The PIPE Program
Eligibility Criteria
Participant Requirements:
✔ Must be employed by a certified MBE, WBE or DBE company (certified by NMSDC, City of Chicago, Cook County, BEP or equivalent entity)
✔ Officers or key employees with basic business knowledge
✔ One applicant per company
Company Requirements:
✔ 3+ years in business
✔ Annual revenue between $100,000 – $50 million
✔ Minimum of 3 full- or part-time employees
✔ Priority consideration for food/facility services companies
Cost: $2,500 per participant (Full scholarships available for qualifying businesses)
Program Dates: TBD
Class Time: Tuesdays | 3:00 – 6:00 PM CST | Virtual
Weekly Course Breakdown
Week 1 – Strategic Planning Skills
Clarify goals and use business intelligence for smarter decision-making.
Week 2 – Managing Organizational Goals
Learn to turn strategy into action with tactical goal-setting and team planning.
Week 3 – Business Ethics
Understand the importance of values and ethics in scaling responsibly.
Week 4 – Financial Management/Project Management I
Explore the financial lifecycle, risk management, and teamwork.
Week 5 – Project Management II
Dive deeper into budgeting, progress tracking, reporting, and closeout.
Week 6 – Introduction to Supply Chain Management
Unpack supply chain theory and its role in strategic planning.
Week 7 – Elements of Supply Chain
Review operations, logistics, and service delivery for performance impact.
Week 8 – Process Improvement
Tie it all together—learn tools to evaluate and enhance your business systems.
Questions?
Contact Neda Sharp, Senior Director of Program Development
programs@chicagomsdc.org
