Selling Illinois with Paulina San Millan of Intersect Illinois

On Building BN episode #33, Patrick spoke with Paulina San Millan, Vice President of Business Development for Intersect Illinois. Intersect Illinois, from their website,  is a full-service resource for:

… doing business in Illinois. Established in 2016, Intersect Illinois is dedicated to driving business growth, creating jobs and providing unbeatable customer service, topped off with our famous Midwestern hospitality and work ethic.

Businesses considering Illinois for relocation or expansion  can rely on information and other resources from Intersect Illinois and its partners — which include CORE Illinois and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity — to assist in the decision making process. Intersect Illinois, working with the appropriate EDC, will provide an RFP — Request for Proposal — which can include broad information regarding infrastructure or if any incentives are available but can also include highly specific or technical information, like what the soil is like.

Before joining the team at Intersect Illinois, San Millan worked in site selection as well as varying positions in economic development. Born in Mexico city, she knew early on that she wanted to do work that would help her community. She says, “I didn't know what I wanted to study when I went to university. I really like politics, but didn't want to be a politician. I like business, but wanted to have a little bit more of a contribution into the community. So I found economics and started studying that right away.”

San Millan's role at Intersect Illinois includes overseeing projects, creating strategies to develop leads and business development opportunities, and fostering working relationships with site selection consultants. Ultimately, she says, she is focused on services that help Illinois communities. She says, “The reason for [Intersect Illinois to exist] is to have a marketing and recruitment agency outside of the government, to have someone that's a little bit business-friendly and streamlined, being more proactive and making sure it's establishing relationships and talking about Illinois and what our cities have to offer.”

 “My product,” said San Millan, “is the state of Illinois”. And she wants companies considering a move or expansion to know this: “Illinois is open for business.”