Building Bridges Across the Atlantic: A Night to Remember in Chicago

On Friday, 20th June, in the vibrant heart of Chicago’s Fulton Market district, the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation (BHFF) proudly hosted another successful meetup for the Bosnian and Herzegovinian professionals' community—this time in partnership with Klika, one of the leading IT companies in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The venue, Morgan’s on Fulton, provided the perfect backdrop for an inspiring evening of networking, collaboration, and forward-thinking conversation.

This event marked a powerful continuation of our efforts to unite diaspora professionals and supporters of Bosnia & Herzegovina around a common purpose: to harness our collective expertise, ideas, and resources to drive innovation, business growth, and social impact.

The evening kicked off with welcoming remarks from Edin Deljkic (Co-Founder of Klika) and Edhem Custovic (Founder of BHFF), setting the tone for a program filled with substance and energy. The main feature of the night was a panel discussion on cross-border business opportunities between the USA and Bosnia & Herzegovina, and the crucial role philanthropy and diaspora engagement play in economic development and global advocacy.

The panel was moderated by Latifa Imamovic, Klika’s Director of Marketing, and featured Edin, Edhem, and a special guest—Jason Whiteside, an American entrepreneur who has successfully operated a business based in Živinice, Bosnia & Herzegovina, for many years, employing over 100 people. Jason’s unique perspective as a foreign investor with deep ties to the region brought invaluable insight to the conversation.

Following the panel, the audience engaged in a vibrant Q&A session, sparking thought-provoking dialogue that continued well into the networking portion of the evening. Attendees shared reflections such as:

"We need to do this more often."
"Young people need to hear more about the incredible work you're doing."
"When is the next one?"

This was our second major BHFF gathering in Chicago, with the previous one taking place in 2019. It was incredibly rewarding to reconnect with familiar faces and meet many new ones—professionals, innovators, and passionate changemakers who continue to advocate for Bosnia & Herzegovina from afar.

We were truly inspired by the energy and commitment of the Chicago community. You are a shining example of how the diaspora can uplift and strengthen our homeland through collaboration, leadership, and heart.

A special thank you goes to the amazing team at Klika for bringing this vision to life: