In this new exhibition, the Chicago-based Greek American photographer presents 80 historic works showcasing Chicago’s Greek American celebrations alongside other ethnic and cultural festivals and parades, primarily from the 1970s and 1980s. Depicted events include the Greek Independence Day Parade, Bud Billiken Day Parade, Chinese New Year Parade, Mexican Civic Society Parade, Jewish Festival and […]
From 1908 to the mid 1930’s, Hilma Ljung photographed the village of Svalöv with her 4×5 glass plate view camera, showing us a rural Swedish woman's life.
Pairing historic works and contemporary art, this exhibition reflects on the persistence of anti-colonial resistance, from the so-called "Indian Wars" to the "Global War on Terror".
Avid amateur photographer Jan Zawiliński documented Chicago’s Polish Downtown community in 1900-1924, leaving behind a fascinating record of everyday life.
From digital collage to painting to glasswork to photography, twelve non-male Diasporican artists explore their expansive identities and how they intersect in their own ways.
Organizers: The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
Pop-up books have a longer history than you might think. For centuries, books with interactive flaps, dials, and other moving parts have captivated readers of all ages.
Students in our Kinderschule (Saturday and Weekday Classes) will be presenting their art musings on Umweltschutz/Umweltschmutz (protecting/harming the environment) in our new DANK Treffpunkt. Come and see contemporary German-American artwork at its best, and meet the young artists at our opening reception. Exhibition runs through May 13, 2023. Free parking at 5/3 Bank after 6:00 PM located […]
We invite you to the exhibition UKRAINE WILL RESURRECT! April 7-30, 2023. Opening: Friday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. For over a year, each event in the Ukrainian National Museum is a reminder of the war against Ukraine by russian terrorists, which takes the best, killing children, schoolchildren, students, civilians, and soldiers who defend the […]
BordersCruzadas: A Collaborative Story Oscar B. Castillo and Wil Sands April 12 - May 12, 2023 ART WORKS Projects 625 North Kingsbury, Chicago, IL 60654 Hours: 11am - 4pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and by appointment. Contact [email protected] for more information or press materials. BordersCruzadas: A Collaborative Story is an ongoing research project by photographers Oscar […]
Celebrate Earth Day 2023 with a screening of Powerlands, an award-winning documentary by Navajo filmmaker Ivey Camille Manybeads Tso. We offer two ways to see the film. Watch the movie virtually at your leisure anytime from April 17-May 1, 2023, or join us in person at our watch party followed by a virtual discussion with […]
Organizers: Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
Artists from Sweden and Chicago collaborate to create original works interpreting early 20th century letters to Chicago immigrant Emil Olsson from his family in Sweden.
Hosted by the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago and curated by SAIC (School of Art Institute of Chicago) KSA (Korean Student Association) Curating team, the invitational exhibition asks each artist what their Utopia looks like. In this exhibition, we invite you to explore the concept of Utopia through the lens of ten rising Korean artists. […]
This exhibition tells the story of building with mass timber and features architectural models of mass timber projects, from public spaces to office buildings.
