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5/25 Move to Action

In Pursuit of an Equitable and Thriving Economy for All

Marking a year since George Floyd’s murder and the calls for racial and economic justice that followed, we believe this is a moment when we can make sure that the incredible outpouring of support for addressing racial inequity continues to move to action. 5/25 Move to Action is an initiative led by We Rise Together: For an Equitable and Just Recovery and the Corporate Coalition of Chicago.

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a foundation for a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive economy,” said Gloria Castillo, director of We Rise Together, an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust. “Over the past year, many companies in the Chicago region have acted on their commitments to address the economic and racial systems of exclusion, but by working together and stacking resources, we will achieve greater impact than any of us can do alone.”

The 5/25 Move to Action effort seeks to galvanize private sector actions that will have real impact on an equitable economic recovery in Chicago.  We ask companies to take at least one action.  Examples of what companies can do include:

  • Increase annual spend with local Black and Latinx firms by at least 25%;
  • Increase second-chance hires in the workforce by at least 25%; or
  • Invest in the initial $25 million capital raise for the EPIC Fund, a new vehicle for providing equity capital for catalytic real estate projects in under-invested communities.

The following companies have already stepped forward, pledging to make a commitment to action.

  • AAR Corp
  • Accenture
  • Advocate Aurora Medical
  • Ariel Investments
  • Bank of America
  • Baxter
  • BMO Harris Bank
  • Cabrera Capital Markets
  • Deloitte
  • Exelon (ComEd)
  • Fifth Third Bank
  • Greeley and Hansen
  • ITW
  • KPMG LLP
  • Loop Capital Markets
  • Mars Wrigley
  • Mesirow Financial
  • Northwestern Medicine
  • Rush University Medical Center
  • SDI Presence
  • The Obama Foundation
  • The Blommer Chocolate Company
  • The Vistria Group
  • United Airlines
  • Winston & Strawn

“There’s much more we can all do to expand opportunities for Black and Latinx communities who have historically not had equitable access to the resources of their counterparts,” said Brian Fabes, managing director of the Corporate Coalition. “As we continue on our economic recovery, let’s accelerate Chicago’s transformation to an economy that is thriving and equitable.”