Entreamigos, Spark’s partner in San Pancho, Mexico, has been blessed with incredible leadership and staff. Since 2006, Entreamigos has dedicated themselves to San Pancho’s youth and their families. Through environmentalism, women’s and youth programming, Entreamigos has and continues to empower the...
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A warm welcome our newest member of Spark’s Board of Directors- Leon Reed! With over 25 years of experience as a science and engineering professional, Leon’s passion for education, his volunteer work with Spark Ventures and Hope Community School, and his...
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Thanks to the sponsors, donors, and participants of the 2023 Spark Ventures Wine & Dine, over $220,000 was raised to support Spark’s partnerships in Mexico, Chicago, Zambia, and Nicaragua. The donations of time, talent, and treasure made over the course of...
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We Grow Chicago is Spark Ventures’ Chicago-based partner and serves the greater Englewood community. Founded in 2013, We Grow now consists of five West-Englewood based nonprofits, and focuses on enriching their community through youth programming, food security,...
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Spark’s partnership in Twapia, Zambia provides nutrition, healthcare, educational programming and jobs to their community. Today, Hope Community School supports the needs of over 450 beneficiaries through primary and secondary education systems, meal services, a healthcare clinic,...
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Since Spark’s partnership with Las Tías in Nicaragua began, the women-led organization has grown to include two thriving community centers that provide over 150 youth with meals, education, job skills training, and reliable physical and mental health care. With the help...
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Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, international trips to Spark Ventures’ partners have been on hold. Although we were able to connect with our partners over Zoom, we have been excitedly awaiting the day when we could resume our...
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This week, we’re back with Rich Johnson to learn more about his recent trip to visit Hope Community School in Zambia. For the first time since the start of COVID-19 pandemic, Rich had the opportunity to travel back to Spark’s first partner organization....
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Rich Johnson co-founded Spark Ventures in 2007 after a trip to Zambia. Fast-forward 15 years later to the fall of 2022, when Rich had the opportunity to travel back to Zambia and visit Hope Community School for the first time...
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We are thrilled to welcome our newest team member: Martha Vargas! In her new role as Program Manager, Martha is bringing over 20 years of experience as well as a passion for empowering families towards economic self-sufficiency. Let's get to know Martha a bit better...
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In the United States, many of us who attended school share some very specific memories, no matter the time or place. Some of those might be “too much homework”, “sharing snacks at lunch”, or even, “dissecting an owl pellet in science class”. Along with the...
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We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Tobi Agurkis, working with Spark part-time as a Marketing Consultant. She joined us in early August and is looking forward to partnering with the team to further Spark’s mission. Here’s Tobi with a little bit...
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In 1989, after the Nicaraguan Revolution, many children were alone and hungry on the streets of León, the second largest city in Nicaragua. A group of eight business women noticed some of these children stealing food from market stalls. Instead of chasing them away, the...
Read MoreAn important and integral part of Spark's mission is healthcare - both physical and mental. All of our partner organizations serve vulnerable communities and understand the critical need for healthcare interventions. Each of our partners provide resources and expertise to address the mental health and...
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The opportunity to virtually connect with our international partners and to bridge the digital divide for our partner in Chicago has been a bright spot in the midst of a challenging battle against the pandemic. Despite the obvious barriers to travel and our visits, we...
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Hope Community School’s Village Banking program is continuing to educate and empower members of their community in Twapia, Zambia. In addition to providing fresh vegetables from the Hope Community School Farm for participants to sell, this impactful program teaches aspiring entrepreneurs how to attain financial...
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The opportunity to virtually connect with our international partners and to bridge the digital divide for our partner in Chicago has been a bright spot in the midst of a challenging battle against the pandemic. Despite the obvious barriers to travel and our visits, we...
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At Spark, our mission is to provide sustainable solutions to lift communities out of poverty and empower future leaders. Back in 2020, we formed a partnership with I Grow Chicago as their mission of growing Englewood from surviving to thriving through community connection, skill building,...
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We’re honored to welcome this year’s inductees to Spark’s Founders’ Circle. These individuals have reached a significant milestone in giving and have impacted Spark’s mission in unique & inspiring ways. They have put their hearts into supporting our important work and have expanded our impact...
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We are so excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Katie Gustafson, taking on the role of Nonprofit Assistant. She joined the team in mid-August and is excited to get to know our one-of-a-kind community and support Spark’s mission. Katie is a recent...
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