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Fly Counsel Clinic Win: Meet etiKID Academy LLC
A Win For Economic Justice
Photo of founder and CEO Dr. Airies Davis, Ed.D., MBA with her company’s logo for etiKID Academy LLC, which won the esteemed Illinois R3 Grant to execute a workforce readiness program in Northeast Central Illinois cultivating professional opportunities for young adults.
A Six-Figure Clinical Win - For Economic Justice in Illinois
By Law And The Fam LLC
Published: 07/30/2026
Contact: get@lawandthefam.com
Please help us congratulate our firm’s Fly Counsel clinical client etiKID Academy LLC for winning a prestigious, highly competitive grant, the Illinois R3 Grant.
As background, etiKID Academy LLC is a W/MBE-certified firm created by Dr. Airies Davis, Ed.D., MBA to provide culturally responsive workforce readiness, professional development, and leadership pathway services, “bridging workplace inequity gaps by providing access to the often-overlooked unwritten rules.” This is a quote from the company’s website, where you can learn more about them by visiting it here.
With an Illinois R3 Grant, etiKID Academy LLC will execute a workforce readiness program to improve employment opportunities for young adult job seekers ages 18 to 25, who are unemployed, underemployed, reentering the workforce, transitioning careers, or seeking advancement.
Illinois R3 Grants aim to restore, reinvest, and renew Illinois communities seriously damaged by the War on Drugs. The workforce readiness program at etiKID Academy LLC will serve the Illinois R3 communities in Northeast Central Illinois, while covering communities experiencing chronic economic blight after the War on Drugs. Specifically, the program will target outreach and engagement across the City of Champaign, the City of Urbana, the Village of Rantoul, and the City of Bloomington.
Through culturally relevant etiquette and workforce readiness education, the program “prepares underserved youth and young adults—ideally ages 18–25—to enter the workforce not just as employees, but as leaders who embody confidence, professionalism, and resilience,” says the company’s founder and CEO, Dr. Airies Davis, Ed.D., MBA.
“Supporting etiKID Academy LLC is more than funding a business; it is an investment in generational change, creating pathways for young people—especially from underserved communities—to thrive, families to grow, and businesses to access a pipeline of prepared, diverse talent.”
—Dr. Airies Davis, Ed.D., MBA, the Founder & CEO of etiKID Academy LLC
At Fly Counsel, etiKID Academy LLC locked in on Law And The Fam LLC’s “Road To $100k” clinical business law initiative. In Fly Counsel, our firm’s clinicians deploy our highly awarded econometric model for scaling capital-disadvantaged entrepreneurs into six-and-seven-figure capital winners.
So far, while sharpening this clinical model, we have developed over 100 businesses and secured over $1.5M in capital wins for entrepreneurs across highly disinvested communities in Illinois facing legal services deserts. Through high-touch and econometric-focused clinical practices, our firm’s Fly Counsel clinical program helps entrepreneurs become business-ready, partner-ready, and capital-ready.
Our Fly Counsel model is expanding statewide across Illinois, launched with a business law practice developing capital-disadvantaged entrepreneurs. The program has an application process and (growing) waitlist, with the interest form available here.
Please learn more about this clinical model and its economic impact in Illinois by watching our firm’s presentation at City Club of Chicago, here.
“etiKID Academy LLC was so coachable and influenceable, showing up with so much generous grace and ready to work. We are not surprised they met a six-figure capital win in less than a year, after being up close on their team’s work ethic. We are excited to see how many more winners will grow through our collaboration with this wonderful community-centered business.”
—Attys. Sam & S.L. Owens, the Founders of Law And The Fam LLC
Client wins like this make our hearts smile so big with gratitude! We are grateful to have worked with this talented team.
Please help us wish etiKID Academy LLC more success!
Lastly, keep up with Law And The Fam LLC on Instagram, and by following S.L. and Sam on LinkedIn. :) Find Dr. Airies Davis, Ed.D., MBA on LinkedIn and TikTok.
Fun Fact: All 3 of us are first-generation doctorate holders! We’re Fam!
Signed with Love,
—Sam Owens, Esq., Chief Legal Officer
—S.L. Owens, Esq., Chief Clinical Attorney
At Law And The Fam LLC, we execute clinical legal aid and community development projects that are supported by grant-funded programs. Points of view or opinions contained within this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of our firm’s grant funders, our firm’s partners, or our firm’s clients.
