Podcasts about metropolitan chicago

Today I talked to Benjamin Resnick about his novel Next Stop (Simon and Schuster, 2024) A hole opens in the universe and suddenly consumes a building, then a neighborhood, and then the entire country of Israel. Conspiracies and antisemitic paranoia simmer, violence erupts, and life for Jews around the globe becomes even more hate filled. But Ethan and Ella, both Jewish, meet and fall in love in an unnamed American city. Their relationship has its challenges, including those involving Ella's seven-year-old son, but their biggest struggle is trying to survive. Then thousands of airplanes disappear, borders close, and the world unravels more. Drones and robotic dogs patrol the streets and Jews are forced to live in a single neighborhood, slyly named after the historical Pale of Settlement. Some Jews escape to underground cities and others are join militias and resistance efforts, but Ella and Ethan are trying to find things to smile about in this thought-provoking, dystopian novel about cultural memory, societal crisis, and living in an upside-down world.  Benjamin Resnick is a writer and the rabbi of the Pelham Jewish Center. Before joining the PJC in 2021, he served as Rav Beit HaSefer at Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago and as Rabbi and Education Director at Congregation Ahavas Achim in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Resinick majored in Literary Arts at Brown University in 006 and was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2014. He has written nonfiction for multiple publications, including the Washington Post, The Forward, Tablet, Modern Judaism and My Jewish Learning. Benjamin is married to journalist Philissa Cramer, who is currently editor-in-chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. They have two boys, Jonah and Gabriel. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, playing squash, and the Chicago Cubs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Today I talked to Benjamin Resnick about his novel Next Stop (Simon and Schuster, 2024) A hole opens in the universe and suddenly consumes a building, then a neighborhood, and then the entire country of Israel. Conspiracies and antisemitic paranoia simmer, violence erupts, and life for Jews around the globe becomes even more hate filled. But Ethan and Ella, both Jewish, meet and fall in love in an unnamed American city. Their relationship has its challenges, including those involving Ella's seven-year-old son, but their biggest struggle is trying to survive. Then thousands of airplanes disappear, borders close, and the world unravels more. Drones and robotic dogs patrol the streets and Jews are forced to live in a single neighborhood, slyly named after the historical Pale of Settlement. Some Jews escape to underground cities and others are join militias and resistance efforts, but Ella and Ethan are trying to find things to smile about in this thought-provoking, dystopian novel about cultural memory, societal crisis, and living in an upside-down world.  Benjamin Resnick is a writer and the rabbi of the Pelham Jewish Center. Before joining the PJC in 2021, he served as Rav Beit HaSefer at Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago and as Rabbi and Education Director at Congregation Ahavas Achim in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Resinick majored in Literary Arts at Brown University in 006 and was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2014. He has written nonfiction for multiple publications, including the Washington Post, The Forward, Tablet, Modern Judaism and My Jewish Learning. Benjamin is married to journalist Philissa Cramer, who is currently editor-in-chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. They have two boys, Jonah and Gabriel. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, playing squash, and the Chicago Cubs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-fiction

Today I talked to Benjamin Resnick about his novel Next Stop (Simon and Schuster, 2024) A hole opens in the universe and suddenly consumes a building, then a neighborhood, and then the entire country of Israel. Conspiracies and antisemitic paranoia simmer, violence erupts, and life for Jews around the globe becomes even more hate filled. But Ethan and Ella, both Jewish, meet and fall in love in an unnamed American city. Their relationship has its challenges, including those involving Ella's seven-year-old son, but their biggest struggle is trying to survive. Then thousands of airplanes disappear, borders close, and the world unravels more. Drones and robotic dogs patrol the streets and Jews are forced to live in a single neighborhood, slyly named after the historical Pale of Settlement. Some Jews escape to underground cities and others are join militias and resistance efforts, but Ella and Ethan are trying to find things to smile about in this thought-provoking, dystopian novel about cultural memory, societal crisis, and living in an upside-down world.  Benjamin Resnick is a writer and the rabbi of the Pelham Jewish Center. Before joining the PJC in 2021, he served as Rav Beit HaSefer at Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago and as Rabbi and Education Director at Congregation Ahavas Achim in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Resinick majored in Literary Arts at Brown University in 006 and was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2014. He has written nonfiction for multiple publications, including the Washington Post, The Forward, Tablet, Modern Judaism and My Jewish Learning. Benjamin is married to journalist Philissa Cramer, who is currently editor-in-chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. They have two boys, Jonah and Gabriel. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, playing squash, and the Chicago Cubs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

In this episode, we revisit our interview with Kristie Paskvan. Kristie is an experienced board member and CFO/COO/President with over 25 years of experience assisting diversified financial services, asset management, real estate, insurance, and professional services companies to grow their businesses worldwide. Kristie is a board director at First Women's Bank (FWB) - a de novo bank launched in 2021; SmithBucklin - a Chicago-based association management company; and the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), which provides objective state insurance rate and loss cost recommendations. She is a member of the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago board of directors, where she chairs the Stronger Neighborhoods committee and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce board. Additionally, she is a member of the University of Illinois Dean's Business Council for the Gies College of Business. Kristie is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), attaining Certified Board Director status. Kristie was a member of the Mesirow Financial board of directors for 6 years, participating in or leading numerous committees including strategy, audit, information technology, HR & compensation, and enterprise risk management. She is a part-time Associate Director in the Magelli Office of Experiential Learning at the University of Illinois Gies College of Business. Previously she was the CFO and COO at Mesirow Financial, a global financial services company. Kristie received her bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois. She has an executive MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She is a member of the Illinois CPA Society for which she is a contributor to its quarterly Insight magazine.

Meet Dorri. When it comes to reimagining the nonprofit sector, she not only talks the talk but also walks the walk. She's the President and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, previously serving as CEO of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. Under her leadership, the YWCA operating budget grew from $10.5 million to $38 million

Helen Bloch is the founder of the Law Offices of Helen Bloch, P.C., and it is a certified female owned business. She has over 20 years of legal experience. After graduating from law school, Helen worked as a prosecutor and defense attorney for the City of Chicago. She then worked as an Associate Attorney with Bellows and Bellows, P.C., before founding her firm. Helen works with a diverse range of clients, from fortune 500 executives to employees, and including large corporations to small family owned businesses. She has practiced in state and federal courts, and in arbitration forums, including the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. She often works with senior executives to negotiate their employment and severance agreements, and negotiating non competes and non solicits. Helen also has extensive worker's compensation practice. She routinely lectures on legal and business topics, including gender roles in the law. In addition to her legal work, Helen is heavily involved in her community. She is the past President of the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, which awarded her the Presidential Citation in 2015 and the Intra Society Award of Merit in 2001. And she is a member of several other associations. She is also a member of the Lawyers Division of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, a life member of Hadassah, and a member of AIPAC. Helen received her JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law, IIT, and received her BA from Yeshiva University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Learn More: https://www.blochpc.com

B. is the award-winning founder of DVRGNT Ventures, product strategist, podcast host, startup advisor and investor, executive coach, and a respected thought leader in agile technologies. B.'s fierce drive to promote diversity in tech and impact authentic change continues to define their work and life outside of their work. B. is a proud graduate of Northwestern University with a focus on history and an MBA and master of information systems from Robert Morris University. B. gives back to various organizations by being the Vice Chair & Secretary on the Board of Directors at Howard Brown Health, one of the top 3 largest LGBTQ community health centers in the country, Vice President & Secretary on the Board of Directors at the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and Board of Directors of both the Northwestern Alumni Association and Outfest. B. has been honored as one of the Queer 50 from Fast Company in 2022 and 2023, 35 Hero Advocate Executives by Involve People and Yahoo Finance UK, 40 under 40 by Silicon Valley Journal, and a finalist for 2022 LGBTQNation heroes of the year.Elevate Your Brand is the #1 marketing podcast for entrepreneurs and “wantreprenuers” looking for insider tips and secrets from the most exciting new and growing brands in Los Angeles and the US at large. Each week, entrepreneurial special guests join Laurel Mintz, founder and CEO of award-winning marketing agency Elevate My Brand, to discuss the marketing failures and successes that have brought their brands to the next level. Learn from real-life experiences and be inspired by leaders in your industry about how smart digital and experiential marketing can elevate your brand.

The Dean's List with Host Dean Bowen – I delve into the controversial involvement of AmeriCorps and the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago in Illinois schools. I examine how federal funding is used to support LGBTQ youth initiatives without parental consent, spotlighting a case at Waterloo High School. I raise critical questions about taxpayer dollars, educational policies, and parental rights in modern education...

Are Banks targeting Christian businesses?According to a recent Fox News article entitled, Corporate wokeness: Big Tech, major banks rated 'high risk' of canceling people, orgs for ideological reasons,“ The 1792 Exchange's report assessed more than 1,000 companies, evaluating their policies, practices, and other relevant criteria to determine the likelihood of them targeting a group or individual based on ideology. About 12% of companies were rated "high risk," meaning they "canceled business relationships based on viewpoint and/or has been weaponized to discriminate against people and businesses who do not share their political views." The article went on to state that Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase are among the nation's most prominent companies meeting their definition of high risk. Christian Community Credit Union is an alternative. Aaron Caid, CMO Aaron Caid joined Christian Community Credit Union as Chief Marketing Officer in November 2020. Having worked at various financial services companies, Aaron wanted to pursue a leadership role in a mission-driven organization.Learning about the CMO opportunity at the Credit Union, he felt called to the role, seeing a great alignment between his faith and his financial services marketing experience.Aaron brings to the Credit Union over 20 years of experience in leading digital transformation, building innovative marketing capabilities, raising brand loyalty, and improving customer retention.He has served at a senior management level for organizations including Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, H&R Block, Sears Holdings Corp, and the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. Aaron holds a master's degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins and a bachelor's degree in Political Science and German from the University of Texas at Austin.Website: https://www.mycccu.com/Or, if thinking of switching:mycccu.com/switch

This week we chat with the one of a kind, B. Pagels-Minor! Erica and B know each other as solo GPs in the early stage venture capital world. In this episode, B shares how they've navigated various industries (including the world of venture as of recently), especially as a non-binary person of color. B has an amazing story, and we were so honored to have them on the pod!B. is an award-winning product strategist, podcast host, startup advisor and investor, executive coach, and a respected thought leader in agile technologies. B.'s fierce drive to promote diversity in tech and impact authentic change continues to define their work and life outside of their work. B. is a proud graduate of Northwestern University with a focus on history and an MBA and master of information systems from Robert Morris University. B. gives back to various organizations by being the Vice Chair & Secretary on the Board of Directors at Howard Brown Health, one of the top 3 largest LGBTQ community health centers in the country, Vice President & Secretary on the Board of Directors at the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and Board of Directors of both the Northwestern Alumni Association and Outfest. In 2022, B. Was honored as one of the Queer 50 from Fast Company, 35 Hero Advocate Executives by Involve People and Yahoo Finance UK, and a finalist for 2022 LGBTQNation heroes of the year.Follow Us!B. Pagels-Minor: @bpagelsminorDVRGNT Ventures: @dvrgntventuresErica Wenger: @erica_wengerDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

Joan's guests today are: - Tom Mockaitis, terrorism expert and DePaul professor of history - Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners - North Central College political science professor William Muck and co-host of Politics Lab - Jay Tcath, executive vice president at Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago

Welcome to a special encore episode of the podcast, where we open up the back catalogue and share some of our favourite and most popular episodes that are worth a second (or perhaps your first) listen. Today we bring you our exclusive interview with Dave Kimbell, CEO of beauty retailer Ulta. First, Steve gives us a powerful update on Ulta's performance under the leadership of Dave since 2022. Both their financial performance and market share expansion are genuinely remarkable.Ulta has become one of the most remarkable growth stories in all of retail, growing from a small regional player to an $8 billion powerhouse with more than 1,300 stores and an expanding presence within Target. Dave discusses the brand's evolution and some of the keys to their success, including a relentless focus on the customer (instead of channels), the importance of human-connection and storytelling and why physical stores remain critical to their growth strategy.About DaveDave was named Chief Executive Officer in June 2021 after having previously served as President since December 2019, Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer since March 2015 and Chief Marketing Officer since February 2014. Prior to joining Ulta Beauty, he served as Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President at U.S. Cellular, Chief Marketing Officer of Seventh Generation, Vice President of Marketing at PepsiCo, and held a number of brand management roles in the Beauty Division of The Procter and Gamble Company from 1995 to 2001. Dave currently serves on the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago and Chicago lights, and is a member of The Economic Club of Chicago.October 2021 Ulta Investor Day PresentationMarch 2023 Ulta Investor Presentation About UsSteve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  ,      The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext!  You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

Dorri McWhorter is the President and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. Dorri's remarkable journey encompasses the private sector and non-profit organizations, making her a true leader in multiple realms. With her dedication to social consciousness and global business, Dorri shares her unique perspective on improving the world as we delve into her experiences, from her growth as an influential leader to the enduring impact of a letter she wrote to Santa Claus at the age of 11.Link to purchase:Purchase Your Berry Blaster HereFYLPxWRDSMTH Merch Collaboration*suggestion is to size upDownload this episode of For Your Listening Pleasure wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you follow us on Instagram @foryourlisteningpleasure Click here to listen to the For Your Listening Pleasure Theme Song Playlist on Spotify.To continue the conversation, feel free to DM me at https://www.instagram.com/foryourlisteningpleasure/ or email me at foryourlisteningpleasure@gmail.com.

How is Chicago responding to the growing sense of loneliness in the U.S? Reset talks to groups working to build social connection and community in the area. The panel features Jeremy Foster, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago; Julia Logan Labow, director of impact and learning at OneTable; and Jacob Rosenblum, Shabbat dinner host for OneTable.

B. is an award-winning product strategist, podcast host, startup advisor and investor, executive coach, and a respected thought leader in agile technologies who approaches every problem with strategy, curiosity, and genuine authenticity. As a dedicated enthusiast of scalable processes, great products, and culture development, B.'s fierce drive to promote diversity in tech and impact authentic change continues to define their work and life outside of their work. B. is a proud graduate of Northwestern University with a focus on history and an MBA and master of information systems from Robert Morris University. B. gives back to various organizations by being the Vice Chair & Secretary on the Board of Directors at Howard Brown Health, one of the top 3 largest LGBTQ community health centers in the country, Vice President & Secretary on the Board of Directors at the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and Board of Directors of both the Northwestern Alumni Association and Outfest. In 2022, B. Was honored as one of the Queer 50 from Fast Company, 35 Hero Advocate Executives by Involve People and Yahoo Finance UK, and a finalist for 2022 LGBTQNation heroes of the year. Learn more about B. and their work at www.dvrgntventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Taylor Karg is joined by Brandon Davis, VP of Brand Engagement for YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and Wes McChristian, Kentico Practice Director at Americaneagle.com. They discuss the development redesign project for the Y's website, new marketing initiatives that sparked after the launch, and more. The YMCA's mission has always been to empower individuals with social guidance and personal development. For over 165 years, the YMCA has created environments where community members belong and where all people can be nurtured and supported. This podcast is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios. Connect with: Modern Marketing Messages: Website // Twitter // Instagram // Facebook // YouTube Taylor Karg: LinkedIn Wes McChristian: LinkedIn Brandon Davis: LinkedIn Resources: YMCA of Metro Chicago Website

Episode Notes On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha speak with Madeleine Reichman, an attorney at Disability Rights Advocates, on a recent federal court case and ruling regarding Chicago's failure to install accessible pedestrian signals (APSs) for its blind and low vision residents and visitors at its more than 2800 signalized intersections. The case involved both DRA and the American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago, a chapter of the Illinois Council of the Blind. We discuss how the case came about, what the decision ruling Chicago is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act means for the city and other cities across the country, and what comes next for DRA and the city of Chicago.  If you need legal assistance from Disability Rights Advocates, you may email info@dralegal.org or call (510) 665-8644. Find out more at https://acb-advocacy-update.pinecast.co

Welcome to the first episode of the Holy Sparks Podcast!Our mission is to illuminate the brightest lights in the Jewish World and beyond so that we elevate the holy sparks within us and make the world around us a better place. About your host: Saul Kaye is an internationally touring music artist with 10 CDs out. He has produced 8 for other artists. He has written three books. After his last book of interviews with rising Jewish Music Artists, he decided to launch the Holy Sparks Podcast to shine more light on some incredible humans in the Jewish World. you can find out more about Saul, his music, and his work at www.saulkaye.comRabbi Josh Warshawsky is a nationally touring Jewish musician, song leader, composer, and educator, who has shared his original melodies and teachings with over 150 Jewish communities throughout the United States, Canada, the UK, and Israel. Josh seeks to build intentional praying communities and composes melodies to open up new possibilities for understanding the deep meaning of the words of our tradition. He was ordained in May 2019 from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles.Rabbi Josh is a sought-after teacher. He served as the rabbi-in-residence of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago from 2020-2023 and is a core educator of Songleader Boot Camp. He has spent the past 22 summers at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, and the last 11 summers teaching and performing at Ramah camps across the country. He has released five albums of Jewish music and has been featured on eight music anthology publications.Originally from Deerfield, IL, Josh spent the past decade living in New York, Los Angeles, and Israel. He now lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Adina Allen, and their daughter, Jona.Rabbi Josh's mission statement.My mission is to help people find a spiritual and meaningful home for themselves in order to live lives filled with purpose. I am guided and motivated by my belief that human beings are spiritual seekers and meaning-makers.He can be found at www.joshwarshawsky.com

Brian Urbaszewski, the director of environmental health at Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, joins Lisa Dent to discuss what you should know if you’re planning on switching from a gas to an electric stove and why there are some risks if you plan on keeping your gas oven. Follow The Lisa Dent Show on […]

Steven and Jaime sit down with #MEAction's executive director, Laurie Jones, as the end-of-year fundraiser winds down to a close. Laurie has years of experience working in non-profits and in the arts. Prior to joining the #MEAction team, Laurie was the Director of Impact for Unrest, using the film to educate and advocate for those in the ME community. She has served as Programs Director at Brave New Films, worked on the Why Poverty? film campaign and fundraised for United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. She has a BA in Production Studies in Performing Arts from Clemson University, and an MA in Applied Human Rights from the University of York. If you'd like to donate to #MEAction, you can do so here: https://www.meaction.net/donate As was mentioned in the episode, you can sign up for the Chronic Illness Survey Adventure here: https://www.meaction.net/epi

People often reference an integrated world of work, but what exactly is a globalized workforce? In HRchat episode 517, we ask: Does a company need to be global to be competitive? What key factors should be kept in mind when an organization considers expanding into new markets? In terms of HR processes, payroll, and local compliance, what do expanding companies often get wrong?Our guest to help navigate the choppy waterways of international business is Rick Hammell, founder and CEO of Atlas and author of “Getting Sh*t Done!: The Millennial CEO.”Rick founded Atlas in 2015, from his dining room table after noticing gaps in the existing marketplace for solutions that enabled companies to expand into new markets simply, quickly, and compliantly. More About RickUnder Rick's leadership, Atlas has grown from a local startup to a global tech firm with the capability to support clients in 160+ countries. Atlas offers software platforms, supported by a worldwide network of experts, designed to help clients navigate the complexities of international HR, payroll and local compliance. Rick was named an Ernst & Young (EY) 2021 Midwest Entrepreneur of the Year winner, distinguished for his entrepreneurial spirit and impact on the communities he serves. He serves on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago. Rick has been a member and active participant in the Society for Human Resource Management for the past 15 years.We do our best to ensure editorial objectivity. The views and ideas shared by our guests and sponsors are entirely independent of The HR Gazette, HRchat Podcast and Iceni Media Inc.   

Brian Urbaszewski, Director of Environmental Health at the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, joins us again with an update on their Clean Air Initiative RHA is working to reduce air pollution from diesel fuel, supporting efforts to increase the use of clean nonpolluting sources of energy, and increasing the use of electric vehicles. The Respiratory Health Association is on a mission to prevent lung disease, promote clean air and help people live better through education, research, and policy change. Listen to our previous episode with Brian to learn more about RHA and its mission to prevent lung disease, promote clean air and help people live better through education, research, and policy change. Listen Now

In episode 3 of Season 3, we examine the role of Christianity in perpetuating anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish hate. We speak with Derek Black, a former White Nationalist, who illuminates the inner workings of the white supremacy movement. We also interview Rabbi Yehiel Poupko, a scholar at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, who talks about the long history of Christian oppression of the Jews. Finally, we speak with Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, distinguished professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford International University, about the roots of anti-Jewish thought woven into the New Testament documents. Featured Guests (in order of appearance): Derek Black Rabbi Yehiel Poupko Dr. Amy-Jill Levine

  In this episode, we interview Kristie Paskvan. Kristie is an experienced board member and CFO/COO/President with over 25 years of experience assisting diversified financial services, asset management, real estate, insurance, and professional services companies to grow their businesses worldwide. Kristie is a board director at First Women's Bank (FWB) - a de novo bank launched in 2021, SmithBucklin - a Chicago-based association management company, and the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) which provides objective state insurance rate and loss cost recommendations. She is a member of the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago board of directors where she chairs the Stronger Neighborhoods committee and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce board. Additionally, she is a member of the University of Illinois Dean's Business Council for the Gies College of Business. Kristie is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), attaining Certified Board Director status. Kristie was a member of the Mesirow Financial board of directors for 6 years, participating in or leading numerous committees including strategy, audit, information technology, HR & compensation, and enterprise risk management. She is a part-time Associate Director in the Magelli Office of Experiential Learning at the University of Illinois Gies College of Business. Previously she was the CFO and COO at Mesirow Financial, a global financial services company. Kristie received her bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois. She has an executive MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She is a member of the Illinois CPA Society for which she is a contributor to its quarterly Insight magazine.

Thousands of Central and South American migrants have arrived in Chicago, and leaders across the city are rushing to provide adequate housing and support for them. But some aldermen are calling on Mayor Lightfoot to do more. For more on what efforts are happening right now to support asylum seekers in Chicago, Reset checks in with 12th Ward Ald. George Cardenas; Stephanie Willding of Community Health; Mario Garcia with Onward Neighborhood House; and Swathi Staley of YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.

Kashif Shaikh is the Co-Founder and President of Pillars Fund. In 2010, Kashif and a small group of Muslim philanthropists founded Pillars to strategically organize wealth within their communities and support American Muslim civic institutions and leaders building a more just, equitable society. For the next five years, Kashif volunteered his time and resources to grow and lead Pillars. In 2016, he was asked to be Pillars' first full-time executive director and transitioned Pillars from a volunteer-run fund to a fully operational foundation. Under his leadership, Pillars has invested more than $6 million in Muslim community organizations and initiatives to build collective power and transform what is possible for Muslims in the United States. At the heart of Kashif's career in philanthropy is a dedication to promoting racial equity and creating opportunities for Muslims and people of color to tell their stories through art. Prior to launching Pillars, Kashif was a program officer at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, where he helped manage a portfolio of more than $20 million and helped scale a variety of Chicago nonprofits working at the intersection of racial justice, poverty, and education. He also managed the Foundation's corporate partnerships and helped develop corporate social responsibility strategies for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Blackhawks, and Chicago Bulls. His career began at the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, where he developed strategies to engage the organization's largest corporate partners. Kashif's expert insight on Muslims in philanthropy has been cited in The New York Times, Buzzfeed, and Chicago Sun Times, among others. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Peabody Awards, Chicago Humanities Festival, and Mortar, a nonprofit based in his home town of Cincinnati that helps entrepreneurs from historically marginalized communities access resources to start and run successful businesses. He has been named a Philanthropy Forward Fellow by the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions and Neighborhood Funders Group, a New Profit Civic Lab Entrepreneur, and an Ambassadors for Health Equity Fellow. In 2017, Crain's Chicago Business named him to their 40 Under 40 list. Kashif holds a BA from Ohio State University and MA from Northwestern University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a part of our YMCA Innovation Series, where we talk with YMCA leaders across the movement to discover the keys to evolving our services and operations to have the greatest community impact. This week's podcast guests are Sarah Johnson, Mental Health Specialist from the La Crosse Area Family YMCA and Keesiya L. Robertson, Behavior Support Manager from the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. YMCA staff and volunteers can visit Link to access the innovation resources mentioned in this episode. http://www.ymcadallas.org/causenetic --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/causenetic/message

Today on the Executives' Exchange we're joined by Dorri McWhorter, President and CEO of YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. Dorri sits down to discuss her experience— not only limited to the private sector but with non-profit organizations as well. Dorri provides insight on the experience that served to develop herself as a powerful leader in different areas of business. Tune in to learn how she continues to use her skills to create an impact on others' lives while continuing to develop her professional experience at YMCA.   00:20 – Introduction 01:00 – Dorri shares childhood experience and a more about her desire to become an accountant since a young age. 04:45 – Dorri shares her experience from management consulting to non-profits, how she continues to grow while being part of different areas. 07:28 - A journey: Leaving the private sector to find a new track. 9:30 - A shift in the model of the YMCA 11:00 - The gift from McKenzie Scott story. 13:10 - Why unrestricted gifts are so important. 15:30 - Why the YMCA? 16:36 - The most challenging part of her first 90 days. 21:58 – Maintaining an active position in the accounting area: The importance for accounting as an African American woman. 25:33 – Dorri's embodiment as a Tri-sector athlete 28:17 - Word from our sponsor Shore 29:25 - A talk about Corporate America and social justice. 30:17 - The fundamentals of creating an inclusive business. 36:21 - What the future holds after the pandemic, what is Dorri hopeful for? 38:35 - What does it mean to be a socially conscious business leader today? 40:38 - How to evaluate the performance of companies? 44:00 - The impact The Club had on Dorri's life 46:30 – Dorri's incorporation of kindness in everyday life 48:43 – Time: The properties of time in order to scale your involvement. 50:10 - Ending questions    Episode link: YMCA Chicago Host: Margaret Mueller, CEO & President, The Executives' Club of Chicago Producer: Eva Penar, Chief Content & Communications Officer, The Executives' Club of Chicago    Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts.     Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Shure Incorporated.  For nearly 100 years, Shure Incorporated has developed best-in-class audio products that provide high-quality performance, reliability and value. Headquartered in Niles, Illinois, our history of innovation and expertise in acoustics, wireless technology, and more enables us to deliver seamless, transparent audio experiences to a global audience. Our diverse product line includes world-class wired and wireless microphones, networked audio systems and signal processors, conferencing and discussion systems, software, a loudspeaker, and award-winning earphones and headphones.  Find Shure on: Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram 

This episode is a part of our YMCA Innovation Series, where we talk with YMCA leaders across the movement to discover the keys to evolving our services and operations to have the greatest community impact. This week's podcast guests are Sarah Johnson, Mental Health Specialist from the La Crosse Area Family YMCA and Keesiya L. Robertson, Behavior Support Manager from the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. YMCA staff and volunteers can visit Link to access the innovation resources mentioned in this episode. http://www.ymcadallas.org/causenetic --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/causenetic/message

This week we are joined by Brian Urbaszewski, Director of Environmental Health at Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago. We discuss how the Respiratory Health Association is on a mission to prevent lung disease, promote clean air and help people live better through education, research, and policy change. We review a recent report showing which Chicago neighborhoods are air pollution hot spots.

Transcript: https://bit.ly/AIAe035Today's guest is Andrés Gallegos. He is the Chairman of the National Council on Disability, appointed by President Bident. In addition, he is a shareholder at the law firm Robbins DiMonte (RD) and the Chair of their disability rights practice, where he concentrates on improving access to healthcare and wellness for persons with all types of disabilities, across the country. He is the immediate past Chairman of the Board of Directors of Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago's Center for Independent Living, and is a two-term past-member of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois, having been appointed by the governor. He is also a board member of ADA 25 Advancing Leadership Institute, a Chicago-based non-for profit whose mission is to increase civic engagement and diverse leadership in the Chicago region by developing and building a network of leaders with disabilities. Mr. Gallegos is the 2015 recipient of the Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities. He has written numerous articles for national and state professional healthcare and legal organizations on matters relating to the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. He is a highly-sought out lecturer on accessible healthcare and disability rights. He graduated with Honors from the University of Southern Mississippi, with a B.S. in Business Administration, and he attained a Juris Doctorate from the St. Louis University School of Law. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, serving honorably for 14 years.Connect with Andrés: https://robbinsdimonte.com/our-attorneys/andres-j-gallegos/Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at https://rockymountainada.org/ or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere else you get your podcasts!

From an early age, B. Pagels-Minor found the tech world to be an exciting place. And, driven by that excitement, they started from the ground up with a job in technical support. B worked their way through well-known companies like Apple and Netflix to work today for a Fortune 100 company. Though B. was always curious by nature, they didn't quite know what options they'd have to pursue as they figured out, “What they wanted to be when they grew up”. B. recognized that they can learn how to do anything with focus. However, they also realized that it was easy for them to procrastinate.  So, in order to avoid procrastinating, B. made a point of always over delivering on their promises.  B. is authentic in everything they do. Their authenticity is vital in building community, which is extremely important to them. Join us in this fascinating discussion with B. A conversation that you wish wouldn't end.  Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with B. Highlights:  [02:11] B.'s journey to where they are today in the world of tech  [09:11] Being authentic and not putting yourself in a box [16:35] Overcoming fears and limiting beliefs [22:38] How B. shifted their mindset about themself  [26:42] Building a powerful community [33:32] Being concerned about your likability [37:56] Lightning round questions Quotes: “I'm very curious about how to create great experiences for people.” – B. Pagels-Minor “You can't do anything well if you're only spending 50% of your time on it.” – B. Pagels-Minor “Instant action creates the most success.” – B. Pagels-Minor Lightning Round Questions: What book has greatly influenced you?  “Inherit the Wind” by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee What is your favorite inspiring quote or saying?  “And now here's my secret, a very simple secret, it's only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - “The Little Prince” What is one word or moniker you would use to describe yourself?  Truth Teller  What is one change you've implanted that made your life better?  Trying to read one news article a day What power song would you want playing as you walk out onto a stage?  “Queen” by Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu   About B. Pagels-Minor: B. Pagels-Minor is a speaker, fierce diversity advocate, and thought leader on product and culture development within technology companies. From Mississippi to Chicago to Silicon Valley, B. Pagels-Minor has spent over a decade creating great products for amazing brands and enriching the community around them, including working for Publicis Groupe, Sprout Social, and Apple to name a few. Today B. is an expert Product Management Leader, as well as a respected thought-leader in agile technologies. They approach every problem with strategy, curiosity, and genuine authenticity. As a dedicated enthusiast of sustainable processes, great products, and culture development, B.'s fierce drive to promote diversity in tech and impact real authentic change continues to define both their work and life outside of work. When there's free time to spare, you can find B. scouring the latest financial and tech news, leading a thought-provoking personal blog, and giving back to various organizations as an active board member holding roles like the Vice Chair & Secretary on the Board of Directors at Howard Brown Health for the LGBTQ community, and Vice President & Secretary on the Board of Directors at the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago. B. currently resides with their wife in Los Angeles, California.   Links: Website: https://www.bpagelsminor.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bpagelsminor/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bpagelsminor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bpagelsminor/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bpagelsminor2/ 

Newly published book: What Would You Do? You Write the Book on Being a Mensch https://www.amazon.com/What-Would-You-DO-Mensch/dp/B0B28HWFLQ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-would-you-do-rabbi-dr-david-s-bauman/1141491349 Rabbi Dr. David Bauman Bio Rabbi Dr.  Bauman has taught  Tanakh and Talmud at Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago and at Robbins Hebrew Academy in Toronto, and he is the rabbi of Lake Shore Drive Synagogue. He also teaches for the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning. He was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps from 2011-2018, stationed in Great Lakes, IL and Okinawa, Japan, among other places. He received his rabbinic ordination from the world renowned Talmudic Scholar Rabbi Dr. David Weiss-Halivni and from Rabbi Zalman Nehemiah Goldberg z”l. He holds a Master's degree in Jewish Studies from The Jewish Theological Seminary, a Master's degree in Education Administration from New York University, and a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky. His undergraduate work was completed at The American University in Washington, DC with a B.A. in Sociology, Education, and Jewish Studies. Rabbi Dr. Bauman earned a Doctor of Hebrew Letters degree in Jewish Ethics at Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership in Chicago. He is the author of the recently published book on Mussar for teenangers: “What Would You Do?: You Write the Book on Being a Mensch. Prior to his work in the U.S. Navy, Rabbi Dr. Bauman served congregations in the United States and Canada. Rabbi Dr. Bauman and his wife, Elly, are blessed with two adult children who live in Israel, Matan and Ori. Rabbi Dr. Bauman is an avid motorcycle rider and can be seen traveling to and from Akiba-Schechter on his Harley-Davidson. In addition, Rabbi Dr. Bauman has training in martial arts, having studied in the U.S., Okinawa, Japan, and South Korea. He was born in Reading, PA, two blocks west of the Monopoly Board railroad station and raised between Reading, PA and New Rochelle, NY.

*Richard Goldberg of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies says that it's time to stop giving crypto companies a pass. *Professor Steven Lubet of Northwestern University tells John why Clarence Thomas's comments on SCOTUS are correct, but for the wrong reason. *Dorri McWhorter at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago tries to discern how we can address the youths congregating downtown. *Ald. Nicole Lee stops by for the first time on WLS to discuss the rise in anti-Asian crime, the Chicago ward map, and the Millennium Park curfew. *Plus, Joey Morelli of Max's Deli previews his first annual 'Joey's Food Fight' event and fundraiser coming up on Tuesday.

Mark Kaufman is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Athletico Physical Therapy. With over 900 locations across 25 states, Athletico is a leading provider of outpatient physical therapy, occupational health, and orthopedic rehabilitation services. Mark started tge company in 1991 and today, the company employs over 8000 clinical and administrative staff. In addition to his ongoing role at Athletico, he serves on the Board of Directors for several organizations including Excel Rehabilitation Services, Michigan Rehabilitation Specialists, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago. Mark received his Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training and Physical Education from the University of Iowa, and his Masters of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences from the University of Arizona. He also holds a Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University. Learn more about Mark at https://atchainternational.com/healthcare-and-higher-podcast-ep37-mark-kaufman/ Are you a healthcare professional or healthcare executive looking to advance your career, build a better brand, or create a leadership legacy? Visit us at https://atchainternational.com to learn more. Connect with Iqbal on: - Linked at https://www.linkedin.com/in/iqbalatcha/ - Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/iqbalatcha1 - Twitter at https://twitter.com/IqbalAtcha1 Join us next week for another exciting episode of the "Healthcare and Higher" podcast! #HealthcareAndHigher #IqbalsInterviews Song Credits: "Life Is A Dream" by Michael Ramir C. "Stay With Me" by Michael Ramir C. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/iqbal-atcha/support

Earlier this year, LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren welcomed Dorri McWhorter — now CEO & President of YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago — for a conversation on the CarbonSmart podcast. We learned about her journey to transform the YWCA of Metro Chicago to a 21st century social enterprise — including her changemaking focus on environmental justice and formation of an ETF for women's empowerment. (Reposted Episode)

Following in her mother's footsteps as an early childhood educator, Laurin Atkinson has found her own niche in the field – digging into data. Her colleagues were “afraid of data, but I was good at Excel,” Laurin jokes.  With a passion for continuous personal growth – and the growth of her staff – Laurin shares with host Dr. Lynette Fraga what today's emerging child care leaders need, and how data can support bold and innovative changes. How can early childhood professionals find mentors? What does it mean to become a better manager? What strategies will improve staff retention? Together, Laurin and Lynette discuss what it takes to confidently take a seat at the table, even in the face of doubt. Laurin Atkinson is the Operations Manager for Early Childhood Services at YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. She obtained her B.A. in Psychology from Roosevelt University and earned a Master of Science in Early Childhood Studies with a specialization in Administration, Management, and Leadership from Walden University. With more than 15 years of experience in the early care and education field, Laurin has served in various positions including pre-K teacher, center director, and quality and data analytics coordinator. In her current role, Laurin is responsible for oversight of safe environments, data management, ongoing monitoring, processes, and procedures for the Early Childhood Services team at YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. Laurin is passionate about finding innovative ways to incorporate data-informed decision-making into the work of early care and education to best serve children and families. "A Seat at the Table” is an award-winning podcast produced by Child Care Aware® of America, the nation's leading voice on child care. Listen and subscribe at www.childcareaware.org/TheTable.  

Episode 45 - Shari Greco Reiches is Co-Founder, Principal, and Chief Visionary Officer of Rappaport Reiches Capital Management, an independent SEC-registered investment advisor.  The firm was founded in 2005 to offer comprehensive financial planning and investment management. Shari is the architect of the firm's Maximize Your Return on Life Solution, which aligns clients' financial planning with their Core Values. She is a frequent speaker on financial planning and values, author of Maximize Your Return on Life - Invest Your Time and Money in What You Value Most, and enjoys mentoring women in the wealth management profession. Her advice has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Worth.com, CNBC.com, U.S. News & World Report, RealSimple.com, and Parade.com, among others. In addition, she is a favorite guest on "money" related podcasts, including Millennial Money and Money Nerds. Certified in Applied Behavioral Finance, Shari brings more than 30 years of experience in wealth management. Consistent with her Core Value of giving back to the community, she has served in numerous roles in civic and non-profit organizations. Shari was previously Vice-Chair and Board Member of the Illinois State Board of Investments (ISBI), a $23 billion pension system. She has been active in the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, the Chicago Foundation for Women, and the Medical Research Institute Council (now known as the Children's Research Fund). She also serves on the Evanston, Illinois Finance and Budget Committee. To learn more about Shari, go here: https://sharigrecoreiches.com/.  WEALTH: Not getting enough clients? GO TO: www.CSIFG.com Book a FREE 15 minute Client Acquisition Consultation with Carter or one of his team members. HEALTH: Low on energy or overweight? Go towww.chemicalfreebody.com/enrichersand grab GREEN 85 Juice Formula or book a FREE 30-minute Health Strategy Session with Tim or one of his coaches.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we hear lessons from the C-Suite with Dorri McWhorter, President and CEO of YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.  Dorri shares how both heart work and head work have been integrated in her leadership approach across various industries and roles throughout her career.  She gives a behind the scenes look of her day-to-day responsibilities as a CEO, and shares her approach and inspiration for creating and communicating the vision and strategy she sets for her organization. We discuss the importance of having an intentional and compassionate people strategy to achieve organizational goals, and Dorri shares her insights on the current “great resignation” and future of work. The theme of tapping into your authenticity as a leader resonates throughout our discussion.  Listen in as Dorri shines bright as a Black Woman Leading role model for our community. Guest Bio  Dorri McWhorter became President and CEO of YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago in August 2021. Prior to joining the YMCA, Dorri served for 8 years as the CEO of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago transforming the organization from a traditional social service organization to 21st Century social enterprise. Increasing impact and organizational sustainability, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago's operating budget grew from $10.5 million in 2013 to a $38 million operating budget for FY 2022. The organization has been an active contributor to many critical initiatives across the region, and under Dorri's leadership, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago expanded its service footprint to 10 new locations, completed seven mergers and acquisitions, implemented paid family leave and developed a retirement plan to include retirement options for thousands of childcare providers and small business owners. Dorri led the effort to develop an exchange traded fund (ETF) for women's empowerment (NYSE: WOMN) in partnership with Impact Shares, which is the first non-profit investment advisor to develop an ETF product. Dorri was included in the inaugural list of “The Blue Network”, comprised of the top 100 innovators in Chicago, by Chicago Tribune's Blue Sky Innovation and recognized by Good City Chicago receiving its Innovative Leader Award. Dorri is a 2019 Inductee in the Chicago Innovation Hall of Fame. Dorri prides herself on being a socially-conscious business leader and is committed to creating an inclusive marketplace by leveraging a cross-sector approach of engaging business, civic and community partners. Dorri has a breadth of professional experience across a variety of businesses and industries. She was a partner at Crowe Horwath, LLP, one of the largest accounting firms in the U.S.. She also held senior positions with Snap-on Incorporated and Booz Allen Hamilton. Dorri serves on the Board of Directors for Lifeway Foods, William Blair Funds and Skyway Concession Company (Chicago Skyway).  Dorri's civic and philanthropic leadership includes the board of directors for the Chicago Center for Arts and Technology, 1871 (Technology Business Accelerator), Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Civic Consulting Alliance, Civic Federation, and Forefront. She is also a member of the Illinois Charitable Trust Board. Dorri received a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master of business administration degree from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Lake Forest College. Connect with Dorri: LinkedIN personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorrimcwhorter/ LinkedIn company:  linkedin.com/company/ymca-of-metropolitan-chicago Instagram company: instagram.com/YMCAChicago Instagram personal:instagram.com/chiccpa Twitter company:  twitter.com/YMCAChicago Twitter personal: twitter.com/chicCPA Facebook company: facebook.com/YMCAChicago Web: ymcachicago.org Credits: Learn more about the  Black Woman Leading™ learning experience at http://blackwomanleading.com/ Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com Instagram: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights  Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Podbay

Our new season kick-off episode features an illuminating interview with Ulta CEO Dave Kimbell. Ulta has become one of the most remarkable growth stories in all of retail, growing from a small regional player to an $8 billion powerhouse with more than 1,300 stores and an expanding presence within Target. Dave discusses the brand's evolution and some of the keys to their success, including a relentless focus on the customer (instead of channels), the importance of human-connection and story telling and why physical stores remain critical to their growth strategy.But first we give a shout-out to each other and many of our friends and past podcast guests who were named to ReThink's Top Retail Influencer list. We then take on the big retail news from the past week starting with the monthly US Commerce Department Retail sales data, which were very strong despite many misleading headlines. We also discuss Walmart's new wholesale partnership with two buzzy digitally native brands. AboutDave was named Chief Executive Officer in June 2021 after having previously served as President since December 2019, Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer since March 2015 and Chief Marketing Officer since February 2014. Prior to joining Ulta Beauty, he served as Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President at U.S. Cellular, Chief Marketing Officer of Seventh Generation, Vice President of Marketing at PepsiCo, and held a number of brand management roles in the Beauty Division of The Procter and Gamble Company from 1995 to 2001. Dave currently serves on the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago and Chicago lights, and is a member of The Economic Club of Chicago.October 2021 Ulta Investor Day Presentation About UsSteve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  ,      The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext!  You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! 

