Chicago’s small business community took center stage as Chase for Business recently hosted its annual Make Your Move Summit, a two-day event designed to connect entrepreneurs with industry leaders, celebrity speakers and hands-on resources for business growth.
Held in Chicago and free to attend, the summit drew hundreds of business owners from across the region for networking sessions, one-on-one coaching and live discussions about the biggest challenges facing entrepreneurs today — from access to capital to the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence.
The mainstage lineup featured an array of high-profile guests, including actors Mindy Kaling and Vince Vaughn, “Shark Tank” investor Barbara Corcoran, retired NFL running back Matt Forte, and Grand Slam tennis champion Sloane Stephens. Local business owners also showcased their products and services at the Chase for Business Marketplace, where attendees swapped ideas and merchandise in a community-style expo.
AI dominated many conversations, with Corcoran, 76, cautioning that small business owners should approach the technology thoughtfully.
“There’s always room to use it somehow in your business,” Corcoran said in an interview with CNBC promoting her Chase for Business partnership. “Is it a crucial skill? Not for every business I meet. More businesses that are using and investing in AI in a big way really have no idea what they’re getting out of it or how they’re applying it.”
Businesses that rush to integrate AI tools without preparation or clear goals also run the risk of alienating employees or racking up “AI debt,” technical inefficiencies that accumulate over time, requiring potentially costly future fixes.
“I think [AI] is the best thing since sliced bread, [but] it’s got to slow down a little,” Corcoran said. “It’s associated too much with people losing jobs or fear.”
Matt Forte at Chase for Business’ Make Your Move Summit Photo Courtesy of Lucy Kennedy Photography
Former Chicago Bears star Matt Forte joined the summit as both a guest and a mentor, celebrating the latest graduates of Chase’s Coaching for Impact program — an initiative that pairs entrepreneurs with small business consultants to help with operations, financial strategy and long-term growth.
“What Chase Bank is doing with their Chase for Business, Coaching for Impact, and this Make Your Move seminar is really cool,” Forte, 39, told Bears Wire. “All of the small businesses around Chicago on the South and West sides — they’re doing free seminars and free coaching, and it’s not just a one-time seminar. They coach them for months until they’re able to take off or grow as a business.”
Forte also spoke about his nonprofit, What’s Your Forte Foundation, which recently partnered with Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives to launch a $3 million support program for Black entrepreneurs and underserved small businesses.
“There are a lot of neighborhoods and people who don’t have access to capital that are underserved and underbanked. I was able to step into that lane and be able to provide and kind of be a bridge between that gap, and that’s been fun to do,” he said.
Sloane Stephens at Chase for Business’ Make Your Move Summit Photo Courtesy of Lucy Kennedy Photography
Tennis star Sloane Stephens appeared at the summit as both athlete and entrepreneur, discussing her transition from sports to business through her new self-care brand Doc & Glo, inspired by her grandparents, “Doc” and “Glo.”
“Being an athlete and a founder are two different things,” Stephens, 32, said in a recent interview with Ebony. “But I think I do everything at 110%, so being able to put my all into something new has been incredible and fulfilling because it’s a whole new thing that I’ve never done before.”
She added that mentoring others has become as important to her as competition: “I was once a kid looking up to someone, and I wanted to play tennis because of them. Being able to encourage the younger generation — whether it’s tennis or something outside of it — that’s been the most important thing.”
From celebrity panels to grassroots coaching sessions, the Make Your Move Summit blended inspiration with practical support — helping Chicago’s small business owners build connections, sharpen their strategies, and keep momentum going long after the event lights dimmed.
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