Cheryl Hamilton-Hill is the CEO of Lincoln Park Community Services, an organization that understands that doing good things for good people is important, but doing it in a way that sets them up to allow themselves and their families succeed is better. LPCS does not look at a moment in someones life and identify them by that moment, but they understand that moments aren’t forever, and given the chance, people can lift themselves out of any moment. Her teams desire to walk alongside the people they serve and provide resources that can change lives is truly inspiring. Cheryl shares about the difference housing and education makes for people and what they are doing to tackle these specific needs. Cheryl not only provides insight, but also hope for a better future for our city.

Little Village is a vibrant, dynamic neighborhood in Chicago that is very important to Chicago's cultural and economic impact on the country. Kim Close, Executive Director of Foundation of Little Village joins the podcast to share about why the neighborhood means so much to her and what prompted her to start the organization. Foundation of Little Village is dedicated to ensuring that the people of the neighborhood and its entrepreneurs can continue to start and grow their businesses and reinvest in the neighborhood. Don't miss this episode to close out National Hispanic Heritage Month with us!

As the cooler weather sets into our city and people begin to head back inside, PJ Weiland, business coach with Business Profit and author, joins us to introduce a sport that certainly is not new but is definitely exploding all over Chicago and the country. PJ shares with us about the sport of Pickleball and how being a part of a team and playing sports can teach you lessons in life and business. She wrote Dinking Thru Life: Lessons From the Pickleball Court to challenge herself to share the parallels between how she plays and how she does life, and you’ll hear how her life in Chicago is certainly full and fun! The episode is a lesson in leadership, health and wellness, and staying active to enjoy life.

Chicago Cares is an organization that is close to the heart of the Bridging Chicago podcast! This episode features Rosie Drumgoole, now their Chief Executive Officer, who shares not only her story, but how that connects to Chicago and the mission of Chicago Cares. Rosie also shares about how the moments of chemistry with the neighborhoods and people of the city fuel her passion and remind the entire team of what is most important: relationships and resources. Chicago Cares newest program, the Power of Service Training Program, is a program developed out of what the organization has learned with their community partners and neighborhoods. The program, available to everyone, is designed to help change the narrative of volunteerism from transactional to connectivity. Be sure to listen to this episode to learn more about the program and Chicago Cares, you'll definitely be glad that you did!

We know how much Chicagoans love a good festival, and the Printers Row Lit Fest is a 38 year old tradition taking place in the heart of the city. Amy Danzer, their Director of Programming, join us to share about the importance of literacy, all the activities at the fest, and what they hope to accomplish in Chicago to help shape its future. Coming on September 9th and 10th, the festival is highlighted by dozens of vendors and events that all readers can participate in and enjoy. Be sure to check out their website at printersrowlitfest.org to see all the ways to attend and get involved.

Bridging Chicago is on location for this episode with En Masse Architecture & Design to record in their thoughtfully created design space. Nathan is joined by members of the En Masse team, Mike Shively, Lucas Goldbach, and Ross Renjilian to hear about how the space was curated, how work/life spaces have changed, and their love of their neighborhood. The lessons Founding Director Mike Shively learned early in the process prove to be invaluable, regardless of your role or industry, and we’re so excited to share those with you now. Thank you to the En Masse team for allowing us to visit and for sharing your vision with us!

Joe Amari returns to host Michael Odongo, founder and CEO of the Angaza Center, which aims to provide resources to children in Africa, to equip them to get the education they need to change their futures. Growing up in Kenya, Michael came to the U.S. to continue his education, doing his post-grad work in IT and began working in the field. Now, as a resident of the Chicago area, Michael has continued his passion for education and ensuring that he helped to provide a ladder for others to climb as well. Though the challenges are real, and sometimes loom large, Michael knew that providing more technical literacy to more people can open a new world of opportunity for every person. Michael and the Angaza Center continue to do their work, impacting lives both in here and abroad.

As the founder of The Laughing Academy, Kim Greene Hiller has quite the pedigree when it comes to improv comedy, and her roots run deep in Chicago. Sharing a stage with some of Chicago’s most well known actors, Kim knew early on that her path would look different than that of those who’s names you see on marquees in New York or Los Angeles. Her desire to either be an actress or a teacher has come full-circle, and brought her to The Laughing Academy, where she is teaching people of all ages more lessons than just how to act on a stage. The lessons learned have helped with youth dealing with bullying and adults who need to become more comfortable with public speaking. The benefits of improv run deep, and after hearing this episode, you may even want to try out your acting chops!

