Chicago Southsider, a local news startup founded in 2021 and solely operated by entrepreneur Charlene Rhinehart, aims to amplify South Side stories and challenge stereotypes about its communities.
The Chicago Southsider joined the LNA intending to create an AI-generated podcast that would tell South Side stories in a new way; however, using the Business Model Canvas allowed the Chicago Southsider to clearly evaluate cost versus impact and ultimately forced a pivot. Instead, the Chicago Southsider decided to focus its project on monetizing its existing and strong-performing Substack newsletter.
Newsletter revenue generated (exceeded $3,000 goal by 150%)
Paid clients secured
There's something powerful about having multiple brains in the room. The LNA gave us the space to learn together, experiment and share ideas in real time. Participating in the LNA gives you access to a supportive network that can save you both time and money. Seeing what other news organizations in the cohort were doing and hearing their lessons learned helped me avoid costly missteps.
Charlene Rhinehart, owner
The Chicago Southsider set a goal to generate $3,000 from the newsletter by the end of the Accelerator. Throughout the program, the team cycled through the design/do loop, attempting several processes to generate revenue, including producing large amounts of content for Black History Month. However, this produced no revenue. Instead, the team landed on directly calling potential advertisers to evaluate their needs.
The Southsider accrued its first client, a local theater looking to sell tickets. By the end of the program, the publication had far exceeded its $3,000 goal, ultimately accruing five clients and generating $7,500 in revenue from the newsletter. Rhinehart also produced video event coverage on Facebook Live, further leveraging her dynamic personality to accrue additional newsletter subscribers.