PEORIA MAGAZINE September 2023

A PUBLICATION OF WT VP

MAGAZ INE

SEPTEMBER 2023

The changing face of central Illinois entrepreneurship: The Turner Awards

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COVER STORIES 26 Turner: Women in Business Leadership Award —

SPOTLIGHT 18 Incubating Baby Businesses By Denise Jackson 22 Choose Greater Peoria By Linda Smith Brown 28 Turner: Small Business of the Year — Facet Technologies, Inc. By Linda Smith Brown 32 Turner: Rural Business of the Year — Evergreen Farm By Nick Vlahos 34 Turner: New Exporter of the Year — Natural Fiber Welding By Phil Luciano 38 Turner: Innovation of the Year — iActive By Lisa Coon

40 Turner: Exporter of the Year — Micro Products Company By Steve Tarter 44 Turner: Small Business Advocate of the Year — Lifting Up, LLC By Laurie Pillman 46 Turner: Community Partner of the Year — Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce By Steve Stein 50 Turner: Startup of the Year — GoodJava Inc. By Steve Stein 53 Turner: Government Contractor of the Year — Davis & Davis General Contractors By Steve Tarter

Christell Frausto By Kirk Wessler

COVER PHOTO : Christell Frausto, recipient of the Women in Business Leadership Award from

Bradley University's Turner Center for Entrepreneurship

ABOVE PHOTO : Natural Fiber Welding is ramping up its production and racking up its product as it remains true to its "plants, not plastic" business model and mission Photo by Ron Johnson

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FEATURES 8 Seed and Soil:

56 Peoria Retro:

76 Wordcount:

A Tale of Two Weekends By Patrick Kirchhofer

Norma Jean, We Hardly Knew Ye By Phil Luciano

‘Pain Into Purpose’ By Laurie Pillman 80 Twenty Something Commentary: Facing Imposter Syndrome By Katie Faley

12 Dish and Drink: ‘

60 Hometown:

‘Just Games and Beer’ By Phil Luciano

‘The Epitome of Resilience’ By Scott Fishel

15

64 Mom and Pop:

Dish and Drink: What's Cookin' — Maple Butternut Squash and Apple Soup By Mary DiSomma

From Shot-and-Beer Joint to Venerable Town Treasure By Phil Luciano

68 Playing in Peoria:

17

Discovering His Jam By Katie Faley

Cocktail Class: Jungle Bird By Wyatt Edwards

SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 3

COMMENTARY 84 Accelerating Greater Peoria’s Economy Chris Setti 86 Risks Real, Rewards Great for Small Business Owners Dee Brown 88 Battling Office Gossip Dee Brown 98 One More Thing: Piling up the Pennies ... and Admirers By Phil Luciano

AND MORE

7 Letter from the Editor 72 ArtsPartners Calendar 90 Out & About 94 In Brief 100 Thank You, Advertisers

in this issue September 2023 contributors: Dee Brown, Linda Smith Brown, Amy Burkett, Lisa Coon, Mary DiSomma, Wyatt Edwards, Katie Faley, Scott Fishel, Denise Jackson, Patrick Kirchhofer, Phil Luciano, Laurie Pillman, Chris Setti, Missy Shepler, Scott Shepler, Steve Stein, Steve Tarter, Nick Vlahos, Kirk Wessler

FOLLOW @PEORIAMAGAZINES: To subscribe or renew, visit peoriamagazines.com/ subscribe.

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MONTHLY ISSUE 092023 ISSN: 947

SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 5

E D I T O R I A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mike Bailey mbailey@peoriamagazines.com PUBLISHER Lesley Matuszak lesley.matuszak@wtvp.org

C R E A T I V E SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE Phil Luciano phil.luciano@wtvp.org EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CONTENT AND MARKETING Julie Sanders

julie.sanders@wtvp.org STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ron Johnson GRAPHIC DESIGN Debbie Cody

ADVERTISING PRESIDENT AND CEO OF WTVP Lesley Matuszak lesley.matuszak@wtvp.org SENIOR CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Angie Spears sales@peoriamagazines.com CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Kristina Gamez sales@peoriamagazines.com DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY Tom Zimmerman sales@peoriamagazines.com

