 VICKI ESCARRA IN THE NEWS
Forbes
spoke with Vicki Escarra, CEO of Opportunity International, and disscussed Opportunity International's work across Africa and in particular its recent Education Finance initiative
to design the first open-platform credit model for education lending funded with a $1 million grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Read more...
The Hill
published
a co-authored Opinion Editorial by
Vicki Escarra, alongside partner Dave van Niekerk, Founder and CEO of MyBucks, which focused on the evolution of philanthropy through microfinance; an accountable enterprise with a proven model of sustainable development.
The article was featured on the front page of The Hill Magazine
.
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 JEANNE GANG'S CHICAGO OFFICE HARVESTS WHEAT FROM ROOFTOP
Studio Gang Architects (
Jeanne Gang), an architecture and urban design firm participating in the Architects Advocate Action on Climate Change initiative, has turned the 5,000 square feet rooftop of their new office into a garden. Planting wheat was decided initially as a solution to keep the soil healthy after the start of the project in the winter of 2015/16. Their rooftop produced 60 pounds of flour and was sold for human consumption.
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CAROL ROSS BARNEY ON 15-YEAR-LONG CHICAGO RIVERWALK REVITALIZATION PROJECT CONCLUSION
Carol Ross Barney, the founder of Ross Barney Architects, was interviewed by
City Lab and featured in an article about the Chicago Riverwalk, a 15-year-long revitalization project whose final installment opens to the public this week.
As the Riverwalk enters its final stage, its success has spurred a citywide push to reinvest not only in the Chicago River, but the Des Plaines and Calumet rivers as well. Ross Barney consulted with the nonprofit Metropolitan Planning Council (MarySue Barrett) on the plan for Great Rivers Chicago, which lays of a vision for transforming all three bodies of water by 2040.
In a press release, Carol Ross Barney said that the goal of the Riverwalk is to "return the river to Chicago and return Chicagoans to the river." Read more...
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MACARTHUR MAY FUND BETTER LOOP, OBAMA LIBRARY TRANSIT
100&Change, a MacArthur Foundation (
Julia Stasch) competition for a $100 million grant to fund a single proposal that will make measurable progress toward solving a significant problem, was highlighted in
Crain's this week.
Among the proposals, the Chicago Central Area Committee, a Chicago civic group, is ramping up its effort to revive plans to for expanded transit service in the bustling and increasingly congested Loop area to provide better transit to the Barack Obama library site, combined with new investment in housing and jobs on the South Side.
The foundation is expected to release its short list of finalists soon.
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CHICAGO TRIBUNE FEATURES "TOGETHER FOR HISTORY," AN ELECTION NIGHT EVENT BENEFITING WOMEN
Kate Bensen, President and CEO of The Chicago Network, and
Dorri McWhorter, CEO of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, were quoted in a
Chicago Tribune article featuring "Together for History."
Mary Ann Childers, President of Mary Ann Childers, Inc., who will serve as a broadcaster for the event, was also mentioned.
"This is an historic election regardless of who wins," said Dorri McWhorter. "We want the night to be about energizing the crowd to keep moving forward and keep women's issues top of mind."
"I hope the winner, regardless of his or her political party, will pursue action and policies that are productive for both women and men," said Kate Bensen. "Health care, minimum wage, family leave, child care, pay equity. You're hearing people all over the country say these issues are important, and we hope the next president will make them a priority, so that it's possible for all Americans to pursue the American dream."
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TRISH LUKASIK JOINS SPOTHERO AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Trish Lukasik, former PepsiCo SVP and Chief Customer Officer,
has joined SpotHero as Chief Operating Officer. As COO, Trish will focus on accelerating the growth of SpotHero's parking marketplace. "SpotHero has an incredibly talented team solving everyday consumer problems using technology," said Trish Lukasik. "I'm looking forward to combining my passion for building and nurturing personnel with my deep expertise in enabling organizational growth to help SpotHero provide easy and affordable parking to an expanding number of drivers."