Public Announcement: Introducing LATF’s Statewide Model For Betting On Main Street
LATF Presents Emerging Statewide Model
at City Club of Chicago
LATF Presents at City Club Chicago
By Law And The Fam LLC
Published: 10/29/2025 Updated: 11/09/2025
Contact: get@lawandthefam.com
Dear Illinois Neighbors,
LATF invites you to listen to our City Club Chicago lunch and learn with brave entrepreneurs, showing up and not backing down for Illinois’ Main Street.
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Hear directly from the source on what’s happening on the ground in these trying times.
Click Here - Listen to LATF’s Program at City Club of Chicago
Click Here - Access LATF’s Presentation Materials
Click Here - View City Club of Chicago’s Event Photos
LATF will share an economic impact model with case studies on promising best practices for successfully fighting economic blight through entrepreneurship before a panel discussion with Q&A.
In particular, LATF will discuss its economic development case studies in Main Street Danville (Vermilion County), Main Street South Shore (Cook County) and Main Street Little Village (Cook County), showing how much entrepreneurs in Illinois have in common.
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Listeners will gain insight on how to:
build bankable pathways for entrepreneurs in blighted communities; and
create sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems in blighted corridors.
Overall, LATF will encourage economic development leaders to start betting on Main Street entrepreneurs to lead the fight against chronic economic blight.
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As background, Law And The Fam LLC “LATF” is on a mission to fight chronic economic blight through entrepreneurship.
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To date, LATF has developed over 55 businesses, created over 150 jobs, and raised over $1M in capital for entrepreneurs in blighted communities, statewide.
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LATF's partners include the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the U.S. Department of Treasury, SBDCs, CDFIs, chambers of commerce, financial institutions, and community development organizations, across urban and rural communities.
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LATF is collaborating with CGG Law Partners, to lead this City Club of Chicago discussion on an emerging statewide model to fight chronic blight with entrepreneurship.
Thank you to our City Club of Chicago sponsors at Dion’s Chicago Dream, University of Illinois Chicago “UIC,” and Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago.
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Lastly, stay updated with LATF on Instagram, and by following S.L. and Sam on LinkedIn. 🙌🏾
Signed,
—Sam Owens, Esq., LATF Partner
—S.L. Owens, Esq., LATF Partner
LATF is an economic development firm working with public and private partners to execute and fund economic development projects for entrepreneurs. LATF’s content does not necessarily reflect the views, official positions, or opinions of our partners. To be notified when our firm’s economic development opportunities become available: Submit An Interest Form.
Public Announcement: Business Law Clinic Expands in Illinois
LATF Helps More Prairie State Entrepreneurs
LATF Helps More Prairie State Entrepreneurs
By Law And The Fam LLC
Published: 9/01/2025
Contact: get@lawandthefam.com
Dear Illinois Neighbors,
We believe entrepreneurs are America’s heartbeat.
When others give up on our communities:
We roll up our sleeves.
We lean in.
We do the work.
When no one else wants to invest, we put our family’s legacy on the line!
LATF is proud to stand with America’s entrepreneurs, who bet on Main Street to solve problems for our own communities.
In Illinois—where we hold over a century of family roots from Southern Illinois to Central Illinois to Northern Illinois—we are honored to represent the Prairie State’s entrepreneurs.
We invite entrepreneurs serving Illinois to apply for our new clinic. Through Fly Counsel by LATF, entrepreneurs will receive help with accessing business counsel and securing business capital.
Work with LATF to secure your family’s legacy.
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We help entrepreneurs become business-ready, capital-ready, and partner-ready.
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Entrepreneurs can access online applications at www.lawandthefam.com/getfly.
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Lastly, stay updated with LATF on Instagram, and by following S.L. and Sam on LinkedIn. 🙌🏾
Signed,
—Sam Owens, Esq., LATF Partner
—S.L. Owens, Esq., LATF Partner
LATF is an economic development firm working with public and private partners to execute and fund economic development projects for entrepreneurs.
To be notified when our firm’s economic development opportunities become available: Submit An Interest Form.