CHICAGO — Eli Schulman, founder of Chicago-based Eli’s Cheesecake, had certain mantras that served as a foundation for the company. “Charity will never bust you,” and “Treat others as if you were the other.”
One way the company lives out those values under the direction of Eli’s son Marc, the company’s president, is by partnering with RefugeeOne to provide employment opportunities for refugees who have settled in the Chicago area. Today, refugees make up more than 30% of Eli’s workforce.
In recognition of the company’s support of Chicago’s refugee community, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley visited the headquarters and baking facility to celebrate Eli’s humanitarian accomplishments.
“As Marc Schulman told me and would tell you, this is not a work of charity to bring people here to work at Eli’s,” said Secretary Blinken during his remarks following the tour. “It’s actually smart, good business because this team with their energy, with their ingenuity, with their drive, with their determination, it’s a core part of the business.”