: The Runner's Soul Owner Jayne Aspan Chosen to Participate in Selective Goldman Sachs Small-Business Initiative

Jayne Aspan, owner of Elmhurst and La Grange-based The Runners Soul, was chosen to participate in the latest round of Goldman Sachs’ selective 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. Funded by Goldman Sachs and The Goldman Sachs Foundation, 10,000 Small Businesses is a $500 million investment to help small businesses in the United States create jobs and spur economic growth by providing entrepreneurs with a practical business education, access to capital and business support services.

The selection process for the 10,000 business initiative is competitive—Aspan is one of 22 small businesses owners that were chosen for this honor in the Chicagoland area. Nationally, 1,250 small businesses in 15 cities participate in the program. Jayne is honored to participate in the 6th class in Chicago for this initiative. The program launched in Chicago in September 2011 with a $25 million commitment for small business loans, business education and grants for supporting community partners.

As part of the initiative, Aspan will complete 15 workshops at Harold Washington Community College in Chicago by the end of the year. The curriculum for the workshops comes from Babson College, a top-tier entrepreneurial college outside of Boston. Along with the learning sessions, Aspan will also be responsible for completing 6-8 hours of out-of-class activities focusing on growing her business. The desired overall outcome of the initiative is for each entrepreneur to develop a customized growth plan for their business.

Survey data from across the country reveals that six months after graduating, approximately 70 percent of program participants are growing their businesses and half are adding new jobs in their local communities.

“I’m honored to be a part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program and look forward to the opportunity provided by both Goldman Sachs and Harold Washington College to grow myself, The Runner's Soul and our resources,” Aspan said.

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Started in 2004, The Runner’s Soul is a running specialty store that offers expertise in shoe fitting, running apparel, gait analysis and training programs. It has two locations in Elmhurst and La Grange, IL.

The Runner's Soul believes in helping their customers to become healthier and happier members of the community by providing them state of the art fitness shoes and apparel along with a variety of training programs that positively impacts both their body and their soul. They believe in creating a culture that inspires their customers to set their fitness goals high while supporting their efforts to achieve those goals. They aspire to continue to diversify their ability to reach their customers through all things active.

The Goldman Sachs Foundation is a global philanthropic organization funded by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. The Foundation’s mission is to promote excellence and innovation in education and to improve the academic performance and lifelong productivity of young people worldwide. It achieves this mission through a combination of strategic partnerships, grants, loans, private sector investments, and the deployment of professional talent from Goldman Sachs.