Tammy Coakley
I had a passion for small businesses after working for my parents when I was younger. I later went to the Aveda Institute and fell in love with the thought of bringing beauty and wellness into a community. There are always bumps in the road which I believe can always provide opportunities for learning and growth. Read more>>
Shawnna Ballog
Back in 2009, during my elementary school days, I remember walking down Lawrence ave with a heavy heart and very little mind as I could barely withstand the amount of bullying and harassment ingrained in my day to day life as a young child. I always knew I wanted to be an inspiration and own quite an social image, but I felt so entirely lost when it came to actually getting to the first step: this was a big reason why I suffered with overwhelming amounts of hopelessness and sadness. Read more>>
Ridha Sekhri
A regular job in the IT sector was never really my cup of tea. I was always seeking something different, something unique; a trait that I got from my dad. Design was always my passion so I followed that and started freelancing. Read more>>
Brooke Perlman
I went to Elmhurst College and was a music education major with a vocal performance certificate and a Spanish minor. Right out of college, I landed what I thought was my dream job as a 7th & 8th grade chorus and general music teacher. After my first year, I knew this was not where I would be forever. Read more>>
Priscila Dos Santos
I was born in a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I started working as a salesperson in clothing stores. I saved money and had an opportunity to open a restaurant alongside my husband and partner Alexandre. At that time, the economy in Brazil was growing and I decided that it was time to start building a better future for my family. Read more>>
Grace Bishop
Human expression has always been my fascination. It’s about how we connect our inner experiences with the world around us. There are infinite ways we communicate with one-another – through music, pictures, words, body language – it’s all communication. Read more>>
Evan Price
I started in the music industry as a young drummer in a rock band. We began to play shows at a local all-ages venue in Springfield, IL. The club was mainly punk & hardcore, but we preferred metal. Out of pure desperation, I began contacting the agents of the bands we wanted to see and perform with. Read more>>
Nathali Rebolledo
My makeup artist journey started when I was 16 years old. I was influenced by these 2 makeup artists that worked at a cosmetics kiosk at a mall. Back then I was working at a part time job at kiosk that sold religious items on the weekends. I was three kiosk down from theirs, I was so intrigued by their makeup application and the makeup they sold. Read more>>
Calvin Marty
My brother Chris and I have been working in the bar business for a long time. I started washing dishes at age 14 at a little supper club in Cambridge, WI. That was my first job in the business. When I was 19 I worked a summer as a door guy at a dance club/music venue in Madison, WI called the King Club, where Chris was bartending. Read more>>
Laura Barger
In July I’ll begin my 30th year of teaching primary grades at the Glenview New Church School in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. I’m also a published author of two children’s books, co-created with my teaching partner, Sarah Berto. I’ve wanted to be a fiction writer for as long as I can remember. Read more>>
Theresa Tran
Growing up from a family of 11 siblings has taught me from a young age to work hard to get where I want to be. After college I went into corporate but it wasn’t until after I left my corporate job that I found my calling working at a restaurant/event space that I found my true passion for the food service/hospitality industry. Read more>>
Max Chernawsky, Howard Chernawsky
My father Howard was a pharmacist for many years and owned a small drug store in Glenview. Through the years of owning this drug store, he realized that he found more enjoyment in finding product and merchandise for the store rather than filling the prescriptions. Read more>>
Billy Helmkamp
10 years ago on a sleepy stretch of Milwaukee Avenue, partners Rob Brenner and Billy Helmkamp opened The Whistler, the place that ignited the now-booming cocktail and nightlife scene in Logan Square. Now, together with original Whistler bartender Eric Henry, they open their long-awaited second project: Sleeping Village, an 8,000 square foot indoor/outdoor space at 3734 W. Belmont Avenue in Avondale. Read more>>
Erin Hawn, Nick Hawn
Nick has worked full-time for UPS for 15 years, and I (Erin) spent the last 14 years working as practice administrator in a dental office, part-time. When our 5th baby was just 3 weeks old, all 4 of our daughters and myself, were given the gift of head lice! Read more>>
Ryan Burns
After a 3 year sprialing mindfuck at grad school in the middle of a cornfield, I crash landed in a 2 bedroom apartment with a friend in Logan Square. I got a cleaning job, started doing a zine a month, and joined the Peanut Gallery co-op. I was also part of Peanut Gallery from 2013 – 2014. Read more>>
Ellen Tangel
When I was in undergrad, I originally majored in Art and French for the first couple of years, only to find out I didn’t actually enjoy any of the topics in my classes. Art has been and always will be a passion of mine, but I wasn’t too keen on being creative on a deadline, creating pieces of art that had certain aesthetic requirements. Read more>>
Maya Byrne
I helped my family run a trucking business since I was 18. I was in charge of accounting, however, as any family business goes I had a hand in everything most days. I always knew I didn’t want to work in the family business forever so I set a goal that I would leave by 30- and I did. Read more>>
