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Proud to CHOOSE GREATER PEORIA

January 31, 2025

GPEDC Weekend Update- January 31, 2025

More Brazilians: OK, science time: The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, also called the frequency illusion, is a phenomenon where something you recently learned seems to appear everywhere, making it feel like it’s more common than it actually is. As we work to explore and build relationships with Brazil and Brazilian companies, I’m starting to feel like there are connections everywhere, and even where we are particularly trying. This week, Bradley University hosted eight Brazilian college students through Empowering Women Globally, a program led by Dr. Mary Conway Dato-on of the Turner School for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. It is a cross-cultural train-the-trainer program that works to advance the social entrepreneurial skills of female scholars from emerging countries, currently Brazil and India, who in turn, educate students as they mentor female entrepreneurs.

GPEDC and Distillery Labs were happy to host the group on Wednesday to learn more about how Greater Peoria works to support entrepreneurs through a robust startup ecosystem. They got to take a tour of Distillery Labs and hear a set of short presentations from partners like the Women’s Business Development Center, Peoria Chamber of Commerce, gBETA, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and GPEDC. The highlight of the afternoon was a panel discussion on female entrepreneurship that included five amazing women (links point to their businesses): Riley Green, Christell Frausto, Samm Hutchinson, Courtney Moore, and Malaya Curtis. It’s great whenever we get to show off Peoria to foreign visitors, but I’m increasingly excited to learn more about connections with Brazil.

Future Focus: That wasn’t the only group of young people in the building this week. Jeffrey hosted a group of Pekin Community High School students for a tour of Distillery Labs for their Future Focus Day event. The group included students interested in pursuing a career in Economic Development, with a Chamber of Commerce, or as an entrepreneur. They toured the first floor and spoke on the amenities and the community that Distillery Labs is working to build – one that fosters a supportive environment to help entrepreneurs thrive and be a network for one another. Matt of startup tenant HuMod took some time out of his morning to let the students interact with their product and the initial prototypes. He talked about his journey as a founder and what being in Distillery Labs has done to help drive their success. Afterward, they ventured upstairs for a crash course in economic development, what our organization does, what the chamber does, the WBDC, SCORE, and the CEDS, which serves as a north star for building strategies for long-term growth and prosperity. 

AgTech Connect: Don’t forget to register for the next AgTech Connect event. This quarterly gathering of innovators, farmers, and agricultural experts will take place on Tuesday, February 18, at 10 am at the Ag Lab in Peoria. Hosted by the USDA, the agenda includes speakers from the Illinois Soy Innovation Center, NFW and highlights ongoing efforts to advance sustainable, bio-based products. Please register by clicking here.

Transportation Safety: The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission will hold a Public Meeting at the Peoria Public Library, Lincoln Branch, from 5 – 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 6 to explore safety concerns in our transportation network. Feedback and input from the meeting will help shape the Tri-County Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, which will serve as a guiding document for Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford Counties to identify safety challenges in the region and action steps to make area streets and roads safer. More information here.

Have a great weekend.

Chris