Our Mission
Street Dreams Chicago was born out of a belief that a community of naturally talented entrepreneurs, given the right resources, can create self-sufficient businesses that benefit themselves, their families, their community, and the whole city.
Street Dreams Chicago was inspired by its current home, Chicago, IL. Known by many as a city with a large immigrant population, many of these city residents reside within economically vulnerable neighborhoods that thrive, in part, due to the many small informal businesses that serve the community.
Working-class people of color and immigrants, are highly underrepresented within the entrepreneurial sector. Traditional forms of education often exclude content that exposes students to the basic fundamentals of entrepreneurship and as a viable alternative postsecondary career option.
Most Street Dreams Chicago entrepreneurs approach their business as a pathway to economic freedom, seeking a way to take control of their economic lives and move away from wage-labor with a finite cap. The soft outcomes include deep community investment, hiring from within their local communities and a more robust, equitable and inclusive economy.