We all have the power to change the world through our ideas and actions.
The RLD Foundation’s goal is to cultivate an environment that links entrepreneurs – regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, or geography – to the resources that drive business growth.
Rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit of Mr. Duchossois, the Foundation is focused on strengthening Chicago’s local entrepreneurship ecosystem across stages and sectors. The RLD Foundation supports work that advances small businesses and startups that anchor neighborhood economies by strengthening commercial districts, improving access to growth capital, and creating stable, quality jobs that build individual and community wealth.
Areas of focus include:
Access
Too often, access to opportunity in Chicagoland has not been equitable, and entrepreneurs and founders face persistent barriers to the capital, networks, and support required to succeed. We envision a Chicagoland where entrepreneurs have equitable opportunities to access the technical, relational and financial capital they need to launch, grow, and sustain their businesses.
Emerging Talent
Great companies require great leaders, but effective and inspiring business leaders are forged by time, lived experience, mentoring, education, and peer-to-peer learning. The RLD Foundation’s grantmaking supports organizations whose work is rooted in the development of emerging entrepreneurs and founders through training and technical assistance that expand access to networks, skills, and talent – strengthening entrepreneurial leadership and the broader Chicagoland ecosystem.
Ecosystem Infrastructure
The RLD Foundation supports organizations that strengthen core business operations and the systems that surround them – accelerators, service providers, and intermediaries that help businesses scale responsibly. Our goal is to advance entrepreneurship in low-income communities, support social enterprises, and foster innovation across Chicago’s diverse economy.
“Combat and business are very similar. There is no textbook. You get the tools, but you have to know how to use the tools.”
Richard L. Duchossois
