ACE Partner Profile: Bronzeville Urban Development

Contact: Danielle Kizaire -info@bronzevillebud.org 
IIT Partnerships: Interprofessional Project (IPRO) – 3 semesters, and Advancing Career and Education (ACE) – 2 semesters

Bronzeville Urban Development (B.U.D.) is a non-profit organization that is working to revitalize the Bronzeville neighborhood in Chicago through various community and educational initiatives. Founders Charles Sutton and Danielle Kizaire Sutton are partnering with Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) through the Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) initiative and through the Advancing Career and Education (ACE) program at IIT Stuart School of Business. 

IIT Stuart students are contributing to a B.U.D. project working to convert a vacant lot in the Bronzeville neighborhood into a controlled, commercial agricultural and renewable energy space. The vacant lot, located near an abandoned electrical substation, could potentially provide up to 2.5 miles of space for greenhouses, solar, and wind energy. Danielle remarked, “Last semester, ACE students worked on cost projections, marketing plans and assisted wherever they were needed.” This semester, students will be determining costs for contractors and assisting with business plan development.