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 JULIE SCOTT TO BE HONORED AT 31ST ANNUAL EMERALD BALL
On Friday, November 4, J
ulie Scott
, President and CEO, CTS Impact (formerly CTS Holdings, Inc.), along with her family, will be honored at
the 31st annual Emerald Ball at the Hilton Chicago
for their efforts to help improve the lives of countless individuals through their commitment to education, charitable activity and service to others.
Julie and Tom Scott, in partnership with North Lawndale College Prep, Old St. Patrick's, and Night Ministry, have been instrumental in their support for the school's under-housed students with a Student Housing project for homeless students. This housing project will offer a residence for many area high school students who do not have a permanent residence to go to after their school day.
The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimates that, in the 2013-2014 school year, 22,000 registered Chicago Public School students experienced housing instability.
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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN ASSOCIATES TO HONOR VICKI ESCARRA WITH WOMAN EXTRAORDINAIRE AWARD
The International Women Associates (IWA) of Chicago will present its 20th Annual Woman Extraordinaire Award on Tuesday, October 25. IWA will present the 2016 Woman Extraordinaire Award to
Vicki Escarra, Global Chief Executive Officer of
Opportunity International.
This year's recipient has a pivotal position empowering women all over the globe to create a sustainable future for themselves, their families and communities - leading to a more just and peaceful world. The Woman Extraordinaire Award will be presented to Vicky during a luncheon at the InterContinental Chicago, 505 N. Michigan Avenue.
"IWA is a celebrated social enterprise, a proponent of Chicago's leadership in American innovation and a moral compass behind our shared commitment to the promotion of community empowerment and human rights. I'm proud to represent Opportunity International and the ambitions of IWA and its many thought leaders in creating lasting impact for a more-virtuous global community," said Vicki Escarra.
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TCN MEMBERS HONORED AT CHICAGO INNOVATION AWARDS
The Chicago Innovation Awards, which recognizes new products and services in the Chicago area, held its annual awards event on Tuesday and recognized
Margo Georgiadis, president of Americas at Google and co-leader of Women@Google, with the Visionary Award. The following Network members and/or their companies were recognized as the main category winners for 2016:
- Baxter (Jeanne Mason) for the first dialysis machine with voice guidance, touchscreen controls and two-way telemedicine
- Federal Signal's (Jennifer Sherman) Vactor HXX ParaDIGm, a compact high-powered hydro excavator.
- ContextMedia's (Shradha Agarwal) Digital Exam Room Wallboard, which gives doctors a 3D patient instructional tool.
- In other categories, the Social Innovator Award went to LEAP Innovations (Phyllis Lockett), which works with educators and innovators to discover, pilot and scale technologies aimed at personalized learning. Read more...
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 DORIS CHRISTOPHER GIVES INSPIRATION TO OTHER WOMEN PHILANTHROPISTS
Doris Christopher, founder and chairman of the Pampered Chef, was the keynote speaker at the Porter County Community Foundation's 16th annual Women's Tea, a fundraiser that benefits the Women's Fund of Porter County. During the speech, she urged women to follow their passion because "if you do something you're passionate about, you will make a difference."
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CHRISTIE HEFNER COMEDY AND THE CONSTITUTION: THE LEGACY OF LENNY BRUCE AT BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
On Thursday, October 27, Brandeis University celebrated the opening of its new exhibit on the life and impact of the comedian Lenny Bruce with a two-day academic conference billed as "Comedy and the Constitution: The Legacy of Lenny Bruce." The conference will feature a keynote speech by Christie Hefner, a Brandeis alum and trustee of the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation. She hopes the exhibit at her alma mater helps comedy fans and students of American history understand that Bruce's papers aren't just some "creature caught in amber." Christie Hefner will also moderate a session on Censorship and Law.
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MARY MEG MCCARTHY AT LITIGATING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE CONFERENCE
Mary Meg McCarthy, Executive Director, National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), a program of Heartland Alliance, recently returned from the Litigating for Social Change conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland where she spoke about protecting legal victories. 