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

BIGGER, BETTER? BALONEY

W elcome back to Peo ria Magazine ’s Small Business edition, 2023, in which we pose the nagging question: Is bigger better? Not in this issue, no sir. Again, we partner with Bradley University’s Turner Center for Entre preneurship to profile 10 central Illinois enterprises that know what it’s like to build something from scratch, with all its headaches and highlights. The face of entrepreneurship may be changing hereabouts. It’s still driven by ambition, innovation, work ethic and all the usual suspects, but it’s more diverse, as evidenced by Christelle Frausto, the subject of our cover story and the recipient of Turner’s Women in Business Leadership Award. Since moving to Peoria from Chicago in 2015, Frausto has started four businesses and is working on a fifth, while becoming a leader in the local Hispanic community and beyond. “I am a huge promoter of Peoria,” said Frausto, who feels duty-bound to pay it forward. “I couldn’t do any of this to this degree in another place.” Meanwhile, one of the most promising local startups in memory is Natural Fiber Welding, Turner’s New Exporter of the Year. The company’s meteoric rise has been accompanied by some course corrections, of late, but its success in raising venture capital, the

headlines it has earned for its ingenuity, and its “plants, not plastic” commitment to Earth-saving sustainability should give central Illinoisans confidence that NFW can make it big and — fingers crossed — do it from here. As Chris Setti, CEO of the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, rightly notes, “There’s money in doing good.” In this issue, you’ll read about other companies — such as Micro Products with its Micro Weld brand and Midwest Bioprocessing Center with its iActive line of sunscreen — that are dedicated to doing their thing, making their products, in America and in Peoria. So, is bigger better, or not? Like some 300 million other Earthlings, I shop at Amazon. As a company, it’s hard to get much larger — a market capitalization topping $1.3 trillion, annual revenue of about $540 billion (nine times Caterpillar’s), 1.5 million employees — like late author Kurt Vonnegut’s RAMJAC Corporation come to life. Recently, I bought landscape edging there — eight pieces, 48 linear feet, about $155 with tax. What arrived instead was a box of four, which meant I was paying double for half the promised product. Stuff happens. Long story short, what I thought would be an easy fix, wasn’t. Called a customer service number and got a recording. Corresponded in an online chitchat. My description of the problem didn’t seem

to fit neatly into Amazon’s most-likely to-go-wrong list. I packed everything back up, returned it, reordered. And then went through the same routine all over again. Groundhog Day . By then I was just irritated because I’m busy and I’m old and I don’t like kids crossing my lawn, either. Two swings and misses convinced me I could live without landscape edging. Oh, I’ll continue to shop the online goliath, and certainly buy its stock. It’s hard to ignore the temptation of a world of goods at your fingertips, delivered quickly to your doorstep. What business doesn’t want to grow up to be Amazon, which once was a struggling startup itself, selling books? But given my druthers, I’d rather walk into a local mom-and-pop, which the Small Business Administration tells me collectively creates more new jobs, keeps more dollars in the community, gives more to charity, is more envi ronmentally friendly, and provides a personal touch. Small businesses face formidable challenges. When they surmount them, well, it’s a great story, and this issue is full of those. Enjoy!

Mike Bailey

mbailey@peoriamagazines.com

SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 7

SEED AND SOIL

A TALE OF TWO WEEKENDS Game-changing, heaven-sent rains have saved this year’s crop, and unlike other inputs, they’re free

BY PATRICK KIRCHHOFER

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T he 2023 growing season will be marked by two significant crop-saving weekends — the first weekend in July and the first weekend in August. During both in central Illinois, there were game changing rains, so to speak, that brought much-needed moisture, several inches in some places. SOME EARLY SEASON DRY WEATHER IS OKAY, AS IT FORCES THE PLANTS TO DEVELOP A STRONGER ROOTING SYSTEM The planting season for both corn and soybeans began during the typical timeframe of April under ideal soil con ditions. Farmers were upbeat about the prospects of a great crop, as there was plenty of moisture for good germination but not too much in the soil profile that would cause significant compaction from the tillage, fertilization and plant ing equipment going over the fields. Farmers typically plant around 34,000 seeds per acre (imagine a football field for an acre) of corn and around 140,000 soybean seeds per acre. Most corn is planted in 30-inch rows and a majority of soybeans are planted in either 15- or 30-inch rows. After a planting season that was smooth sailing, the water spigot shut off the first week of May. This was followed by prolonged dryness and temperatures well into the 90s for a good portion of June. Some early season dry weather is okay, as it forces the plants to develop a stronger rooting system as they search

deeper into the soil profile for moisture. Strong, deep roots can pay dividends for plants if strong winds develop when the plant is top heavy with a full ear of corn later in the growing season. By mid-June, the leaves on the corn plants were showing the stress of the heat and dryness by what the farm community refers to as “leaf rolling.” This is a defensive posture for corn plants as their leaves roll during the heat of the day to preserve moisture and reduce transpiration. Transpiration is basically a process by which the leaves exhale water vapor. If the leaves are opened up and flattened out, they will gather sunlight during the day for photosynthesis but they also exhale more water vapor. Rolling of the leaves reduces the exposed surface area. By June’s end, the corn crop looked to be doomed if we didn’t get any rain come the most critical 10-day time period for corn, which is tasseling and pollination. In some areas, there had been no significant rainfall for nearly two months. Just a decade ago, during the drought of 2012, I witnessed many fields in the southern part of the state in which corn yields were zero because of lack of rainfall, hot weather, and in essence the failure of pollination or fertilization of corn plants. We were at the cusp of that critical time in the Peoria region the last week of June. And then the heavenly rains came just in time. Precipitation accompa nied by cooler weather enabled good pollination and kernels were able to get established on the ear.

