Susan G. Komen Chicago plays a vital role in fighting breast cancer across five Illinois counties, Cook, Kane, DuPage, McHenry, and Lake, involving thousands of people each year in support for the cause. The non-profit organization turned to Bespoke to find a River North location that would:

• offer its teams a modern, yet professional environment for collaboration,
• accommodate future growth,
• attract top talent, and
• facilitate fundraising to further its breakthrough research to prevent/cure breast cancer.

Bespoke assessed Komen Chicago’s office operations and noticed inefficiencies in the current layout – several private offices restricted collaboration among team members. The space was large, but no longer conducive to day-to-day functions, and it lacked the culture- and reputation-building “presence” the organization needed to achieve its goals.

After evaluating several options and ultimately finding a landlord that believed in the company’s mission and brand, the Bespoke team secured optimal space for Komen Chicago in a prominent River North location. The new office consists of open, collaborative spaces with break out areas that align with staff needs, a complete transformation from the constricted, private offices in the previous space.

Rightsizing the non-profit into a space that better fit its strategic needs, Bespoke negotiated a well-below-market deal with numerous concessions, shaving about $100K off Komen Chicago’s overhead in one of the tightest submarkets in the country. Additionally, the firm tapped strategic partner Office Revolution to purchase sophisticated new furniture valued at nearly $90K at a very low cost. Overall, the new space exceeded all four of Komen Chicago’s objectives. And importantly, the savings achieved translate to 1,055 mammograms for Chicagoland women who otherwise might not have access to lifesaving screenings.

“The Komen Chicago team is beyond grateful to Bespoke for getting us into one of Chicago’s most desirable locations to work,” said Komen Chicago Executive Director Bonnie Gordon. “River North offers easy access to public transportation, while attracting top professionals to carry out our mission in helping turn millions of breast cancer patients into breast cancer survivors. Our new space is not only conducive to the work that we do, but the interactive environment serves us well when hosting our donors, partners, and constituents.”

See below for a full gallery of Komen Chicago’s new office space, or click here to read the full case study.