Rabbi Yehiel Poupko is the Senior Scholar at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, and key figure in interfaith dialogue in America. But even more he is a member of a distinguished rabbinic family with ties to some of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, from Rav Mordechai Gifter to Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. Join Rabbi Matanky in this conversation of as they discuss his experiences with great leaders, Rav Soloveitchik's guidance when dealing with other faiths, and even Rabbi Poupko's latest publication, a book of poetry entitled "What is Lost."

The YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago has been around for nearly 170 years, and some of that age is showing. The place where you can play basketball, learn to swim, get child care, or even find temporary housing has seen membership decline even before the pandemic. The Y's new leader, Dorri McWhorter, says the organization needs to ask communities what they need, and be a place where they feel they belong. We talk to McWhorter about her plans for the Y.  Guest: Dorri McWhorter — President and CEO, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago Good News: Where to recycle your Christmas tree REFERRALS! Tell your friends about City Cast Chicago and we'll send you some swag. Just email us: chicago@citycast.fm that you told friends and we'll send you swag! Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicago Sign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steven Nasatir, the legendary President of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago for 40 years, talks to our own David Bernstein about antisemitism on the far left and how the Jewish community should navigate the current moment. The underlying ideology is "not a good road for America, it's not a good road for Jews," he states.

As much as we wish things were different, young people engaged in organizing and advocacy work often need the support of accomplices to make sure they make it past the gatekeepers to the “adult” world — which is where this time's “Gathering Ground” guests come in. Tony Alvarado-Rivera and Keisha Farmer-Smith work with Chicago Freedom School, a Chicago institution that creates new generations of critical thinkers who use their unique experiences and power to create a just world.The work of the Freedom School has spanned almost 15 years and has earned it the Mary F. Morten Award for Justice at Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago's BYOBrunch for Public Health. A little later in the episode, we also hear from Karen A. Reitan, President and CEO of PHIMC, about why CFS was chosen for this honor.

