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Champaign County Releases Immigrant Welcoming Plan

First-ever plan in Champaign County has recommendations for better integrating immigrants into the local community, economy, and workforce

Champaign County, IL, September 15, 2021 — The New American Welcome Center (NAWC) at the University YMCA announces the release of a welcoming plan for Champaign County to become a more dynamic and cohesive community. The Champaign County Welcoming Plan is the culmination of a multi-year strategic planning and community input process with key stakeholders. The plan will be released on Wednesday, September 15 from 4:00pm to 5:30pm at the I-Hotel and Conference Center. Community leaders will present recommendations from the plan and discuss how we as a community can advance the civic, social, and economic integration of immigrants in Champaign County.

“The multi-year effort to create this plan is a testament to the commitment Champaign County has to ensure our community is welcoming and inclusive,” said Carly McCrory-McKay, Executive Director of the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation. “At approximately 25,500 strong, Champaign County is home to one of the largest immigrant populations in Illinois – and we know that number will continue to grow. This new Welcoming Plan covers many important topics and outlines critical recommendations for us all as we work towards the goal of ensuring that newcomers and immigrants can flourish in our community.”

Champaign County is home to one of the largest immigrant populations in Illinois. In 2017, Champaign-Urbana was one of 25 communities nationwide selected for the Gateways for Growth Award to receive custom research from the New American Economy (NAE) on the demographic and economic impact of immigrants in Champaign County, as well as technical assistance from NAE and Welcoming America to support the planning process. Over the past three years, members of Champaign County’s immigrant communities, service providers, government, businesses, public sector institutions and faith communities worked together to create a plan for social, civic, and economic integration of the immigrant community. The Champaign County Welcoming Plan recognizes the contributions of a growing immigrant community and the vital need to create an inclusive environment for all residents of the county.

“Immigrants are already active residents of our county; this welcoming plan only helps make them a more integrated part of a vibrant community of people.” Ricardo Diaz, Chair, New American Welcome Center Advisory Board.

“As the fabric of our local Muslim community is woven by representatives of over 40 countries, we value and appreciate all sincere efforts in serving the needs of immigrant individuals & families,” said Ahmed Taha, President of the Muslim American Society (MAS) of Urbana-Champaign. “As a founding advisory board member of the University YMCA’s New American Welcome Center (NAWC), we are committed to working hand-in-hand to make UC an inclusive and welcoming environment.”

Read the full report here.

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About the Champaign County Welcoming Plan: The Champaign County Welcoming Plan provides a framework to pursue a more equitable and inclusive future. It serves as a guide for all of Champaign County to take actionable steps forward in building community of belonging, where all of us – no matter where we come from – have equal opportunity to thrive.

Data on Immigrants in Champaign County:

  • 25,552 immigrants live in Champaign County. That is 12.2% of the population.
  • 53.4% of immigrants in Champaign County entered the U.S. in 2010 or later.
  • 31.6% of total population growth in the county is attributed to immigrants between 2015 and 2019.
  • 31.9% of the foreign-born population in Champaign County are naturalized citizens.
  • Champaign County was one of only nine counties in Illinois (out of 102) with a growing population between 2010 and 2019.

About the New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA
The New American Welcome Center at the University Y works to make our community a place where all immigrants can thrive and flourish. We do this by engaging local institutions and mobilizing community resources to ensure equitable access to services, economic opportunity, and meaningful belonging. Our signature programs include a multilingual helpline, immigration legal services, community navigators, and community bridge-building events.

The New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA would like to thank the following community sponsors for their support of the Champaign County Welcoming Plan: City of Champaign, City of Urbana, Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, University of Illinois, United Way of Champaign County, Community Foundation of East Central Illinois, The Refugee Center, Champaign County Executive’s Office, and Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.

Press:

Champaign Co. reveals immigration welcome plan, WAND

New plan announced to welcome immigrants to Champaign County, WCIA 3 News

New Community Ambassador Program to Welcome New Residents & Recruits

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                     

August 12, 2021

 Media Contacts:

Terri Reifsteck: (217) 714-4273, terrir@visitchampaigncounty.org

Carly McCrory-McKay: (217) 649-2586, carly@champaigncountyedc.org

New Community Ambassador Program to Welcome New Residents & Recruits

Champaign, IL – Chambana Welcome Crew, a new community ambassador program, launched today with the goal of attracting and retaining new residents to Champaign County by creating a welcoming environment and a sense of belonging.

Featuring a dozen ambassadors with a range of backgrounds, demographics, and experiences, the program will match newcomers to ambassadors based on their interests to help them navigate their new home.

The program is a collaboration between the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, Visit Champaign County, and the Dual Career Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“Recruiting and retaining talent is a top priority for cities across the country,” explains Carly McCrory-McKay, Executive Director for the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation. “For several years, our organizations have partnered with our local employers to provide resources to attract talent to our community, and the Chambana Welcome Crew is the next step to ensure these recruits land here in the Champaign-Urbana area.”

