Visionary faith leader and entrepreneur Dr. Bill Winston is bringing a national campaign to Chicago invested in the spiritual, economic and communal transformation of underserved communities throughout the country.
This national mega program is called Operation Ten City, whose purpose is to unlock the potential and greatness in youth, entrepreneurs and business owners through entrepreneurial education and programs.
Dr. Winston has already taken Operation Ten City to places like Los Angeles, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Detroit. The completely free event will launch in Chicago from Sept. 8-12.
On Thursday, Dr. Winston and Operation Ten City held a media luncheon to discuss the particulars of this innovative initiative concerned with revitalizing souls and communities.
“For Chicago, we want to not only take this Operation Ten Cities message that we can unlock your greatness, but also we want to leave something with the people,” said Dr. Winston.
The Operation Ten Cities programs that are coming to Chicago include a Youthpreneur Entrepreneurship Workshop, Business Pitch Competition, Business & Entrepreneurship Keynote Sessions, Business Opportunity Expo & Career Fair, Expungement Clinic and “Miracle Tent” Revivals for spiritual worship and uplift.
There will also be a food, clothing and gas card giveaway at three locations in the Humboldt Park, Englewood and West Garfield communities.
The goal is to empower participants so that they can, in turn, help revitalize their communities.
“We can take waste spaces and turn them into gardens of Eden,” Dr. Winston said, alluding to Ezekiel 36:35 in the Bible.
Below is a complete listing of the Operation Ten Cities program coming to Chicago. These events are free and only require registration. For more information and to register, visit operationtencity.com.
With six cities now complete, Operation Ten City is proud to share that the campaign has provided a total of over 13,000 bags of food to feed more than 56,000 people; $800,000 worth of new brand name clothing; 6,000 gas cards totaling $240,000; $30,000 worth of rideshare and public transportation cards; and $110,000 in stock portfolios and gold bars. The Expungement Clinics have helped over 1,300 individuals work towards a fresh start and over 900 students have experienced the Youthpreneur Entrepreneurship Workshops in an effort to inspire young entrepreneurs. Also, $110,000 has been donated to local churches through the Business Pitch Competition, and $105,000 in cash prizes have been awarded to entrepreneurs that were the top-three rated contestants in each city.
Operation Ten City – Baltimore, with a vision to inspire individuals toward true economic prosperity and self-sufficiency through wealth-building and ownership, is a mega event experience taking place this November from Friday, November 17th – Saturday, November 18th. Event highlights include Youthpreneur Entrepreneurship Workshop; an expungement clinic; a business pitch competition; food, clothing, and gas card giveaways in two locations; motivational business and entrepreneurship keynotes; and workshops led by industry experts on artificial intelligence, government contracting, wealth-building, and more.
“We recently hosted a very successful Operation Ten City Campaign in Chicago earlier this fall and we can’t wait to continue spreading wealth and inspiration in Baltimore,” says Dr. Bill Winston, creator and visionary of Operation Ten City. “Our goal is to bring economic restoration and prosperity to ten cities in this great nation to close the wealth gap in black and brown communities through entrepreneurship and ownership.”
The Campaign, which intends to inspire individuals to move from consumer to producer, kicks off on Friday, November 17th at 9:30 a.m. with Youthpreneur, an exciting, half-day interactive and inspirational entrepreneurship workshop for middle school and high school students. Topics covered at previous events include purpose-driven entrepreneurship, fundamentals of starting a business, social media content creation, and more. The Entrepreneurship Workshop will feature an inspirational talk from highly successful media personality and entrepreneur Cheryl Jackson, and iPad and gift card giveaways. Youth-focused events continue that evening with Greatness Unlocked: A Next-Gen Experience, a ministry event featuring a keynote speaker, special guest artist, musical performances by local talent, networking, games and more. All events will be held at Baltimore Convention Center, (1 W Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21201), unless specified below.
The final day of Operation Ten City, Saturday, November 18th, is comprised of an array of community events including:
Heaven’s Pantry Drive-Thru Food, Clothing & Gas Card Giveaway, providing bags of food to more than 2,000 families in need at two different locations along with new, brand name clothing; gas cards; and rideshare gift cards. Heaven’s Pantry will take place on Saturday, November 18th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Mount Pleasant Community Life Center (6000 Radecke Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21206) and Carver Vocational Technical High School (2201 Presstman Street, Baltimore, MD 21216)
Expungement Clinic & Information Sessions – Free consultations with attorneys regarding criminal record relief as well as a resource fair with expungement and community organizations providing support for individuals with prior justice system involvement. The Expungement Clinic will be held on Saturday, November 18, 2023, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Business Pitch Competition – Local entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to showcase their business products and services and compete in a live, Shark-Tank style competition for a chance to win a cash prize. Those interested in entering the Business Pitch Competition can apply online through Wednesday, November 8th. The Business Pitch Competition will take place on Saturday, November 18, 2023, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Business Opportunity Expo & Career Fair – Emerging and established entrepreneurs can share their products and services with the community. Attendees can also seek out their next professional opportunity and network with companies, government agencies, and funding sources offering employment, procurement, and access-to-capital opportunities. The Business Opportunity Expo & Career Fair will be held on Saturday, November 18, 2023, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
