Advancing economic vitality, one small business at a time

I first had a chance to experience the impact and pleasure of public interest work while attending the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where I helped consult for a non-profit. At Accenture, I continued to seek public interest opportunities and was thrilled when Accenture offered me the chance to work as a pro bono partner with Civic Consulting Alliance.

My project at Civic Consulting focused on starting up the Chicago Small Business Advantage (CSBA). The project dovetailed well with my prior experiences in human resources and workforce strategy, as well as the project management and client skills I have honed at Accenture. As a new program, we were required to be flexible and creative, skills that will be valuable to future Accenture projects.

The impact of our work will be far-reaching: increasing small businesses' productivity, boosting staff morale, and promoting employees' upward mobility will improve economic viability in the Chicago region. On a personal level, my time with Civic Consulting has bolstered my interest in supporting the public sector. For more information on fellowships at Civic Consulting Alliance and how you or your firm can participate, click here or contact Haley Sonenthal.