When the directory of small businesses owned by the northwest student in 2020, Austin Harvey (Communication ’04) was launched, was the first former student to register his business, a beer coffee called Beermiscuo with locations in Highwood and Lakeview.
The Nu student association built the registration with listings of 400 alumni who presented their businesses through a public form. Since then, the Board of Directors has doubled its size, with almost 800 listings.
The former student participation director, Bobby Dunlap, said he launched the directory during the COVID-19 pandemic when he recognized the need to support the former student community during the blockade.
“For those small companies that really hurt at the beginning of the pandemic, this was just another way for which they could announce their services or their goods so that monetary range colleagues could help each other,” said Dunlap.
After verifying the status of the students, NAA adds the name, location and owner of a company to the directory. Each entry also has a section “How to support”.
Directory users can filter small businesses by country, state and city. Although the Chicagoland area is more represented, the directory includes companies from around the world, with 39 businesses in 23 regions outside the United States, from Hong Kong to Mexico to Germany.
Business owners can also classify their companies with designations as women owned by women or black property. Around the Christmas season, Naa promotes the directory in social networks as part of “#SmallbusinessSaturday”.
Beyond providing a resource for the NU community to support former students, the NAA uses the directory as its own database. The directory shows the variety of careers and opportunities looking for alumni, said Dunlap. He also pointed out that NAA often resorts to the Board of Directors to obtain gifts for volunteers from alumni or taxpayers to the school for “that extra touch (NU).”
The associated director of the participation of alumni, Paige Vaughn-Patel, said that Mini Melanie, a business in the directory, has even appeared in NaA events. The New York City bakery created purple chocolate cake truffles for an NU student meeting, and owner Melanie Moss (Weinberg ’08) organized a virtual baking workshop for alumni during the pandemic.
“It has become a tool that we use when we choose suppliers or places to organize our commitment events,” said Vaughn-Patel, who now manages the directory.
Since it was the first business listed in the Board of Directors, Beermiscous has also been the site of numerous Nu student events. Harvey has organized seasonal virtual beer tastings for pandemic, observes parties for Basketball and Nu soccer games and NaA network events for “#nuconnects”.
“We have definitely developed a bit of reputation in the neighborhood and on the north side of the city as a place that the fans can enter and see games and not be afraid that their cheers will be discovered by those of the other Team, ”said Harvey.
For Harvey, Beermiscuo is a place where Nu students can meet old classmates and make new friends.
He said that fresh graduates can find a cozy and friendly atmosphere in Beermiscuous while navigating adulthood.
“The directory is another way to connect with the community (NU),” said Harvey. “As with any professional social network, it is a form for these people who already have something shared in common to help their fellow students.”
The number of lists in the board continues to grow, said Dunlap. Last month, 30 students presented business to the board.
He added that the comments for the board have been positive, with business owners excited to share their businesses and former students eager to support them.
“It is a perennial leaf tool that we would love to provide our students forever,” said Vaughn-Patel. “It is a community construction tool, and we hope to continue growing in the future.”
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