Скъпи приятели, заповядайте на кино прожекциите по случай 80-ата годишнина от спасението на българските евреи по времето на Холокоста. 30 април от 11:30ч.| център “Магура” ВХОД СВОБОДЕН #киновмагура 1.224.800.1538 415 W. Golf Rd. #7, Arlington Hghts The feature-length documentary by directors Niya Alexandrova and Ayelet Heller breaks history through the untold personal and emotional stories […]
The Assyrian Cultural Foundation is honored to unveil the highly anticipated release of "Phases of Civilization: An Assyrian Legacy." Immerse yourself in this cinematic experience on April 30th at 12pm (CST) as we celebrate the rich history and contributions of the Assyrian people. The movie will be available on our YouTube channel below: https://youtu.be/wz4R3EVPdQE The […]
Join us for a discussion with Sarah Whyte, Danae Kovac, and Joy Messinger on understanding adoptees’ identity. This is an in-person event. RSVP HERE This panel works toward understanding adoptees’ relationship to the Asian American Community. They seek to examine, where does the complications of being a person of color raised by white parents leave […]
Join us May 1-6 as we support and honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. We're planning a week of activities starting May 1 with a Red Sand event outside the AIC beginning at 6 p.m. On Tuesday and Thursday, we will be offering MMIW-focused beading classes throughout the day, beginning at 11 a.m. Wednesday, we […]
Visit the Mitchell Museum for FREE on May 4th and 5th for guided public tours and family red dress crafts by St. Kateri Center of Chicago. Friday, May 5th, is National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. In observance of this occasion, the Mitchell Museum invites you to visit us […]
Organizers: Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
In this NHM Discussion we will explore the often forgotten role of Greek Americans in the formation and success of the American Labor Movement. From the coal mines of the Rocky Mountains to the factories of the Rust Belt, Greek Americans were at the frontline of the fight for a fair and safe workplace. In […]
Join us for our artist discussion about their work and who they are as artists. There will be a live Q&A at the end of each discussion. Valaria Tatera is a Wisconsin based installation artist, activist and lecturer whose work investigates the intersection of ethnicity, gender, commerce, and the environment. An enrolled member of the […]
Organizers: Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
Enlace sera annunciado pronto! ¡Hay 1,5 millones de organismos en el mundo, y dos tercios de ellos son insectos! ¡Únase a nosotros mientras exploramos más sobre los insectos con nuestros amigos en Lincoln Park Zoo! There are 1.5 Million organisms in the world, and two thirds of them are insects! Join us as we explore […]
Korean Cultural Center of Chicago program *Korean Games and Crafts *Korean Book Storytelling *Museum Tour *Hanbok Doll Exhibition *Tote bag Decoration Associates Class Experience *Art Classes *Korean Traditional Dance (Event 2 only) *Korean Traditional Music (Event 2 only) Date: Sat. May 6, 2023 Pre-registration is required Register for Event 1 (11am-1pm) or Event 2 (1:30pm-3:30pm) […]
Join us and show your Polish pride by marching with the Polish Museum of America to celebrate the 232nd anniversary of the Polish Constitution, the first democratic constitution in Europe. The Parade begins at 11:30 am on Saturday, May 6, 2023. The PMA is Unit #12. We are meeting at the corner of Columbus Dr. […]
Recognized as one of the top gamelan orchestras outside of Indonesia, Chicago Balinese Gamelan presents "Kreasi", a dynamic must-see performance juxtaposing new compositions and choreography with traditional ceremonial dances. Kreasi means "creation", and featured are several world premier performances, including Rejang Suarangin ("sound of the windy city"), composed and performed by Balinese artistic trailblazers and […]
Join us on-site at Illinois Holocaust Museum for a special performance with Civic Orchestra of Chicago in partnership with JCC Chicago and Violins of Hope. A string quartet made up of musicians from the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, this prestigious training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will perform on select instruments from the Violins […]
Recognized as one of the top gamelan orchestras outside of Indonesia, Chicago Balinese Gamelan presents "Kreasi", a dynamic must-see performance juxtaposing new compositions and choreography with traditional ceremonial dances. Kreasi means "creation", and featured are several world premier performances, including Rejang Suarangin ("sound of the windy city"), composed and performed by Balinese artistic trailblazers and […]
Join us for Mental Health Awareness Month to doodle, color, and re-create your interpretation of our artworks. We welcome you to come and express yourself through art.