Rains over that three-four day time period during the last couple days of June and first weekend in July carried the crop to the next significant rain event the first weekend in August. Throughout the month of July, the soil profile had gradually dried out once again before the farm community was gifted with another significant rain event. In some areas of southern Peo ria County, the floodgates opened with measured amounts of up to 7 inches of rain. Even though these rains were excessive in some areas, it was overall a huge yield maker for both corn and soybeans. Heading into the latter half of the growing season, August and early September rains still play a critical role for final yields. For corn, these late season rains are adding kernel size and weight and for later maturing soybeans, the rains are preserving the number of beans in a pod — typically three — and also adding weight. Each crop growing season is different. 2023 has been a roller coaster of wet time frames and serious dryness. Even with much-improved seed genetics, precision placement of fertilizer, and fungicide applications, farmers still rely on the most valuable inputs to produce a crop, and they are free: sunshine and rainfall.

Patrick Kirchhofer is manager of the Peoria County Farm Bureau, a position he has held since 1995

SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 9

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10 SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

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DISH AND DRINK

‘JUST GAMES AND BEER’ That and Skee-Ball have proved a winning formula at 8 Bit Arcade Bar, which has moved into bigger quarters

BY PHIL LUCIANO PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

J ason Pacey navigates the road to success with a gaming joystick. Several years ago, he quit his job managing a drugstore. He had no real plan. He just wanted to find some fun. “Honestly, I was bored,” he said. He shook away the doldrums and found a new career with 8 Bit Arcade Bar. It features free play on a slew of old school gaming cabinets, plus a massive selection of craft-beers. It’s been a winning combo, enough to prompt a recent move to a bigger location. “Just fun,” he said with a smile. “Just games and beer.” “A LOT MORE EVERYTHING’ During Pacey’s job hiatus in 2015, a pal told him — over a beer, naturally —

systems at Illinois State University. Then this business opportunity beckoned: opening Peoria’s only arcade bar. First, he had to get his hands on some old gaming cabinets, a process that has progressed to a word-of-mouth network. “Back in the day, I was on Craigslist, eBay and all that stuff,” Pacey said. “As time went on, I met a guy, he moved me to another guy, and he had something. It just spun out of control.” Pacy’s first location, at 100 State St, was crammed with 35 cabinets, with gamers sometimes jammed cheek to jowl. Peak times could turn the place unpleasantly warm. So, spring 2023 had 8 Bit moving just up the block to 619 SW Water St., formerly home to Mack’s, Tannins & Hops Speakeasy and Rhodell Brewery.

about a new trend in pubs: arcade bars, featuring throwback gaming. “She was telling me about these pop ping up in bigger cities,” said Pacey, 43. “I checked one out and instantly fell in love.” He had been a gaming buff during his days at Peoria High School, though he let the pastime wane during his days studying business and information

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Maurice Whatley (left) and Morris Shields play Street Fighter II at 8 Bit Arcade Bar in Peoria. They’ve been playing video games together since their childhoods on the South Side of Chicago

Jason Pacey is the owner of 8 Bit Arcade Bar at 619 SW Water Street.

Peoria residents grew up in the same neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, feeding quarters into gaming machines at a local arcade. On a recent afternoon at 8 Bit, they battled on Street Fighter II, from 1991. “It reminds me of my childhood,” Whatley said. Shields said today’s video games boast spectacular graphics but can get com plex. He prefers vintage games. “On PlayStation, they get complicat ed,” said Shields with a laugh. The friends no longer have to pack quarters to play — at least, not at 8 Bit. All video games there are free. Perhaps that’s why even 20-somethings, who grew up after the explosion of home gaming systems, flock to 8 Bit. “Even if you’re not good at it, free’s definitely a good benefit,” said Pacey. For the owner, there’s only one down side to the games: the constant repairs. He and his five employees often figure out fixes by trial and error. For old parts, he searches online or cannibalizes the busted games that fill his garage. “There’s always two or three or four (games) that we’re always hunting parts for,” he said. Even amid all the throwbacks, there’s a new throwback: Skee-Ball. These new machines are the only non-free game

offerings at 8 Bit. Pacey is thinking about starting a Skee-Ball league, as the game continues a strong resurgence. ANOTHER LURE AT 8 BIT: BEER … BRANDS UNAVAILABLE ELSEWHERE IN PEORIA “We’re the third place in Peoria that has Skee-Ball right now,” he said. “So, it’s definitely coming back.” Beside all the games, there’s another lure at 8 Bit: beer. In addition to vintage and popular suds, 8 Bit specializes in brands unavailable elsewhere in Peo ria, bought mostly from breweries and stores in and around Chicago. “We have the largest selection of craft beer in the area, by far,” Pacey said. So far, the new place has proved a success. More than ever, Pacey loves his job. “I’m surrounded by two things I like: video games and beer,” he said.