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TCN MEMBERS SPEAK AT CHICAGO IDEAS WEEK
Chicago Ideas (
Jessica Malkin) brings together global thought leaders to examine the most pressing issues and provocative ideas of our time. The following Network members participated throughout the Chicago Ideas week:
- Shradha Agarwal, Co-Founder & President, ContextMedia
- Funmi Olopade, Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics, University of Chicago
- Angela Olinto, Homer J. Livingston Distinguished Service Professor; Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago
To read more, click here...
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TCN MEMBERS AT BOOTH WOMEN CONNECT CONFERENCE
On Thursday, October 27, the sold-out Booth Women Connect Conference, held at at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, featured a full-day of Chicago Booth faculty speakers and alumnae who shared experiences and perspectives as leaders in business and research. The following Network members were among the list of speakers:
- Debra Cafaro, Chairman & CEO, Ventas, Inc.
- Adela Cepeda, President, A.C. Advisory, Inc.
- Roxanne M. Martino, CEO, OceanM19
- Donna F. Zarcone, President & CEO, The Economic Club of Chicago
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CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: CFW'S 2017 IMPACT AWARDS
Do you know someone who is dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in Chicago? Nominate them for a 2017 Chicago Foundation for Women (K. Sujata and Alysia Tate) Impact Award today! The deadline to submit nominations is Wednesday, November 30th, 2016! Click here to learn more and download the nomination form. Eligible nominees are women and men and can be current or emerging leaders of any age and come from any field, including but not limited to the arts, business, community organizing, education, faith-based work, journalism, law, medicine, philanthropy, and public or community service. For more information, contact Ilda Lagunas at [email protected] or (312) 577-2801.
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VIP PASSES FOR SOFA CHICAGO
From Jackie Koo:
Once again I am a serving
SOFA CHICAGO as a Host Committee Member. I would love to share VIP passes for SOFA CHICAGO with TCN. VIP Passes include complimentary admission for two to the Opening Night Preview on Thursday, November 3 from 5:00 - 9:00 pm and return admission throughout the weekend, plus access to VIP tours and events. See complete schedule,
click here!
To RVSP and print complimentary admission passes, please
click here and enter promo code
JKOO for complimentary passes when prompted.
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CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD RELEASE Q3 2016 U.S. MARKETBEAT REPORTS
Cushman & Wakefield (
Marilyn Lissner) released their Q3 2016 U.S. MarketBeat Reports. Highlights from the report include:
- Office - U.S. office markets continued to gradually tighten in the third quarter of 2016, reflecting a more moderate pace of job growth, which has slowed from the strong rate of the previous two years.
- Industrial - The industrial sector has now registered 26 consecutive quarters of net occupancy gains - with this quarter reaching a new cyclical high. Every segment grew during the quarter, with logistics-related warehousing posting 185 MSF of net absorption YTD.
- Capital Markets - With the exception of garden-style apartment buildings and flex buildings, sales volumes were down across all major product types and across most geographic areas.
- Shopping Centers - The retail market remains mixed, but is challenged by over saturation, frugal consumers, and eCommerce. Despite retail closures (4,000+ chains YTD) and notable bankruptcies, disruption has not impacted all sectors.
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As the preeminent organization for Chicago's leading professional women, we are compelled to:
- Connect with each other for professional & personal growth
- Advance our civic, business & philanthropic communities
- Inspire & support the next generation of leaders
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TCN YEAR IN REVIEW 2015 - 2016 NOW AVAILABLE!
Highlights of our progress during the 2015-2016 year include:
- A joint survey with Crain's Chicago Business on women and the workplace that received more than 1,400 responses
- More than 120 TCN members and young NextGen guests attending a program featuring some of the world's foremost astrophysicists - all TCN members
- Launching the TCN blog, Walking Through Glass: Women, Work and the World
And you'll find much more to celebrate in The Chicago Network 2015-2016 Year in Review.
Take a look
!
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