Our mission is

to empower Chicago’s youth to become community leaders through academic success, healthy living, and social-emotional learning.

We build on the inherent power of sports and teamwork to unify diverse stakeholders and strengthen communities.

Our Participants:

Hispanic/Latino: 53%
Black/African American: 38%
Asian/Pacific Islander: 3%
White & Other: 6%

83%

83% of UI participants come from families who qualify as low income

57

Urban Initiatives works in 57 Chicago Public Schools throughout the city.

Make an Impact

Your donations allow us to create positive change in the lives of Chicago’s youth. All donations are tax-deductible.

Make a Donation

Where We Started

Chicago natives Jim Dower and Dan Isherwood founded Urban Initiatives in 2003 in the Cabrini-Green neighborhood. As Chicago Public Schools (CPS) teachers and suburban soccer coaches, they started Urban Initiatives as a response to the lack of extracurricular programs for the children they taught at Byrd Academy.

The Urban Initiatives way allowed kids to learn, practice, and succeed. This approach translated quickly to the classroom, and the principal and teachers at Byrd saw the positive impact in and around school. As word of student success spread, demand for Urban Initiatives’ programs and coaches grew across CPS.

Our Growth

Where We Started

Staff

Executive & Management Team

Jim Dower, Co-Founder & Executive Director, President

Jim graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in Political Science. He started his professional career as a substitute teacher at Cabrini-Green’s Byrd Academy, where the inspiration for Urban Initiatives began. Jim serves on the Governor’s Council on Health and Physical Fitness and is a member of Leadership Greater Chicago’s 2014 class. He is in his eleventh year as a professional soccer coach for the Wilmette Wings Soccer Club. Jim oversees the day-to-day external operations of Urban Initiatives.
Julie Chelovich, Managing Director, Vice President

Julie graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in Political Science and has a Kellogg Executive Scholar Certificate in Nonprofit Management. She played many sports growing up and has always had an interest in youth development and health education. Previously Julie worked at Black River Farm and Ranch where she served as the Program Director. After volunteering at Urban Initiatives as an Assistant Coach, she knew she had found a great organization for which to put her professional skills to work. Julie oversees day-to-day internal operations of Urban Initiatives.
Joy Nelson, Chief People Officer

A Chicago native, Joy graduated from UIC with a Master’s in Education, focusing on Youth Development. After working as a Program Manager at Urban Initiatives for 2 years, she was promoted into the role of Play with Potential Program Director, overseeing recess at 24 local schools. In 2017, she took an opportunity to work with the National YMCA and spent a year and half traveling the Midwest and West Coast, supporting out of school time programming in underserved communities. She returned to Urban Initiatives in 2019 as the Culture and Climate Director and oversaw the day to day operations of our Play with Potential and Community School’s Initiative programs. She will begin her doctorate in Educational Leadership at DePaul in the fall of 2019. Joy is fun-loving supermom with a knack for connecting to people, children, and all things under the sun.
April Lillstrom, Program Partnerships Director

April received a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois and a M.Ed. from UIC, where she specialized in elementary education. April worked with AmeriCorps at educational non-profit groups including First Place School in Seattle and Jumpstart for Young Children in Chicago. Now, she catalyzes program partnerships to help Urban Initiatives leverage the best allies in the field to benefit the kids in our programs.
Dajuan King, Program Director

Dajuan was born and raised on Chicago’s West Side. He is an Alum of Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy, and received his B.A in Social Work from Wartburg College in Iowa. For the past 6 years, Dajuan has dedicated his time to working with Chicago’s under served and under privileged youth. He is excited about having the opportunity to give back to his community and positively influence youth who may be experiencing the same dilemmas he experienced while growing up.
Lauren Gaynor, Director of Institutional Partnerships

Lauren graduated from Michigan State University with a double major in English and Professional Writing with a concentration in Communities and Cultures. Prior to Urban Initiatives, Lauren was a Development Associate for the DuSable Museum of African American History. At UI, Lauren oversees the management of institutional partnerships and outside of work, Lauren spends most of her time training for the Chicago Marathon and other upcoming races.
Linda Galib, Research & Evaluation Director

Originally from Rhode Island, Linda holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from Ithaca College, and an M.P.P and M.P.H. with a focus in health behavior and health education from the University of Michigan. Prior to UI, she conducted federal health program and policy evaluation, volunteered for a child and family services agency in Chicago, and interned in Quito, Ecuador, where she worked to empower youth using PhotoVoice. Her love of sport AND data stem from her childhood, as she played soccer through high school and softball into college, and grew up eagerly programming her grandfather’s computer in Basic (for example, to make the screen color change)! Linda manages program evaluation for Urban Initiatives.
Sara Shanley, Director of Innovative Partnerships