Organizers: The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
This intimate event brings co-curators for ReFramed and ReCovered into conversation around the many benefits that trees impart to cities. Learn about the vision and themes of these complementary exhibits and join the curators for a gallery tour. This program is $15 for admission and $7 for CAC Members. In “ReCovered: Chicago’s Urban Tree Canopy” […]
After 25 years of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. Marine Richard “Mac” McKinney returned home to Muncie, Indiana, with an all-consuming hatred toward the people he had been fighting overseas. McKinney decided to bomb the local mosque, but when he came face-to-face with a welcoming community, his plans – and his life – took […]
The debate as to whether Demotic (the spoken language of ordinary people) or Katharevousa (a cultivated recreation of Ancient Greek) should be the official language of Greece was a major political and cultural issue throughout the 19th and 20th century. A question of identity, class, and history, the language question has much to tell us […]
Location: The theater, both comedy and tragedy, began in Ancient Athens as part of the festival in honor of the god Dionysus. But theater also played an important role within Athenian democracy, a place where the city’s troubles and conflicts could be played out at a safe distance. Learn more about the connection between theater […]
Nadační fond Arnošta Lustiga a Česká škola T. G. Masaryka srdečně zvou na online seminář ARNOŠT LUSTIG & PROJEKT MLADÍ HUMAN-ISTÉ. V rámci mezinárodní literární soutěže Mladí HUMAN-isté připravil Nadační fond Arnošta Lustiga metodiku a pracovní listy pro pedagogy s tematikou tvorby a osobnosti spisovatele, novináře a přeživšího holocaustu Arnošta Lustiga. Představíme vám osobnost Arnošta […]
Cordial invitación de Casa Michoacán DuPage a Celebrar en grande el ¡Dia de las Madres!! A todas las familias nos vemos el próximo viernes en Casa Michoacán Dupage 900 E. Roosevelt Rd West Chicago IL 60185 a partir de las 5:30 p.m. Tendremos la participación de dos reconocidos artistas, Xitlali García, y Juan Diego Rojas, […]
Flower Arranging Workshop In Person at JASC ! Spark your imagination into action with spring blossoms and create your own “Bento Box” flower arrangement with instructor Mrs. Yuko Inoue Darcy of the Ohara School of Ikebana. This special square shaped arrangement looks like a Bento Box (a Japanese lunch box). Just in time for Mother’s […]
This workshop is specifically for the recent Temporary Protected Status designation for Haiti. The Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) is one of 11 agencies in Chicago that can provide educational presentations and resources on things such as Know-Your-Rights and the Unauthorized Practice of Law. Additionally, HAMOC can provide referalls for undocumented and immigrant individuals […]
At the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture (NMPRAC), we recognize the healing power of art, which is why we prioritize keeping our exhibitions and museum free and accessible to all. Studies have demonstrated the positive effects of visiting art museums on one's mental health. As we highlight Mental Health Awareness Month, we […]
Organizers: The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
The South Side Community Art Center, in collaboration with Mural Arts presents Mapping Black Archives, a collage workshop hosted by Alexandra Antoine, with Andrea Yarbrough. This is an invitation to explore Black archives through collage using maps, magazines, ephemera, and photos of black women as source material. The final works will be markers, honoring Black […]
The Chop Suey “joint” was a prime target of anti-Chinese discrimination in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This art exhibition focuses on four sojourners lost to historical haze.
In this workshop you will make your own lace ornament using traditional Chinese methods. The instructor will give a presentation of the brief history of Xiaoshan Lace, and give several needle lace-making demos. Participants will practice based on demos to make an ornament during the workshop time. The fee is $15, Members $10. Session Breakdown(115-120mins): […]
Join us for Mental Health Awareness Month to doodle, color, and re-create your interpretation of our artworks. We welcome you to come and express yourself through art.
Organizers: The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
“Awi’nakola” (ah-weet-nah-kyo-lah) means “We are one with the land and the sea.” It is also the name for a foundation started by a group of Indigenous knowledge keepers, scientists, and artists working together to find effective responses to the climate crisis and to educate others through the process. Join us for an introduction to Awi’nakola’s […]
In 1945, a 14-year-old's diary was discovered in Auschwitz. The exhibition explores Rywka's life in the Łódz Ghetto and what might have happened after her deportation to Auschwitz and beyond.
Join us to celebrate the accomplishments of 2022 and look forward to new endeavors in 2023! Enjoy an evening of sushi, heavy appetizers, desserts, and a variety of drinks sure to please all palates. The evening’s festivities will raise funds for supporting JASC’s capacity to provide important social services and educational opportunities for all ages […]
The Trial of Socrates is one of history's most famous legal battles. Often portrayed as a simple tale about the injustice visited on one man who dared to ask questions, there is much more to the story. In this special NHM Discussion, we will re-examine the trial of Socrates and ask if ancient Greece’s most […]
Join the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) in A Passport to Haiti! A Passport to Haiti is a four-event program spanning over several months that focuses on the cuisine, movement, culture, and art of Haiti. This event focuses on Konpa Sware, the dance and music style traditional to Haiti. This event is to be […]
This exhibit showcases modern classics from one of Ukraine's best private collections, demonstrating the multidimensionality and deep intuition of Ukrainian modernist style.
