Newsletter
The Catalyst: June 2025
June 12, 2025
The IMD is celebrating the arrival of summer with new initiatives, events, a redesigned website, community partnerships, and exciting developments that highlight our continued growth.
From the CEO
A lot to be proud of in the IMD this summer
It took mother nature long enough, but summer has finally arrived in Chicago! The days are longer, out of office replies mean vacation season is in full swing, kids are running around everywhere you go, and the smell of tasty things grilling fills the warm night air.
Since you last heard from us, the IMD Commission has been busy trying to finish the year strong, completing long-awaited projects, starting new initiatives, planning new events, welcoming new staff, and looking forward to all the great things we will do together in the year ahead.
On May 9, we launched our new IMD website, featuring a new design, new features, and new content to show off the vibrancy of our community and the great work of our partner organizations. So much has changed, and I would encourage you to explore it all. Some of my favorite new features include an interactive directory to quickly filter and find IMD businesses, a new history of the IMD, a home for RFPs, information about available real estate, and much more. Also if you enjoy the new aerial footage on the homepage, or are ever looking for something to share with your staff or contacts curious about the IMD, check out our award-winning new “See Yourself in the IMD” video here.
The IMD Commission is lucky to be comprised of so many accomplished and skilled leaders who guide our growth, and at our May 20 commission meeting we honored one in particular, Michael Eaddy, for his exceptional service, leadership, and community impact. Recently re-elected to a fourth term as Chairman of the General Council of Pastors and Elders, Church of God in Christ, he also leads The People’s Church of the Harvest and many more community-focused organizations and projects. His dedication to faith, service, and civic responsibility exemplifies true leadership and compassion. The Commission proudly recognizes and congratulates him on this well-earned achievement!
On May 21, we were honored to host the first recipients of our IMDC Scholarship Program for a lunch and awards ceremony at our office. This year, we launched our first-ever scholarship program offering merit-based financial students who demonstrate academic excellence. Congratulations to the 2025 recipients, we look forward to seeing the great things you do in the future as you further your education — and check back next year if you would like to apply for a scholarship yourself, you can apply more than once!
Also in May, we were able to tour a new housing development in the IMD called District Haus. Featuring 72 residences across 12 buildings with three- to four-story designs and featuring 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, each home is thoughtfully crafted with high-end finishes, spacious layouts, and refined details. The development also features a large green courtyard, and the location cannot be beat — with Costco and Jewel-Osco literally next door, quick access to the IMD and Pilsen, and easy public transportation. Pre-leasing has already started, and units are going quickly, so contact them to schedule a viewing. We’re excited to add a new housing option to the IMD, proving once again that the IMD is a great place to call home!
The IMD Commission team took an excursion to Malcolm X College on June 3 to tour Virtual Hospital Simulation Center. Health sciences and nursing students train in a 20,000-square-foot simulated hospital, gaining hands-on experience in realistic clinical settings that build skills, confidence, and critical thinking without patient risk. Thank you to their incredible staff for showing us around and allowing our staff to learn more about the great work being done at our neighbor to the north. Learn more about Malcolm X’s Health Science Programs here.
On June 4, we were honored to host the Health Care Council of Chicago (HC3) for a Behavioral Health Summit. As mental health continues to take center stage in national and local discussions, health care leaders are uniting to address longstanding disparities and foster meaningful change. Speakers and leaders from across healthcare, social services, and policy came together to discuss issues of access, investment, and parity affecting our communities. A highlight of the event was the Mental Health Parity Index (MHPI), a first-of-its-kind tool developed by The Kennedy Forum and Third Horizon with support from the American Medical Association.
If you’re looking for a great place to host your next event near the IMD, check out Hoste Cocktails, a new event space just south of the IMD in Pilsen. Our team was invited to tour their space on June 5, and this one-of-a-kind unique location should be on your radar for your next event. Featuring cool decor and a capacity for 250, they also allowed us a behind-the-scenes look at their all-natural spirit production and distribution facility hosted on-site where their master mixologists concoct their unique beverage offerings that are shipped to restaurants and consumers locally and nationally.
Looking forward this month, I invite you to attend our first-ever IMD LGBT Resource Fair on Tuesday, June 24 hosted at our office. Partner from the IMD and across our city are coming together to share housing and health resources, fun and laughs, and will be collecting non-perishable food and holding a raffle to benefit a local nonprofit. To learn more or RSVP, click here. It’s also intern season, and we are excited to welcome our summer 2025 intern Collin Nuckles to the IMDC team. Collin attends UIC and will be assisting with Marketing and Communications for the summer, so if you spot a new face, please give Collin a warm IMD welcome!
Enjoy reading the rest of this early summer issue and hearing more about the work of the IMDC and our partners. I remain as inspired as ever to be a part of the IMD community and look forward to seeing all the great things your organizations accomplish this year. As always, please remember to shop local and support our partners doing great work in and around the IMD — including one of the gala fundraisers below if you are able, now more than ever every dollar counts. Happy Pride, Happy Father’s Day, Happy Juneteenth, Happy Independence Day, and I hope to see you around the IMD this summer!
Sincerely,
Allyson Hansen
CEO and Executive Director
