Bryan Laughlin
Back in 2003 I was attending the Art Institute of Denver majoring in Live Special FX and industrial Design. Around the same time I was heavily involved in the Halloween Industry designing for some of Chicago’s haunted houses. I chose to leave school and start a business centered on theme lighting, concept lighting, and special effects lighting. Since lighting has been a passion of mine since I was young, I focused my business on the event industry and the rest is history. We are currently Chicago’s Premiere Lighting and Event Company specialize in creative customized events and have been in business for 10 years now. Read More>>
Bindu Kodwaney
I am a fun loving tech geek with a passion for fitness, travel and photography. My philosophy for photography is grounded in the art of visual storytelling. I love capturing moments and turning them into lifelong memories that can be cherished forever. Read More>>
Adam Chernoff
Charlie Portis started Wateriders way back in 1997 with just 6 boats out of a shipping container after going on a sail kayaking trip to Alaska. He wanted to share his love of boats with people, and had noticed how beautiful the view from the river is from a kayak. As the first kayak company on the Chicago River, he researched and wrote his own Architecture tour and Gangster tour, both of which focused on relevant areas of the river in Downtown Chicago. He would host guests in his spare time from his main job in commercial real estate. Read More>>
Kevin O’Connell
I took a photography class in high school and was hooked ever since. I love using large film cameras the most because it takes time, patience and thought before you can take one shot. To me, that is calming. I love it so much that in 2000 I rented every camera that was sold, to learn how to use them. Read More>>
Laimis Urbonas
Photography always was a big part of me. It started as a hobby. As time passed, I decided to dive into professional photography full time. In the beginning I was working mostly with my friends. We experimented with different angles, light and locations. It was fun but it was also a great learning experience. Read More>>
Josie Grandinetti
I guess you can say it ran in the family. My dad is a barber, I knew I didn’t want to cut men’s hair all day. My cousin at 16 was a hair stylist she was my idol. I started beauty school when I was 14 the summer after I graduated 8th grade I loved it. I finished sophomore year in high school. Read More>>
Evan J. Thomas
I started taking photos as a kid. My dad, James Thomas, was a professional photographer and always was taking photos where ever we were at. That was how it all started, a little point and shoot film camera with the detachable flash at the top that would run out after 6 or so flashes. I took photos of our dogs, the pool, animals, landscapes and my family. The photos sucked but I loved doing it. Read More>>
Robby Glick
Reggies spawned from the record store, Record Breakers…..Breakers started in 1988 and quickly became one of the best indie record stores in the Chicagoland area. In 1996, we started hosting free shows in the store and this grew in popularity over the years. We realized it would be a good idea to have the record store alongside a music venue. Read More>>
Rebecca Shunick
I opened b. / A Salon on Armitage in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago in November 2011. Before launching b., I had the pleasure of working not only at some of Chicago’s most renowned salons, earning rave reviews for my skills as both a stylist and as a colorist. But also toured the country as an educator, educating other stylists on color and styling techniques. My salon started with myself and 2 stylists and has now grown to 9 stylists and 1 esthetician. Read More>>
Jesse Muniz
Prestige Personal Fitness was founded in 2007 with the intent of offering in-home training at an affordable price. In 2007 we started with one trainer and have grown to a staff of over 20 health professional consisting of personal trainers, yoga instructors, and massage therapist. Ten years later we are still offering our clients the luxury of traveling to their home, high-rise, or semi-private facility at a price point lower than our competitors. Read More>>
Jamie Kolnick
In 2007, after graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, I moved to NYC to be an actress. As I was auditioning for everything and anything I needed to supplement my income (since I was a horrible waitress). I have a lot of experience in children’s music and theater so it was the natural move to start performing at kid’s birthday parties. This is how “Jam with Jamie” began! Read More>>
Orlando Barsallo
I took my first class in 2003 at the Aveda Institute. My interest for makeup grew, so I decided to take classes for Bridal and Glam Makeup. I then got a job working for Salon 1800. Working mostly for Brides and special events. I had the need to move forward, so I became a Mac Pro Member which gave me the opportunity of more education in the world of makeup. Read More>>
Lis Settimi, Co-Founder Catherine James, Co-Founder
We were both clients of the Bar Method Marina Studio in San Francisco, the original Bar Method location. We were introduced by the founders of The Bar Method because we both wanted to bring The Bar Method to Chicago. Read More>>
Leo Gonzalez and Alex Agudo
We had a dream of having a place where everyone is welcome. Though we have different backgrounds, Alex has been a jewelry maker/art therapist/dancer/group fitness instructor for over ten years and Leo has been in the nursing field/medic in the military/massage therapist and has a masters in Chinese medicine. Alex speaks five languages and has a passion for the arts, history, and dance. Leo is world traveler who loves Switzerland and Spain. Read More>>
Bisi Essien
Bisi is the founder of Crystal-Eyez. She is a multi-award winning certified makeup artist and a licensed cosmetologist. Known for her creativity and innovation, Bisi’s transition into makeup and hair artistry was both a natural progression and a timely occurrence. Read More>>
Elina Fedotova
