Kayla Buchanan loved to bake, and she believed she could open a successful bakery. She knew how to bake the most delightful of pastries, the macaron. Made from fresh fillings squeezed between two symmetrical wafers of almond flour, the macaron retails for as much as forty dollars a dozen. She, however, didn’t know where to start. In Spring 2019, her mother-in-law recommended a call to the Illinois SBDC at the Starved Rock Country Alliance. Soon, Amy Lambert helped her sort ou

For years, Amanda Weygand believed that she would lead an artistic community. During the excitement of OmniPrize for the Arts in September 2018, she stumbled upon a space at 223 West Madison Street, Ottawa, with an expansive plate glass window. Listed for rent, she put in an offer. When a prior bid fell through, Weygand got the nod from the landlord in October 2018. "Is this really happening?" she thought. "I'm an artist, not a business person." Lexi Poulakos gave her the num