A Youth and Young Adult Entrepreneurship Plan for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District
Equipping young people and young adults with the tools, space, and support to turn ideas into opportunity.
Why The Incubator Is Needed
Across Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, too many young people and young adults face the same challenge after school, after work, and on weekends: a lack of safe, structured spaces where they can focus, build ideas, and develop real pathways toward opportunity.
When people are left without access to productive spaces, tools, and clear options for the future, the consequences show up across our communities. We see it in lost potential, economic instability, and cycles that limit opportunity for the next generation.
The Incubator is a direct response to that reality.
It is designed to give young people and young adults something they deserve and too often lack:
a safe place to think, to work, to collaborate, and to turn ideas into real opportunities.
What The Incubator Is
The Incubator is a free, community-based youth and young adult entrepreneurship and innovation space serving residents across Illinois’ 7th Congressional District.
It is open to teens and young adults who want a place to work on ideas, learn practical skills, collaborate with peers, and develop real projects that can grow into businesses, services, or creative ventures.
The Incubator is not a school.
It is not a tutoring program.
It is not a traditional after-school center.
It is a place to build.
What Happens at The Incubator
Young people and young adults come to The Incubator to:
Work independently or collaboratively on ideas they care about
Learn how to research, plan, and problem-solve
Develop skills connected to entrepreneurship, creativity, and self-employment
Explore how to turn ideas into income or community-based solutions
In addition to personal goals, participants are encouraged to look at the challenges within their own neighborhoods and communities and explore how new ideas and local enterprise can help address them.
This may include creating solutions related to:
Food access and food deserts
Childcare and family services
Neighborhood-based services
Creative and cultural economies
Everyday needs that are going unmet
This community-rooted approach does not replace individual ambition.
It expands it by connecting personal growth with shared progress.
Who The Incubator Is For
The Incubator serves teens and young adults from across the entire 7th Congressional District, including Chicago neighborhoods and surrounding communities within the district.
Participation is open regardless of school, background, or prior experience.
If you live in the 7th District and are ready to build something meaningful, The Incubator is for you.
Access and Participation: Open, Fair, and Responsible
The Incubator is open to all who are ready to build.
There is no competitive admissions process.
There are no interviews, auditions, or judged proposals.
How Access Works
1. Learn about it: Attend an orientation or open house.
Anyone may attend an orientation or open house to learn how The Incubator works and what is expected in the space.
2. Sign up simply: Share what you want to build and why it matters to you.
To become a registered participant, individuals complete a simple readiness submission. This is not an application and is not judged on quality.
Participants are asked to share:
What they want to work on or explore
Why it matters to them
The time commitment they can reasonably make
Ideas do not need to be polished. Curiosity and effort are enough to begin.
3. How up and do the work, Respect the space and contribute to the community.
Registered participants agree to a clear set of expectations:
The Incubator is a work space, not a hangout
Respect for people, equipment, and the environment is required
Continued access depends on active engagement and responsible use of the space
Access is earned through participation and effort, not credentials.
This process ensures fairness, transparency, and accountability while keeping the door open to everyone who is ready to do the work.
How The Incubator Works
1. A Safe, Supervised Space
The Incubator operates in a secure facility within the district.
The space is supervised by trained staff whose role is to:
Maintain safety
Support a productive environment
Protect shared equipment and resources
Ensure the space remains welcoming and focused
Staff are not teachers or disciplinarians.
Their role is to support the environment so participants can work independently and confidently.
2. Learning by Building
Learning at The Incubator happens through action.
Participants work on real projects such as:
Starting a small business
Creating a service for their community
Developing a creative or digital venture
Turning an idea into something practical and sustainable
They learn how to:
Research and test ideas
Plan responsibly
Understand basic financial and business concepts
Solve problems and adapt
Work independently and as part of a team
There are no grades.
No tests.
No single path everyone must follow.
Progress comes from effort, curiosity, and follow-through.
3. Guided Support at Your Own Pace
Participants have access to guided learning tools that help them:
Understand next steps
Ask better questions
Learn at a pace that works for them
Build confidence in their ideas
Support is available when needed, without pressure or judgment, allowing each participant to grow based on readiness and interest.
4. Clear Milestones and Recognition
As participants move forward, they can earn recognition for:
Developing a clear idea
Creating a basic plan
Refining or testing a project
Preparing to launch responsibly
These milestones help participants track progress, stay motivated, and take pride in what they build.
Guided Learning Through Technology
Participants at The Incubator have access to guided learning technology that supports them as they develop ideas and projects.
This technology acts as a built-in guide that helps participants:
Break ideas into clear, manageable steps
Learn how to research and plan responsibly
Understand basic business and financial concepts
Think through decisions and next steps
Build confidence as they move from idea to action
This guidance is available whenever participants need it and allows each person to work at their own pace. It does not replace human interaction or community. Instead, it provides consistent support so every participant has access to the same high-quality guidance, regardless of background or experience.
Technology at The Incubator is a tool — not a substitute for effort. Progress still depends on commitment, curiosity, and follow-through.
This guided support is powered by modern learning technology designed to adapt to each participant’s pace and goals.
Real-World Examples
Building a Local Service
High school students develop a babysitting or childcare service to support families in their neighborhood.
Outcome:
Income and community service.
Addressing Food Access
A young adult explores ways to improve access to fresh food in their neighborhood.
Outcome:
Stronger neighborhood health solutions.
Creative Entrepreneurship
A participant builds a portfolio in design, media, or digital content and turns creative skills into income.
Outcome:
Creative skills turned into income.
District-Wide Collaboration
Participants from different parts of the district collaborate on shared projects.
Outcome:
District-wide collaboration and connection.
How The Incubator Strengthens the 7th District
The Incubator supports the district by:
Providing safe, productive spaces after school and work hours
Reducing idle time that too often leads to harm
Supporting neighborhood-based economic opportunity
Encouraging responsibility, ownership, and confidence
Investing in the next generation of creators, workers, and leaders
This is prevention through opportunity.
This is safety through structure.
This is growth rooted in the community.
Leadership and Accountability
La Shawn K. Ford supports The Incubator because it reflects values he has upheld throughout his public service:
Opportunity over punishment
Investment over neglect
Community-based solutions
Access paired with accountability
The Incubator will be developed with community input and operated with transparency, clear standards, and a commitment to serving the entire 7th Congressional District.
A Commitment to the Future
The Incubator is not a short-term program.
It is a long-term investment in people, ideas, and neighborhoods.
It gives young people and young adults:
A place to built
Something to work toward
Confidence that their ideas matter
Tools to turn effort into opportunity
When opportunity is local, accessible, and grounded in responsibility, communities grow stronger.
That is the promise of The Incubator.
That is the future we are building together.
Sustainability and Public Responsibility
The Incubator is designed to be responsibly funded and sustainable.
It will be supported through a combination of public investment, philanthropic partnerships, and private-sector support aligned with workforce development, small business creation, and youth opportunity.
This approach ensures the Incubator remains free to participants, accountable to the community, and stable beyond any single funding source or election cycle.
No fees are charged to young people or families, and no new local taxes are required to participate.
