Christine Soto
Having owned a camera as far back as I can remember, I grew up taking pictures with point-and-shoot cameras, progressing to “fancier” film cameras as marriage and children came along. I ventured into the world of digital photography in 2009, and quickly began taking photographs for family and friends who fell in love with my style. My photography business grew naturally from that experience. Read More>>
Bert Behnke and Cindy Behnke
Bert is a second generation photographer, purchased his parents business in 1985. After leaving a college track in business, he decided to go into the family business. His career has included pursuing his photography degrees with Professional Photographers of America (PPA), becoming the youngest president of the Associated Professional Photographers of Illinois and then on to the second youngest President of PPA and being recognized as Portrait Photographer of the Year by the International Photography Center at the United Nations.. Read More>>
Sandtricia Andrews-Strickland
Essential Creations Chicago is proud to be one of the leading custom embroidery and silk screening companies in Chicago. In business since 2000, our impeccable services combined with our great customer support have helped to quadruple our customer base over time. In addition to tees, jackets, and varsity jackets, we have added new services such as drinkware, uniforms, athletic apparel, and a new process that transfers ink into gas that captures inside the fabric of the garments. Read More>>
Greg Lochow
Attended a White Sox game in the spring of 2001 and ran into Jack Heuser, who owned a Ben Franklin craft store in Blue Island. Jack, an old friend from the Lions Club and other civic groups, said, “Let me buy you a drink, as I have a proposal for you.” He said that he and his wife were closing the store and selling the property, however, the sole profitable center was the framing department. Read More>>
Amy Angellotti
I graduated college in 2004 from Eastern Illinois University. I always knew I would go into sales just not sure exactly what. My sister Mia had already been working in the pallet business in sales. After seeing her success I decided I would give it a try. Read More>>
Doug Gaffney
After the former tenants of a downtown Lockport office space relocated, property owner Doug Gaffney decided to make its rehabilitation his latest project. Previously Gaffney had experience rehabbing single family homes with a partner during the foreclosure crisis. “Commercial is different than residential. It’s harder to find the right tenants but once you do they tend to stay longer.” Read More>>
Sarah Lozano
I’m a Chicago native and have been dancing for what feels like all of my life. When I was about 3, my mother enrolled me in gymnastics at the Chicago Park District where my mother soon realized that it just wasn’t for me. She then registered me at Kathleen’s Dance Assylm, a local dance studio in my neighborhood, West Lawn. Read More>>
Andrew Mitchell
I’ve been collecting records for nearly 20 years and worked a day job for over 15 years… felt like a change was needed. I mentioned to my neighbor across the street that I was thinking of opening a record store and we started slowly building 3 or 4 years prior to this coming to fruition. Read More>>
Elizabeth Gajos
Fifteen years ago, my father came to me and asked if I would be interested in managing a small business that he was thinking about purchasing. I knew nothing about packing and shipping, but I had been in retail for a few years already and was excited at the thought of working at a family owned and operated business, so I jumped at the chance. Read More>>