BY José Guzmán Borrero featuring special guest Víctor García The Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective’s upbeat music emulates the Cuban Son ensemble by using the electric guitar instead of the piano. Led by guitarist Jose Guzman, the band embraces traditional repertoire from Puerto Rican and Cuban songbooks, and expands their sonic palette by incorporating modern jazz harmony […]
In honor of AAPI Month, the South Asia Institute and the Guild Literary Complex bring you TAKING ROOT. This arts event features an exhibition tour, poetry, music, book signing, and more… Poetry reading moderated by Faisal Mohyuddin, with poets George Abraham, Czaerra Galicinao Ucol, Samina Hadi-Tabassum, and Saba Keramati. Music by Maninder Singh.
Come enjoy the all-immersive experience where you can be the detective. This party promises an afternoon of mystery and intrigue. Sponsored by: The Women's Guild of the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture What: Annual Fundraiser When: Sunday, May 21, 2023 / Social Hour: 12:30PM / Lunch 1:30PM to 2:30PM / In-House Raffle: 3:30PM Where: Mayfield […]
Join the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) in A Passport to Haiti! A Passport to Haiti is a four-event program spanning over several months that focuses on the cuisine, movement, culture, and art of Haiti. This event focuses on Art Making and is to be held on Sunday, May 21st. In this event, guests […]
The center of Peruvian Arts will perform in this important event promoting music and dance. The performances are an important means of expressing Peruvian Indigenous heritage – past, present, and future adopting a ‘best practice’ approach and encouraging respect for the cultures of Indigenous. This performance expresses the native life through his or her relationship […]
Are you looking for new jobs or getting ready to apply for one? Sign up for HANA's virtual job readiness workshops coming up soon! Available in English and Spanish.
Believe it or not, all of architecture boils down to seven basic structures. Yet they can be combined in more than 5,000 ways to create our built environment. Join us to learn more.
This film features Chicago’s James R. Thompson Center as it transforms from a public office building into Google’s downtown headquarters, raising questions about architecture.
Join us for Mental Health Awareness Month to doodle, color, and re-create your interpretation of our artworks. We welcome you to come and express yourself through art.
Organizers: The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
Our expert guides will take children on a journey through the rich and diverse cultures of Asia, exploring vibrant pottery, intricate sculptures, and fascinating artifacts.
Join us to watch the first two episodes of American Born Chinese, followed by a discussion and your thoughts on what it means to be American Born Chinese.
Exploring the continuing legacy of colonialism, this film shows a Spanish conquistador arriving in contemporary Mexico, encountering migrants, activists, and mothers.
This multi-genre production blending theatre, dance, music and poetry celebrates the many facets of friendship, from carefree childhood to the care-laden years.
Organizers: Kalapriya Center for Indian Performing Arts
This exhibit links art, natural and social sciences to represent how migrant pollinator species and human laborers are closely linked - raising environmental and social awareness.
Chicago Dance Month kicks off with an opening celebration featuring a dynamic mix of performances from companies and artists that span genres and countries.
Musicians from Chicago’s Japanese, Brazilian, and Ukrainian communities will make jazz, classical, and ethnic folk music intersect in new and unexpected ways.