Dr. Gordon Siegel is an accomplished ENT doctor who, like many of us, saw the way that the Covid-19 pandemic was changing the world and saw an opportunity to help others make a shift. Gordy, as he’s known by his friends, then took a leap and started SpaceShifts a company dedicated to helping people and businesses find open office space that they can use. With many companies downsizing the number of employees using the office spaces, sharing these spaces allows those who are not ready to rent out a full office have a space to do business. While Dr. Siegel is still practicing medicine, SpaceShifts is something that he feels can help Chicago continue to be the center of business and innovation.

HR Expert and Author Myriam Del Angel joins the podcast to share what she has learned about people and the places they work. During her time, Myriam has stressed the importance of self-care and self-awareness, so that employees can be more of who they are at work while also adding benefits to the business. Myriam is also helping to shine a spotlight on Latinas who are shaping the future and providing leadership guidance that we all can use. Her book, Latina’s in Corporate, is her first solo writing project, though she has co-authored previous books as well. Be sure to buy her book on Amazon, you won’t want to miss out on her amazing insight.

If you’ve been looking for a podcast that shares the fundamentals of starting and growing a business, creating a network of leaders, and authoring a book with twenty-two of your best friends, look no further than this episode! Martha Razo and Gabriela Gomez, two of the authors of Business Diva join us to share all of this and more. While they have two different stories, they have a shared passion of leadership and sharing what they’ve learned with as many people as possible to help them reach their highest potential. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss this amazing episode!

*Note: This was intended to be a two-part episode, however the footage for part one was damaged and will not be made available. Please check out their websites to find out more information about each of them.

Patricia Mota is a powerful leader who’s experience and desire to lead by experience makes her story more than compelling. She now serves as the Chief Executive Officer of HACE, the Hispanic Alliance of Career Enhancement, which is seeking to cultivate the pipeline of Latinx/a/o talent, especially in Chicago. The changing landscape in the country has stretched her, but does not change her fixation on member needs and growth. Patricia leads her team, which has turned to a remote-only workplace, and has created Cafecito, a remote learning environment providing leadership guidance and networking. Be sure to check out Patricia’s amazing story today!

Sandra Aguirre was born in Mexico and moved to Chicago at a young age, and has lived here ever since. She loved growing up in the city and the opportunities that provided her to keep growing and reaching for new heights! She is a former teacher who still substitutes from time to time, but started her natural journey 10 years ago. Since then, she has been passionate about helping people see the benefits of a natural life and trying to improve the lives of those in her community. Listen as Sandra shares what she has learned from the world and what it can provide when we care for it well.

To try and list all of the things Imelda Rodriguez does is an impossible task! An author, coach and CEO, Imelda has taken the lessons learned growing up and built the Personal Development Institute "Coaching Vida." In this first part of a two-part series, Imelda shares how her experiences in Chicago, including working at McDonald's near Chicago's business loop, framed her leadership experience and why she chose to study business. She also shares about what providing this resource to the Latino/a community can do for families and communities and what working alongside her mom has meant to her. Be sure to come back and listen to part-two the following week.

Dion Dawson is a motivational leader who is a man of action and purpose. A veteran and native of the Englewood community in Chicago, Dion has made it his life's work to help bridge the need gap in his community in whatever way he is able. Dion shares with us about what he loves about his neighborhood, and about the reality of food insecurity in Chicago. This episode is honest, real, and motivating and you simply won't want to miss it.

Photo Credit: Amber Green Photography

Today Olga Camargo and Juan Carlos Avila from Shenix join us to share about their path to Chicago, how their families shaped their work, and why it’s so important to them to educate the Latinx community about financial literacy and building goals. Planning for your future comes with so many questions, and though the answers are not always very clear, learning to ask the right questions is very important. This episode shines a light on how lifting up one community can definitely lift up all communities, people and future generations. The first part of a two-part series, this episode is honest, vulnerable and thought provoking and we hope that it inspires you to be a leader in your financial future.

Feeling the winter blues? Why not put on your dancing shoes! If you need some inspiration, no doubt this episode with Chelsea Hoy and Mark Howard of the Trinity Irish Dance Company will get you ready to move. Chelsea and Mark join us to share how they helped put Chicago on the map for Irish dance and what they're doing that is truly special. Their journey in dance and teaching is one of hard work, determination and celebration that is bringing our city closer together and making dance accessible for everyone.

What a better way to show the love than with chocolate? How about the premiere of season 6 of the podcast? Well today we doubled to love and are kicking off our new season welcoming back the AIDS Foundation Chicago to share about their annual event, the World of Chocolate, back in person for the first time in a long time! This fundraiser is the perfect mix of fun, friends and chocolatey goodness in all its forms. Our guest, Madeline Miley joins us to share about the event, the foundation, and the amazing work they continue to do in our city. Share this episode with the people you love and get excited about this one-of-a-kind event!