‘PEOPLE LOVE REMINISCING ABOUT BACK IN THE DAY’

— Jason Pacey

“Here, you can definitely move around,” Pacey said. “Bigger bar, a lot more games, a lot more everything.” PAC-MAN, LONG MAY HE PRESIDE The new space includes 20 additional gaming cabinets, bringing the total to 55. Favorites depend on age: customers who grew up in the ‘80s prefer Pac-Man and Asteroids, while ‘90s kids gravitate to NFL Blitz and Mortal Kombat. “It’s your childhood, you know,” Pacey said. “People love reminiscing about back in the day.” That’s what brings in Morris Shields, 44, and Maurice Whatley, 45. The

Phil Luciano is a senior writer/columnist for Peoria Magazine and content contributor to public television station WTVP. He can be reached at phil.luciano@wtvp.org

SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 13

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14 SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

DISH AND DRINK

MAPLE BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP

WHAT’S Cookin’ A lthough I love all the seasons, when autumn rolls around, I really get excited. In addition to the brightly colored leaves, the first use of our farm’s fireplace and some of my favorite holidays, fall brings a bounty of produce to my kitchen. Although winter squash is grown in the late summer and early fall, the name comes from the hard shell that differentiates it from summer squash. The most widely available winter squash is butternut squash, with its long neck and bulbous bottom. Look for the longer necks, which is where most of the tender orange flesh is. For apples, I am particularly fond of Honeycrisp for its sweetness and Granny Smith for its ability to hold its shape during baking. One of my favorite recipes is a delicious maple butternut squash and apple soup. It’s super easy to make, low in calories and vegan (though no one would guess!). I top it off with a swirl of Greek yogurt to make a restaurant-quality presentation. Serves: 4 to 6 Prep Time: 20 minutes Baking/Cook Time: 35 minutes

2. Add the garlic and ginger root. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Make sure the garlic does not brown. Add the squash, coconut milk, vegetable broth, and maple syrup. 3. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until squash is fork-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Add the rosemary and sage or thyme leaves. 4. Now it’s time to puree the soup until it’s smooth. You can do this in batches in a blender or food processor or directly in the pot using an immersion blender. After it’s smooth, taste the soup and season with salt, white pepper and more maple syrup, if desired. Garnish with a swirl of Greek yogurt thinned with almond or coconut milk. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS : • 1 tablespoon olive oil

• ½ cup finely diced onion • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped • 1 large Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apple, peeled and diced • 1 small butternut squash, about 1.5 pounds, peeled, seeds removed and cut into ½-inch pieces • 1 can (13.5 oz.) light coconut milk • 3 cups vegetable broth • 3 tablespoons maple syrup, or more to taste • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage or thyme leaves • Salt and white pepper, to taste GARNISH : • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt • 1 tablespoon almond or coconut milk INSTRUCTIONS : 1. Heat a large pot on medium. When hot, add the olive oil. Add the onion and apple and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir occasionally.

About our chef: Mary DiSomma lives in Oak Park and Cuba, Illinois. She is an author, publisher, philanthropist,

podiatrist, entrepreneur, wife to Bill and mom to four adult children. She also appears on Peoria Magazine’s You Gotta See This! on WTVP PBS

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16 SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

DISH AND DRINK

COCKTAIL CLASS Welcome back to Mixology 101 JUNGLE BIRD

T he Jungle Bird is a tiki-inspired tropical cocktail created in the early ‘70s at the famed Aviary Bar inside Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur Hilton. If you're looking for a fun, dynamic rum cocktail that gets your taste buds moving like a tiki dancer, this is the drink for you! As many know, Pour Bros. is a craft beer bar known for our pour-your own-beer walls across Illinois. We don’t typically identify as your go-to mixology spot, but more of a working-class bar with good drinks. However, cocktail connoisseurs are often surprised that we take such care in crafting cocktails using high-quality ingredients made with purpose and consistency. Good, simple cocktails made right is the right place for us to live. The Jungle Bird is the perfect summer drink to enjoy out in the courtyard! To concoct the Jungle Bird, the typical suspects are rum, pineapple juice, and

lime juice. However, the curveball is Campari, which is usually found in dry dinner drinks such as the Negroni, though the bitter aperitif works well in this mix. The fruits help smooth out its bitterness while the Bumbu Rum and simple syrup bring out a touch of sweetness that draws it all together beautifully. We use Bumbu Rum, which adds complexity with notes of Madagascar vanilla, banana clove, cinnamon and toasted oak. For garnish, you can use a pineapple wedge, a Luxardo cherry and a slice of lime. Combined, this garnish creates the effect of a bird diving head first into the cocktail! First, the INGREDIENTS : • 1.5 oz. Bumbu Rum • .75 oz. Campari • 1.5 oz. pineapple juice • .5 oz. lime juice • .5 oz. simple syrup

Next, the PREPARATION : Combine ingredients into a pint glass with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a pineapple leaf and lime wheel. Enjoy!

