PopUp Republic

Interview with Florence Hardy, an Urban Economic Development Professional about Pop-Ups

Florence Hardy is the manager of the Small Business Development Center of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Hardy is well-versed in the challenges that professionals and communities are facing in seeking to bootstrap their neighborhoods into economic health.

• Q: What is your background?

  A graduate of the John Marshall Law School, I have been a successful business consultant for more than eight years. I have a master’s degree in business administration with a focus on entrepreneurship from DePaul University and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Howard University. I worked for the City of Chicago, DePaul University, and had my own law practice before joining the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce as manager of the Small Business Development Center. I have lived and studied in Chicago, Illinois, Washington, D.C., and Berlin, Germany, and currently reside in Flossmoor, Illinois, with my husband, Michael.

• Q: Can you provide examples (either in Chicago or elsewhere) of how pop-ups have made a difference in communities?

  While not seen as an area in need, the rents in the loop have resulted in a number of vacancies on prime streets. The Pop Up Art Loop program sponsored by the Chicago Loop Alliance was the first program to address this issue. In addition to providing access to art that would otherwise have been hidden without access, these art spaces bring life ...