program. The following partners consulted on the curriculum and will provide direct training support: Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) Midwest; Brittanni Perkins, production
accountant; Chicago Filmmakers; Essanay Studio & Lighting Co.; IATSE Local 476; IATSE Local 600; IATSE TWU Local 769; Keslow Camera; Last Looks Chicago; The Mill; ONE at Optimus; Panavision Chicago; and Periscope Post & Audio.
Additionally, BTECH Studios and Creative Cypher are working with XD-TECH on program outreach and implementation. Bloomberg Associates, Columbia College Chicago and Kennedy-King College provided consultation support. Additionally, DCASE is launching an ongoing public awareness campaign using the “Chicago Made” brand to highlight the vital role Chicago’s TV and film industry plays in the city — benefiting Chicago residents in all 50 wards (both residents affected by filming in their neighborhood and Chicagoans interested in film production jobs) as well as industry stakeholders. The campaign will showcase the industry’s enormous economic impact, introduce local film workers as neighbors and friends and
highlight the diversity of “reel” jobs available across our city. The campaign’s creative will emphasize the grit and authenticity of Chicago’s film industry and its unique style of filmmaking — via digital billboards, advertising on CTA trains and busses, advertising at O’Hare, social media, community news and more. Learn more at ChicagoMade.us (launching soon; Music and other creative industries to be added in 2022) and join the conversation on social media using #ChicagoMade.
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Chicago Film Office
The Chicago Film Office is part of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and leads the City’s efforts to attract and enhance the production of feature films, television series, commercials, documentaries and all forms of local screen entertainment. For filmmakers, it is a one-stop liaison for all City of Chicago production needs, including permits, City services and logistical support. For more information, visit chicagofilmoffice.us.
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors. For more information, visit chicago.gov/dcase.
Latinos will make up more than 1 in 5 U.S. workers by 2030. Yet despite high rates of job participation and entrepreneurship, a massive wage gap is one of the factors hindering their economic mobility, a new study has found.
The wage gap for Latinos is as high as $288 billion per year, according to "The economic state of Latinos in America: The American dream deferred," a report by McKinsey & Co. in partnership with the Aspen Institute, which was released Wednesday. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS
Latinos now make up 19% of the country’s population, and half of them are under age 29. And while America’s Latinos spend an estimated $1.7 trillion annually, the Hispanic Marketing Council says only 6% of overall industry investment is spent targeting the Latino community. READ MORE AT WTTW NEWS
There have been more new businesses formed so far this year than ever. Literally ever.
According to data from the US Census Bureau analyzed by the Economic Innovation Group, there were about 1.4m new startup applications filed with the government through 30 September 2021. That’s compared with 1.14m during the same period in 2020 and 987 thousand in 2019. Every year before had been significantly less. READ MORE AT THE GUARDIAN
Hispanic Americans have long dealt with racial discrimination and unfair lending practices, contributing to a racial wealth gap between Hispanic and white families. A survey from the Pew Research Center found that 70% of Hispanic Americans said they didn't have emergency funds to cover at least three months of expenses during the pandemic, and more than half said they worried daily or frequently about keeping up with expenses.
Those already-grueling financial circumstances have only grown worse over the past 18 months. Earlier in the pandemic, the Paycheck Protection Program provided over $521 billion in funding and over 5 million PPP loans to small businesses. However, Latino business owners didn't reap the benefits of the first round of funding. READ MORE AT INSIDER
Fear of never being able to pay off school loans is keeping many young Latinos in the U.S. from going to college or completing a degree, according to a report published in September. Latinos tend to have more difficulty repaying school debt than white student borrowers, according to Federal Reserve data, at the same time that they need more loans in order to afford tuition. READ MORE AT AXIOS
Latinos play a key role in economic growth as their buying power jumped to more than $1.7 trillion, according to a report from the University of Georgia. In 2020, the census pointed out a drastic national spike, with Latinos making up more than half of the population’s growth.