About our mixologist: Wyatt Edwards is manager of Pour Bros

Craft Taproom in Peoria Heights, where he wears multiple hats such as beer guide, taste tester, curator of fun, avid outdoorsman, bicycle guru, motocross athlete, dog lover, plant dad, stage crew, and deliverer of all things good!

SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 17

S P O T L I G H T

INCUBATING BABY BUSINESSES Since 2007, the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center has been hatching local startups, letting them leave the nest and soar

BY DENISE JACKSON PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

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B y many accounts, small busi nesses are the backbone of the nation’s economy. Yet despite that distinction, many entre preneurs run into obstacles when seek ing capital and other kinds of support for their start-up businesses. Throw in an unforeseen pandemic or other disaster and it can mean the downfall of even a once-bustling, growing business. So, how can small businesses survive? Construction company owner Bridget Booker found help at the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center. “I had to learn the ins and outs of everything from A to Z within the con struction business, but also a different facet of it being union added another layer to it,” said Booker.

distinction of being the only Black female ironwork and general construction contractor in the state of Illinois. Booker said the staff at the Innovation Center worked with her to create a business model. Being a tenant inside the building gave her access to more than just business classes. She also received the counsel of professionals with the expertise necessary to help her succeed. Peoria NEXT Director Michael Stubbs said it’s all part of the mission. ‘MADE IN AMERICA’ GETTING A NEW START IN PEORIA Since 2007 Peoria NEXT and Bradley University have collaborated to provide a network of academic knowledge and pro fessional support for startup businesses. COLLECTIVELY, PEORIA NEXT COMPANIES HAVE RAISED MORE THAN $460 MILLION IN STARTUP CAPITAL Bradley provides financial support for Peoria NEXT, which currently houses 26 tenants inside its Innovation Center, up 86% from two years ago. Seven of those businesses are minority owned. The Innovation Center, which acts as something of a business incubator, leases space at below-market rates and gives tenants access to research labs, internet backup, conference rooms and other amenities at no additional cost. Meanwhile, work is now underway to find “larger pilot lab space for com panies to graduate into,” said Stubbs. Collectively, Peoria NEXT companies have raised more than $460 million in startup capital. They’ve done so with the help of $40 million in state and federal grants. The businesses have created more than 1,200 jobs. Some have gotten national recognition for the products they’ve developed. Recently, Peoria NEXT added anoth er agency to its network, the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC). Under this new partnership,

Michael Stubbs, director of Peoria Next Innovation Center

IMEC will cover the first three months of a one-year lease for four manufac turing tenants, saving them thousands of dollars. IMEC will also co-sponsor five in-person workshops and training opportunities at Peoria NEXT, all de signed to help organizations become more effective and efficient. IMEC President Dave Boulay said the partnership will help early-stage businesses gain their footing in an evolving marketplace where workforce changes, automation and supply chain issues are dramatically impacting the shape of manufacturing. “So much of the way supply chains are changing” represents “a desire to have things made in America,” said Bou lay. “That’s going to start with places like Peoria NEXT (and) those innova tive companies that are building the products of our future.” A NEED TO DIVERSIFY THE LOCAL ECONOMY Peoria Mayor Rita Ali said the partner ship enhances the goal of making Peoria a center of innovation. Her comments align with the vision city leaders had more than 20 years ago when they began talking about developing a business incubator. Up until 2017, Peoria had been the home headquarters to Caterpillar Inc.,

A 42-year-old single mother of four, Booker is a rare commodity in the male dominated construction industry. “I chose ironwork because it was one of the hardest trades,” she said. “I invest ed in this trade and got my card. I love ironwork, I love welding, the structural steel …” In December 2016, she started Reign Construction inside the Peoria Next Innovation Center. Booker is one of eight female members of the Local 112 Ironworkers Union and carries the Bridget Booker is president and CEO of Reign Construction, with an office at Peoria Next Innovation Center

SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 19

the leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel electric locomotives. City leaders saw the need to diversify the local economy, said Second District City Council member Chuck Grayeb.

whole lot of money, so he became the first affiliate member of Peoria NEXT. As an affiliate member, he pays only $75 a month to lease a co-working space instead of his own private office. Meanwhile, he still gets the benefit of free internet, a business mailing address, and a 50% discount on conference room use, among other amenities. ‘YOU HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERTS IN BUSINESS’

