Earlier this week, in my capacity as Vice President of Marketing for BroadPeak Collaborative, I attended the kick-off luncheon for the Chicago Urban League's forward-thinking new project called ProjectNEXT. The last time I felt that much energy and anticipation in a room was when I kicked off Money Smart Week at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago - and it felt great!

Under the high-energy and progressive leadership of CEO Cheryle Jackson, the Chicago Urban League is shifting from a social services provider model to an economic development model which, I think, is a stroke of genius on the part of Ms. Jackson. ProjectNEXT is a unique program in which minority entrepreneurs are mentored and given resources that will jump-start the growth of their companies. The program is highly competitive - 150 entrepreneurs applied for 16 spots in the program. And the program is only in its first year. I wonder how many business owners will apply next year or the year after? Seems to me that there is a huge demand for this program and I would guess that applications will increase exponentially over time.

A few professional service firms, including BroadPeak, have been selected by the Urban League to offer accounting, finance, analytics, management training/coaching, and other key services to the selected business owners. We are extremely honored and excited to have been chosen to participate in this program and we anticipate that the success in Chicago will lead to a nation-wide rollout.

Back to the luncheon. I got to sit next to John Rogers, CEO of Ariel Mutual Funds and a member of the Board of the Chicago Urban League, a man I have admired for years. In addition to founding a hugely successful business, John created the Ariel Community Academy in Chicago which is teaching kids about investing, thus developing hundreds of young minds who think that financial smarts are cool. (In contrast to popular singers, actors, and rappers whose conspicuous consumption can be enticing to youngsters.) Needless to say I was excited to get to talk to Mr. Rogers, in fact I was a little star struck. He didn't disappoint - he was modest, intelligent, and thoughtful in his remarks and he is clearly passionate about his work. It's always exciting to meet someone you idolize and, somehow, I managed not to spill food on myself or say anything stupid during lunch.

The keynote speaker for the event was Jim Reynolds, founder and CEO of Loop Capital, a Chicago-based investment bank. Mr. Reynolds was a dynamic, funny, and interesting speaker who managed to share some valuable advice about how to start a successful company. The difference, he said, between entrepreneurs who want to be successful (who doesn't?) and those who really "get it" is twofold: vision and focus. Vision and focus are the essential ingredients to success when starting your own business.

Mr. Reynolds discussed the fact that successful entrepreneurs, no matter what they are doing, are always promoting their businesses. His point was that as a successful entrepreneur you should always be thinking about your business and selling yourself. If you meet someone new, join a club, or speak at an event, you should always be ready to talk about your business, sell a product, or promote yourself, if only by behaving with class and dignity.

I learned a lot from Mr. Reynolds comments at lunch but it also occurred to me that as he described what it takes to succeed in business he was also describing Cheryle Jackson. Ms. Jackson has been at the helm of the Chicago Urban League for only a year but in that short time she has completely reshaped the vision of the organization, energized a talented staff, and has maintained an intense focus on the new mission that she set. She is a successful entrepreneur within an established organization. Like I said at the start of this post, it has been a long time since I have felt that much energy in a room and since I have been that impressed with a program.

I am thrilled that BroadPeak is part of ProjectNEXT but I am also excited that a project like NEXT has been born. It's rare that a not-for-profit can attract a leader who really understands how to create lasting and meaningful changes in the community. Too often organizations take the easy and non-controversial path of offering bland and impactless programs that don't offend, don't take risks, and don't have an impact.

Ms. Jackson and her team have put their reputations on the line with ProjectNEXT - if it were to fail then the naysayers in the world would be happy to armchair quarterback her mistakes and to say things like, "We never should have strayed from our original mission." ProjectNEXT won't fail, of that I am sure, but my point is that it takes a lot of guts to change the direction of an organization and to create programs with metrics and deliverables and the possibility of truly creating positive change in the world.

If you haven't heard of ProjectNEXT, the Chicago Urban League, or Cheryle Jackson, click here to check out the Urban League website.