Megan Mathias is the Founder of Lopp Mathias Law, she represents business owners with challenges relating to corporate governance, employment issues, shareholder disputes, Family Law disputes and contract issues. Megan talks about how entrepreneurial knowledge and creating a united culture is important in building a good law firm. She talks about how her law firm started out as a virtual service and how that benefit both the clients and lawyers. Megan also talks about how she was able to manage her time in a season where she had to juggle a lot of responsibilities. They also talk a bit about political issues that need to be addressed and some of Megan's positions on issues as a candidate for Alderman. Timestamps:How it's like to start a legal office virtually (4:03)Educating yourself on entrepreneurship even as a lawyer (9:03)Time Management techniques - delegating tasks and investing on people (13:01)Political philosophy and issues that must be resolved (16:54) “It's not that I'm a superwoman although there are days I feel like I had to be a superwoman to get through that. But it's also about hiring the right people... outsourcing the things that you're not good at. I know what I'm great at. I know what I'm not great at. I'll still get it done but it may not be my hands on it.” - Megan Mathias Megan MathiasWebsite: https://www.loppmathiaslaw.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoppMathiasLaw/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmathias/ Megan Mathias, Founder of LOPP MATHIAS LAW Family LawBio: Megan Mathias is a fierce advocate and compassionate defender of the rights of entrepreneurs, women, children, and BIPOC. After 14 years lawyering for mid to large size law firms, becoming a Partner, and winning over $70 million in commercial and family law cases, Megan knew it was time for a change. Increasingly frustrated with the inefficiencies she saw in large law firms, and not happy with their prioritization of billable hours over-delivering value and results for her clients, Megan knew she could do much better.She decided to create her own firm, Lopp Mathias Law, driven by her values, her standards, and her integrity. To that end, Megan created an innovative and fast-growing firm of like-minded attorneys. She incorporated state of the art technology for document automation and assembly, better billing practices and alternative fee arrangements to reduce legal fees for her clients. Driven by efficiency and effectiveness, Megan also designed her firm to provide a wide array of specialized legal services through her unique Affiliate Network without the typical law firm overhead and passes those cost savings onto her clients. She is committed to being a loyal and long-term partner for her clients, as she guides them through challenging legal periods in their lives with skill and compassion.Megan has been recognized for her sophisticated representation in trade secret and other cases involving complex e-discovery issues and forensic analysis of electronically stored information. Megan co-chairs the Seventh Circuit Council on Data Privacy and Digital Information.Megan is dedicated to her community. She serves on the Boards of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, Coalition of Women's Initiatives in Law, FLASH (Force of Lawyers Against Sexual Harassment), and the Filament Theater.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmathias/Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at feedback@1958lawyer.com Episode Transcript:Ron Bockstahler  0:28  Hello and welcome to the show the 1958 lawyer where we talk about the changing landscape in the legal industry. Our guest today is Megan Mathias founding partner of Mathias law. She represents business owners with challenges relating to corporate governance, employment issues, shareholder disputes, Family Law disputes and contract issues. And you're gonna have a lot of fun listening to Megan, she's got a ton of energy and she's done just a million things and we really want to find out how she does it. Also, she's an advocate for women and black indigenous and people of color. She sits on many boards, including the YWCA Metropolitan of Chicago, lifespan building, elementary school is co chair of the steering committee, state courts, small case project teams for the Seventh Circuit, electronic mess that Megan you're gonna have, tell us about that. Okay. And now she's decided she's gonna run for the 45th Ward alderman in Chicago to make where she lives a better place. Megan, welcome to the show.Megan Mathias  1:20  Thank you. Thanks so much. Thanks for having me.Ron Bockstahler  1:22  All right, let's get started with Where'd you come from? And how did you get to where you're at? Let's start from the beginning. Because you got to goMegan Mathias  1:28  from a small town in Michigan, very small Tom dirt road, even my mom still lives on the same dirt road. first generation college students sell through college at Michigan State and then came to Chicago in 2000, for law school, and obviously got through law school, and was practicing and bigger firms for a significant portion of my career. But I always one of the only females, I was one of the only females in litigation and a big firm, then I went to a smaller firm where I was one of the only female partners. And I thought, since I was, you know, higher up on this on the hierarchy, that I would have some more impact on some of the things I cared about. But it's still hard in law firms are like big institutions with their own culture and their own rules. And I'm a disrupter. So I didn't, it wasn't the same that I that I how I wanted to practice. So even the marketing people would come to me and say, we're having trouble kind of getting your message with the rest of the firm. So I compensated people differently. I ran my teams differently. I wanted to use different technology. So anyway, in 2018, I started my own practice.Ron Bockstahler  2:33  Let's talk about your own practice. Because in 2020, your you won an award from legal tech, what did you win? And why did you win it? And what are you doing differently?Megan Mathias  2:40  It's an American technology award, because I've been working on legal tech for quite some time, as I sat on the steering committee for the Seventh Circuit used to be called pilot program for ediscovery. And it is the group that helps form the rules that were adopted by most jurisdictions around the country and how you handle electronic information. So in any litigation, it's important. So of course, now photos, and everything has metadata attached to it, how you manage that in litigation is obviously really important. So that was the starting of getting involved in technology as it relates to the legal field, you know, 10 or 15 years ago, whenever that was, and then it's now like I said, when I started my own firm, we were already paperless, I started it with a completely different model business model, I compensate the lawyers differently. Like the whole, everything I do is different. And I think better and faster and more efficient and allows me to get flexibility to my clients. And you know, there were some bumps along the way, you know, I learned a lesson here or there as to you know, why the business model what the downside of some of these models are, I understand it, but I think it's worth the risk and clients know now. I mean, they know they're looking for flexibility, even big clients, they want to know that you're monitoring and you have metrics around some of your productivity and how you bill and that kind of thing. So it's beenRon Bockstahler  3:58  okay, so give me some let's get into the meat so it's different. What exactly are you doing different?Megan Mathias  4:03  So pre COVID we started in 2018. I started a paperless office, everything was virtual anyway, so my lawyers can work from anywhere. One of my struggles and bigger firms is that you have service partners, all of whom I like so I'm not talking trash about my old partners, but their job is to service the work that we the business developers bring in so there's some inefficiency there's they're pulling significant salaries that obviously impact your overhead but their job is not to go get business that was and so they're waiting there they like a specialist I was give this example is like a 409 a it's a complex tax issue that I know nothing about when to have a 409 expert you have you know person pulling a major salary and you're just have to go get the business to have this person working on it, or you I have contracts with even big firms that have specialists on the issues that I need for my clients and I can still operate full service but I don't have a couple million dollars in overhead sitting and waiting for me to bring them in. So I have some staff lawyers and but I use virtual assistants. And this was all pre COVID, virtual assistants, I use contractors, but I have contracts with them for quality standards and responsiveness and stuff like that. And then as it relates to more more complex and sophisticated issues, I have vendors, which are largely law firms and and that will handle those kind of issues. So it's a completely different business model.Ron Bockstahler  5:24  So when we talk about the business concept, you're using the practice management software, you're up in the cloud. So technology is kind of driving your firm, not the old school, we need 25 people sitting on staff to, you know, type a letter type thing, right, exactly. Right. Okay. Excellent. And that's working out? Well,Megan Mathias  5:39  it's working out well, in the bigger, more sophisticated clients really appreciate it. And they don't expect it because we're technically on paper, a small firm, but we're small but mighty, because we have, like I said, we have the full serve, we can cover any almost anything except for intellectual property speeds, and but in a sophisticated way, with the right kind of staff and a very thoughtful process. And as it relates to them, and also how we communicate with them. We have autobill technology, so it bills by the minute, so you're not getting over billed on accident with lawyers, like I think I spent 15 minutes on that kind of thing. We also have flexible billing arrangements. So because I have all these metrics, and I monitor them, I can offer flex that other firms can't because I use templating software, I can take a deal in for somebody raising, you know, capital round, and usually it's billable, but I can flat rate it, you know, 25 $40,000, and big firms are doing it an upwards of 100. And we're doing the same thing, but I use templating technology. And so it reduces my time and the cost and the clients love it. SoRon Bockstahler  6:44  So before you started your own firm, I think you might have did a little interview of how do I pivot to a corporate role? Right, and you will recall this. Yeah. And so you were thinking, I think at the time, I don't wanna put words in your mouth, but you wanted to be in the C suite and understand, you know, let's run a business. Obviously, you started your own firm, but you know, in what you just said to me, kind of maybe this is why we like each other so much, or at least I like you I don't know if you like me or not yet, as you know, I've run a large corporation, large corporation, and then my company now not midsize firm. And I believe in outsourcing anything you are not an expert at and doesn't matter. And I think law firms, if they would understand that, they'd be so much more successful, it's too many, I'm going to say I gotta go hire an employment lawyer, I'm gonna pay him, you know, start them at 80,000 a year, because I got a client that wants to do an employment instead of going finding a firm that's an expert at it and outsourcing it to them. It sounds like that's what you're doing. So basically, I think you've got that corporate experience by starting your own firmMegan Mathias  7:33  I did, and what we we call it now I didn't know how to put a word on what I do. So what clients will say to me is, wow, you're really holding my hand through this, taking a company. And sometimes when they're doing a capital around or an acquisition, it completely changes how things operate. If you have a transactional relationship with your lawyer, we're just doing the task and kind of moving on, you're not a fantastic lawyer, you're getting the job done. Okay? I say this a lot. It's not rocket science, some of it, but when you're in it with your client, so we're legal plus is what we call it, we're they need more than just your legal mind, they need you helping, I can redo your policy handbook and help you with these than that. But sometimes you need someone helping you come up with the processes within your company to make it more efficient to grow to go after a certain market to you know, because I have that I'm kind of entrepreneurial mind and mentality. It's like legal plus some say like a GC General Counsel plus your CEO, because you're helping from the C suite level, talk about strategy, all kinds of things that just a regular outside counsel doesn't provide. So we've started to put a word on it, because that's what people really need. And then COVID, they have to slash so much. A lot of our clients were, you know, just trying to survive, they need you to get in the dirt with them and really dig in and figure out how to survive what's happening. And that was when we realized, and that is our superpower here. So that's really one of our main offerings.Ron Bockstahler  8:55  So I read somewhere maybe on track like you, did you do a talk on cash flow, or teaching people or one of your Tell us about that? Because I don't think to me attorneys really understandMegan Mathias  9:03  that, right? They don't. And I remember as a young lawyer being like, I need to go get my MBA. There's definitely stuff here. I don't I need to know, I didn't go get my MBA, but IRon Bockstahler  9:12  learned you got it non job experience.Megan Mathias  9:15  Absolutely. They don't teach you anything like that in law school. And I have a business degree, but it was in marketing. So it wasn't it wasn't heavily focused on the financial. So you know, I represent a lot of small business owners too, especially when I went on my own. I started representing women and minority owned businesses and as the as its market because it's bigger firms. They trickle in, but I wanted to focus on it. And some everybody is when you're a new entrepreneur, for sure, you need help managing those kind of things. You don't you're not even aware that that's a thing and how do you get it? There's lots of ways to get through it and COVID that's on steroids. How do you manage your cash flow, I don't even know if I'm going to have any cash. So anyway, it's a skill that I have developed and learned that clients need it. They need you in the trenches with them and that includes managing cash flow. includes your people and other alternatives for or for that. So what we tell people even right now we work with people who will acquire other companies, and they may not want the legal department. So one thing we're really good at is this interim role. So they may for 1824 months not have a general counsel, and they might have five law firms, and I'm spending way too much money, it's inefficient, but they need a general counsel. So we stand up their legal department for 18 months, helping them with processes, bringing in the right technology people, we have relationships with vendors, and we can fill fill your legal department overnight if we needed to, but we can stand that up for you for 18 months while you get the right GC and you get the right, you know, structures and infrastructure in place. So that's been really great market for us.Ron Bockstahler  10:42  That's awesome. I mean, it's great to hear that there's for innovation that's going on, because you don't hear that a lot in the legal industry, although COVID accelerating things.Megan Mathias  10:49  Yeah, that sort of forced the hand. And that separated the cream from the crap as they say, I guess so. You know, we were doing trials right away on zoom, I did a trial, an international trial on zoom with the beginning of COVID. Like, like nothing. Our opponent was struggling with the process. So you know, I tell people, sometimes you went on process, sometimes you went on merit, and sometimes apparently you win if you're better than, oh, lead outs,Ron Bockstahler  11:14  don't let's kind of get into you've had some some challenges to say the least. You know, if you don't mind, I'd like for you to talk about some of the I mean, you've really got let's talk about even on your personal side, if you don't mind, because I want people understand this hasn't been easy. And there's a lot going on here. Yeah, there'sMegan Mathias  11:29  a lot I mean, come coming from a family where nobody wants to college. And, you know, I tell this example to people I went to law school and was like, why don't why don't people have business cards, I never really seen people using business cards until law school. I'm out of college with two college degrees. And I was confused, like, you know, because I don't have a parent to go say, Oh, this is how you network. You know, I learned I had to learn everything on the job. So when I hire I hire for grit because I've been through things I've been divorced, I filed for bankruptcy after my divorce, I got a DUI at one point in my life, it obliterated my self confidence It took years to get and I was so worried about, you know, my family, the whole thing, all of those things, looking back, you can learn from you can take that energy and use it for good. Or you can, you know, dig yourself a hole and stay in it for a while which you know, kind of whatever we feel like everybody's doing right now with COVID. But you know, I've learned to take those experiences and those challenges and find a way to find the silver lining, learn from those mistakes and grow. And so now when I hire lawyers, I look for grit, I don't look for mistakes, necessarily, but you learn from those life experiences. And if you can use it the right way. And you really do learn from it, instead of just put it under the rug, it really does bring you a different kind of mentality to the practice of law because now you can empathize with what your clients are going through instead of just like why are they making all these dumb mistakes? Now you're like, Oh, well, because we all do and how do we help them get out of it?Ron Bockstahler  12:57  Can you jump into time management for us because you got so many things going on? Yeah, that'sMegan Mathias  13:01  the thing. I have three kids, I have my law practice. I when my son My partner got sick a few years back with cancer, he was very sick for multiple years and passed away in 2019. In the middle of that I realized I needed to be closer to home. So I that's part of when I started my law firm in my neighborhood and the 45th word and, and managing my time I say to people now I don't feel busy. I felt really busy when I was taking care of my partner dying from cancer while having a three year old and a four year old and teenager and also trying to keep my law firm afloat and come up with all these new policies. I was also an elected at the time and I still am an elected local school council member for local elementary school in my neighborhood. I managed that that was time management right? You know, now I feel like I actually do feel I have the time for everything happening and it means you have to have the right team around you. It's not that I'm a superwoman although there are days I feel like oh, I had to be a superwoman to get through that. But it's also about hiring the right people like you talk about outsourcing the things that you're not good at. I know what I'm great at. I know what I'm not great at. I'll still get it done. But it might not be my hands on it. Right? So but then that's what I'm learning having the right team around you is its killer. It's the it's the way to get through everything. You might have a deal we do deals right transactions for clients, they might buy a company and want to do it in 60 days. That's, that's an undertaking, right? I have to have the right team and infrastructure for me to be able to get the client's needs done. And that applies across the board, including the kids, I became a single parent in 2019. It's a whole nother ballgame. You can't go to Walgreens because you can't get to get everybody in the car and go get it you know, some toilet paper. So you know, I've got some infrastructure around that now. And that applies professionally too. You just have to have the right team you have to invest in your team, make sure they're happy part of my law firm law firm culture is also completely different. We do team building events before COVID we were doing like escape rooms and which takes your hierarchy. And it's gone, because the people getting us out of the escape room. But believe me, it wasn't me. It's like the clerks, we got out of one of them because of a clerk, you know, a quiet clerk that was so sweet. never said a word. If he was like, backup, I got the sandal. Like, you know what, that's a nice way for you people to feel your humanity. And your team works, I think harder and more productive during the time that they're supposed to if they feel respected and taken care of. And so we care a lot about that around here.Ron Bockstahler  15:31  I will forget the name of the attorney. I was listening to his podcast or a podcast. It wasn't his but he's a big time personal injury attorney around the country out of Vegas, and you see his billboards everywhere. tu tu tu tu tu tu tu is his phone number. Anyway, turns out he was an Amata client when he first moved into Chicago, and I forgotten about that. But I listened to him. And I thought, you know, his father, he grew up went to prison when he was when he was five years old. And you just had a challenging life and kind of has the same the way you're talking to have grit. I want people that can just do work hard and figure it out. Right? Not gonna be the smartest person, right? And like you're saying, Go get people around you that are great. And don't act like you know, more than they do. Right? Yeah, let them do their thing. It's harderMegan Mathias  16:09  than it sounds. But it is, you know, that's its own skill. And sometimes you make mistakes there too. But it really does. You know, if you invest in people, it matters how they feel my I remember, as a young lawyer being told you're too nice to the staff. What are you talking about? My mom works at the fruit market. Okay, I don't treat people that, you know, like, like that we are salt of the earth people. And now I know, because in some places, the lawyers are the lawyers and the staff isn't staff. I'm not like that. I still have Thanksgiving every year with a woman that was my secretary for eight years. We are best buds is you know, it's not hierarchical like that. So I think it matters how you treat people. And that applies to my my company and my clients and the political world, especially where I liveRon Bockstahler  16:54  with politics. Let's talk politics, you've taken on a huge challenge. Now you're going to run for automated the 45th. Ward. Tell us about that. Let's talk a little bit about your platform. Yeah,Megan Mathias  17:03  like a Simon elected already. And then in the community, I do a lot of community work, I deliver food for housing and home and food insecurity families on the weekends, and we've been doing a lot of work for for many years, and the community, they've been asking me to get involved for quite some time. But I told you earlier, I had to take care of my family. Obviously, in the interim, we we've had some leadership changes that have been difficult for my community. So I stepped up in response to community, you know, essentially begging and like we need someone to get in there and, and essentially respect people's opinions. So just what I learned with my law firm over the past, whatever, 18 years, this applies to politics to we're never going to all agree on everything, right. And if you're the type of person that's not going to respect someone else's opinion, you're going to create divisiveness. We already have divisiveness. So I'm going way overboard, trying to learn and listen to all sides of every issue is not just two sides. It's anything and trying to bring that kind of leadership. So the 45th word. So let'sRon Bockstahler  18:07  I mean, everyone has skeletons in the closet, at least in my history. I know I do. So what's the worst thing that your opponent's gonna find out about you and getting put out there? Let's put it out right now?Megan Mathias  18:16  Well, we, I've talked about 100 podcasts, there's nothing about thinking that you can find that I haven't talked about that justice podcast, but you know, interviews and, you know, articles and whatever, over this span of time because I I talk about grit in terms of how I started my company, because of what I went through. Right. So I've already talked about it today, you know, having to file bankruptcy as a young person that was just getting divorced, and it was $15,000 with spout felt like a mountain at that age. I look back I'm like, wow, you know, that was probably, you know, that was hard. It was embarrassing. that follows you for a decade. So those kind of things I'm sure going to come up but but I'm a real authentic person. So I'm not worried about that. I'm sure maybe some strategists are, but I think it is what it is right. And you make mistakes, and you can either own it or you can hide from it. So I own mine. I learned from them. And and i'm i've learned not to put myself in situations like that to repeat them.Ron Bockstahler  19:12  So I've heard you said just one on one you and I've talked and I know you got some vision you got you got things you want to do. Let's talk about what your vision is for the 45th ward. I wouldMegan Mathias  19:20  love to see the all Germans office focus on our schools as sitting on that policy. You know, I have learned first of all how complex and hard it is to run a public school. I don't run it I just participate in and it's it's hard. I helped the school forum, the tech committee, thank goodness about a year before COVID because I love tech. Obviously I want to bring innovation to the Ottomans office too. But that that's a real issue, especially now. I mean, the schools are the foundation of a neighborhood what the schools are going for going through because of COVID. It's transformational, how they, how they handle it and how our kids are going to come out of it and I have one at every level. I have a kindergartener, a second grader and a junior in high school. So how the schools are able to navigate, it's gonna matter how my kids come out of this with how much therapy they need, right? I mean, it really does matter. And we're not focusing a lot on that. And I think it would be really important. But another issue that is really important in my word is both development and the lack of investment in the in the community. So there's the main thoroughfare fare going through, the word is dead. There's a lot of vacancy, but no one's working on it. When you ask my opponent, what's the vision to get these small businesses, you know, supported and people back out? You know, when invigorator Award, he won't answer that question. And I'm here to say I have a big plan. As you can see, I think big, maybe too big, I'm sure someone will say that's ridiculous. Let's tone it down. But you've got to come in with a plan and advocate and work hard and think about it and actually wait for something to land on your desk. So that's what I want to do was put together a vision for the ward, listen to community voice work, really, that's going to be hard. I'm not saying just walk around, and everyone agrees with me. So I know that's a hard process. But if you start that now, I'm not in the office yet. I won't be the older person until February 2023. But I'm starting now with a plan and how do you listen? How what are the models that have been successful around the country for listening to community voice? How do you put that together? who's involved? What's that look like? So I think the community I know the community, they're hungry for it. They want to be listened to and respected. Talk toRon Bockstahler  21:27  me a little bit about COVID-19 vaccinations, masking, I don't even know what if the school policies you have to mass correct. That's a state policy, right?Megan Mathias  21:34  Yeah. Yep. CPS are going to be in person and everybody mass. So I mean, I don't know what the Delta bear if there's going to be some kind of change in that. But there's I also think our leadership could have been better there too, especially in my neighborhood, I was as a regular private citizen organizing and transporting people to their COVID vaccinations, you know, it was a little bit like cricket sometimes, like, why can't we get why isn't my opponent before he was my opponent helping me? Why am I doing this? You know, with my with friends, and volunteers and neighbors and other electeds helping me find people that needed a vaccine, how do you get someone to coordinate to get both make their appointment, because that's the thing for people who don't aren't great at computers, half of the appointment systems were virtual. So you'd have to go and help them make the appointment and then arrange the transportation to go pick them up, wait for them. And some people were waiting hours at a time to get their appointment, get him back home, and then do it again for the second one. So that was a lot of work that that was I think the government should have been doing that. But I was doing that.Ron Bockstahler  22:34  Let's talk about being an alderman because you're 50 alderman in Chicago, there are so you remember back in the day when Daly was there. And if he didn't have a 50 to zero vote on what's something he put out in front? Like he might have had a 49 to one I was like, Whoa, someone disagreed? That's changed a little bit, because we actually see that there's a little independent thinking going on. Can you talk to a little bit about you know how, because you're obviously not going to be a rubber stamp, not the wallflower. Yeah, you're not gonna be the wallflower. But how are you going to handle that? How you can handle being, you know, one of 50 working with the mayor?Megan Mathias  23:02  Yeah, it's a tough job, but I'm good at collaborating. So what I say to people is they say, oh, you're this tough lawyer. You're good at like the fight. I am good at the fight. We're great at the fight, actually. But you resolve things 99% of the time, it needs to be resolved. It's not the case you take to trial even when you're a great lawyer because I love to take stuff to trial. I love trial work. I love being in the courtroom. It's where like all it's like, what my passion is really it's illegal. So but that's not always the best result for anybody for the clients, especially. So how do you take a complex issue when people are on fire? They're, you know, emotionally charged. They've been going at it, they're spending too much money litigating. They're just in a nasty place. How do you take that and find a solution? That's what I do every day. And and City Council's a little bit like that there are people complain that that the mayor is able to sort of manhandle the council, because she's good at the rules, but she's good at the rules. And I say to people, then learn the rules, and that you know, straight I don't walk in accordance hope someone doesn't object to my piece of evidence I've studied for weeks, I know what you're gonna object, I know how I'm gonna answer. I don't know how I'm gonna win, because I brought the case law. So that's sort of how you have to approach the job. And I know that's not everybody's thing. But I guess that's my mentality is how you both collaborate, but also anticipate and politic and think a little bit ahead how we're going to get get past an objection or emotion of the table. Something, you know, think a little bit about that and work with your colleagues on it. So I think that's a really important piece. So IRon Bockstahler  24:29  asked you all I said, are you up to this challenge? And you said I was born for this?Megan Mathias  24:34  Yeah, I do feel like I've been preparing, sharpening the skills my whole career for this job. Because it is it is complex. It is both constituent services, where I think there needs to be more technology, managing the Office of the aldermen and how calls come in and what's being done about them and looking at those metrics, but it also is the legislative portion of our job, and how you're Want to approach what the community needs, how you're going to listen to the community voice, there's menu money that every alderman gets every year. And you get to decide what to use that and some people listen to the community and others just decide. So there's hybrid models that you can both listen to the community. And but yet you make the decision, I think it's a better way to approach it. Because it's not just me, I'm, I'm merely a reflection of the community. I'm supposed to be your representative, whether you voted for me or not, which is apparently an issue in my work, where if you didn't vote for someone, you may not get the attention, or you're thinking your whole dress bottle. I don't want to be like that. You know what I'm trying to say it again,Ron Bockstahler  25:36  you can't get bottles fixed, or you can't get your garbage taken, taken out? Oh, yeah.Megan Mathias  25:39  Yeah, I could, yeah, I want it to be I'm listening. And I'm, you know, we're not going to hold grudges, we're going to move forward, we're going to find a way. And if you need assistance with your pothole, or or, you know, trimming a tree, or whatever's happening in your house, it's not going to matter. Well, when I'm the older person who you voted for,Ron Bockstahler  25:57  if we talk about politics on a little bit bigger picture and keep and kind of focused on technology, you know, how can we use technology to get more people to the polls?Megan Mathias  26:05  Yeah, I would say it's not just technology, it's also innovative thinking. So there went hand in hand. So some of what I do, it's not even the technology. It's the way we think about things. So I think that the same way, we're doing our mark kickoff on our campaign on national voter registration day, because I think voter registration should be everywhere. It should be, you know, you go to the store, and there's the voter registration reminder. And you know, because more people involved is better, there's 55,000 people will right now or redistricting, but right now, there's 55,000 people in the ward for the new numbers come out, and only 14,800 vote for the older person. So you really should, from a metric standpoint, have more people involved. So you know, you're representing what the community really wants, right. So that includes, that's just the basics of voting. So there's lots of new technology out, there's lots of energy around voter registration. And I think it's really important to keep that going.Ron Bockstahler  27:02  change gears a little bit, let's talk about a couple of organizations where you sit on the board. And I think cuz you got a couple of really good interesting ones that you work with. And if you got one you want to talk about Otherwise, I'll just I satMegan Mathias  27:12  on the board of the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago for many years, I recently resigned because they have a lot of business with Chicago. And I didn't want that to be an issue in my race. So I actually just stepped off the board. But their mission was empowering women and eliminating racism, both things I care deeply about. And they have so many wonderful people, they serve more than 200,000 families in the in the Chicagoland area. They're a really great organization that I sat, I literally cried when I resigned because it's really a passion of mine. I also sit on the board of lifespan, which is an organization that is long standing, and it's been fighting domestic violence and human trafficking for a very long time. I even help with bigger pieces, because those trying to trials are tough, and you don't want to miss miss a beat. And sometimes you have big scary opponents. Right? So you need the team. And so I've been doing that work for a long time. And I care passionately about that there is no excuse for domestic violence.Ron Bockstahler  28:10  And are you still working with the coalition of women's initiatives in law? Yeah, I'veMegan Mathias  28:14  been a member for probably more than a decade at this point. And I sought them out because like I said earlier, I was always the only female in my area where I was working. And that was many law firm, different law firms, I still had that challenge. And I always felt like I needed some support. So I went to the coalition, like I said more than 10 years ago, and it's about creating policies to help women feel empowered, and really break through the glass ceiling. And that group was an is still is just really amazing. So when I went on my own, and then my partner was sick. And I actually was like, wow, I need the village today. So I had the village because I've been working with people for so long that it finally finally all came back. And that's how I felt about the groups. I've been in the my community. My community stepped up for me when we needed it when my kids needed it when my partner was sick, and I'm trying to get the hospice and we can't get dinner and someone needs to bring the kids somewhere, my community stepped up for me. So I've learned that these decades of work in the community giving back it comes full circle when you need it.Ron Bockstahler  29:20  That's awesome. That's great to hear. I'm glad that they were there for you. Let's kind of take it back. And we're kind of running out of time. So I will give you a minute to talk about any last things you want to communicate. But before we get to that I want to ask one question is what's the one thing in the legal profession that you would like to see changed? Me instabilityMegan Mathias  29:36  is an issue. There's so many things it's but instability is very, it's very hard when it's hard to deal with because, well, when I was a young lawyer, I wanted to I had my natural tendency, my personality, as you can tell is I'm not going to step down to a belief but that's not how you handle that in a courtroom. Obviously, I say this to people a lot. I often have to listen to somebody lying to the judge or You know, misrepresenting what's happening here without, you know, launching in the woods, you know, a bunch of swear words when you're a young lawyer and someone's treating you a certain way, and they're treating you a certain way because you're female, and they think they can intimidate you or whatever. So it's it's instability, but also other issues, I helped form a group called flash, which is force of lawyers against sexual harassment, there's been some, there's a lot of that in the industry, which doesn't get talked about. So I'm in a number of groups that are fighting that issue and, and working really hard, hard on it. So that's much worse than different than instability. But it's the truth how you're treated as a lawyer. That sounds like a first world problem, but it really is horrible to go through it. I know many, many of my friends that have gone through it, and how do you handle it in the moment? You know, are you dealing with a partner who has authority over you? Are you going to lose your job? It's going to look bad? Do you sue someone I mean, it's there's a lot that can just derail your whole career because you were sexually harassed. And then the day to day incivility just generally, is the thing I think the legal industry really needs to take on how women are treated specifically in a courtroom, you know, opposing counsels, undermining you with things like okay, sweetheart, and the way I addressed that is like, okay, you're gonna eat those words later. And across cleaning it, but but there is a real serious problem that we have. And now we're starting to talk about it more. My the flash group has been really, really great at articles and getting male allies in and we're having, we're asking people in firms to sign pledges to deal with when things come up, because it's serious, and it needs to be addressed right away, because it can derail the careers of all these women.Ron Bockstahler  31:37  So are you seeing an improvement? Is there are we getting better?Megan Mathias  31:40  I think I see a lot of awareness raising, I do think I don't know if it's getting better, because everybody doesn't report but we hear a lot about it, because we're allowed about that. So and we have mentors assigned people to help them navigate things. I do think that having more people aware that this is going on, and is a really important development. So I always try to stay positive and optimistic. And I do think we're making progress there.Ron Bockstahler  32:05  So I lied. That was supposed to be my last question. But you know, my next question is, are we seeing a crack in the glass ceiling for women, minorities in law?Megan Mathias  32:13  We are, I mean, the metrics aren't great. So we get these reports out from the National Association of Women lawyers, for example. And sometimes you're like, wow, that's brutal. But now there's more than 50% of people graduating from law schools are female, there's a lot of movement towards genuine diversity and inclusion programs within law firms still tough. It's still It's why I have pink walls at my firm because we send a message. But I do think there's been some a lot of progress made, and people are very aware, and the clients are now demanding it, which is killer, because before the clients are demanding it, you're sort of barking up a tree when clients are demanding it and you're saying, look, you can you can potentially get more work or whatever, you can make the business case for diversity, unfortunately. And they now it's people are more aware. And so I do think we're making Alright,Ron Bockstahler  33:01  but your clients are demanding it. And I know we're gonna run short on time, but you just keep I love talking to you. You're You're wonderful. Now, let's talk about the Coca Cola GC. Remember, when he demanded law firms had I think it's 20%, he was looking for a minority representation. And you know, three months later, he's gone. So are they really? Do they really? Are they able to do it? Or do we still have the old boy network at the back, you know, in the back of the room, still kind of dictating What's going on?Megan Mathias  33:24  Yeah, oh, there's definitely the old boy network, for sure. In Chicago is different than other places, you know, even in counties in Illinois, that's a whole different ballgame. But, but I do think it's making a difference. Because you can also say, in addition to why you should do this, morally, ethically, and just because you're a good human, you should also expect to get more business because some clients are, and I work a lot with younger, more diverse companies, with younger leaders, and people are absolutely demanding it at that level. So it just kind of depends on the playground you're in and my playground includes a lot of women and people of color. So we're we all demanded and expected and it's really, really fun to work with a really diverse team that gets it.Ron Bockstahler  34:07  Well, I'm glad that you're out there people like you're out there. Of course, four of my six children are women or young lady, so you know, I'm looking for a better life from them for them. So more power, I hope we would make some major changes. Thank you.Megan Mathias  34:18  Thanks for the opportunity to speak with you. What's fun,Ron Bockstahler  34:20  absolutely is there you want to leave the audience with like one final thought with your candidacy for the 45th Ward, your law firm, anything you want. Well, weMegan Mathias  34:28  love to help. Like I said companies run by forward thinkers. So we have a full service firm that can help in run even, you know, latest NGC plus do type work. It's my favorite thing to do these days. And as it relates to my word I just want to meet I want to shake everybody's hand in the whole world. And listen, that's what I'm on my listening tour right now. So I want to hear from everyone. So check us out at Megan for 45th word thatRon Bockstahler  34:53  calm. Awesome, Megan. Thanks for joining us today. It's great having you on love your insight and best of luck on the campaign.Megan Mathias  34:59  Thanks so much. appreciate your support.Ron Bockstahler  35:01  Thanks, everyone joining us today, we will talk to you again next week. I believe we are talking about family planning estate planning next week. So look forward to a great show next week. All right, that's it.Megan Mathias  35:10  Awesome. Thanks so much. Awesome. Cool.Ron Bockstahler  35:12  Doctor, I just love talking to you. So I think, Oh, thankMegan Mathias  35:14  you. That was really cool. I appreciate the opportunity.Ron Bockstahler  35:17  You've got so much going for you. I learned a lot about you today. So that's really cool, happy to help in any way we can. Also, when you get more when things are rolling, or you want to do it we can have I know when people run for judge, we did some fundraising, or introduction parties at the Summer centers. Let's do it. That was kind of fun. Yeah, know how that helps you.Megan Mathias  35:35  I'm in these groups that kind of bubbled up during COVID to help all the lawyers figure everything out. I think it would be cool for you to come and speak one day to those group of Lady lawyers. They're all Family Law Attorneys, like there's like 60 in the group, but usually, like 2025 show up every Wednesday, on the calendar. And I think he has some claims out of it.Ron Bockstahler  35:54  I mean, I want you know, for me, it's more about getting clients about changing the practice of law. This is this is my passion is I really want to make practicing law say easier, more enjoyable, so we can get legal services to the 74% of Americans who can't afford them. Absolutely. You know, we just got to change the way things are done. And that's kind of what the premise of what we're doing. SoMegan Mathias  36:12  Awesome. Well, great. I look. All right. I'll see you in a few weeks.Ron Bockstahler  36:16  Sounds good. Okay, bye. Bye. Bye. Transcribed by https://otter.ai

