Small Business Development Center

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is proud to have supported the spring 2022 opening of The Loading Bar in Edwardsville. Owner Ryan Wilson used his education and experience and practiced patience and resilience to make his business concept a reality.

Wilson earned a bachelor’s in business administration, entrepreneurship specialization, in 2012 and a Master’s of Business Administration in 2014, both ...

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is partnering with regional business leaders to host the 1^st Annual Entrepreneurship Academy in a Day.

The program brings together the greatest minds in business to instruct, motivate and empower winning entrepreneurial endeavors. It will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 7 in the Morris University Center second floor Conference Center on the Edwardsville campus at 1 Hairpin Drive, Ed...

After learning by doing, accumulating 20 years of first-hand experience in the scrap industry, Douglas Francis launched his entrepreneurial journey with his company Alton Dock Works, LLC.

Since June 2021, he has been a client of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Director Jo Ann Di Maggio May, after first contacting the SBDC for help with his SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)....

A farm-to-table café, June’s Breakfast + Patio (June’s), is now open at 430 S Main St. in Shiloh. The locally-owned restaurant is located in a beautiful, must-see 1905 farmhouse that was converted into a hotel for a brief period. Now, it is one of the most remarkable locations in town.

Co-owners Jonathan Welzbacher and Liz Lingelbach Welzbacher sought support from the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsvil...

Sneaky’s Burger Truck is now serving customers its 100% wagyu beef burgers and plant-based impossible burger patties at Recess Brewing in downtown Edwardsville.

Owners Tyler Ottwein and Casey Hinman are clients of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and have benefitted from Director Jo Ann Di Maggio May’s business know-how and connections.

The owners described opening a business like stepping into a n...

With the sustained support of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, full-time braider and entrepreneur Kacie Ross has expanded her business, Kross Beauty, LLC.

Originally known as the “618 Braider,” Ross has years of applied experience and training. She was raised doing the hair of others and began professionally braiding hair in high school. As a teen mom, she used challenging times as motivation to prove others wrong an...

Minas Espresso Inc. owner Bruno Nobre has been a client of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Director Jo Ann Di Maggio May since November 2017.

Born and raised on a coffee farm in Brazil, Nobre learned everything from his father and grandfather. He decided to start Minas Espresso Inc. so he could share his Brazilian coffee beans with the United States. Now, the Specialty Coffee Associ...

With a mission of “building stronger families through healthy interaction,” Amygdala Co. is a local company helping parents and children navigate difficult situations. 

The company was founded by Lindsey Wold, and has benefitted from the expertise and support of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville since 2020. 

Wold originated the business because she says, “P...

Living After Grief owner Teresa Reiniger has been a client of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville since early 2021. Her company spreads awareness on the sensitive topics of infertility, family losses during pregnancy, and infancy loss.

As a certified grief coach, she guides clients and gives effective support to help people navigate through the triggers of this type of loss. This business idea ...

Adaptive Equipment and Caregiving Corner (AE Corner), a client of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has mastered assisting seniors who struggle every day to care for themselves to remain as independent as possible.

Owners, Cindy Hardin-Weiss and Christina Hardin-Weiss, have worked with the Illinois SBDC since March 2020, and call it “the lighthouse amid the storm of navigating as a business owner.”

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is happy to announce the winners of its 8^th Annual Metro East Start-Up Challenge (MESC). The 2021 business plan competition attracted more than 25 entrepreneurs to compete for a $25,000 prize package. 

A2 Creative, Inc--3D Gloop!, of Edwardsville, was awarded the first-place prize of $10,000.  A2 Creative, Inc--3D Gloop! creates unparalleled, specifically-engineered ad...