Stephanie Izard, executive chef, owner of Girl & the Goat, Little Goat Diner, Duck Duck Goat, Cabra; Owner, Goat Group Catering
“It’s OK to not fit inside of a box and to do
things a little bit unconventionally.”
Colleen Christensen
“As a member of the founding team, I am impressed every day by how a small group of people have made a great impact in the Grand Rapids community.”
[CEROS OBJECT]Trey Conner
“Graduating from law school made me realize that nothing is impossible, and that you are only limited by your own imagination.”
Loïc Dimithe
“My mother sacrificed everything she had to raise my brother and I. She told us we had two options: To get bitter or to get better. We all chose to get better.”
Daniel Hatch
“I can say that having lived in Venezuela allowed me to establish a foundation of resiliency, but coming to the U.S. gave me the fortitude to conquer my dreams and to not be afraid of taking risks.”
Sol Hernandez
“Being that trailblazing spirit ends up with me having too many ideas. When you’re the person with the idea, everybody is like, ‘Great, you run with it.’ So I do, and usually it ends up being a joy in the process.”
Mandice McAllister
“I have the opportunity to be in an industry where women are not often present in leadership positions. There certainly are others than me, but to be visible and for people in the industry and in the company to see me leading an organization and know that they as women can also do the same thing, I think, is very meaningful to me.”
Meg Post
“It is our responsibility as humans to provide access and information to others once we attain a certain height. Building community is far greater than building your own career.”
Josh Sikkema
“It was my dream to work for one startup, and now I work for about 40.”
Meagan Malm
“I was a gift wrapper at my dad's store, Turn of River Hardware,
in Stamford, Conn. I was once
asked to wrap a lawnmower.
I said, 'How about a big red bow?'”
What was your first paying job?
“My best habit is making three power calls per day for business. My worst habit is not making
my daily power calls.”
Martin Cabrera Jr., CEO, Cabrera Capital Markets
“I learned that you can't give up on something you've worked so hard for.”
Erick Williams, owner and chef at Top This Mac & Cheese, Daisy's
Po-Boy & Tavern, Mustard Seed Kitchen; owner and executive chef at Virtue
What's one big lesson you learned in the pandemic?
“A camp counselor. I was hired to teach kids how to ride horses, although I had never ridden a horse in my life which I failed
to mention to the camp.”
John Canning Jr., chairman emeritus,
Madison Dearborn Partners
What was your first paying job?
“My mission-driven work is a critical part of my life. Balance exists when I'm making a difference in both realms. It's not ever going to be picture perfect, and I'm OK with that.”
Ngozi Ezike , president and CEO, Sinai Chicago
How do you balance work and life?
“The biggest lesson I learned was that family time
is everything and it shouldn't be taken for granted.”
Anna Valencia, Chicago city clerk
What's one big lesson you learned in the pandemic?
“When I was 14, I worked at a
day care at DePaul as part of the
city of Chicago summer jobs program.
I was an assistant child care worker
for 15 4-year-olds. To this day, the most humbling job I've ever held!”
Kimberly Foxx, Cook County state's attorney
What was your first paying job?
“When our first child was born, my wife and I began a weekly date night. We have been loyal to this tradition ever since.”
Jack Lavin, president and CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
How do you balance work and life?
“I worked in the family business, and I was a pizza maker. I still say
I am the fastest pizza maker in Chicago.”
Sam Toia. President and CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association
What was your first paying job?
“The best: I enjoy retail therapy. The worst: I enjoy retail therapy.”
Dorri McWhorter, president and CEO, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago
What's your best and worst habit?
What's your best and worst habit?
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