Elina grew up in Moscow, Russia, raised by a family of chemists who always had a completely holistic lifestyle. She moved to America with her husband and newborn son in 1991, it was her first trip to America. While working on her English, she started to formulate products for a plastic surgeons office in Mississippi. Elina soon realized how difficult it was to find natural and organic ingredients. Some would make fun of Elina for wanting to create products with an “old fashion” approach. Read More>>
Carrie Collins
When I was in my mid-20s, I was working full time as a professional pianist in San Francisco and my body was suffering. I was in so much pain and had so many imbalances that I couldn’t raise my arms over my head for long enough to blow dry my hair. I even had to hold my arm up to brush my teeth. I couldn’t turn my head to check the blind spot in my car. Read More>>
Yasmeen Shah
I have always loved all forms of arts and crafts and started working as a henna artist 4 years ago. This skill was passed down to me from a close family member who also does henna designing professionally for brides. I shadowed her & learnt through practice & watching her perform. I then started to learn on my own developing my own style and technique. Read More>>
Nora Kaitis
I fell in love with concept of AquaMermaid through a YouTube video a friend sent over. As a former dancer and model, I loved how mermaid swimming combined the beauty and glamour of dance with my love for aquatics. My entrepreneurial side kicked in – I knew this could work in my hometown! AquaMermaid is great for me because it also draws on my love for teaching. Read More>>
Margarita (Rita) Bord
My new journey started when I was diagnosed with thyroid imbalance. I was working for a big corporation at the IT department as Project Manager. My financial success outweighed my health and personal fulfillment. I’ve been feeling tired, exhausted and overworked. At that time lots of projects been outsourced and among other was let go. Read More>>
Milos Bajic
After a successful professional career in Europe, Milos was fortunate enough to earn a full athletic scholarship at Judson University (Elgin, IL). While there, he played under the most successful coach in NAIA history, Mr. Steve Burke. He won numerous division titles and made it to the National Championship Tournament twice. Read More>>
Agnes Krolikowski
I started doing hair in 1989 in the busy salon on the northwest side of Chicago. I worked there for 13 years. In the meantime my sister Maggie started working there as a hairstylist as well. In 2001 we both moved to a salon in Wicker Park which was more convenient for both of us. Working there we met many new coworkers who became our employees when we were ready to open a salon. In 2005 we purchased the space at 544 N.Milwaukee. The build out took about one year and finally we opened the door on October 1st 2006. Read More>>
Evonne Abou-Mourad
When my mom and aunt, the sisters, immigrated here from Lebanon they brought with them the traditions of their culture and developed their own waxing techniques and skin care remedies. They were fortunate to work at Marshall Field’s flagship store for many years before deciding to open our first location almost twenty years ago. I grew up working at the salon and saw how great of a business my mom and aunt had worked so hard for I followed into their footsteps. I was fortunate to grow up around such hard working women which in turn instilled a strong work ethic in me. Read More>>
Paul Kloiber
I was always the kid with the music. Whether it was records, tapes, CDs, etc. I started DJing small parties for friends in 1979 when I was 13. Doing it on the side and eventually getting hired by a company as their equipment manager and as a wedding DJ. In 1990 I struck out on my own and opened Source 1 on the NW side of the city (Brickyard area). Read More>>
Carrie Grucz
I started DJing at the Fireside, back when they had all ages punk shows. I remember seeing mostly guys manning the turntables, and thinking I could totally do this! I got a quick lesson from a friend, and started DJing with vinyl at bars and parties around town for fun. About 7 years ago, I started Djing weddings through another company and fell in love with it! Read More>>
Ilva & Stela Sotiraj
It didn’t happen overnight, but while working at various hospitality businesses (hotels, spas and restaurants) throughout our 20s, we realized we could do it better. Client service, cutting-edge products and everything in between. Everyone, including Ilva’s regular clients, constantly reinforced our desire and gave us the confidence needed to launch our own business. A friendly, high-end spa. STĪL (after the word for style in Albanian) is also a combination of the first two letters of our names (STELA and ILVA). Read More>>
Misty Winter
After 16 years in the wedding industry, I’ve watched as couples chased around the city seeking out the perfect wedding professionals to help create and capture their vision of the perfect wedding day. Up north on Monday, downtown on Tuesday, West Loop on Wednesday; I knew there had to be a better way. So I came up with an idea. Read More>>
Kimberly Trefilek
I have always been involved in sports throughout my entire life, including gymnastics and soccer. While attending Columbia College Chicago for broadcast journalism, I joined a co-ed soccer team and began training competitively in boxing and Muay Thai. In my debut fight, I placed 2nd at the 2008 golden gloves boxing tournament. Read More>>
Duerell Jones
My love for DJing began at my high school radio station. Prior to graduating high school, I interned at a local radio station known as (WEJM 106 Jamz). After high school, I sharpened my radio DJ skills at Kennedy King College & Lewis University. After a brief internship at MCA Records, I spent 7 years of working full time in a marketing and promotional capacity for Indy labels in Chicago and founded my own event coordinating/artist booking service known as D. Jones Productions Inc., I left the music scene to pursue a different career and in 2008 I returned to my true passion for working in music as a professional DJ. Read More>>
