Chicago Urban League Kicks Off 2025 Entrepreneurship Summit with Grand Opening of Empowerment Center

Photo Caption: (L to R) 6th Ward Ald. William Hall, 21st Ward Ald. Ronnie Mosley, CUL President & CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson, CUL Board Chair Suzet McKinney, Illinois State Senator Elgie Simms, Chatham Business Association Executive Director Melinda Kelly, CUL Workforce VP Andrew Wells, CUL Entrepreneurship VP Kelly Evans, and CUL COO Calmetta Coleman

Former Walmart Training Facility Transformed into Center for Workforce Development and Entrepreneurship

The Chicago Urban League marked the opening of its new Empowerment Center in the Chatham neighborhood with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, November 21, 2025. The new facility will host CUL’s expanded workforce development programming in artificial intelligence and other industries as well as entrepreneurship programming. It will also serve as a community hub, offering meeting space for local small businesses and nonprofit organizations.

The 15,000-square-foot building at 8331 S. Stewart Avenue was a Walmart training facility, which the company donated to CUL in 2024 — one of the most significant donations in the Chicago Urban League’s history. 

“The Empowerment Center allows us to meet people where they are and connect them to opportunity,” said Karen Freeman-Wilson, President and CEO of the Chicago Urban League. “By bringing our programs and partnerships closer to communities that have historically been under-resourced, we’re creating pathways to generational wealth. The new facility will be where talent meets opportunity — and where people can see that the future of work includes them.” 

The ribbon cutting ceremony kicked off the Chicago Urban League’s Wealth & Opportunity Summit, a daylong conference for entrepreneurs that attracted more than 200 attendees.

The Empowerment Center builds on the Chicago Urban League’s proven record of connecting the community to quality jobs. In 2024 alone, CUL’s Workforce Development Center served 3,721 job seekers, including 702 who earned industry-recognized credentials. The new facility will allow CUL to further expand its reach on the South Side.

Freeman-Wilson also announced that Andrew Wells, who leads the Chicago Urban League’s Workforce Development programming, will serve as Executive Director of the Empowerment Center. 

“The Chicago Urban League remains committed to creating real pathways to economic mobility,” said Andrew Wells, the Executive Director of the Empowerment Center and Vice President of Workforce Development. “This new Empowerment Center will bring our vision of an empowered and equitable Chicago to life.”

The Walmart training facility was originally built in 2021 in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood and designed to create a productive and welcoming environment for both participants and instructors. Today, this newly rehabbed facility marks an expansion of the CUL’s impact. From its headquarters in Bronzeville to neighboring communities, the League serves more than 15,000 people each year through workforce, education, and entrepreneurship programs.

“This space represents more than a building — it’s an investment in opportunity, empowerment, and the future of our families,” said Alderman Ronnie Mosley of the 21st Ward, where the new Empowerment Center sits. “Our community deserves places that uplift, connect, and create pathways forward — and today’s celebration was a reminder of what’s possible when we build together.”

Walmart released a request for proposals shortly after closing the facility in 2023. The Urban League’s application for this donation was successful due to the organization’s commitment to helping people grow their businesses, strengthen their leadership skills and build generational wealth. In addition to the space, the donation included classrooms, furniture and training equipment that enabled CUL to expand its workforce development programming. For the past year, CUL has invested in redesigning and renovating the facility to be reopened as their Empowerment Center. 

The Empowerment Center will not only be used to expand CUL’s workforce development programming, but will also host local organizations like the Chatham Business Association, which is expected to become a tenant in the building.

“The center represents growth, stability, and new opportunities for our community,” said Melinda Kelly, President and Executive Director of the Chatham Business Association. “We look forward to working alongside partners who are dedicated to strengthening Chatham’s future. The Chatham Business Association is bringing 50 years of monthly business-meeting experience to their new home at the Empowerment Center—strengthened and enriched by their partnership with the Chicago Urban League and the Chatham Business Association Small Business Development, Inc.” 

“This investment is a gift to the community because every time we create access, we change outcomes,” said Illinois State Senator Elgie Sims. “The Empowerment Center means more of our residents have that access: to the education, training, and business support that have too often been out of reach.”

“Having this facility in our community means local residents can train for high-demand jobs without leaving their neighborhood,” said Alderman William Hall  of the 6th Ward, which is across the street from the new Empowerment Center. “A physical presence in Chatham will allow the Chicago Urban League to serve even more 6th Ward and South Side residents.”

The opening of the Empowerment Center represents a step forward in the Chicago Urban League’s ongoing mission to create pathways to success for under-resourced communities. By combining workforce training, entrepreneurship support, and community collaboration, the Urban League is investing in people — and in the future of Chicago’s South Side.