Business
Robert Montes, a Ranger Turned 401(k) Plan Advisor
July 17, 2026
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How Illinois Income Tax Works: What Chicago Residents Need to Know About State and City Taxes
July 17, 2026
Illinois charges a flat 4.95 percent income tax on all taxable income regardless of how much a resident earns, and Chicago does not impose an additional city income tax. That combination means Chicago residents face a lower income tax burden than their counterparts in New York City or Philadelphia, but
Mark Says the Real Leadership Test Is Not at Work
July 17, 2026
By: Roxanne Jeffrey There is a version of leadership most people never question. It performs well in meetings, scales in business, and looks sharp from the outside, but it quietly breaks at home. Mark built The Golden Blueprint around that exact tension, not as an idea, but as a response
The Development Of Chicago’s Global Business Ties And Why International Capital Keeps Flowing To The Midwest
July 17, 2026
Chicago attracted $674 million in foreign direct investment across 26 projects in 2025, creating more than 2,000 jobs in the metro area, while O’Hare International Airport moved $423 billion in trade goods — a 28 percent year-over-year increase that made it the leading United States port by trade value. Those
Royston G King Reviews the Challenge of Standing Out in a Saturated Market
July 16, 2026
Every crowded market poses the same problem: how to be noticed and trusted when countless others are competing for the same attention. His pieces often frame the entrepreneur’s approach as an answer to this problem, and that answer runs counter to the usual advice. Rather than trying to be louder,
The Evolving Face of American Luxury Real Estate and the Rise of Dawn J. McKenna
July 15, 2026
In the last two decades, the US luxury residential market has experienced a phenomenal transformation. Shifting trends in consumer behavior, the increasing dominance of female business leaders in the market, and the speeding up need for bespoke, design-focused homes have altered how agents operate. From being a localized business belonging
Chicago Public Schools Lays Off 162 Employees As District Works To Close $732 Million Budget Deficit
July 15, 2026
Chicago Public Schools notified 162 central office and citywide employees on Friday, July 10, that their positions are being eliminated, the district confirmed publicly on Monday. The layoffs represent the latest round of cuts in a prolonged effort to close a $732 million budget deficit for the 2026-27 academic year
The Rise of “Complaints Culture” and Why People Bond Over Shared Frustrations Online in a Culture of Complaint
July 15, 2026
By: Amanda Reseburg The consumer complaint is nothing new. Since the advent of the marketplace, there have been people unhappy with their experience and willing to tell others about it. As we continue to build the digital world around us, experiences can now be shared in real time. People are
Saan Enzo Sets His Sights on Chicago’s Creator and Music Scene
July 15, 2026
Canadian entrepreneur and digital creator Saan Enzo is looking to expand his network by connecting with influencers, musicians, and business owners in Chicago. As someone with experience in social media and digital marketing, he sees the city as a place full of creative people and new opportunities. Chicago has built
Choosing the Right Super Automatic Espresso Machine for Your Café or Restaurant
July 15, 2026
For cafés, restaurants, hotels, bakeries, and convenience stores, coffee is no longer just another menu item. It can be an important revenue category. Customers often expect consistent espresso drinks, whether they are ordering a simple cappuccino with breakfast or an after-dinner latte. The challenge for many businesses is balancing quality,
Unsecured Business Loans for Service Businesses and an Essential 2027 Guide
July 14, 2026
Service businesses fund the operational gap between delivering work and collecting payment. The invoiced revenue is real and earned. The cash is three to sixty days away. Unsecured business loans exist precisely to bridge this gap for businesses whose primary asset is the work they do rather than the things
The Weight Leaders Carry, Dr. Rhonda Anita’s 2026 Case for Healing as a Leadership Skill
July 11, 2026
There’s a quiet truth many leaders carry but rarely say out loud. The trauma they’ve never fully processed doesn’t stay behind at home, and it shows up in how they lead, decide, and connect with the people around them. Atlanta-based entrepreneur, transformational speaker, certified life coach, and author Dr. Rhonda
Royston G. King on Positive PR as a Foundation for Business Growth
July 10, 2026
Public relations is often misunderstood as something only large corporations need, or as a reactive function that handles problems when they arise. Royston G. King argues that positive PR is in fact a proactive growth foundation that businesses of all sizes can use to build the reputation, credibility, and visibility
Pulsar’s Manufacturing Base in Lithuania and Latvia and Its Role in European Optics Production and Distribution
July 9, 2026
Over the last three decades, Europe has become a hub of activity in the manufacturing of optics and precision electronics. In Eastern and Northern Europe, these regions have played a vital role because of the availability of the workforce and the engineering culture. However, as the need for thermal imaging
United Airlines Launches Evening Bag Drop at O’Hare to Ease Early-Morning Congestion
July 8, 2026
United Airlines has made its Twilight Bag Drop service permanent at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, allowing passengers on early-morning flights to check luggage curbside the evening before departure. The launch, timed to the Fourth of July travel weekend, addresses a specific operational bottleneck at a hub where the FAA has
