Anyone who keeps up to date with Elevate on Facebook or has joined our newsletter knows who Keegan O’Connell is. A few months back, we posted a story about our new broadcasting room and highlighted the services Keegan is bringing to our center. On our Facebook feed, we have often shared Keegan’s progress while he was raising funding to grow his business. What most of our readers may not know is the success Keegan has had in his own business venture. Buzzed & Board Media LLC. is the first business to graduate the Elevate 6-Step Accelerator Program. Additionally, Buzzed & Board is...

Laura Severson is a volunteer at Elevate, her role includes managing the front desk and providing general assistance in the development of the center. Continue Reading

Evelynna is a 2020 graduate of ClassE, a Coles County Highschool Entrepreneurship Class which has found a new home at Elevate. As a focus of the course, students develop a business idea and apply it to the real world. This is where Evelynna found her inspiration for Peace of Mind Home Services. After joining the Elevate team, Evelynna began to use our resources for her own business. In November of 2020, Peace of Mind Home Services registered with the state of Illinois to form an official LLC. Peace of Mind Home Services primarily functions to watch homes, pets and plants...

Faisal Tariq is the newest staff member at Elevate after coming onboard in October. He has a plethora of experience in retail management including time at DSW and Coach. Continue Reading

Dallas Jones is the Marketing Director at Elevate. His responsibilities include writing articles for our website, managing social media, organizing events and anything else related to sharing our resources with as many people as we can. Continue Reading

Owning a business requires a dedicated willingness to work hard, a sense of adventure and time. Our center specializes in assisting customers who have the will to start their own organization, all of the way from start to finish. Those who have benefited from the resources we provide have shared a portion of the greatest reasons they enjoy being their own boss. Continue Reading

Elevate CCIC Inc. has opened it’s doors for operation at 700 Broadway Ave. East Space 8 in the Cross County Mall located in Mattoon, Illinois. Our incubation center hopes to encourage, connect, and grow small and startup businesses in the region by creating a mixed-use, co-working space that provides resources and opportunities to empower success. Elevate kicked off operation with a Grand Opening Breakfast this past Thursday, August 27th, 2020. Many area residents were in attendance. During this event, Executive Director Carlos Ortega (pictured) presented the center’s goals and steps Elevate has already taken for future prosperity. While following CDC...

‘Row & Table’ Software Development Agency has grown leaps and bounds over the past year. Director Ryan Hayden says the company has went from generating $50,000 in profits in 2019 to $50,000 a month in 2020. Continue Reading

"What's the first thing you do after you get in your car and buckle your seatbelt?" This was the question posed by Keegan O'Connell, owner of Buzzed & Board LLC Continue Reading

While many of us long to better balance our personal and professional lives, Mr. Forstall has a solid understanding of both. He says through having a better perspective of family relationships, he has gained a better understanding of relationships with coworkers, colleagues, customers and clients. Continue Reading

It is the belief of the team at Elevate that business ownership represents financial equality, representation and happiness. Through creating a more diverse environment for business ownership we look to create a more inclusive world and community. Continue Reading

If you’ve been keeping up with our blog post, you have probably noticed the variety of membership options available at our center. One of these is our ‘mailbox’ monthly membership. For only $40 a month, we offer a variety of resources to entrepreneurs interested in starting a business or growing their existing organization. Most important to the mailbox membership is the opportunity to attach a physical address to your business. For only $40 monthly, we provide a professional image, greatly improve your chances of being found online, a meeting place for the clients you will be attracting and added security....

1.2 million small businesses exist in the state of Illinois, according to a 2018 SBA Profile. Unfortunately for many, this dream has traditionally required more funds than are available to the typical individual. Thankfully, the Mattoon In Motion Robust Economy Committee has created a business incubation center, empowering those in the Coles County Region in their goals to open or develop their small business Continue Reading

Much work has been completed in our center since renovations started last year. Today Elevate stands excited to provide for entrepreneurs in the Coles County Region Continue Reading

As a community organization, our goal is to provide resources to as many people as possible. The programming available at Elevate plays a huge role in how we continue to provide for our clients and additionally spurs growth to new entrepreneurs who have not yet benefited from the resources Elevate has to offer. We at Elevate are proud to call ourselves a home for our partner, Code Platoon. As a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, Code Platoon strives to “transform veterans and military spouses into professional software developers through an immersive, hands-on, educational process and paid internship program.” In short,...

Elevate has always and will always work towards our mission of encouraging, connecting and growing small and startup businesses in the Coles County Region. During the current circumstances presented by COVID-19, we recognize our duty as a community organization is to provide as many resources as possible to business owners in our region. For the duration of this situation, we will continue to do our very best to present options that work for you and your business. As a precautionary measure, our space in the Cross-County Mall is currently not available to the public. The health and safety of our...

As Elevate moves towards an open center to fully service our clients, a look at the real world application of innovative non-traditional business models in our community is helpful. Amid the current COVID-19 public safety concerns, one company is playing an important role in keeping our community safe and stimulating business for local restaurants who may be struggling due to the current closure of sit-in establishments through the end of the month. Online service ‘DoorDash’ allows customers to order their food through their app or online which allows customers to order meals  without leaving their home. While this service has...

Mattoon in Motion Robust Economy Committee was organized to “create a community of entrepreneurs who are passionate about developing their business.” As part of this initiative, Elevate CCIC, Inc. is supporting this goal by developing a grassroots economic development center that will encourage cross-collaboration of ideas and resources. To understand where Elevate is today, and our vision for the future, a look at our history is imperative. In August 2019, Carlos Ortega accepted the Executive Director position at Elevate CCIC, Inc., the brainchild organization created by the Robust Economy Committee to encourage the growth of small business development in the...