The Village
Bronzeville, Chicago
The Village Program Tenants
Restaurants + Incubators
IHOP Restaurant + Incubator
Jazz Restaurant
Housing + Amenities
Millennium Solar Electric
MC Management
Food + Wares
Fatburger/Buffalo’s
Smallcakes, Pop Up Marketplace
Green Transportation
Imagine eBikes
West Town Bikes
Community Sanctuaries
Pennie’s Tea
Cambio Coffee
Medical Practice
Magnificent Mile Family Dental
Agencies + Events
JuanandOnly, AACM,
Concreates, BWTT
Telecom Partner
Connectivity + Tech Experience Center
Empowering Women Leaders
“As a female developer in a male dominated industry, it was critical for me to have women, especially women of color, in lead roles for our project to make sure they had an opportunity to grow and be empowered by our development. ”
Meet some of our women leaders, who are bringing food, entertainment, agencies, marketing firms, incubator spaces, dentistry, and so much more to The Village!
Melanie Jefferies, Milhouse Development
Larvetta Loftin, L3 Agency
Demetria Gallagher, The Jamii Group
Jackie Johnson, Fatburgery & Buffalo's
Jimalita Tilman, Harold Washington Cultural Center
Juan Teague, JuanandOnly
Kandyse McCoy Cunningham, MC Management
Pennie Crockett, Pennie's Tea
Lisa Nigro, Inspiration Corporation
Autumn Barrett, @Properties
Noreen Hansbrough, Smallcakes Creamery
Dr. Olaitan Okediji-Registe, Magnificent Mile Family Dental
Rachel Vass, Syzygy Cities
Sarah Ware, Ware Realty
Janeya Griffin, Concreates
The Village at Bronzeville is a multi-phased development proposal that will bring sit-down restaurants, food, community gathering spaces, local agencies, and events to this neighborhood, creating a new epicenter of activity for the Bronzeville community.
As our goal is to empower local, female, and minority owned businesses, we sought out local entrepreneurs who want a space where they not only live, but can also work in their community.
Food + Wares
Fatburger / Buffalo’s
Fatburger is a hugely popular California based hamburger franchise started by a Black woman, Lovie Yancy in 1946 and 75 years later, it is still one of the longest running successful franchises to-date. Bronzeville resident Jackie Jackson is a 10+ year owner and operator of Kilwins Chocolates and Fudge, and is excited to bring this franchise to the Village.
Smallcakes Cupcakery
Smallcakes believes in its slogan of “Maybe a Cupcake Will Help?” and has been growing their neighborhood cupcakery across the world. A seasoned franchise owner, Noreen Hansbrough operates 2 Smallcakes between Chicago and Texas, as well as 2 Edible Arrangement franchises. Noreen is a Chicagoan that is excited to serve her community.
L3 Pop Up Marketplace
Events + Experiential firm L3 Agency will be managing a pop-up marketplace, with a rotating roster of sellers to promote local businesses and give them a platform. Bronzeville resident Larvetta L. Loftin is the CEO and Founder of the L3 Agency, who will merge retail, food, art and culture to feature local Black businesses and entrepreneurs to sell their unique wares.
Sit Down Restaurants + Incubator
Restaurants will feature localized artwork and decor; local artists will be integrated with programming that supports the community, and national brands will sponsor, skill, hire, incubate and grow local community members in their respective industries.
Agencies + Events
We have identified a handful of Minority Owned agencies and incubators who will help lift professionals in the Bronzeville community with job opportunities, business services, and foot traffic generating attractions and events.
Juan and Only
Events + Attractions
Festivals and concerts putting local community musical and performative talent on display; program rotating trending attractions, like Axe Throwing and a Rage Room, to Bronzeville
The Jamii Group
Business Center
Flexible business space that combines several services including office space, meeting rooms, local mentors and advisors, coworking space, printers and computers, and access to advisors.
Concreates
Creative Agency
ConCreates is a creative agency powered by currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. Hiring local returning citizens in their recidivism program to give a platform to re-enter the skilled workforce.
AACM
Arts Incubation
the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) is a collective of musicians and composers dedicated to nurturing, performing, and recording serious, original music.
Community Sanctuaries
Our community outreach resulted in many community members asking for places to gather as adults and for their children. These establishments do more than just offer caffeinated beverages and sweet delights – they serve as safe places for our Bronzeville community to call home.
Pennie’s Tea
Pennie’s Tea began as a solution for Pennie while dealing with PTSD and trauma from her abusive relationship which caused physical ailment in her gut. Pennie bottles and sells an array of loose and bottled teas in the hopes to help others who might be experiencing the same physical responses to social emotional stresses.
Pennie is now taking this one step further by creating a sanctuary for other battered women and any person who needs a safe, calming, joyful space with the support of the community while enjoying the physical benefits and wellness of a Tea Sommelier.
Cambio Coffee
Cambio Coffee is an organic direct trade coffee company that travels all over the world to source 100% organic certified beans from small farmers and cooperatives in rural areas of developing countries and ensure that the farmers we work with receive a fair price for their specialty quality beans.
Educator and Social Entrepreneur Sebastian Martín creates shops that cater to connection, community and celebration of culture. In addition, Cambio Labs is rolling out social entrepreneurial courses and youth startup incubator for high school students with licensed curriculums and corporate mentorship programs.
INVEST South/West is a $750 million initiative led by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, that is focused on a number of underserved neighborhoods. The project we are bidding on is expansive, involving the renovation of a historic bank landmark and the development of commercial retail and residential property.
Syzygy Cities' role in this program is to align business interests with community benefit, ultimately investing time and resources into the people of South Chicago that will in turn empower them to thrive in pursuits of education, business, and quality of life.