Their buying power is a driving force in economics as they reach closer to nearly $2 trillion, according to US Hispanic Market Report. READ MORE AT NBC10 NEWS
Families led by Black or Hispanic adults are less likely to be invested in the stock market, compared to those led by white adults, according to the latest Pew research. About 61% percent of white U.S. households own some stock, compared to 28% of Hispanic households. READ MORE AT YAHOO FINANCE
Veteran Energy Industry Leader to Continue Utility's Successful Track Record of Delivering Reliable, Affordable and Clean Energy to More Than Four Million Illinois Customers.
CHICAGO (October 14, 2021) — ComEd today announced Gil C. Quiniones will become CEO of ComEd, effective Nov. 15, 2021. Quiniones, who has served as president and CEO of the New York Power Authority (NYPA) for the past 10 years, will report to Calvin Butler, CEO of Exelon Utilities, who also has been serving as interim CEO of ComEd since Oct. 1, 2021.
Quiniones is a proven industry executive with more than 30 years of relevant leadership and operational experience extending across regulated utility markets, the public and private sectors, and state and local governments. For the past decade, he has been the CEO of the nation's largest state-owned public power organization. He is an internationally recognized leader in modernizing power grids, and delivering clean, safe and affordable energy for customers, leading to economic and environmental benefits for diverse communities.
"Gil is an experienced electric utility leader, with a proven ability to deliver world-class performance for customers and strengthen and uplift communities, including in urban areas, making him ideally suited to be the CEO of ComEd," said Butler. "In addition, Gil is a high-integrity leader who is focused on ethics, equity and doing what is best for our diverse customers, communities and employees. We are confident that, under his leadership, ComEd will continue to be recognized as one of the cleanest, most reliable and most affordable utilities in America."
"It's an honor to be named CEO of ComEd, and I look forward to working closely with Calvin and the entire utility management team to lead this nationally recognized energy company," Quiniones said. "I share ComEd's vision for a clean and resilient energy future that benefits customers and communities across northern Illinois and commit to continuing ComEd's legacy of local partnership with and investment in the communities it is privileged to serve."
John R. Koelmel, chair, NYPA Board of Trustees, said, "Gil is an outstanding person as well as a tremendous leader. Over his tenure at NYPA, the combination of his passion, vision, industry knowledge and business acumen has positioned us as an industry leader. He has fostered a strong internal culture based on excellence, integrity and safety and has created positive relationships with the many customers and communities we serve. We wish Gil every success as he assumes his new leadership role with ComEd."
About Gil C. Quiniones:
Quiniones has served as president and CEO of NYPA, the nation's largest state-owned public power organization, since 2011. Prior to this role, he served as COO and executive vice president, Energy Marketing and Corporate Affairs. Before joining NYPA in 2007, Quiniones spent four years at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where he served as senior vice president and the principal energy adviser to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Prior to this, Quiniones worked for 13 years at the Consolidated Edison Company of New York, a regulated electric and gas utility, and ConEdison Solutions, the utility's unregulated energy services subsidiary. He was a co-founder and managing director of Energy Services at the subsidiary, where he led profitable revenue growth.
Quiniones has served as chair of GridWise Alliance; a board member of Emera Inc.; chair and board member of the Electric Power Research Institute, where he rejoined the board in April 2021; chair and chair emeritus of the Alliance to Save Energy; chair-elect of the Smart Electric Power Alliance and vice chair of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority; a board member of the Large Public Power Council; and a member of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council and the International Energy Agency's Global Commission for Urgent Action on Energy Efficiency. Quiniones plans to resign from all current board memberships in order to devote his full attention to his ComEd duties. He holds a B.S. from De La Salle University in Manila. In 2020, he earned a Corporate Director Certificate at Harvard Business School.
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Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 10 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
A new study finds that both the labor market and the broader economy will become increasingly anchored by a young, dynamic population of Latino workers — a finding that has implications for everything from employers’ investment decisions to local economic diversification, to the functioning of critical social safety net programs.
According to the 2021 U.S. Latino GDP Report, Latinos have contributed close to three-quarters of the entire labor force expansion that has taken place since the Great Recession. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS
Program assists nearly 100 businesses in building financial capacity, securing federal loan assistance
CHICAGO (September 10, 2021) – CTA’s Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Project, the largest transit investment in the agency’s history, today announced the milestone of securing $5 million in federal loans in 2020-2021 for local small businesses as part of the CTA Building Small Businesses (BSB) Program.