Organizers: American Indian Center, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art
J. Gibran Villalobos is an arts administrator, educator, and cultural worker. He has served as Senior Program Officer for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, as the Interim Executive Director of the Chicago Artists Coalition, and faculty lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Previously, he has held posts as Assistant Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Partnerships and Community Engagement Manager for the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Cultural Liaison for the Chicago Park District, and Curator-in-Residence for the Chicago Cultural Center. In 2016 he attended the Advocacy Leadership Institute and was invited to the White House Office of Public Engagement, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to speak to issues affecting Latinos in Chicago. In 2017 he launched an inaugural summit of Latinx artists and administrators across the U.S; for this project he was awarded the Act Up Award by the Chicago Community Trust. His work has been presented at the Fabrica de Arte Cubano during the 2017 Havana Biennial. In 2019 he was an inaugural recipient of the Field Foundation’s Leaders for a New Chicago Award as well as the Americans for the Arts 2019 Leaders of Color Fellowship. In 2020, he joined the Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy where he worked with government and nonprofit sector participants to think about effective policy for Chicago’s cultural industries. He helped establish the Auxiliary Board at the National Museum of Mexican Art. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the Department of Arts Administration & Policy.
Gibran holds a BA in Art History and a BS in Public Relations from Northern Arizona University and an MA in Arts Administration & Policy and MA in Modern Art History & Theory from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
He has contributed to exhibitions such as Direct Message, presenting the artwork of Chicago artistic collectives and their relation to language and civic engagement. As part of an international project, he has convened the MCA Chicago with the Tate Modern, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Queens Museum and other institutions to create dialogue on civic engagement within contemporary art institutions. He has written catalog entries for Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Rodrigo Lara Zendejas, and Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford. In 2021, he is contributing to the upcoming retrospective on the work by artist Andrea Bowers focusing on the activism and archives of Emma Lozano. He is curator of the symposium Fractures: Creating Around Devastation focusing on water ecology, civic engagement, activism, and architecture.
Loreal Robertson
Board Member
Loreal Robertson is a native Chicagoan who recently returned home in 2021 where she began working at the University of Chicago. In her role she oversees and monitors a range of programs, services, and resources to support the retention, wellness, belonging, and success of graduate students. Additionally, her role includes informing strategic priorities, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, professional development, student advancement and the support of students who may be experiencing financial academic, or personal challenges, including students with disabilities and international students.
Loreal has over 10 years of experience in higher education and student affairs. In 2021 she received the Inclusion and Diversity Champion Award from Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK), where she was previously employed. Loreal’s personal and professional philosophy is creating and promoting spaces and opportunities where everyone can see themselves as part of an experience and feels represented.
Loreal holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Arkansas, a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from TAMUK.
Loreal is a financial and active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, an avid reader, and enjoys traveling with family and friends.
Warren Frank
Treasurer
Warren Frank is a retired CPA and CFO, and current Adjunct Professor at Columbia College.
Warren worked at such CPA firms as KPMG, PwC, and Deloitte, and Not For Profit organizations as National Association of Realtors, Chicago Associations of Realtors, Anixter Center, and Chinese American Service League.
Warren is a Chicago resident in the Lakeview neighborhood. He attended Loyola University of Chicago for his bachelor degree and Northwestern University for his master degree.
Colleen McGaughey
Board Member
Colleen McGaughey (she/her) is the director of development at the National Public Housing Museum, where she leads the strategic direction of the museum’s fundraising efforts with a focus on creative and community-centric approaches.
Mario Longoni
Board Member
Mario Longoni is a cultural anthropologist (“Lead Environmental Social Scientist”) in the Keller Science Action Center at the Field Museum. For over 20 years, he has worked with individuals and organizations to surface and activate cultural and natural assets (specific strengths and characteristics) to help communities meet the challenges they face.
Rob Fojtik
Board Member
Rob Fojtik is Vice President for Neighborhood Strategy at Choose Chicago, the city’s official tourism and convention promotion bureau. In this capacity, Rob oversees efforts to promote and support Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods to visitors from near and far. Programs include the award-winning Neighborhood Content Creator program that leverages resident-made digital content, and Chicago Alfresco, a $2.5 million placemaking initiative created in partnership with the Chicago Department of Transportation to transform public spaces into community plazas for outdoor enjoyment.
