Chicago Business Expo Returns to Malcolm X College
Chicago will hold its final Business Resource Expo of 2026 on Saturday, Aug. 29, at Malcolm X College, bringing entrepreneurs together with government agencies, nonprofit organizations and business advisers.
The free event, organized by the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, will run from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 1900 W. Jackson Blvd. Chef D’Andre Carter and Heather Bublick, co-founders of Chicago-born barbecue brand Soul and Smoke, will deliver the keynote address.
The expo is designed to connect aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small-business owners with resources that can otherwise be difficult to identify or navigate.
More than 30 nonprofit organizations and government agencies will participate in the exhibition hall, where attendees can receive guidance on licensing, permits, financing, and other aspects of operating a business in Chicago.
Free professional headshots will also be available. A networking session sponsored by the Office of the City Treasurer will allow participants to meet other entrepreneurs and business advisers before the main programming begins.
Workshops scheduled throughout the morning will address topics including finance, marketing, and business strategy, with sessions intended for both entrepreneurs preparing to launch a company and established businesses seeking to expand.
The Aug. 29 gathering is the third and final event in BACP’s 2026 Business Resource Expo series.
The first expo was held virtually on March 12. A second event took place at Truman College on May 16 and featured Jackie Taylor, founder and CEO of Black Ensemble Theater, as the keynote speaker.
Carter and Bublick will bring a Chicago entrepreneurship story to the final expo.
The two met while working at Moto, the now-closed Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant known for molecular gastronomy. Carter spent four years working in fine-dining kitchens, while Bublick is a certified sommelier who also worked with the wine program at Michelin-starred Tru.
In 2012, they launched Feast and Imbibe, initially operating as an underground dinner series. Carter prepared multi-course tasting menus while Bublick selected wine pairings. The project later developed into an upscale catering business serving corporate and private clients.
Their business model changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted the catering operation.
Carter and Bublick began preparing barbecue and comfort food from their catering kitchen and selling meals directly to people in their neighborhood. Demand grew quickly, helping transform what began as a pandemic response into Soul and Smoke.
The company has since expanded to several locations, including its flagship in Evanston, an Avondale location and a West Loop operation inside Accenture Tower. Soul and Smoke also has a presence at Soldier Field, operates two food trucks, and sells a retail line of barbecue sauces.
Carter and Bublick have grown the company without outside investors, a part of their story that aligns closely with the expo’s focus on entrepreneurs building and expanding businesses with limited access to institutional capital.
Soul and Smoke has also maintained a significant community component. The company has provided an estimated 250,000 meals to charitable organizations across Chicago.
The Business Resource Expo is part of Chicago’s broader effort to make business assistance and regulatory information more accessible to local entrepreneurs.
The event comes as businesses continue adjusting to several regulatory changes. Chicago’s minimum wage increased to $17.05 per hour on July 1, 2026, while changes affecting tipped workers and the city’s Fair Workweek Ordinance also took effect this year.
By bringing city agencies, nonprofit organizations, lenders and advisers into one location, organizers aim to give business owners direct access to information about compliance, financing and business development.
Sponsors for the August expo include Wintrust Bank, Old National Bank, CIBC Bank USA and Pursuit Lending. City Colleges of Chicago and the Office of the City Treasurer are serving as event partners.
Registration for the Chicago Business Resource Expo is free. Walk-ins will be accepted, although advance registration is encouraged.
The event is open both to people considering starting their first business and to established entrepreneurs seeking financing, professional contacts, or additional support for their companies.
