Sustain Illinois Winners Announced

Chicago Community Ventures Announces Sustain Illinois Award Winners

Chicago, IL (May 15, 2009) — Chicago Community Ventures, a non-profit business development organization, today announced the award winners of its Sustain Illinois competition. Sustain Illinois is a highly selective entrepreneurial competition meant to recognize and reward sustainable companies which not only benefit the business community, but the public health, welfare and environment through their business practices and products.

The winners of Sustain Illinois 2009 include:

Sustainable Product or Service Award: Irv & Shelly’s Fresh Picks – Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks offers year-round home delivery in the Chicago area of local and organic produce, meat, dairy, eggs, baked goods and more! We are partnering with sustainable farmers in the region to grow the supply of local food in a way that protects our health and the environment.

Sustainable Process Award: City Provisions - City Provisions is a catering company that focuses on local, sustainable and organic foods, with a heavy focus on sustainable practices—including, but not limited to: compostable disposables, a strict recycling program, and a creative organic “composting” program (our organic waste is preserved and given to our farmers to use as feed for their livestock). All this is coupled with unparalleled service.

Audience Choice Award Winners:
1st place: Mindful Metropolis – a socially-conscious print magazine that brings conscious living ideas to its readers and shares what is happening in our community so we can become more connected and committed to socially-conscious living.

2nd place: Earth Paint Collection Services - Founded in 2007, the company disposes of unwanted latex paint through a system of collecting and consolidating post-consumer latex paint that allows it to be recycled into new consumer products.

“We’re absolutely thrilled at the response we received to our inaugural award program,” said Bryan Stubbs, director of the Chicago West Side Entrepreneurial Center and the Sustain Illinois program. “It definitely was difficult to wittle down our list of innovative and talented companies for this program since so many are doing amazing things for their customers and our community as a whole. They are true leaders and I hope other companies will take notice that it is possible to have a sustainable and profitable business model. The two terms are not mutually exclusive.”

Interested companies submitted an application last month and judges of the program narrowed down the applicants to the most enterprising companies and organizations to continue to the next phase of the application process. Those who were chosen to continue the competition convened at Sustainovate to give their “Fast Pitches” to a panel of judges yesterday afternoon. Two Audience Choice Awards also were awarded. The award winners will share in a combined cash prize of $22,500 in addition to the award recognition.

The Sustain Illinois Award was designed to encourage and reward companies for implementing or planning sustainable products, services or processes that have, or will have, a lasting economic effect on Illinois.

Sponsors of the award were ComEd, Consolidated Printing Company, Crain’s Chicago Business, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development, Karydes Consulting, Mindful Metropolis, Peoples Gas, PNC/National City.

To learn more about Sustain Illinois or CCV, please visit www.SustainIllinois.com.

About Chicago Community Ventures
Chicago Community Ventures is a non-profit business development organization that provides financing and consulting services to small, growing businesses in the region’s underserved markets which include women- and minority-owned enterprises and companies operating in low and moderate income areas. It specializes in offering assistance to companies that are beyond the start-up phase and at a pivotal stage in their development. By linking personalized consulting with financing and procurement services CCV helps its clients grow.

Note to Media: Media interviews with Bryan Stubbs, director of the entrepreneurial center at CCV, are welcome. Please contact Megy Karydes to schedule interviews by calling 312-560-2715 or emailing her at Megy@KarydesConsulting.com.

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