Solitude Ministries, which allows him to do outreach ministry with the homeless. He said Peoria NEXT has been his springboard. “You have access to all these people who are experts in business, and there’s also a community here of different people that you meet,” said the 46-year old Snook. He credits Stubbs and the team at Peoria NEXT with equipping him with the tools and knowledge to help others and to create inspirational products, programs and services. NOTABLE SUCCESS STORIES Stubbs dismisses critics who say Peoria NEXT is not succeeding. Given the success of many startups, it’s not unusual for companies to move out of Peoria NEXT, he said. ‘VELOXITY LABS THAT’S HERE NOW GREW FROM TWO EMPLOYEES TWO YEARS AGO TO OVER 20 EMPLOYEES NOW’ “Most recently, Natural Fiber Welding graduated out,” Stubbs said of the biotech startup that now has five facilities in Peoria. “They’re still here, growing and have over 300 employees. “Veloxity Labs that’s here now grew from two employees two years ago to over 20 employees now. They’ve had people move here from Philadelphia, St. Louis, Canada and other locations to work specifically with them here in Peoria. So, from an economic de velopment standpoint, the ability to get funding from outside sources into the Peoria area has been established through the use of Peoria NEXT to launch those companies.” — Michael Stubbs

— Steven Snook

Snook said the partnership with Peoria NEXT was his crash course in technology.

Chuck Grayeb, 2nd District Peoria City Councilman

“In the mid-‘90s, the leadership de termined that we were going to have to rely less on heavy manufacturing and more on technical professional indus try,” recalled Grayeb. “We could see the handwriting on the wall.” Specifically, there was a shared vision among the late Mayor David Ransburg and City Council members to make Peo ria a world-class medical and research healing center, said Grayeb. “It was important to bring smart minds together and the ground was laid for the creation of Peoria NEXT Inno vation Center,” he said. CAN WE GET AN ‘AMEN’? Steven Snook took advantage. He discovered Peoria NEXT nearly two years ago when he was looking to expand an idea he said God gave to him. Snook’s company, Jesus Speaks LLC, produces picture frames that contain inspirational messages from Scripture. Like many startup entrepreneurs, Snook was not looking to spend a

Steven Snook at Jesus Speaks LLC, affiliate member of Peoria NEXT

“I was so new to the world. I had just spent 19 years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine, so I was new to technology. I had never seen a smart phone. I really had no idea,” said Snook. “I started working here with no office and just stayed in the atrium and used the internet access and things that this place offered. Mike (Stubbs) would come down and work with me and teach me to send an email.” In the year and a half since he joined, Snook has expanded his business to include the nonprofit Extraordinary

Denise Jackson is a native Peoria South Sider and former television journalist who now represents District 1 on the Peoria City Council

20 SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

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SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 21

S P O T L I G H T

CHOOSE GREATER PEORIA New recruitment push hopes to lure 25 new executives to a central Illinois that organizers believe has a lot to offer

BY LINDA SMITH BROWN

P eoria is putting out the word: Won’t you be my neighbor? In May, Peoria business lead ers launched a $1.6 million effort to recruit employees in other cities throughout the Midwest to consider the Peoria area for home and career. Named Choose Greater Peoria, the effort is largely a digital marketing campaign, the result of asking local CEOs what their most critical needs are right now. Their resounding answer was attracting new hires and selling them on living in Peoria. Choose Greater Peoria is powered by money from the Gilmore Foundation, which has made a three-year commit ment to the endeavor. Gilmore, a Peoria native and president of Caterpillar from 1977 to 1985, established the founda tion in 2009. He died in 2020, at the age of 100. “Bob wanted to get the business community together and identify one high-priority need for the community,” said Laura Cullinan, president of the Gilmore Foundation. “That’s how this whole thing started.” The campaign has met its goal of $800,000 in business donations and the foundation has matched it. Doug Oberhelman, chairman of the Gilmore Foundation Board and a former Caterpillar CEO in his own right, said

when business leaders were asked about their most pressing challenges, “it came up over and over again: ‘Look, we can sell our company. We’re having trouble selling Peoria,’” said Oberhelman. “We realized maybe we ought to think about helping Peoria and its image a little bit.” ‘THE OPPORTUNITIES HERE ARE INCREDIBLE’ The Choose Greater Peoria web site (choosegreaterpeoria.org) is the centerpiece of the campaign, with a listing of available job openings and a showcase of the area’s amenities under the headings of “Work. Live. Play.” The site includes multiple oppor tunities for visitors to fill out a brief information form. Within 24 hours, a representative of the campaign will call the person to build a profile and discuss next-step options with poten tial employers. “We’re almost trying to change the mindset about how people look for jobs,” said Misty Dykema, co-owner of Simantel Group Ltd, the local marketing firm hired to develop and execute the campaign. “You can go to Indeed or whatever website and apply for a job. But hey, if you fill out this form on our website, we’re going to get you in touch with every H.R. manager in the region who may have a job consistent with your needs and skill set.”