The BSB Program, launched in 2019, was developed to provide financial guidance to small businesses and other Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) by offering direct loan placement and other supports so they can demonstrate the up-front capital needed to compete on large-scale transportation construction and capital programs.
CTA provided technical and funding assistance to about 100 small businesses during 2020-2021, an incredibly unpredictable and unprecedented time for DBEs. In direct response to financial hardships brought on by the pandemic, the project expanded to include assistance to companies applying for federal CARES Act loans, helping secure $5 million for these businesses.
The program was created through a partnership between the CTA, RPM contractor Walsh-Fluor Design-Build Team, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC Chicago). The program consists of free capacity-building workshops for small businesses that are certified as DBEs or that are interested in becoming DBE-certified.
Unlike other programs, BSB offers both one on one financial capacity assessments and technical assistance, helping more minority businesses get through the impact of COVID-19 by securing PPP loans, or by teaching the businesses best practices that could help a small, minority-owned vendors build technical acumen and capacity to bid on future RPM or CTA contracting opportunities. Instrumental in providing these services through the program are Suzanne Arkle, CEO of Zann and Associates and Darrick Brown, President of ABF Consulting Group, both businesses contracted through Walsh-Fluor.
“CTA is proud to help small, minority-owned businesses with becoming better able to grow and compete for contracts on projects like the Red and Purple Modernization Project,” said CTA President Dorval Carter, Jr. “By removing barriers to opportunities, we’re investing in our communities and our cities, increasing economic equity in our city."
Here are some of the businesses’ stories on how CTA’s BSB program helped them secure funds, were awarded a contract to work on RPM Phase One and/or were able to take advantage of new business opportunities:
Allstate Concrete Cutting is an MBE/DBE-certified concrete cutting and coring business led by its owner, Mike Seay. In 2009, Seay purchased Allstate on the cusp of bankruptcy, with only one truck and two saws. Seay has grown the business to 14 trucks and 10 saws with about 15 employees over the past 12 years. Seay attended Walsh-Fluor’s Lunch and Learn series as part of the BSB Program, providing him with tools and resources to continue to grow his business successfully. Walsh-Fluor and CTA ultimately awarded Allstate a contract to work on RPM Phase One, providing concrete coring, concrete wall cutting and saw-cutting for the project.
AMS Elite Solutions is a WBE/DBE-certified construction hauling and material supplier company led by founder Julie Savitt. Savitt started AMS Elite Solutions in 2016 with only one truck, and has since grown her business to have 12 trucks and additional equipment. Interested in learning how to build financial capacity for the business, Savitt attended a BSB Program event where she received mentoring and the opportunity to network with industry professionals. Ultimately, she bid on and was awarded a RPM contact to provide trucking and aggregate hauling services. Additionally, the BSB Program assisted Savitt in securing CARES Act funding for her business during the pandemic.
Paniagua Group is an MBE/DBE-certified contractor specializing in carpentry, demolition for interiors, construction clean up, painting and flooring. Founder Al Paniagua is a second-generation Latin-American, born from parents who immigrated to the United States from Mexico. Paniagua has been in business for 27 years, employing between 25 and 70 people at a time. Trying to grow his business over the years, he was denied loans because of work unpredictability and limited assets. Then the pandemic hit, and Paniagua feared it would be the end of his business. As a firm believer in networking, Paniagua explored the BSB Program, which mentored him and helped him obtain a 15-year, low-interest loan. BSB Program contacts also assisted him in securing CARES Act funding to help him through the pandemic, and facilitated an introduction to Walsh Construction’s healthcare division – an area of construction where Paniagua group continues to obtain work.
Trevor Development, Inc. is a 40-year-old MBE/DBE-certified contractor that specializes in residential interior construction and commercial build-outs. Its founder, Anthony Copeland, attended one of the BSB Program’s virtual workshops to build financial capacity, which provided him with a one-on-one session with a lender that assisted Trevor Development in securing funding through the CARES Act, helping the business through the pandemic.