Sara is from Arlington, Virginia and earned a M.A. in International Studies with a focus in African Studies and sports-based youth development. Following her graduate studies, Sara joined the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club where she directed the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s sports-based childhood obesity prevention program. Prior to joining Urban Initiatives, Sara spent a year in Rwanda as the Program Manager for Kids Play International where she managed their sports-based gender equality education program. Sara spearheads program development for WTP, TTL and CFS.
Samantha Suh, Special Projects Manager

Sammy earned her B.A in Elementary Education at the University of Michigan and taught 2nd grade at a CPS school on the northwest side of Chicago. She wanted to continue growing her passion for education and youth in Chicago so she joined the Urban Initiatives team as a Special Projects Manager. In her free time, Sammy frequents many cafes throughout Chicago and believes coffee is an essential part of any day.
Jasmine Lardizabal, Development Manager – Corporate Partnerships

As a military kid, Jasmine moved around often which is why she considers several places her home—Japan, Philippines, Mississippi, Guam, Illinois, but most importantly her family. She is a recent graduate of DePaul University, earning a B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in human development and a Magna Cum Laude honors. Though she had tutored kids for several years in the past, her passion for supporting youth’s mental and socio-emotional health grew stronger throughout her college experience interning for three years at The Cities Project. She also developed her fundraising and philanthropy skills through her membership in Phi Mu. She is absolutely thrilled to be a new addition to the Urban Initiatives team, and will strive to achieve new heights through building positive, impactful relationships as Development Manager of Corporate Partnerships!
MaryGrace Pankratz, Development Manager

MaryGrace was born and raised in Madison, WI. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Political Science and International Studies with a focus in international relations and global security. After graduating, MaryGrace worked for non-profits in the Madison area with strong dedication to education and community building. As Development Manager, MaryGrace works to support fundraising and engagement efforts at Urban Initiatives.
Rebecca Daaleman, Program Manager – Culture & Climate

Rebecca grew up in New Jersey and graduated from University of Michigan with a B.A. in Psychology. Prior to her time at Urban Initiatives, she served as an AmeriCorps Member and a Team Leader at City Year Chicago.
KyJuan Hardin, Program Manager – Culture & Climate

Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, KyJuan attended Kenwood Academy from 2010- 2013 and immediately begin working with youth sports programs after graduating. He believes that sports play an essential role in both physical and emotional development and knows sports has been a personal safe haven in his own life. He started with Urban Initiatives in 2016 and has continued his growth and development taking on multiple roles for the past four years. He is now excited for his new role as a leader for the Culture and Climate team.
Michelle Ramos, Program Manager – Culture & Climate

Michelle is originally from the Ashburn neighborhood on the Southside of Chicago and studied Therapeutic Recreation at Southern Illinois University. She has worked with several youth programs over the past 10 years. She’s played rugby for the past five years and currently plays with the Will County Morrigans. Michelle started working with Urban Initiatives as a Facilitator and Assistant Coach.
Chanelle McFarland, Program Manager – Continuum

Chanelle has a B.A. in Sports Administration from Southern Illinois University. Next to her love for coaching basketball, she has always had a passion for working with children and being a positive role model. Going into her 4th school year with UI, she loves being apart of the school community and all the opportunities they provide for students.
Dani Berny, Program Manager – Continuum

Dani graduated from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in May of 2016 with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation, and she has worked in places such as nursing homes, mental health hospitals, summer camps and schools. She currently serves in the Illinois National Guard as an Aviation Operations Specialist working with Blackhawk helicoptors. Her passion for working with students is second only to her desire to pet every dog she sees on the street!
Arianna Bell, Program Manager – Continuum

Arianna earned a B.S in Community Leadership & Civic Engagement from the Northern Illinois University. She attended Howe Elementary one of the many CPS schools we serve throughout the Chicagoland area. She owes many of her successes to her ability to access extracurricular activities at a young age.

School-Based Program Coordinators

Chris Espino, SBPC at Jahn

Chris is passionate about sports and youth development and sees Urban Initiatives as an opportunity to give back to the community he grew up in. He enjoys grilling, watching sporting events, and rooting for all Chicago teams.
Ebony Stallworth, SBPC at Shields

Ebony has a bachelors in Exercise Science from North Central College in Naperville, IL where she accomplished being a 4x All-American in shot put and a 6x national qualifier in throws. She recently finished her first masters’ program in Educational Leadership and is working on completing her second masters’ in Sports Administration. Both her masters degrees are from St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, FL. She’s an SBPC which requires an abundant amount of energy and she prides herself on brings lots of enthusiasm to the program. She strives for continual growth in her everyday life as well as networking with individuals that can build her knowledge on the road to success.
Daniel Lagunas, SBPC at Prieto

Daniel was born in Chicago, Illinois then he moved to Arlington, Texas when he was 8. He graduated from Timberview Mansfield High School in 2011 and moved back to Chicago in 2014. Daniel worked a variety of jobs post-high school, including stints as a pool cleaner, and work in the warehouse, restaurant, factory, cleaning, medical and office industries. Daniel loves the work he does at UI where he gets to interact every day with kids and games, but he also has aspirations of becoming a professional computer geek someday. One day that aspiration will be realized! Until then he will continue to grow as a person and coach at the best sports-based youth development organization in the city and, not arguably, the world.
Brandy McMahan, SBPC at Lawndale

