Business Smart Week featured top business diversity leaders and experts who provided diverse and small businesses with the tools and opportunities to grow their business.

This year’s program featured discussions with prominent minority business owners, as well as corporate and non-profit CEOs, on solutions to eliminate barriers to diverse business growth.

The event also included the state of minority business, access to sustainable capital in the financial services and construction industries, initiatives of the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council and the Women's Business Development Center, and the SBA Community Navigator Pilot Program. Participants attended business networking and matchmaking sessions to get information on contracting opportunities in such industries as financial services, professional services, construction and new emerging markets.