Ambassadors will connect with their recruits to serve as a “first friend” in the community, helping find the resources they need to settle here. “Moving to a new community is challenging, finding the resources you need so you can enjoy your new surroundings,” says Terri Reifsteck, Vice President of Marketing and Community Engagement for Visit Champaign County. “By sharing authentic experiences our ambassadors will be helping these new residents find everything from a school for the children to their favorite new restaurant. We hope by engaging from day one, these newcomers will love Champaign County as much as we do.”

“The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign strives to attract diverse talent from all over the world.  The Dual Career Program assists the equally talented partners of our recruits to make Champaign County their location of choice,” says Dana Cohen, Assistant Director of the Dual Career Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.   “The Chambana Welcome Crew is an essential piece of the puzzle to onboard talent to our community and attract even more to this amazing place we call home.”

The program will be open to any residents that moved to Champaign County since early 2020 and to anyone considering a move to the area. “We anticipate that our local employers will rely heavily on our ambassadors to help share their living and working experiences, so they can see what life here will be like beyond their career,” states McCrory-McKay.

The Chambana Welcome Crew will continue to add new ambassadors regularly to meet the demand in the community. Community members that are passionate about the area that want to serve in an ambassador capacity are encouraged to apply at the website, https://yourewelcomecu.com/cwc/. The organizers of the program are seeking a diverse group from all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions, and stages of life. “It’s important that our ambassadors look like our community—an international destination that is welcome to all,” explains Reifsteck.

For more information on the Chambana Welcome Crew and how to be involved or request an ambassador, visit https://yourewelcomecu.com/cwc/or email cwc@champaigncountyedc.org.

About Visit Champaign County

Visit Champaign County’s mission is to promote a welcoming destination experience for visitors to strengthen economic opportunity and enhance the lives of residents.

 About Champaign County EDC

Champaign County EDC is a public-private partnership dedicated to fostering a cooperative, county-wide approach to economic development; works to improve the economic well-being of all Champaign County through efforts that entail job creation, job retention, tax base enhancements, small business development, and promotion of quality of life; and brings together community partners to support economic development by aligning interests through productive relationships, open dialogue, and advocacy efforts.

 

gBETA AgTech Companies Graduate at Virtual Pitch Night

CHAMPAIGN, IL– Nationally ranked startup accelerator gener8tor is nearing the end of its gBETA AgTech Spring 2021 program and preparing for its Virtual Pitch Night (“Demo Day”) at 4 p.m. CT on March 11. This event will be part of CU AgTech Week and the whole AgTech community is invited to attend the free virtual event.

gBETA AgTech is one of two early-stage business accelerator programs offered by the Illinois AgTech Accelerator and accepts five companies per cohort.

The gBETA AgTech Spring 2021 cohort kicked off Jan. 20 with five startups who worked for seven weeks with the gBETA team to meet mentors, gain customer traction, and pitch to accelerators and investors. The cohort graduates March 11 at Pitch Night, where each company will deliver a five-minute pitch to an audience of mentors, investors and community members. This is an opportunity to hear all about the innovative ideas coming out of our community and support these entrepreneurs. There will be time before and after the presentations to network with the startup companies and other attendees virtually, and giveaways during the event.

“We are fortunate to have had five incredibly talented teams working on impactful and meaningful solutions to our food supply challenges and opportunities,” said Jack Marck, Managing Director of Illinois AgTech Accelerator. “These companies offer a glimpse of what the future of ag and food will be like, and the CU AgTech week is the perfect time to share these solutions with the world.”

“We’re thrilled for the opportunity to partner with gener8tor during the second-annual Champaign-Urbana AgTech Week and showcase the gBETA AgTech Spring 2021 cohort,” said Carly McCrory-McKay, Executive Director of Champaign County Economic Development Corporation. “The Illinois AgTech Accelerator – as well as resources like the College of ACES at University of Illinois, Parkland College, corporate partnerships in University of Illinois Research Park, and direct access to large grower networks – is why Champaign-Urbana is known as an ‘epicenter for AgTech’.”

The gBETA AgTech program is offered thanks to the support of Serra Ventures, GEM Realty Capital, Fox Ventures, University of Illinois Research Park, and Champaign County Economic Development Corporation.

Startups interested in learning more about participating in the program should contact Illinois AgTech Accelerator Managing Director Jack Marck (jack@gener8tor.com). For more information or to register for Pitch Night, visit l ive.remo.co/e/illinois-agtech-accelerator-pitc/register.

Download the full press release here.

 

IMA’s Makers Madness – Vote for Champaign County Products

Voting is now open for this year’s Makers Madness: The Coolest Thing Made In Illinois, presented by Comcast Business.

The competition by Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is designed to highlight the many different products made in Illinois, including everything from food products and military flashlights to automobiles and components for the aerospace industry. This round of votes will determine the Top 16 products from the 311 unique products that were nominated from across the state.

Voting will take place at www.makersmadnessil.com through midnight on February 28. Voters can cast up to five votes per day in the first round as the field of products is narrowed.

