“Financial Strategists provided our business owners with valuable information about how to secure capital for their firms; I would highly recommend that business organizations take advantage of Greg’s expertise.”

Industrial Council of Near West Chicago

“As the chief financial officer of a multi-million dollar company, I urge you to take one of the business educational seminars that Financial Strategists offers. The information was highly valuable.”

A. Bowen, Austin Diversified Products

“As a growing and emerging firm, we found the seminar of business financial
management both practical and purposeful. I contend that most small business owners
will benefit from this information.”

J. Nicholson, Botanicals

“Greg Washington has made several presentations to our entrepreneurs over a three year period here at the Purdue Entrepreneurship Center; our members have found his presentations to be enlightening, informative and highly useful in their business operations.”

J. Hussain, Executive Director Purdue EC “Greg has helped our clients secure capital when others could not”

Rick Rosen, CPA

“Greg showed a high degree of perseverance when dealing with our clients”

"Greg helped our firm secure financing when few others could, he was competent, persistent and very thorough"
Phil Beckham III, President Beckham Transit

"He was very good at finding out what worked and what did not, as a result we were able to finance our growth into a multi-million business within three years"
Tom Malone, Freight Direction

"Greg has counseled several of my firms clients and we have always been pleased with the results"
Agnes Brassfield, CPA Northbrook, IL

"Over the years I've known him, Greg has come through for several of our commercial banking clients when we could not assist them, he found ways to make the deal work or give them sound financial advice"

Tony Denovellis, VP Small Business Banking
First Midwest Bank, Tinley Park, IL

Instructor Bios

Greg Washington	Kelli Chivers	Michael Towns
Greg Washington is the owner of Financial Strategists, a business advisory firm established in 2002, located in Olympia Fields, Illinois. Greg has over 20 years of experience in banking, finance and economic development. He has an M.B.A. in marketing and banking from the Northwestern University, an M.A. in urban planning and urban economics from the University of Cincinnati and a B.A. urban studies from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. He has taught at the college and graduate level as an Adjunct Professor of small business management at Governors State University in University Park, Illinois and guest lecturer on Banking and Finance Purdue Calumet. Greg has provided financial educational services and seminars to hundreds of entrepreneurs through business groups and organizations including American Express Tax and Business Services, NORBIC, the Industrial Council of Near West Chicago (ICNC) and the Purdue Entrepreneurship Center in Indiana He is also the creator of Capital Quest 1.0, an award-winning, interactive financial software product that teaches users about the ends and outs of securing capital. He is a CPS Graduate of Farragut H.S.	Kelli is a senior marketing professional with over twenty years of comprehensive marketing experience that includes market and segmentation analysis, life cycle product management, marketing program development, data and database management, and project management. Kelli has served in various marketing positions at Experian Marketing Services, CCC Information Services/DriveLogic, Moore Corporation (now R.R. Donnelly) and Ameritech (now AT&T). Kelli holds an M.B.A. in marketing from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, and a B.A. in international management/public administration with a concentration in Spanish from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. She also holds an Adult Learning Certificate from the Human Resources Development Institute (HRDI)-American Society of Training and Development. Kelli has taught as an adjunct instructor at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois, and Governors State University in University Park, Illinois. Kelli is the area manager and student recruiter with with ChiTutorsz, the Chicago Kids TEK, Inc., an after school/weekend tutoring program.	Michael Towns is the founder of TownsGroup, a boutique consultancy specializing in entrepreneurial management and finance. Michael currently advises the CEO of Kingdom Records, Inc., and spearheads its financial operations and business development. Michael manages vendor relationships, budgeting, financing, contracts, business development and strategic marketing. Michael has developed and implemented analytical and financial models for a variety of economic development, housing and commercial real estate projects including the Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Chicago Department of Planning and SB Friedman & Company. Michael earned a B.S. degree in finance from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, and an M.B.A. in finance and strategy from the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Michael has pursued post-graduate studies in economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. For the last ten years, Michael has served on the City of Chicago’s African Affairs Advisory Council, a cultural and civil rights group. He is now the Council’s chairman. Additionally, he sits on the City of Chicago’s Commission on Human Relations. He is a CPS graduate of Fenger High School.