Entrepreneurship

Illinois Wesleyan University's future Petrick Idea Center had a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday where several guest speakers discussed what the center will provide for the campus and local community.

Emerald & Amythest in downtown Lexington is designed to be a community space for like-minded people, said co-owner Andy Hand.

Seeking counseling and academic advising, networking and envisioning your success were a few nuggets of advice given by ISU alum and millionaire CEO Lola Tomorrow at Thursday night's event.

Maria Alvarez from Maria's Cakes is now one of Bloomington-Normal’s most successful professional cake makers. She became popular, in part, by making cakes for Bloomington-Normal’s Hispanic families for quinceañeras.

Longtime central Illinois business veteran Denise Moore is opening the second Minority Business Development Center in the area, after launching an office in Peoria around a year ago.

The president of Illinois Wesleyan University says the design phase of a new $20-30 million campus building is finishing up. Georgia Nugent said the Petrick Idea Center is on pace to open in the summer of 2025 on the southwest corner of the campus quad.

Bloomington-Normal’s Black business community came out in force Thursday night for a meet-and-greet with Illinois State University students and others.