Source Global Imagined
THE URGENCY OF NOW TOUR
VOL. 2026 · CHICAGO EDITION · OCT 28–29
A two-day intensive · City of Chicago

Aligning capital.
Unlocking $2B+.

Public, private, and philanthropic leaders move from conversation to action on Day One. Small businesses and nonprofits get hands-on access to grants and federal contracts on Day Two. Two days, one city, no more waiting rooms.

Where
Chicago, IL
When
Oct 28–29, 2026
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Why this tour exists

Access to capital is tightening nationwide, and too many communities keep getting left out of the growth around them.

Chicago alone is leaving billions in competitive grants and federal contracts on the table — most of it because the pathway to it was never built for the people trying to walk it. The Urgency of Now Tour brings public, private, and philanthropic leaders into the same room to name the real barriers to funding, then hands small businesses and nonprofits hands-on access to the system — including SGI's e3p3 Grant Fund — that turns a training into a submitted proposal.

Federal contracts / year$700B+
Reserved for small business$175B
Federal grants / year$1T+
Chicago VIS score94/100
The programming

One tour, two rooms, one goal.

Each day is built for a different seat at the table — pick the one that's yours, or plan to be in both.

Day 1 · Fireside chat & listening session

Aligning public, private & philanthropic capital to unlock Chicago's $2B+ opportunity.

Who should attend: City leaders, elected officials & agency heads, and corporate, private & philanthropic funding partners.

A National Spotlight

Position Chicago as the model e3p3 city for coordinated capital, with visibility across a five-city national tour.

A Path to $2B+

A coordinated route to the competitive grants, federal contracts, and partnerships Chicago can access now.

Equity, Delivered

Direct opportunity for the 27% Black and 30% Hispanic/Latino communities and thousands of minority-owned firms.

Policy-Ready Insight

Listening-session data on the real barriers to funding and workforce needs — intelligence the city can act on.

2
Days of access & programming
100+
Leaders & stakeholders
5
Cities on the 2026 tour
94/100
Chicago VIS score
Exclusive add-on · Day 1

VIP Luncheon

A seated working lunch with a City of Chicago elected official and federal contracting expert Beverly Kuykendall. Limited seats.

Reserve VIP seat →
Day 2 · Access to Intensive: Federal Contracts & Grants

Rebuilding access to capital — federal contracts & grants for small businesses and nonprofits.

Who should attend: Small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit & community organization leaders.

Verizon & SGI Listening Sessions

Share your challenges and help shape contracting strategies for local suppliers.

Access Funding Opportunities

Engage with capital programs — including SGI's e3p3 Grant Fund awarding $100K–$580K, no repayment, no debt equity.

From Curriculum to Execution

Join an Execution Cohort: identify a target, build your capability statement, and pursue, write & submit — together.

Influence What Comes Next

Provide input on how resources should be deployed — differently and more effectively.

$700B+
Federal contracts / year
$175B
Reserved for small business
$1T+
Federal grants / year
$100K–$580K
e3p3 Fund awards
2025–2027 e3p3 Tour

Catch us in your city.

Past stop Current stop — Chicago, IL, Oct 28–29, 2026 Upcoming stop
Chicago partners

Built with the city, not just for it.

The Urgency of Now Tour Chicago stop is made possible by organizations already doing the work on the ground.

The e3p3 model

Making grants and federal contracts inclusive and equitable, while making partnerships sustainable and people prosperous.

"Doing Good and Doing Well Should Go Hand in Hand"

In partnership with National Resources Development Council for Inclusion and Equity (NRDC-IE)

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The Urgency of Now Tour Oct 28–29, 2026 · Chicago, IL © 2026 · Source Global Imagined & NRDC-IE