Brad Floden
Ever since I was the president of the photography club in high school I had a love for the medium. Capturing a moment in time that represented memories or emotion has always captured my imagination. I went to college for theatrical design and spent many years working as a scenic and lighting designer in the city. Read more>>
Stacia King, Devin Ross
We began as Chicago’s only social, team-based karaoke league about 2 years ago. Our founder began a competitive league in Washington, D.C in 2012. When a D.C. member moved to Chicago, they missed the league and wanted to build one up here. The league has sold out past seasons, including this Winter 2018 season that officially begins January 22 until April 16, 2018. Read more>>
Laura Soncrant
I started my business on what would have been my dads 59th birthday as a way to celebrate and apply all the valuable lessons he had taught me over the years. In fact our legal name, Sweet Attila’s – a bake shop is based on one of these lessons. Read more>>
Virgilio Trujillo
My story started as an imigrant., looking for a better lifestyle in 1978. My father was working as pantry chef when I was 16 years old. There is were as was accommodated preparing salads. After that, I worked in a country club as a line cook. Read more>>
Dr. Bradley Backhaus
Dr. Backhaus attended the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences with a specific focus on Radiologic Technology. Upon completion of his clinical internship and boards, he worked in the medical imaging department at Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee. Read more>>
Nicole Defilippis
My story is different from most photographers since I didn’t initially set out to be a photographer. 15 years ago, I was in college studying to become a Elementary School teacher. 10 years ago, I was on floor of the Chicago Board of Trade checking trades while learning to become an electronic futures trader. Read more>>
Rebecca Ickes
I started Rebecca Marie Photography nearly 8 years ago after returning from living in the UK for a year. I worked as a full-time artist in an after school program with at-risk 8-12 year olds. It was there that, for the first time, I was able to blend my two greatest passions: working in the arts alongside a deep commitment to social justice. Read more>>
Greg Gilla
I opened the shop as an electronics supply house geared towards robot hobbyists. I sold specialized electronic components and advanced robot building kits. With the store decorated the way it was with lots of vintage robots from the 80s and wall to wall outer space murals,we quickly found our true audience after local kids would beg their moms to look inside the store. Read more>>
Melissa Wongkamalasai-Monar
I’ve always been in the restaurant business. I started working as a barista when I was 14 at one of my dad’s restaurants, Caffe Baci. I use to take the train downtown from Palatine Monday-Friday every summer during high school. I went to UIC to study finance. Read more>>
Juan Sierra
I put photography on the side once I moved from Colombia to the States. While trying to make a living and getting use to the language and culture, I started my own remodeling company. After a few years and hoping to do something more for fun and not for the money, I went back to studying photography. Read more>>
Ashley Dahl
I grew up in the 90s and early 2000s when Kodak’s disposable cameras were the coolest thing ever. I would take photos of my pets, my friends, food and even bring it to school for the last day before summer vacation to snap photos of my classmates. I knew I liked to take photos, I just never knew that people did it as more than just a hobby. Read more>>
Debra Ingargiola
I’ve always known that I have wanted to own my own bar and grill. So after 13 years of working in and running other peoples I decided it was finally the right time. Both my kids started school and my husband was finally working normal hours at his job. Read more>>
Mitchell Werts
Bob Werts founded Waxman Candles in Lawrence, KS in 1970. The opportunity to expand to a major Midwestern city presented and Bob partnered with Steve Traxler to open Waxman Candles Chicago in 1996. As a second-generation candle maker, I started with the company in Kansas in 2009 and moved to a management position at the Chicago location in 2013. Read more>>
Melissa Jones
I moved to Chicago in fall of 2014 after 13 years in Corporate America to start my own business. I saw a need to help women small business owners with leadership and process improvement. Moving to a new city I knew I would need support and a community where I could share and receive feedback. Read more>>
Anni Metz
I founded Ethica Collective after a year of working in the accounting department at a local non-profit. After 5 years of working with small, fair trade businesses, I wanted to try something new, but it turns out I find accounting really, really boring. Read more>>
Phillip White
I came to the city from a rural area in Ohio on a scholarship to Film School. In my final year of university, I was selected to Direct one of five school-wide final projects which would screen at our end-of-the-year three-day festival. This project was effectively a simulation of the Hollywood studio system and is the centerpiece of the school’s Cinema Arts+Science curriculum. Read more>>
Devon Gulati, Jack Heyden
Devon: I was a 10-year-old boy, searching for ways to express my creativity when I stumbled upon filmmaking. I started filming friends of mine, which grew into projects, that later evolved into documentaries and short films. TThrough my progression, I’m continuously inspired by the power of filmmaking and editing. Read more>>