Before coming to Choose Chicago, Rob was a Senior Advisor to Mayor Lightfoot on economic development and international relations at City Hall, as well as LGTBQ+ affairs and the expanded outdoor dining program. In this role, he also worked to recommend and place over 150 civic leaders and residents onto City boards and commissions. Prior to government service in the Lightfoot administration, Rob ran her winning campaign in the crowded 2019 Chicago mayoral race as Chief of Staff. In past lives, Rob has worked as a public affairs manager for a Fortune 500 company downtown; had misadventures in management consulting, art sales, and personal cheffing; and spent time in Washington DC working for former Secretary of Defense William Cohen. Rob also served a one-year appointment at the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence as a policy advisor on Central and Eastern Europe. In this role, he was part of the NSC’s interagency process to develop a comprehensive sanctions regime on Russia as a consequence of its 2014 invasion of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.
After receiving his BA in Slavic Languages and Literature at Northwestern University, Rob lived and worked in the Czech Republic teaching English and tending bar before moving to Washington, D.C. to pursue a MA from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies (CERES). He enjoys cooking, learning foreign languages, hiking with his partner and their dog, and visiting Chicago’s many neighborhoods.
Paul Durica
Board Member
Dr. Paul Durica is the Director of Exhibitions at the Chicago History Museums and worked in a similar capacity at The Newberry Library. From 2015-2020, he served as the Director of Programs and Exhibitions with Illinois Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Prior to that he drew upon his work as a writer, researcher, and teacher to produce a series of free and interactive talks, walks, and reenactments focused on narratives from Chicago’s past that resonate with its present.
These public history programs led to collaborations with cultural institutions in the city such as the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Chicago History Museum, Newberry Library, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Chicago Cultural Center among others.
Each program made use of both his original research and the skills of the arts organizations, community groups, local businesses, and publications that acted as my partners. Some of these programs, such as the full-scale reenactment of the Haymarket Affair in 2011, involved recruiting and directing over 300 volunteers and 1,000 participants.
To produce these programs successfully, he wrote grants; managed budgets; generated web content; worked closely with program partners of varying sizes and resources; and identified, engaged, and sustained a diverse multi-generational audience.
Lynessa Rico
Board Member
Dr. Lynessa M. Rico is the Associate Chair of the Business Psychology Department at the The Chicago School of Professional Psychology Chicago campus. She is also a business mentor at 1871.
Lynessa is a results-driven Strategic Consultant with over 25 years of experience enabling leaders to meet strategic business objectives by identifying and aligning business growth opportunities with strategic direction of culturally diverse organizations. By leveraging her strategic experience in identifying and impacting business growth opportunities and maximizing profits in retail firms and higher education institutions, Lynessa leads workshops focused on the creative mindset, women’s entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence, and the value and application of design thinking within entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Her services also include consulting with and educating leadership on emotional intelligence, the power of design thinking and the creative mindset, and leadership styles to support inclusive, creative workplaces. She has presented to leadership and innovation teams in small, mid-size, and Fortune 500 companies.
Lynessa received her undergraduate degrees in Marketing and Management from Wichita State University. She then went on to earn a master’s degree in Business Administration from Wichita State University with a focus in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. After earning her master’s degree, Lynessa received her doctorate in Business Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology where she successfully completed her dissertation titled, “The Relationship Between Personality Types and Color Preference for Color Combinations.” Her current research interests include women’s entrepreneurship, design thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, and entrepreneurship self-efficacy.
Outside of work and research, Lynessa enjoys mentoring start-ups and judging pitch competitions. Lynessa currently resides in Chicago, Illinois with her four cats. She is an avid long-distance runner, having completed 5 full marathons (and counting), and enjoys watching musical theater.
Briana Thomas
Board Member
Briana Thomas is the Museum Associate at the Abrahamic Center for Cultural Education (a core member of the Chicago Cultural Alliance). She wears many hats including developing exhibition content, facilitating community programs (children and adults), liaising with visitor artists, and other responsibilities. Her previous experience in the nonprofit space includes her tenure as the Financial Empowerment Coordinator at AMERICORPS Sharing Life Center as well as engaging with the public at the Dallas Arboretum. Her past professional experience has remained rooted in marginalized communities. It is their needs, discourse and histories that she has routinely been tasked with protecting and showcasing in the face of poor infrastructure, and willing ignorance. Creating safe spaces is an ancestral practice she has inherited.