James Barry Watts Explores Leadership Lessons From Taking Wealthcare Nationwide From Its Heartland Headquarters in the Missouri Ozarks
July 7, 2026
Building a respected business takes more than technical expertise. It requires vision, consistency, and a willingness to invest in people over the long term. In the financial services industry, where trust is often the foundation of every client relationship, leadership can play an even larger role in determining whether an
Taste of Chicago 2026 Returns to Grant Park July 8 to 12 as Summer Economic Driver
July 7, 2026
Taste of Chicago returns to Grant Park from July 8 to 12, 2026, for a five-day, free-admission festival that the City of Chicago frames as a driver of summer tourism and local business. The 46th edition of the food and music event brings acclaimed chefs, neighborhood restaurants, and a music
Kenny Anderson Launches Pathways to Purpose to Help Others Find Clarity and Direction
July 7, 2026
Huntsville, Alabama Kenny Anderson has spent more than 40 years studying what makes people change, and what keeps them stuck. Now, as Executive Director of Leadership Empowerment Enterprise, he’s built a new venture around that lifetime of observation: Pathways to Purpose, a coaching program aimed at helping people bring more
Small Business Loans for Veterans in 2026 and How to Access Them
July 3, 2026
Veterans bring exceptional discipline, leadership, and operational skill to their businesses. The financing system has not always reflected the quality of borrowers that a military background produces. In 2026, that gap is closing in specific and meaningful ways. Veterans own approximately 2.5 million small businesses in the United States, employing
Chicago Minimum Wage Rises to $17.05 as Tipped-Wage Increase Is Delayed to 2028
July 2, 2026
Chicago’s minimum wage rose to $17.05 per hour on July 1, 2026, for employers with four or more workers, while a larger scheduled increase in the subminimum tipped wage was pushed back to 2028 under a City Council compromise. The tipped wage rose to $12.96, and for the first time
Eli Potter Explores the Human Behaviors That Shape the Future of AI Governance
July 2, 2026
By: Alex Cooper As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the way people work, communicate, and innovate, much of the public conversation has focused on technological capabilities. In her new book, Role Modelship: Multiply Your Impact to Influence AI, Silicon Valley executive Eli Potter offers a different perspective, one centered not on
Navy Pier Plans Largest Fireworks Display in Its History for America’s 250th Anniversary
July 1, 2026
Navy Pier will stage the largest and longest fireworks show in its history on Saturday, July 4, 2026, launching a fully choreographed 15-minute display over Lake Michigan at 10 p.m. against the backdrop of the Chicago skyline. The expanded production, presented in partnership with Choose Chicago, commemorates the 250th anniversary
Got R Factor Anthology Brings Real Stories of Resilience to Readers
July 1, 2026
By Bridget Mulroy As an editor, publicist, journalist, and storyteller, I have spent years working alongside remarkable people and extraordinary projects. I have interviewed celebrities, profiled innovators, covered transformative wellness movements, and chronicled stories that reveal the very best of the human spirit. Yet every so often, a project emerges
The Infrastructure Nobody Sees Until It’s Missing
July 1, 2026
By: Héctor C. Moncada Díaz The businesses that keep things running rarely get attention. A data layer, a compliance system, a supply chain, a public health framework – nobody notices until it breaks. The four people below are building in that unglamorous middle layer, across AI, cybersecurity, sanitation, and public
Mayor Brandon Johnson Introduces Protecting Renters Ordinance to Overhaul Chicago Tenant Protections
June 30, 2026
Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Housing officially introduced the Protecting Renters Ordinance to modernize the city’s tenant protections. The legislative package directly bans hidden junk fees, establishes a citywide rental registry, and institutes just cause eviction standards to shield local renters from predatory housing displacement. Key Takeaways
What Passengers Should Know About Florida Bus Accident Claims
June 30, 2026
Buses move millions of people across Florida every day, from city transit riders to schoolchildren to tourists on charter coaches. When one of those vehicles is involved in a crash, the consequences can be severe, and the legal questions that follow are unlike those in an ordinary car accident. A
Cynthia Karalla Unveils SPECIAL CUTS & IMMORTALIZATION, Featuring Original Wearable Art Priced at $10,000
June 27, 2026
There are some art projects that ask to be viewed, and then there are projects that ask to be entered. Cynthia Karalla’s SPECIAL CUTS & IMMORTALIZATION belongs firmly in the second category. Presented through 6-6-26 Studio, the work takes the familiar shape of a black T-shirt and turns it into
Helping Rhinos: Building a Conservation Model Where Loss, Land, and Community All Count
June 27, 2026
Not every conservation story starts with triumph. Some begin with grief. For Helping Rhinos, the deaths of two rhino orphans, Ntoto and Isomiso, in 2018 forced a reckoning with what it actually means to succeed in wildlife conservation. The numbers on a spreadsheet, animals counted, populations tracked, didn’t capture what
Obama Presidential Center Draws Sold-Out Crowds in First Week: Next Ticket Window Opens July 1
June 26, 2026
The Obama Presidential Center opened its doors on Juneteenth, and within days, every available museum ticket through the opening period was gone. The 19.3-acre campus in Jackson Park — more than a decade in the making, five years under construction, and projected to draw over 700,000 annual visitors — has