Bernard Laureus
Back in July of 2014, I went in for a routine check up. While everything was OK, I was told I can lose a couple of pounds. I was still working a 9 to 5 job in downtown Chicago when I decided to make a drastic change in my fitness journey. Read more>>
Keith Jacobs
The Jacobs Companies has been in business since 1935 and in that time has built an incomparable reputation as the premiere builder on the North Shore. We have developed over 44 communities and literally thousands of custom and semi custom homes. Read more>>
Erin Dobosiewicz
A love of photography started at a young age for me. From Poloraids to family photo albums, I was always pretty much an image collector. But I didn’t know that my true passion would be behind the camera until my sophomore year of college, when film was still a thing. Read more>>
Anat Trace
We opened Taboun Grill in the beginning of 2003. At the time there were no kosher Israeli grills in The Chicago area. It is never a smooth road, but the community has welcomed us with open arms and has continued to support us to this day. Read more>>
Courtney Jacobson
I first learned to sew as a teenager – my mother and one of her sisters used to sew a lot and make clothes for me, so it was something I was exposed to from an early age. Then several years ago I started going to comic book conventions and the like, and fell in love with cosplay (costume + play; dressing up as characters from film, TV, comic books, video games). Read more>>
Gregory Tatavosian
I am the founder and instructor at A-List Startenders. My career began on the campus of Eastern Illinois University when I started tending bar at a well known college hang out. I would go on to graduate with a finance degree however it was my job as a bartender that would lead me down the path I’m on today. Read more>>
Kristin Vollmer
I started with the Joel Hall Dancers as a trainee in 2004. Over the years I have worked with the organization in a variety of roles including dancer, instructor, administrative employee, Youth Company Director, and now as the Community Engagement Director. Read more>>
Jamie Johnson
While serving as a firefighter on the north shore of Chicago, I saw how much energy was wasted by leaving the lights on overnight in the firehouse. I ran calculations and aspired to find a way to both save energy and reduce costs. Shortly thereafter, Verde was born. Read more>>
Gene Wagendorf III
I’m a life-long Chicagoan, currently residing in Belmont Cragin. After studying English at Northeastern Illinois University I began a career in retail banking (yuck), while also regularly contributing to several local music websites. Read more>>
Alfredo Salazar-Caro, WIlliam Robertson
DiMoDA started in 2013 as William and I were studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). We were both very involved in the underground New Media scene, but we were not seeing the kind of work we were interested in showcased in mainstream Galleries and Museums. Read more>>
Courtland Hickey
Chicago Costume was founded in 1976 By Mary Hickey as a small rental and custom costume shop, today it has grown into Chicago’s largest and most complete full service costumes store offering the very best costumes masks, makeup and accessories to purchase and a full line of theatrical quality costumes to rent. Read more>>
Brett Penager
My name is Brett Penager and I’m one of the original six founders of this organization. Ironically, I’m the only one who is not a Chiropractor. My involvement with the other founders began far before I met any of them. It started 36 years ago in 1982 when my best friend Dr. Ben Lerner and I would dream about doing something together that would change the world for the better in a magnificent way. Read more>>
Brent Hamachek
My story features a real-life journey through the looking glass. I was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie; a small, Frank Capra-type town located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and right across the river from Canada. Read more>>
Stuart Grannen
I have been buying and selling architectural antiques since i was seven years old. I started with stained glass and went from there. My formal education is as an archeologist and historian. Since 1981 i have worked in the architectural antique business. Read more>>
Alan Lerner
I began my study and practice in art back in high school, which grew from my parents’ interest in seeing and creating their own art as a hobby. As a youngster, I was introduced to playing violin at the age of 10. From this, I progressed to guitar at 13, after seeing the Beatles and Rolling Stones on television. Read more>>
Aviva Alter
As far back as i can remember I wanted to be an artist. Growing up in Waukegan I was fortunate to have a few wonderful high school art teachers who started me on that path to becoming an artist. I continued my education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 1973-77 where I studied ceramics and met my husband Alan Lerner. Read more>>
Gia Dragoi
For me, Photography is more than a job; it is my passion, my career, and my life. As I think my images show, I love to photograph most of all happy people in exquisite settings. I take most of my photos in a photojournalistic way and my approach to wedding Photography is that of a narrator, and my style is a mix of photojournalism and creative portraiture. Read more>>
