List of our guests
We’ve hosted some of Chicago’s and Illinois’ most impactful women in business, media, philanthropy, the nonprofit space and advocacy – and a few guys to boot. Our guests have included:
Tom Alexander, Co-Founder of Holistic and former COO of 1871
Ellie Bahrmasel, Co-Founder of Rise Movement, Senior Specialist for the Comcast Greater Chicago Region
Erin Lavin Cabonargi, Managing Director at URBAN ReSolve
Anne Caprara, Chief of Staff to Governor J.B. Pritzker
Kelly Cassidy, Illinois State Representative
Heather Cherone, WTTW Political Reporter
Colleen Connell, Executive Director at ACLU Illinois
Mary Datcher, District Director at the Office of U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush
Felicia Davis, President and CEO of Chicago Foundation for Women
Chris-Tia Donaldson, CEO of Thank God It's Natural
Deborah Douglas, Pulliam Distinguished Visiting Professor at DePauw Univeristy, Author, Journalist
Alexandra Eidenberg, Founder of WeWill, President of The Insurance People
Rosa Escareno, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection
Sol Flores, Deputy Governor Illinois
Rochelle Gorey, CEO and Co-Founder of Spring Four and Graduate of WiSTEM program
Jehan Gordon-Booth, Illinois State Representative
Bonita Harrison, Founder of KBM Realty
Michelle Herndon, Director of Diversity and Community at BOKA Restaurant Group
Tiffany Hightower, Executive Director of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation
Rachel Hinton, Chief Political Reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times
Toi Hutchinson, Former Illinois State Senator, Current Special Advisor to Governor J.B. Pritzker
Cheryle Robinson Jackson, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development and President of AAR Africa, TedX Talk alum and Cancer Survivor
Nicole Johnson, Manager of Development at Chicago Scholars
Shia Kapos, POLITICO Reporter
Natasha Korecki, National POLITICO Reporter
Diane Latiker, Executive Director of Kids Off the Block
Jennifer Lee, Co-President of Illinois Democratic Women, President/CEO of JCL Strategies
Kimberly Lightford, Illinois State Senator
Katrina Markoff, CEO of Vosges Haut-Chocolat
Kelly Mazeski, Former Democratic Candidate for Congress
Dr. Suzet McKinney, CEO and Executive Director of the Illinois Medical District
Dorri McWhorter, CEO of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago
Tiffany Mikell, CEO/CTO of AerialSpaces and Graduate of WiSTEM program, Program Director at South East Chicago Commission
Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times Columnist
Christian Mitchell, Deputy Governor Illinois
Michelle Morales, President at Woods Fund Chicago
Jenne Myers, CEO of Chicago Cares
Marie Newman, Democratic Nominee for Congress, Illinois 3rd Congressional District
Sheila Nix, Senior Advisor to Kamala Harris
Ina Pinkney, Formerly: Chef/Owner of Ina’s Kitchen
A.D. Quig, Crain’s Chicago Business Reporter
Celena Roldan, CEO of The American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois.
Aviva Rosman, Co-founder and COO of BallotReady
Smita Shah, President and CEO of SPAAN Tech
Iyana Simba, IEC Clean Water Policy Director
Alpana Singh, Restaurateur and Sommelier and local TV personality
Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods
Heather Steans, Illinois State Senator
Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune Columnist
K. Sujata, Interim Executive Director at Forefront Illinois
Elizabeth Swanson, CEO of A Better Chicago
Jennifer Smith Tapp, Director of Brand Strategy and Business Development at Marc-Ryan Group
Linda Tortolero, President & CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Acción
Anna Valencia, Chicago City Clerk
Becky Vevea, WBEZ City Hall Political Reporter
Amanda Vinicky, WTTW Chicago Tonight Political Correspondent
Dawn Walker, Chief of Staff to MWRD Commissioner Davis
Laura Washington, Chicago Sun-Times Columnist
Jennifer Welch, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action
Melissa Widen, Personal PAC Chairman, Co-Founder and Chief Administrative Officer of First Women’s Bank
Jessica Williams, Customer Research Strategist at &yet, Facilitator at #IamRemarkble, Solutions Consultant at SDI Presence, and Newsletter Creator and Curator at Tech Biz Girl