EVOLUTION OF TAP

Between the summers of 2015 and 2018, IndyBuild Corp, doing business as The Altitude Program (TAP), launched a series of immersive media and digital marketing apprenticeship programs for both local youth and international students visiting the United States on cultural exchange. During this period, TAP also commissioned a team of educators and media professionals to develop a proprietary curriculum designed to blend creative training with real-world industry experience.

In 2018, The Altitude Program formally incorporated as an Illinois nonprofit organization, and by 2021 achieved its official 501(c)(3) designation. TAP’s founding vision was to provide youth with access to professional production facilities, coworking spaces, and hands-on mentorship — helping them build skills, confidence, and pathways toward successful careers in media and entertainment.

From 2021 through 2023, TAP began acquiring real estate in West Garfield Park as part of its mission to create lasting infrastructure for underserved youth pursuing creative careers. Today, TAP is repurposing 4128 W. Madison Street into its first Content Fulfillment Center (CFC) — a state-of-the-art creative coworking and production hub that will serve as the cornerstone of the upcoming Media On Madison Entertainment District, a transformative initiative designed to empower the next generation of Chicago’s creatives, producers, and innovators.