“The opportunities that we have here are incredible,” Cullinan said. “We have some incredibly high-paying jobs where you can have a leadership posi tion as a relatively young person. Those positions might not present themselves so early in other, larger communities.” A DESIRE FOR WORK/LIFE BALANCE Since the pandemic, many people are looking for a better work/life balance, and that is one of the biggest selling points of Choose Greater Peoria, said Cullinan. Peoria’s average 18-minute commute to most anywhere in the city is a big part of that balance, giving employees more time outside their cars and with their families, where they can take advantage of the largest park district in the state of Illinois, with 50 miles of hiking trails and a riverfront. Dykema said visitors to the Choose Greater Peoria website are clicking on the “Play” messages more than the “Work” ads. Central Illinois’ affordable housing and a lower cost of living compared to other cities across the country also is a selling point, say local leaders. Besides attracting new talent to the area, Choose Greater Peoria also endeavors to improve the area’s image with the people already living here.

22 SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

Doug Oberhelman, board chairman of the Gilmore Foundation

Romain said that in their free time, her family enjoys Peoria’s Riverfront Museum, the parks, the Peoria Sym phony Orchestra and Heartland Festival Orchestra, community theater, the riverfront and its Farmers Market. “As I’ve lived in big cities, I’ve spent a lot of money on rent and a lot of money on parking and a lot of time in traffic,” she said. “Why would you choose that when you can breathe, have free time and spend your money on other things? “I’ve lived a very nomadic life and this is the first time I’ve ever felt at home, because of the people who live here,” said Romain, “The people are so wel coming. You can find your tribe here.” THE GOAL The goal of the campaign is 25 exec utive hires. In the first two months, the campaign has the first two under its belt. Besides those successes, the foun dation expects to leave behind a cam paign infrastructure that will continue to attract and deliver high-caliber talent to the Peoria area. “It just needed a big push of money to get it started and the strategy,” said Cullinan. Laura Cullinan, president of the Gilmore Foundation

Sometimes, local chatter produces a lot of negativity. The city’s crime rate, for example, can bring out a lot of that. “The negatives are everywhere for any city,” said Oberhelman. “We just have to work on those things. I know the city, the mayor and many of us in the community are working hard to do that. We can’t give up.” “We can acknowledge it’s not a per fect place to live, but it’s a pretty darn good place to live,” said Cullinan. “The people are great here. We need to start talking about that and lean into the positives that we have.” ‘YOU CAN FIND YOUR TRIBE HERE’ Nikki Romain, a performing artist, had lived in no less than five large cities before moving to Peoria eight years ago, when she married Jonathan Romain, an artist and Peoria resident. ‘THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS CULTURALLY THAT AS A BLACK WOMAN I FIGURED I WOULD NOT GET HERE’ — Nikki Romain She admits to having been apprehen sive about moving to Peoria. “I’d only lived in big cities,” she said, adding that she was nervous about moving to Peoria as a Black woman

with a preconceived notion that the city was not diverse. “There were a lot of things culturally that as a Black woman I figured I would not get here. “I thought it would be very racist, quite honestly,” Romain said. Romain was pregnant when she moved to Peoria. “The first six months were really rough for me. My husband traveled a lot for art shows, I had the baby to care for and I didn’t know anyone here,” she recalled. She started feeling at home in Peoria when she met a new friend of her age and background. “It was just a breath of fresh air to meet someone who was like-minded, who had children, knew other people with children and knew where people with children hung out.” Romain and her husband were both moved to do something when they read in the media about the 24/7 Wall St. website naming Peoria as one of the worst cities in America for Black residents. “Jonathon and I, separately from each other, were both saved by the arts,” said Romain. The couple began thinking about how they could use art to make a difference in Peoria. Together they started the non-profit Artists ReEnvisioning Tomorrow (Art, Inc) in the former Greeley School building, where they lead after-school programming for first through eighth grades.

Linda Smith Brown is a 37-year veteran of the newspaper industry, retiring as publisher of Times Newspapers in the Peoria area

SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 23

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SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 25

COVER STORY — TURNER CENTER HONOREE

WOMEN IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AWARD Rebel and thinker Christell Frausto is carving a distinct entrepreneurial path in the Peoria she embraces

BY KIRK WESSLER PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

C hristell Frausto looks at Peoria and sees potential for great ness. If you try to warn her about the city’s problems, she leans forward to cut you off. “Everyplace has negatives,” Frausto said, her tone equal parts sugar and spice. She is neither dismissive nor naïve, but firm with conviction. ‘SHE HAS AN ENERGY THAT PULLS YOU IN, INSIGHTS THAT SAY IF THE GLASS IS NOT FULL, HERE’S WHAT WE NEED TO GET THERE’ — Yvonne Greer Batton Since moving to Peoria from Chi cago in 2015, Frausto has owned four businesses and is working on a fifth. She also is past chairperson and current vice-chair for the Greater Peoria Hispanic Chamber of Com merce, while serving on the boards of the Peoria Civic Center Authority, Bradley University Turner Center for Entrepreneurship and the Greater Peoria Economic Development Cen ter. In addition, she volunteers with the Peoria Park District, Peoria Latin Soccer and Peoria Folklore Ballet, and

