Recap of our General Meeting July 24, 2025
12:00 p.m. Welcome by Ryan Waalkes, Executive Director, Bridge Street Ministries
Special thank you to Pickle & Pin for hosting us, and to Fratellis for the lunch!
12:03 p.m. Crystal from Pickle & Pin gave an introduction of the space. They have 3 courts with official flooring, and 3 golf simulators!
12:05 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance & Invocation by Jessica Gutowski-Slaydon, Swift Printing & SBA President
12:08 p.m. Members introduced themselves at their tables and shared what they think is the best-kept secret of the West Side! Lots of great answers, including new business Really Clean & Go.
12:15 p.m. Ryan Waalkes, SBA Board Member, gave update on the bylaws that were previously sent out. Members voted by secret ballot/written vote. During this time, the attendees were reminded that if you want to be a member, you are! Let Jessica know if you want to join SBA. Votes to amend bylaws were a unanimous yes. Bylaws will be updated.
12:20 p.m. Kate Carlson, Reporter at Crain’s, gave a background on the history of Crain’s and their mission. Call to action: If members know of any stories or updates they think should be shared, they can reach out to Kate. We are losing local papers, so Kate has a mission of keeping Crain’s community focused.
12:25 p.m. Erin Brefka, Out of Darkness, explained the purpose of the organization and informed the group about their annual Out of the Darkness Walk on September 14 at Millennium Park. This walk aims to raise awareness of suicide prevention, and bridge the gap between research and community. Erin works for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, and chairs the walk. If members are looking to sponsor the walk or partner with the AFSP, they can reach out to Erin.
On behalf of the SBA Board, Ryan Waalkes presented Erin with a donation.
12:35 p.m. Lacey Dixon, Max & Mortar, gave insights on how to brand yourself and your business. Members learned that branding is important to create consistency in your business and introduces connection points through the community. From what language you use to which nonprofits your business supports, it all affects your brand. If members are interested in consulting or storytelling services, they can reach out to Lacey.
12:40 p.m. Community Updates:
Monica Hall from the WestSide Commercial Corridor spoke on their upcoming events, adopting a trash can, and facade improvement grants.
Commissioner Hennessy provided information on the New Development Corporation Fundraiser on September 7th that supports fixing homes.
John Ball Area Neighbors gave a reminder about Storytime GR through August 12.
Broadway GR is partnering with Civic Theater for a Lip Sync Battle on August 19!
1:00 p.m. Thank you for attending!
Action Items:
Send a blog post on your business that is 300-1500 words. We will backlink to your website to help build up our online presence.
If you are interested in a cost-effective ad in the Westside Maps, please reach out to Jes. Attendees with questions or those wishing to speak on a topic at a future meeting are invited to send a message to jes@swiftprinting.com, and they would be scheduled on the agenda.
Our next meeting will be at the GR Creator Studio on September 25. Thank you Daniela Schrittenlocher for volunteering to host!