Alexis Tinoco
Working at The Aviary was actually a happy accident…. my husband (who is the Chef de Cuisine at NEXT Restaurant) and I moved to Chicago from New York almost three and a half years ago. I had been bartending in New York when we decided to change scenery. My husband knew he wanted to take a job with Grant Achatz, working in the kitchen. Read More>>
Colleen Werner
I spent ten years as a professional contemporary ballet dancer, taking a break in the middle of my career to attend The University of Michigan to major in Dance and Kinesiology/Movement Science. I started LulaFit in 2014 with the intension of changing the way people approached fitness and wellness. My goal was to create a place where busy people could find the time and energy to improve on their health. I quickly realized that I didn’t need to create a space at all, but simply provide the tools normal people could use in their home, office or on the go. Read More>>
Jordyn T Olawumi
My story begins with the simple fact that I grew up in the beauty industry. With this, every day after school, being present inside a salon was routine. Therefore, it was early on that I retained love and passion for the beauty world. The simple fact of knowing that you have made a difference in someone’s life, by simply performing your passion, is the ultimate reward. Read More>>
Deborah Kraemer
My story was out of need first, more than 30 years ago, I had a son whose skin could barely tolerate water, couldn’t do pasteurized, intolerant little guy. But it was on a quest to bring a more fulfilled experience to my early childcare block. I was teaching felt making and soap plays a part in that. I thought I could build that into the block. Read More>>
Keegan Bonebrake
We’re disrupting the market and changing the way consumers perceive “telecom/cable” companies. You can read more about that here. We’re community driven, and philanthropic. Read More>>
Colleen Rose
In 2004, I opened a small yoga studio in a downtown location of our town. I truly opened Yoga-360 with one vision: to teach Yoga to EveryBODY. Yoga, at the time and perhaps still has, a stereotype that I wanted to break. I wanted these incredible, life changing teachings to reach as many people as I could. Read More>>
Chris Damianakos
It all started in 1987 with a trip to Greece with family, there I witnessed my very first Scavenger Hunt. It was conducted by this Italian tour group that was staying at this resort we were staying at in the southern part of Greece. That’s when I had my “ah-ha moment” at the age of 16. years later after hosting a variety of competitive events, I decided to tackle my love of the scavenger hunt concept and make it into a business From there I decided that this concept can be done much better by making it bigger of a game and exciting. Read More>>
Lori Sapio
I discovered photography 26 years ago and after receiving my BFA in photography from NIU in 1997, I had the pleasure of working under some of the Masters of photography shortly after. My work has been shown in galleries in the Midwest, and seen in numerous publications (most recently People Celebrity Babies, Domino and Vogue Italia). My main focus has always been fashion, shortly after becoming a professional I began photographing architecture, then discovered the enjoyment of photographing the urban music scene. Read More>>
Faiyaaz Kalimullah
My practice partner, Dr. Kevin Cavanaugh, and I started the Center for Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine in January of this year. We are both board-certified dermatologists, and we initially met in training. We were both interns together at the University of Chicago. Read More>>
Keli Wriston
Well, I started in the salon industry pretty young. My first job ever was as a shampoo assistant at the age of 13, and it was at that time that I fell in love with the lifestyle at first. I loved the community, I loved how everyone new so much about each other and how the stylists where so much a part of their clients lives. It didn’t feel like a job, it felt like an all-day hang out with a creative flair, people talked, had snacks, smoked cigarettes (you could smoke in salons back then as each station was equipped with a pedestal ashtray) and did hair all day. Read More>>
Rick Mangram
Well it all started in 2006 as me being a Latin dance teacher and having the ability to teach a lot of people, so I started teaching for Weddings and Corporate Parties and Private events. I started to Emcee events and help around with coordination of the programs. As I continued to do so my Mother, Father, and Friends started to recognize my talent and said to me “How about if you start your own company in the Event Planning Industry?” Read More>>
Philip Minefee
I started my company in 2011, while working for a personal injury law firm in Chicago. One of the positions I held was a legal videographer/photographer. I wanted to have a more fulfilling overall work life balance, while also doing something that I loved to do. I also wanted to inspire people from all walks of life, that no matter what your passion is, it is never too late, and the best time to start is now. Read More>>
Freddie Kole
Fourteen years ago I was bartending at a small bar in Northbrook & I started a college night with the hopes of bringing in more customers. The college night was an instant success and I figured I should try to do something similar in the city to see if it worked, and it did. The following year, after graduating from the University of Illinois, I continued to throw events as a part-time hobby. I enjoyed bringing people together and showing them a good time, the more events I threw the more I learned and the more I learned the more profitable I became. Read More>>
Lisa Ziemba
Growing up in the entertainment world my mother was a clown; my brother and I had to learn the business from a very young age. We were part of the Triton Trouper Circus for about 10 years doing clowning and juggling acts and it was tons of fun. As I grew older we would all work together as a team doing face painting and balloons for all events. Read More>>