Smelly Fresh LLC is a janitorial cleaning services company founded in 2014 by Steve James, a former attorney inspired by an incident when a cleaning crew failed to show up to his friend’s restaurant. He offered to clean the restaurant and his friend offered him a contract. James grew his business from seven to 95 clients, and his participation in the BSB program led to bidding on and being awarded a contract on the RPM project to clean project offices.
“Working with this team gave us a lot of confidence that we can do this work and have the capacity,” said Julie Savitt, President of AMS Elite Solutions. “I’m very thankful for the mentoring and support.”
Following the success of the Walsh-Fluor and RPM Phase One BSB Program, CTA decided to implement an authority-wide program which is now in the process of procuring a team to continue administering the program on the whole-system scale.
The CTA BSB Program was also one of many diversity initiatives cited in the July 2021 Outstanding Public Transportation System Award and the Outstanding Public Transportation Manager Award, from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) – the highest honors in the North American public transportation industry. The system award recognizes the CTA’s unprecedented modernization and diversity and inclusion efforts in 2020 to provide service during the Covid-19 pandemic, which impacted every transit agency in the nation.
The CTA BSB Program was created through a partnership between the CTA, RPM contractor Walsh-Fluor Design-Build Team and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC Chicago). For more information about RPM Phase One’s SBE/DBE development efforts and opportunities, go to transitchicago.com/rpm/small-businesses.
Hispanic Latinos are the fastest growing population in the United States accounting for roughly 18% — 60.6 million — of the nation's total population. Latinos continue to contribute to American culture as musicians, small business owners, chefs, veterans and many other professions.
Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, honors the contributions that Hispanic and Latino Americans have made to U.S. society and the fabric of its culture. READ MORE AT NBC WASHINGTON
SupplyHive™, an innovative provider of Supplier Performance Management Technology, announced today that it closed $2 million in seed funding by securing investors who believe in the power of diversity and inclusion: led by LOUD Capital with co-investors Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund and Cleveland Avenue-CAST US.
“Capital from this funding will allow the company to reach the next level of scale and impact by growing our sales and marketing resources and furthering product development and integrations,” says SupplyHive™ CEO and President Lou Sandoval. “We can expand our strong list of clients that include some of the FORTUNE 100’s most enviable brands.”
Sandoval added that “SupplyHive’s™ SPM solution offers much-needed transparency to companies’ efforts on DEI and ESG by creating pathways to identify ways to help suppliers grow. In doing this, it fosters inclusion that helps large corporations be better partners to diversity and all their suppliers.” READ MORE AT CISION
The proliferation of financial fraud in the form of scams is undeniable. Federal data show the highest ever year-over-year rise in fraud reports between 2019 and 2020, and we know that scams are severely under-reported. We also know that when consumers are aware of specific scams, they are far less likely to engage with them, and far less likely still to lose money or sensitive information. READ MORE AT AARP
Hundreds of thousands of Latinas dropped out of the workforce over the past year. They were not just temporarily unemployed — they were forced to completely leave the labor market due to a safety net that often proved inaccessible and inequitable during the pandemic. READ MORE AT CALMATTERS
The greaser. The hot tamale. The gangster. The maid. The narco. These and other stereotypes are how Hollywood has traditionally portrayed Latinos for over a century. Even as they have become America’s largest minority, and as their box-office clout has increased, tired tropes continue. READ MORE AT LOS ANGELES TIMES
Latinos in the U.S. were hard hit by the pandemic both financially and personally, but many feel generally optimistic that the worst is behind them, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.
The study published on Thursday surveyed 3,375 Latinos in the U.S. in March. It comes as coronavirus infections are on the upswing in the U.S. again. READ MORE AT U.S. WORLD & NEWS REPORT
Amid the recent real estate bull market, one fact has been often overlooked: More than half of home ownership growth over the past decade has come from the Latino population. That trend is expected to continue. A study by the Urban Institute forecasts Latino buyers will comprise 70% of home ownership growth from 2020-2040, serving as the growth engine of American home buying. READ MORE AT CNBC
Consumer confidence among U.S. Hispanics fell in the second quarter, though optimism about their overall finances is building as the nation continues its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Hispanic Consumer Sentiment Index decreased to 90.8 from 92 in the first quarter, but it remains high above the 82.8 during the second quarter of last year, according to the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI) in FAU’s College of Business. READ MORE AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