The Legacy Project was inspired the first time the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt was shown at the National March on Washington for LGBTQ Civil Rights in 1987 to answer the question “Who would remember those who came before us when we were gone?” Some 34 years later The Legacy Project under the leadership of Executive Director Victor Salvo continues to illuminate and affirm the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people to honor their experiences and accomplishments; to collect and preserve their contributions to world history and culture; to educate and inspire the public and young people, and to assure an inclusive and equitable future. Some of the activities like the Legacy Wall, a one-of-a-kind, digitally-interactive, traveling exhibit has had to be shelved, tours of the Legacy Walk have resumed with smaller groups and social distancing in place. The Legacy Project Education Initiative was launched in conjunction with partners at Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago, and Equality Illinois. It offers a new search portal to help teachers create a classroom experience which meets the requirements of Illinois's new Inclusive Curriculum Law

Kashif Shaikh is the Co-Founder and President of Pillars Fund. In 2010, Kashif and a small group of Muslim philanthropists founded Pillars to strategically organize wealth within their communities and support American Muslim civic institutions and leaders building a more just, equitable society. For the next five years, Kashif volunteered his time and resources to grow and lead Pillars. In 2016, he was asked to be Pillars' first full-time executive director and transitioned Pillars from a volunteer-run fund to a fully operational foundation. Under his leadership, Pillars has invested more than $6 million in Muslim community organizations and initiatives to build collective power and transform what is possible for Muslims in the United States. At the heart of Kashif's career in philanthropy is a dedication to promoting racial equity and creating opportunities for Muslims and people of color to tell their stories through art. Prior to launching Pillars, Kashif was a program officer at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, where he helped manage a portfolio of more than $20 million and helped scale a variety of Chicago nonprofits working at the intersection of racial justice, poverty, and education. He also managed the Foundation's corporate partnerships and helped develop corporate social responsibility strategies for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Blackhawks, and Chicago Bulls. His career began at the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, where he developed strategies to engage the organization's largest corporate partners. Kashif's expert insight on Muslims in philanthropy has been cited in The New York Times, Buzzfeed, and Chicago Sun Times, among others. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Peabody Awards, Chicago Humanities Festival, and Mortar, a nonprofit based in his home town of Cincinnati that helps entrepreneurs from historically marginalized communities access resources to start and run successful businesses. He has been named a Philanthropy Forward Fellow by the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions and Neighborhood Funders Group, a New Profit Civic Lab Entrepreneur, and an Ambassadors for Health Equity Fellow. In 2017, Crain's Chicago Business named him to their 40 Under 40 list. Kashif holds a BA from Ohio State University and MA from Northwestern University

Daniel Godwin is the Executive Director of the Public Affairs at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, and the Jewish Community Relations Council. Join Rabbi Matanky as the talk about the items on the Jewish agenda, how we work together and even the challenges of those things that keep us apart.