the broad selection of spirits in Tequi laRia, which includes products from Ar gentina, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. When Frausto moved to Peoria, she would entertain visiting friends, but they couldn’t mix their favorite cocktails because the necessary ingre dients weren’t available. The vision for TequilaRia and more grew from those experiences. Barely a mile north of her building, Prospect cuts through the vibrant Peoria Heights business district. “There aren’t a lot of options along Prospect on this side of War Memori al,” Frausto says. “But look along the street and you can see what it needs: local stores, food, places to eat, places that are well run. That’s what we want to provide. My hopes are for business along Prospect to continue to grow. I hope to make this a hub.” A REBEL AND A THINKER Frausto was 3 years old when she moved with her parents from Mexico to Chicago. Now 38, she describes her younger self as a rebel, battling to over come language and cultural barriers. She refused to accept limitations. She dropped out of high school because she hated the rules, but she loved learning.

is a former member of the Peoria Fair Housing Commission. And that’s why she wins the Turner Center’s 2023 Women In Business Leadership Award. “She is the perfect example of an amazing woman entrepreneur,” said Jim Foley, director of the Turner Center at Bradley University. “She’s willing to take risks to make something happen. But she’s also someone who steps away from themselves to say, ‘I want to also help lift up other entrepreneurs’ — particularly women and in her case, Hispanic entrepreneurs. She’s also incredibly authentic.” CREATING A HUB We are sitting on chairs layered with construction dust at the future site of River City Grill, a Chicago-style fast-food restaurant Frausto plans to introduce this fall on Prospect Road, a couple of blocks south of War Memorial Drive. The restaurant is at the back of a building that houses TequilaRia Wine & Spirits, which Frausto opened in December 2020. Bright, festive colors leap from the restaurant walls. For Frausto, they evoke memories of small towns in her native Mexico. They also form an extension of

26 SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

Christell Frausto shows off the architectural plans for her newest business venture

“My grandfather gave me the biggest advice: ‘Be a thinker,’” Frausto said. “My grandmother told me I was wild, but she told me to embrace that and don’t let people corner you.” Those lessons have served Frausto well. She looks for opportunity and figures out ways to bring visions to reality. When she encounters skepticism or sexism, she fights for what she believes. She is neither averse to risk nor immune to failure. At 16, Frausto bought into an aroma therapy kiosk that her mother owned in a Chicagoland shopping mall. Rapid overexpansion became unsustainable and the business closed. “I lost $7,000. To me, that was all the money in the world,” she said. So Frausto earned her GED and took a sales job, first with Nextel Sprint, then with Verizon. At first, she figured this would be the rest of her life. “Just keep my head down and get paid,” she said. But a store manager challenged her, and her ambition returned. Frausto became a floating supervisor, trou bleshooting problems at different stores. Eventually, she transferred to Peoria, where physical ailments made it difficult to spend too much time on her feet. So Frausto changed course.

She and her husband at the time, Faisal Dossa, bought a gas station on Prospect. He remains her business partner. Subsequently, Frausto became licensed to sell insurance and bought a Farmers Insurance franchise, which she sold early last year. By then, TequilaRia had taken off, and Frausto had begun yet another business, CFS United Inc., which buys, renovates and rents homes on the East and West Bluffs. ‘SHE’S A WAYMAKER’ Yvonne Greer Batton, chair of the Peoria Civic Center Authority Board, met Frausto about three years ago. “She’s a waymaker,” Batton said. “She doesn’t just climb to the top of the lad der and knock it over. She stays there, encourages you and reaches down to help you. She has an energy that pulls you in, insights that say if the glass is not full, here’s what we need to get there. “She stays hungry. People who stay hungry are always looking for opportu nities to do good, not just for themselves. Christell has that hunger.” Frausto sees Peoria as a land of op portunity. “In Chicago, we never had a yard, and I spent a whole year of my life in traffic.

I did the math on that,” she said. “Here, we can enjoy our living space and time to do things. And it’s affordable.” Her personal dream is to build a homestead for her family. Her business and community dreams are closely tied: Build successful ventures, share her expertise and invest in opportunities that provide pathways for others to live, work and enjoy their own families and friends. And yes, it can be done here. “I am a huge promoter of Peoria. I couldn’t do any of this to this degree in another place,” she said. “All of these blessings I have, it’s my duty to give back and share what I’ve learned. My seat at the table, my niche, is Latinos and women. But I want everyone to take a seat and share their ideas. “We have problems, yes. But our problems are everyone’s problems. We have a duty to work together. Peoria is for everybody. Come join us.”

Kirk Wessler is a former newspaper sports editor who has turned his attention in semi retirement to a new passion as a singer/ songwriter

SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 27