Vote for products made in Champaign County:

  • Ability Hand – PSYONIC
  • CAT Filters – Advanced Filtration Systems, Inc. (AFSI)
  • CERV2 Smart Ventilation System – Build Equinox
  • Colorfil HVAC Filter – Serionix
  • Diffraction Gratings – Inprentus
  • Epitaxial Wafers – II-VI EpiWorks
  • Flight Simulator – Frasca International
  • Gill Vaulting Pole – Litania Sports Group
  • Graduation Cap & Gown – Herff Jones
  • Kraft Mac & Cheese – Kraft Heinz Company
  • Miracle Whip – Kraft Heinz Company
  • Moisture-free Halides – APL Engineered Materials
  • Museum Exhibits – Taylor Studios, Inc.
  • Pipe Organs – Buzard Pipe Organ Builders
  • Plastic Closures – Silgan Closures
  • Porter 1835 Competition Portable Backstop – Litania Sports Group
  • Red Solo Cup – Dart Container Corporation
  • RUSK Hair Products – Beauty Quest Group
  • Seri Face Mask – Serionix
  • SHIELD COVID-19 Saliva Test – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Sun Bucket – Sun Buckets
  • TerraSentia – EarthSense
  • Thin 222 nm UV Lamps – Eden Park
  • TOMi Scope – PhotoniCare
  • Toorq Tactical Flashlight – First-Light USA
  • Vehicle Bumpers – Flex-N-Gate
  • Water – Illinois American Water

Study: Champaign-Urbana’s Economic Development Efforts Should Target Three Clusters – AgTech, MedTech and Manufacturing

Study: Champaign-Urbana’s Economic Development Efforts Should Target Three Clusters – AgTech, MedTech and Manufacturing

Report Provides Suggestions for Next Steps to Maximize Impact of Future Investment & Community Collaboration

CHAMPAIGN, IL, February 10, 2021 – A recent study commissioned by the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, University of Illinois Research Park, LLC and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Office of Corporate Relations has identified three strong business clusters that provide a framework for where to focus the area’s economic development efforts.

Business Cluster Development, led by principal Carol Lauffer, completed more than 80 interviews with community, University, and business leaders in Champaign County to review the potential for growth and development of six industry clusters. Following interviews and extensive research, Lauffer then identified three strong clusters deserving of further investment: AgTech, MedTech, and Manufacturing.

“Those of us who call Champaign-Urbana home know what a vibrant community we live in,” said Susan Martinis, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “As we deliberately plan for economic recovery and a post-pandemic future, this visionary report reflects a strong collaboration between the University and the broader community. Identifying AgTech, MedTech, and Manufacturing clusters brings together our respective strengths in innovation and positions us for exciting new opportunities.”

Underlying all of the sectors, Lauffer wrote, is the community’s strength in data science. The report affirms the three specific industry clusters in the region and provides an understanding of how those clusters may be leveraged as regional strengths.

The 2021 report, including an executive summary, can be found online here and is available for public download.

  • AGTECH: AgTech combines UIUC’s technical expertise and talent in agriculture, engineering and data analytics with Champaign County as a prime growing region for corn and soybeans. Access to farmers as customers and farms as testbeds are important advantages for early-stage companies and the cluster.
  • MEDTECH: The emerging MedTech cluster in Champaign-Urbana capitalizes upon a relatively new and significant innovation asset, Carle Illinois College of Medicine; combined with UIUC engineering and bioscience expertise and research; and other healthcare innovation assets across the community, including the local hospitals and COVID-19 efforts.
  • MANUFACTURING: Manufacturing continues to be an important industry for Champaign- Urbana and an economic development priority. Generally, manufacturers in Champaign-Urbana make products that are non-standardized, have a more limited market size, or require customization. A number develop prototypes for entrepreneurs and businesses, including assistance with refining their product designs before scale-up.

Lauffer noted in the report that targeting and growing industry clusters is an economic development strategy designed to leverage the strengths present in a community in order to support new business formation, business retention and attraction, and grow the local economy.

“Research shows that when businesses from related industries locate in close proximity to one another they can increase their productivity and drive innovation,” said Carly McCrory-McKay, Executive Director of the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation. “This report not only identifies clusters, but provides strategies to help advance them. We are fortunate to be in a community that values collaboration. Together, we will continue to build our workforce and attract more capital into these clusters.”

This is the second time BCD has studied Champaign-Urbana. In 2014, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign commissioned Lauffer to assess and identify clusters that would capitalize upon its research strengths and expertise, and strengthen the local economy. That study contributed to the business case for the formation of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine.

About Business Cluster Development (BCD):

BCD, based in Palo Alto, CA, is a consulting firm focused on industry clusters or verticals. BCD provides guidance to operating incubators and accelerators and develops strategies that catalyze emerging innovation clusters. BCD evaluates entrepreneurial ecosystems and recommends paths to making them vibrant. BCD has consulted with clients for nearly 25 years and assisted with more than 80 programs across the U.S. and overseas. BCD’s clients are diverse, including cities, states, economic development organizations, universities, community colleges, research institutes, industry associations, non-profit organizations, real estate developers, and corporations. Learn more at http://clusterdevelopment.com/.

 

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