Helen Bloch is the founder of the Law Offices of Helen Bloch, P.C., and it is a certified female owned business. She has over 20 years of legal experience. After graduating from law school, Helen worked as a prosecutor and defense attorney for the City of Chicago. She then worked as an Associate Attorney with Bellows and Bellows, P.C., before founding her firm. Helen works with a diverse range of clients, from fortune 500 executives to employees, and including large corporations to small family owned businesses. She has practiced in state and federal courts, and in arbitration forums, including the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. She often works with senior executives to negotiate their employment and severance agreements, and negotiating non competes and non solicits. Helen also has extensive worker's compensation practice. She routinely lectures on legal and business topics, including gender roles in the law. In addition to her legal work, Helen is heavily involved in her community. She is the past President of the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, which awarded her the Presidential Citation in 2015 and the Intra Society Award of Merit in 2001. And she is a member of several other associations. She is also a member of the Lawyers Division of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, a life member of Hadassah, and a member of AIPAC. Helen received her JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law, IIT, and received her BA from Yeshiva University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Learn more: https://www.blochpc.com/

Tino Mantella joined Turknett Leadership as President and CEO in October of 2018. Over the course of his career, he has led some of the nation's largest non-profit organizations as well as for-profit companies in diversified fields such as human and social services, health, and technology. Under his guidance, the Technology Association of Georgia and the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago became the largest institutions of their kind in North America. His track record of accelerating impact related to the lives of people, the congruity of teams, and the effectiveness of organizations is evident in his national publication recognized reputation of being a versatile, innovative leader. His current focus is on seeing that the Turknett mission of ‘spreading leadership character around the globe' is carried out to its fullest extent to impact a greater number of people and leaders.   Discussion Topics How Tino first realized his passion for leadership, coaching, and mentorship. Some of his greatest influences were growing up that shaped his direction and focus on social impact through nonprofit leadership in his early career. How working at the YMCA in inner-city Chicago and helping gang members escape tumultuous circumstances has shaped his views on leadership. The importance of leaders thinking differently about diversity and inclusion. How Tino's deep experience as an expective in the nonprofit world informed how he leads his for-profit organization towards having an important social impact. The importance of people finding causes they're most passionate about and going deep in terms of how they serve using their time, talent, and resources for good. Follow/Get In Touch https://www.linkedin.com/in/tino-mantella https://twitter.com/TurknettLG    https://www.linkedin.com/company/turknett-leadership-group   https://www.facebook.com/TurknettLeadershipGroup  Presented By B Local G Georgia: a collection of for-profit companies each dedicated to creating a future where businesses operate as a positive influence on society Inspiredu: Nonprofit Leaders Bridging The Digital Divide AppBarry: Custom Web And Mobile Application Development Classic City Consulting: WordPress Website Development Stratfield Consulting: Consulting, Staffing, Recruiting See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode Alan Solow a former advisor on Middle East policy to President Obama and the Obama Administration joins me for a dynamic conversation on the current state of affairs in Israel. Mr. Solow is a public affairs consultant, political advisor and notable leader in the U.S. Jewish community. He is the former Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations having met with the leaders of multiple countries around the world. In addition, he served as Chairman of JCC Association of North America, the Chairman of Chicago's Jewish Community Relations Council, President of the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago, President of Young Men's Jewish Council and as a member of the board of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, including on its Executive Committee. He also served as a Trustee of the Jewish Federations of North America and was a Director of Sinai Health Systems. In addition,  Mr. Solow is the former Chairman of Interfaith Youth Core, a national organization promoting interfaith dialogue and service projects on college campuses. He is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Truman National Security Project and is the Vice-Chair of the Israel Policy Forum. He graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School and served as a partner at the international law firm of DLA Piper. Mr. Solow was a senior advisor and national co-chair of the 2012 Obama re-elect campaign and accompanied the former President on his first trip to Israel in 2006. 

Alberta L. Johnson, MBA, MPA  is an HR and DEI consultant.  She served as the head of human resources for a non-profit organization where she played a key role in executive management and directed overall operations for human resources, including diversity and inclusion, talent management, employee engagement, performance management, training & development and compliance. Alberta has a wealth of experience in diversity & inclusion, human resources and supplier diversity. She has served as a consultant in various industries as a subject matter expert. Alberta previously served as HR & Diversity Consultant for the YMCA of the USA and as Director of Employee Relations/Diversity & Inclusion for the YMCA of Metro Chicago. Alberta served in various leadership roles and departments for the City of Chicago for 10 years where she played a key role in supporting Diversity & Inclusion/Supplier Diversity initiatives. Alberta was recognized in 2015 by Latino Leaders magazine as a Chicago Future Leader. In 2014, she was recognized by Diversity MBA magazine as one of the top 100 under 50 diversity leaders and in 2012 by the Metropolitan Leadership Institute as a new and upcoming leader. She currently serves as the Director of Diversity for IL SHRM, as board member for University of Illinois at Chicago Children's Hospital, Friends of Pediatrics and as council member for the Diversity Council of United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. She previously served on the Board of Directors for Chicago SHRM (2015-2017), Chicago International Charter Schools (2011-2017) and the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (2012- 2014).

Mark Kaufman is the founder and Executive Chairman of Athletico Physical Therapy which offers outpatient orthopedic rehabilitation in twelve states and over 500 locations.  He attended the University of Iowa, receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training and Physical Education in 1986. In 1988, Kaufman obtained an M.S. in Exercise and Sports Sciences from the University of Arizona, and in 1989 he earned his B.S. in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University.  In 1991, Kaufman opened his first rehabilitation center on Clark Street in the Gold Coast Area of downtown Chicago. Athletico’s reputation as a top-quality provider of outpatient physical therapy enabled them to expand their services and drive their expansion.  The growth of Athletico’s outreach programs has mirrored the advancement of their patient care. Athletico is proud to be the official physical therapy and athletic training partner to organizations at all levels – from professional sports teams, to colleges and high schools, to elite endurance events, performing arts groups, and gymnastics programs.  Notable partnerships include:Professional:  Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis CardinalsCollegiate:  Big Ten Conference, Indiana University, University of Iowa, Northwestern University, Purdue University, University of Nebraska-LincolnPerforming Arts: , Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance, St. Louis BalletEndurance:  Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle, Drake Road Races, Indy Half Marathon, XXX RacingGymnastics: Chow’s Gymnastics & Dance (US National Team Training Team Center), USA Gymnastics Over the past 29 years, Kaufman has carefully monitored the growth of his company and recently stepped into the role of Executive Chairman. Athletico is proud to provide the following specialty services to the communities we serve with Physical Therapy:   hand therapy, women’s health, spine school, vestibular/concussion, pediatrics, video throwing and running analysis, running and endurance programs, and personal fitness and golf programs. Athletico remains very much a close-knit, caring place to work, where a strong work ethic, commitment to continuing education, and dedication to superior customer service and community service are highly valued.  Mark and his wife Mary Ann, have three daughters.  Mark has been a board member at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago since 2004 and served as Board Chair for two terms.  He is also on the Advisory Board for Advocate Health System at Good Samaritan Hospital, a member of the Arthritis & Orthopedics Leadership Committee at Rush University Medical Center, an Executive Council member of the Chicago Sports Commission, member of the Development Council for United States Soccer, Director of the Western Golf Association - Evans Scholar Foundation, and a founding member of the board of directors for Operation Walk Chicago. 

Kristin Belleson has a long career in association management and is currently the CEO of the American College of Sports Medicine. Previous work has included being the Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Affiliate Affairs and Membership Services for the American Osteopathic Association, and Chief Membership Officer for the Society of Gynecologic Oncology. She began her career in association management working for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. We talk about:Being a leader with humility and vulnerabilityBeing your authentic selfKnowing and owning your own personal strengths For more information about Kristin Belleson, head on over to the show notes...More from Madam Athlete:Website:  https://madamathlete.com/Newsletter:  sign up hereFacebook:  @MadamAthleteTwitter:  @MadamAthleteInstagram:  @theMadamAthlete

Craige L. Stout serves as Chief Executive Officer of Stout, a 600-person global investment bank and advisory firm founded in 1991. With 23 offices around the world, Stout focuses on corporate finance, transaction advisory, valuation advisory, and dispute consulting.  Having worked on over 1,000 projects, his experience is broad and diverse in the fields of investment banking, litigation consulting, and valuation advisory. Prior to founding the firm, Craig was with Price Waterhouse in it's Valuable Services Group. Mr. Stout is a recipient of the Crain's 40 under 40 award and Ernst & Young's 2002 Entrepreneur for the Year Award. Craige and his wife, Molly, have been married for20 years and have three children (Carson (19),Sim on (17),and Estelle (14)). After living in the Chicago area for 18 years (and Detroit for 10 before that), they moves to Dallas in June 2019. Mr. Stout has served or is serving on numerous non-profit boards, including: YPO Gold-Dallas Maverick Chapter, YPO Gold-Chicago Chapter (Past Chapter Chair), YPO -Chicago Chapter (Past Chapter Chair), the Financial and Estate Planning Council of Metropolitan Detroit, Inc. (Past President); Museum of Science and Industry – President's Council; the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University; Respiratory Health association of Metropolitan Chicago; Junior Achievement of Chicago; Perspective Charter Schools.   Craige has served or is serving on several for-profit boards, including Stout; Solstice Consulting, LLC; Kirco Seniors Housing Fund, LP; Flow stone Partners; and BxC Partners.

This lecture was delivered on March 2, 2011 at an event organized by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (www.JLIChicago.com). Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski’s lecture entitled Attaining Happiness, addressed the misconception of happiness in today’s society and what we can do to find the answers to true happiness. His presentation included a PowerPoint of interesting comics addressing happiness and self esteem. Rabbi Dr. Twerski, who authored 5 books with the late Peanuts comic strips creator, Charles Schulz, showed how the wit and wisdom in the Peanuts comics offers tremendous insight into human psychology and what we can do about our shortcomings.

The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this year spurred a national movement toward racial justice different than any in recent years. Months later, many of us are asking ourselves: "What now?" How can we continue to invest in racial justice, help to spur the much needed change in our society, and ensure those actions are catalytic rather than performative in nature? The YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago's CEO Dorri McWhorter joins us to talk about their new initiative to move the needle on anti-racism - The Racial Justice League. With their campaign "Until Justice Just Is," and the resources they provide, the organization gives us all action steps to move forward.

The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this year spurred a national movement toward racial justice different than any in recent years. Months later, many of us are asking ourselves: “What now?” How can we continue to invest in racial justice, help to spur the much needed change in our society, and ensure those actions are catalytic rather than performative in nature? The... Read More The post 9. Until Justice Just Is – The Work of the Racial Justice League from the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago appeared first on Table Stakes Podcast.

This time on “Gathering Ground” Mary sits down with a pair of nonprofit powerhouses: CEOs Dorri McWhorter (YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago) and Mark Ishaug (Thresholds). The three discuss what inspired Dorri and Mark into their missions of service and how COVID-19 has affected their organizations, before delving into their leadership styles and what they wish they'd known when they were starting out. They also spend some time discussing the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace, and the concept that Dorri and Mark are both familiar with — leading with love.As always, they end by answering questions from our listeners!

Chicago Jewish nonprofit luminary, Executive Vice Chairman at the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Dr. Steven Nasatir, graces us with his presence to discuss his personal inspirations, career defining accomplishments, some advice for Sruly to help up his fundraising game, and much more (18:10). He also weighs in on the great "paper vs electric boarding pass" debate. Other segments include "Mt. Trashmore" (5:00), "Board Spouses Tell All" (58:30), and "Linkswipe" (64:15).

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Shana Erenberg. Shana is the co-founder and Executive Director of Libenu. Libenu’s mission is to provide residential, vocational, and respite opportunities for people with disabilities to live with dignity and respect, as fully included members of the community.Libenu is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization comprised of parents and professionals working together to address the needs of Jewish adults and children with disabilities in the Metropolitan Chicago area and based in Skokie. The group was formed in response to the shortage of available services relative to the significant and immediate needs of the population. Libenu helps provide housing to young adults in addition to providing social services.This episode was recorded prior to the Coronavirus pandemic reaching the United States, but one can only imagine how critical Libenu is to be helping their residents remain safe and helping serve their needs during this time.Inside the Skev is a one stop shop for all things Skokie and Evanston hosted by Aaron Masliansky. Currently there is a special section on the website for interviews with people in the community talking about how they are adapting to the pandemic within the community. Be sure to follow Inside the Skev on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates. Be the first to know about local events, new podcast episodes, real estate and the latest stories about the great people in these towns by going tohttp://www.skevanston.com. Sign up for the newsletter and reach out to Aaron Masliansky at aaron@skevanston.com with any questions or suggestions. 

