Israel Idonije is a builder. He has been building toward the next phase of his life since he was a child. He built an 11-year NFL career, against all odds, by developing himself to the status of an elite athlete.
Numerous honors and awards have been given to him for his work both on and off the field including leading the NFL in blocked punts/field goals in 2005, 2006, and 2007; member of the Chicago Bears NFC Championship team, which played in the 2006 Super Bowl; the NFL’s JB Award and award for Global Dedication, April 2008; Ed Block Courage Award, 2009; Bears "Walter Payton Man of the Year" nominee, 2009 and 2010, and one of three finalists for the League award in 2010; USA Today’s All-Joe Team, 2010 and 2012; recognized as Points of Light Awardee by Barack Obama and George HW Bush at the White House, 2013; presented the Order of Manitoba by Prince Charles, May 2014; awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws by University of Manitoba, June 2014; acknowledged as Entrepreneur of the Year Midwest Finalist 2016; Football Manitoba Hall of Fame, 2018; and accepted Canada’s Meritorious Service Decoration, March 2019.
Idonije is the founder of Impact Fund, which programs have reached over 10,000 youth across Chicago, Winnipeg, and West Africa. It’s latest initiative, The Art of Impact, partners with local artists to fund meaningful work in the community. Idonije has dedicated his personal time and resources to managing, strategizing, and fundraising for both his own charity and other Chicago-based charities. He served on the Chicago Public Library Board for three years contributing to literacy initiatives and worked with the Chicago Public School System to develop programs to increase attendance.
As an entrepreneur, Idonije has launched several successful ventures across diverse industries. Since 2009, his company, ATHLiTACOMiCS, has specialized in creating custom comic content. In 2019, he opened RSTR, a boutique fitness center in Chicago’s South Loop, dedicated to health and fitness transformations. He co-founded Crypto Key Stack, and founded Impact House, a 40,000 square-foot, first of its kind philanthropic hub in the heart of Chicago’s Loop. His entrepreneurial reach extends into manufacturing with Blessed Communion, which leads the market in prefilled Communion Cups. In January 2024, he ventured into the hospitality industry with the opening of Signature Bar + Restaurant, followed by the launch of another dining concept, The Staley. Idonije has additional restaurant projects slated to debut this year. He is also part of a large-scale renovation project on a historic building in the South Loop, and for several years he has served as Managing Partner of the mHUB Product Impact Fund.
It is important to Idonije that all his ventures have a positive impact on the world – lifting and building others. He believes everyone is blessed with the gifts and abilities to become successful in their own unique way.
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