This month's episode, titled "You Are Not Alone”, features interviews with the following Hope for the Day's Partners - Big Brothers Big Sisters Chicago, Center on Halsted, and Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Greater Chicago (aka DBSA).Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago is an affiliate of the oldest, most respected mentoring organization in the United States. They are a mission-driven, performance-based organization that is professionally managed and provides high-quality 1:1 mentoring services to over 2,100 children in Metro Chicago and their families across four counties: Cook, DuPage and Lake Counties in Illinois and Indiana.Center on Halsted is the Midwest's most comprehensive community center dedicated to advancing community and securing the health and well-being of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people of Chicagoland. More than 1,000 community members visit the Center every day, located in the heart of Chicago's Lakeview Neighborhood.The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance - Greater Chicago (DBSA-GC) is a self-help organization offering support and education to those with mood disorders, their families, and friends. They are a local chapter of DBSA, which is a national organization with hundreds of affiliates across the US, Canada, and now, Mexico, Brazil, China, and Singapore.The Conversations Cafe is a monthly live podcast recording at Sip of Hope Coffee Bar featuring education and open forum dialogue on the intersections of Mental Health within our communities. This education programming is brought to you by Hope For the Day with support from our partners in prevention, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention of Illinois, Banyan Treatment Center, and Janssen.Join the conversation. We are in this together.Anthologies / Rick Osowski / Hope for the Dayhttps://www.auxchicago.com/anthologies-of-hopehttps://www.anthologiesofhope.com/https://www.instagram.com/anthologiesofhope/https://www.facebook.com/anthologiesofhope/https://www.instagram.com/rosowski/https://www.hftd.org/https://www.instagram.com/hopefortheday/https://www.facebook.com/hopefortheday/https://sipofhope.com/https://www.instagram.com/sipofhope/https://www.facebook.com/sipofhope

Long standing social good organizations have developed foundational fundraising and engagement methods that have provided for them for decades or more. As technology continues to shrink the world, increasing competition and changing the way we communicate with one another, how can business principles and skills help bring historically traditional nonprofits and other social good organizations into the future?  Dorri McWhorter, president and CEO of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, joined host Rachel Hutchisson to discuss how she modernized the organization and is bringing it to new levels of success. Listen in to hear about Dorri's work, combining business skillsets with a nonprofit, and understanding the value of a cause.  Topics Discussed in This Episode: How Dorri modernized the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago Balancing a business approach in the nonprofit sector Importance of revenue in nonprofits Understanding and communicating the ultimate value of your organization and cause Advice for social good leaders looking to future-proof their organizations Resources: Dorri McWhorter  Quotes:  “How can we get to the problems and just start solving them?” “It just so happens that we have this wonderful tax status that allows us to look at the business differently.” “A business solves problems and we solve problems too, we just don't frame it like that.”

Sean Garrett, President & CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, and Tevonne Ellis, Program Director for Claretian Associates in South Chicago talk with Craig Dellimore about the difficulties facing social service groups, as donations decline. But they also discuss Chicago's efforts to revitalize the South and West sides and why that is a hopeful sign.

Radhika sits down with Nora Phillips to talk about about her work as the co-founder of the non-profit organization Al Otro Lado, which provides legal and mental health services to immigrants, refugees, and deportees, in Los Angeles and Tijuana. Nora and two other humanitarians were placed on a secret government watch list to gather information and disrupt their work. Beginning in October 2018, the government tracked their movements and actions, as well as harassed them at the border. Phillips was refused entry to Mexico, separated from her family, detained, and forcibly returned to the United States. Nora serves as Legal Director of Al Otro Lado. Nora has a deep commitment to immigrant justice and, prior to starting her firm, worked at non-profit legal services organizations such as the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) in Los Angeles (2009-2014) and the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago where she was an Equal Justice Works Fellow (2007-2009). Nora is a nationally-recognized expert on the U visa and frequently presents on this and other topics to attorneys, law enforcement, and other professionals. Nora frequently works as a consultant expert with the Office of the Federal Public Defender on complex U visa cases. Nora is a member of the Executive Committee for the Immigration Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. She has been licensed to practice law in Illinois and she exclusively practices federal immigration law. Nora lives in Los Angeles.

This week’s guest is the legendary Dr. Steve Nasatir, President of The Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. This episode takes a stroll through history as the conversation highlights how Dr. Nasatir has been a part of some of the most important and memorable moments in Jewish History — from the Six Day War to Operation Exodus to Operation Moses.  

In this episode, you meet Dorri McWhorter the CEO of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. We discuss everything from why titles don't really matter to her to why being self aware is some important when trying to find joy on your corporate climb. One of my favorite parts of the interview was when she talks about the perceptions people make about her abilities because she's perceived as "nice." I am a huge Dorri fan, and after listening to this episode you will be firmly on #TeamDorri. Enjoy!

So many parents believe that if they were simply consistent with their children that everything would be perfect. But parenting coach Dana Hirt wants us to contemplate a different idea--one founded in a Judaism that builds compassionate, resilient, good human beings. Dana Hirt is the founder of Dana Hirt Parenting, a parenting education and coaching service that offers parents, both new and experienced, concrete skills and personalized guidance and support. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education in Human Development and Learning from DePaul University and The Institute for Psychoanalysis, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and Psychology from Brown University. She brings 28 years of experience in the field of educational psychology in clinical, school and private practice settings, and the wisdom of 24 years of parenting to her parent coaching work. Dana has taught in the classroom, consulted with parents, worked one on one with students in private practice, partnered with therapists and other allied professionals, advocated in schools, and led parent workshops. She writes a parenting blog which you can find on her website, http://danahirtparenting.com, and contributes to Huffington Post online. Dana is actively involved in the Jewish community in Chicago serving as the Partnership Together Chair for The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, as a trustee of The Jewish Women’s Foundation, and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School. She is the grateful and proud mother of three adult children, ages 24, 21 and 19.

Democratic State Senator Melinda Bush of Grayslake talks with Craig Dellimore about the work of a group that is pushing new guidelines to keep women in Politics from being harassed...or pushed aside. Dorri McWhorter, CEO of the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, joins the conversation to show how these principles can work in the corporate world too.

Today we're speaking with Jose Rico, SVP of Community Impact at the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. Jose leads the organization’s community impact work in education, income, health and basic needs support. He also stewards its Neighborhood Network model of delivering highly coordinated and concentrated services in underserved communities. Prior to the United Way, Jose served as the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics where he planned policy, strategic initiatives, outreach, and communications for President Obama’s education agenda in the Latino community.

In the closing keynote of SSIR‘s February 2016 Data on Purpose conference, which was themed around “Telling Great Stories With Data,” Andrew Means looks at the importance of using storytelling to raise funds and motivate teams—but also the risks of telling the wrong stories. He argues that in a world increasingly reliant on data, we need to be able to accurately quantify organizations’ impact, and be careful about when and how we turn to dramatic, unrepresentative stories. Andrew Means is the cofounder of The Impact Lab, a data science shop that works with nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies solving social problems. He has previously held leadership positions at the University of Chicago’s Center for Data Science and Public Policy, Groupon, and the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. If desired, you can follow along with the slideshow for Means’ presentation here. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/podcast_whose_story_are_we_telling

Welcome to episode #024 of The Crisis Intelligence Podcast, with Melissa Agnes and Louis Hayes Louis Hayes is a police officer in the Metropolitan Chicago area. He’s also responsible for developing The Illinois Model, which is a systematic way of looking at police operations based on solving problems. The Illinois Model takes the common threads [...] The post TCIP #024 – The Illinois Model with Louis Hayes appeared first on The Crisis Intelligence Podcast.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Dan Laor, Visiting Professor of Israel Studies at the Divinity School, will give a public lecture, "Rival Memories: The Interminable Szenesz-Kasztner Controvery" on Monday, May 12, at 4:30pm in Swift Lecture Hall. Dan Laor is Visiting Professor of Israel Studies at The Divinity School. He teaches Hebrew Literature and is the incumbent of the Jacob and Shoshana Schreiber Chair for Contemporary Jewish Culture at Tel Aviv University. Former Chair of the Department of Hebrew Literature and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Laor has published the biography of S.Y. Agnon, Israel’s Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature, as well as that of poet Nathan Alterman. He teaches and writes extensively on Israeli Holocaust Literature, for which he received the Buchmann Prize awarded by Yad Vashem. The Israel Studies visiting professorship is supported by the Israel Studies Project of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. The project, titled "Culture and Religion in the Twenty-First Century: New Perspectives from Israel," brings Israeli scholars to campus for individual quarter-length visits over a four-year period.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Dan Laor, Visiting Professor of Israel Studies at the Divinity School, will give a public lecture, "Rival Memories: The Interminable Szenesz-Kasztner Controvery" on Monday, May 12, at 4:30pm in Swift Lecture Hall. Dan Laor is Visiting Professor of Israel Studies at The Divinity School. He teaches Hebrew Literature and is the incumbent of the Jacob and Shoshana Schreiber Chair for Contemporary Jewish Culture at Tel Aviv University. Former Chair of the Department of Hebrew Literature and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Laor has published the biography of S.Y. Agnon, Israel’s Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature, as well as that of poet Nathan Alterman. He teaches and writes extensively on Israeli Holocaust Literature, for which he received the Buchmann Prize awarded by Yad Vashem. The Israel Studies visiting professorship is supported by the Israel Studies Project of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. The project, titled "Culture and Religion in the Twenty-First Century: New Perspectives from Israel," brings Israeli scholars to campus for individual quarter-length visits over a four-year period.

Join us this week for a special interview with Bro. Michael Karpovage; author of the Tununda Mysteries! We also have a great paper and a famous freemason for the week! App extras include the paper we read as well as a Masonic themed wallpaper for your mobile device! Links from the show: Buy your tickets for the August 29th Valley Of Chicago's screening of the Freemason Movie benefitting the Childrens Dyslexia Center of Metropolitan Chicago by clicking here!   Buy Michael Karpovages Tununda series Here!

Click here for the RADIO LINKS Click here for People to People Fundraising The Nonprofit Coach With Ted Hart: GivingUSA 2014 Report National Announcement of Philanthropic Activity for 2013 What are the latest trends in giving and what do they mean to your organization? Join us on Tuesday, June 17, at 11:00 a.m. EDT for a first look at the newly released Giving USA data from 2013. He lectures around the world but now is here for you. From the latest in charity news, technology, fundraising and social networking, Ted Hart and his guests help you maneuver through this economic downturn in the charitable sector to greater levels of efficiency and fundraising success. PAGE 2 GUEST EXPERT: Peter Fissinger, President & Chief Executive Officer, Campbell & Company Peter Fissinger has nearly 30 years of professional experience in institutional advancement, including designing and implementing major capital fundraising strategies, annual giving programs, planned giving programs, and marketing efforts. He has worked in a wide range of nonprofit sectors, including education, healthcare, culture and human services. Peter has worked with organizations whose planned campaign goals range from $5 million to $5 billion. Peter chairs the Advisory Council on Methodology for Giving USA and serves on the board of the Giving Institute. He is a past president of the Chicago Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and a member of the Board of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.

March 18, 2014 Both theorists and practitioners see design standards as shaping the "look" of the community and built environment over the long run — with significant underlying ideology. Planning professionals may view design guidelines and review processes as useful tools to communicate local preferences and resolve issues. And, design standards and form-based codes have become powerful branding and placemaking tools for suburbs in the Chicago metropolitan area and nationwide. This program and discussion served to highlight contrasting perspectives on the benefits of design review. Drawing on observations from public architectural review commission hearings in local suburbs, Professor Robert Rotenberg, from DePaul University, considered case studies of how design standards work to shape the development decisions by stakeholders in Cook County, Illinois. Attorney and consultant John Hedrick summarized the regulatory background and recent developments in the Chicago metropolitan area regarding best practices in utilizing design guidelines.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Yoram Bilu was Visiting Professor in Israel Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School in 2012. He served as a professor of psychology and sociology and anthropology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem until his retirement last year. Focusing on Israeli society and Jewish traditional culture, his research interests include the anthropology of religion, culture and mental health, the sanctification of space in Israel, and Maghrebi Jewish culture. Bilu served as the chair of the department of psychology (1992-94) and the head of the Authority for Doctoral Students, both at the Hebrew University, and as the president of the Israeli Anthropological Association (1989-91). He has been a visiting professor at several American universities, including the University of California, San Diego, Brandeis University, and the Jewish Theological Seminary. His most recent book is “The Saints’ Impresarios: Dreamers, Healers, and Holy Men in Israel’s Urban Periphery.” The Israel Studies visiting professorship is supported by the Israel Studies Project of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. The project, titled “Culture and Religion in the Twenty-First Century: New Perspectives from Israel,” brings visiting Israeli scholars for individual quarter-long visits over a four-year period.

It’s that time of year -- for nativity scene violations! We report on a couple of FFRF creche complaints (out of 60+ so far this year), then then we talk with Tom Cara, director of FFRF’s Metropolitan Chicago chapter, about the large atheist ‘A’ and the “nativity of the Bill of Rights” his group erected in downtown Daley Plaza. On the second half of the show, we interview Linda LaScola, one of the founders of the Clergy Project, and co-author of the new book (with Daniel C. Dennett) about clergy who have abandoned faith, Caught In The Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind.

Click here for the RADIO LINKS Click here for People to People Fundraising The Nonprofit Coach With Ted Hart: GivingUSA 2013 Report National Announcement of Philanthropic Activity for 2012 What are the latest trends in giving and what do they mean to your organization? Join us on Tuesday, June 18, at 11:00 a.m. EDT for a first look at the newly released Giving USA data from 2012. He lectures around the world but now is here for you. From the latest in charity news, technology, fundraising and social networking, Ted Hart and his guests help you maneuver through this economic downturn in the charitable sector to greater levels of efficiency and fundraising success. PAGE 2 GUEST EXPERT: Peter Fissinger, President & Chief Executive Officer, Campbell & Company Peter Fissinger has 27 years of professional experience in institutional advancement, including designing and implementing major capital fundraising strategies, annual giving programs, planned giving programs, and marketing efforts. He has worked in a wide range of nonprofit sectors, including education, healthcare, culture and human services. Peter has worked with organizations whose planned campaign goals range from $5 million to $5 billion. Peter chairs the Advisory Council on Methodology for Giving USA and serves on the board of the Giving Institute. He is a past president of the Chicago Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and a member of the Board of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.