Coach Brandy is a School-Based Program Coordinator at Lawndale where previously she was an Onsite Program Director.
Victor Ramirez, SBPC at Davis and Gunsaulus

Victor was born in Chicago and grew up in Cicero. He would have loved to have had recess growing up and someone to be a role model during recess. Having always been drawn to art, he studied illustration at the American Academy of Art and received a Bachelors of Fine Art. He paints, draws, and sculpts and plans to be creating art lifelong. He was never the star athlete, but he has always played sports and understands the power of play. His goal is to show kids that the new skills they acquire playing different games and sports will transcend the playground and help them in their path to adulthood. Victor has been married for close to five years, and his wife has been his unconditional support. He believes that having a family or at the very least a caring adult to support us in our lives can and will make all the difference in the lives of the kids we serve.

Program Coordinators & Associates

Will Ensign-Church, Program Coordinator

Will graduated from Knox College in 2018. He has learned and grown as a soccer-playing individual/teammate since he was about 6 years old. Will hopes to make meaningful connections with students and to impart some of the knowledge he picked up playing, watching, and coaching soccer.
Moises Saucedo, Program Coordinator

Moises is a family-oriented individual with a passion for helping youth and communities grow. He attended Benito Juarez high school while growing up around the southwest parts of Chicago. Moises is currently working on attending Richard D. Community College and is excited to be working for Urban Initiatives as a Program Associate!
Daniel Serna Geitz, Program Coordinator

Daniel played soccer and water polo while studying Sociology at Carnegie Mellon University. After college he worked in Family and Community Engagement for Denver Public Schools, where his passion for school support and community outreach flourished. He is excited to bring his interests together to serve Chicago students and families!
Jackson Boleky, Program Coordinator

Born and raised in the North Side Suburbs, Jackson graduated from Loyola Academy before getting a BA in Economics and International Nonprofit Management/Development from Tulane University. After working in New Orleans with multiple nonprofit organizations, He moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina. He learned spanish, studied public health/politics, and worked with Argentinian youth while there. Upon relocating back to Chicago he worked in tech and for Catholic Charities. As a hockey player and a sailor Jackson loves physical activity and being outdoors. He is very happy to be back working in youth development with Urban Initiatives in his role as Program Coordinator.
Mia Jackson, Program Coordinator

Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Miyah spent her first two years at Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga and later returned home to complete her B.A. in Sociology at Roosevelt University. There she was able to continue developing a strong passion for art, social justice, educational reform and activism. Being a first generation graduate only fueled Miyah’s passion to become more involved in her community. She understands how important it is to bridge fun, equitable and quality opportunities for marginalized youth, and is a strong believer in community pride and support. More so, Miyah believes the biggest opportunity as leaders is the need to work on giving one another, especially our youth, spaces to develop personal autonomies in a safe and non- judgmental environment.

Culture + Climate Staff

Lakita Chandler, Recess Coordinator at Brighton Park

Hi, my name is Lakita Chandler. I am a mom of 3 intelligent, beautiful young ladies. My passion and joy for working with youth goes back to my childhood when I was always the teacher or mom. I’ve been a volunteer and cheer coach with CPS for 6 years. I am so excited to be apart of the UI team and continue to fulfill my passion of empowering our youth.
Bernie Hanson, Recess Coordinator at Ravenswood

Bernie is the Recess Coordinator at Ravenswood.
Ruth Guerra, Resource Coordinator at King

Ruth was born and raised in the Back of the Yards neighborhood and attended CPS growing up. She is experienced with alternative educational engagement through arts programming and has her BA in Applied Behavioral Sciences. Ruth grew up playing every kind of sport imaginable at recess and is excited to build relationships with her school community.
Amere Washington, Recess Coordinator at Tarkington

Amere is the Recess Coordinator at Tarkington.
Tiffany Washington, Resource Coordinator at Spencer

Tiffany Washington is an experienced people leader who’s passionate about growth and development. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Illinois @ Champaign, and spent the last decade of her career building and leading high performance teams at Kaplan University. Tiffany is from the Austin neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago and is proud to be contributing to the community through her work as a Resource Coordinator at Spencer Elementary.
Reggie Scruggs, Resource Coordinator at Doolittle

Reggie graduated from Columbia College Chicago with degrees in Sports Magazine Journalism and Marketing. Following college he followed his love for youth development by serving two years with AmeriCorps with a focus in education and community outreach. Reggie brings experience teaching and facilitating youth programming in public and non-traditional settings. He is excited to share his love of sports, yoga and mental wellness as a Program Coordinator for the Continuum team.
Catrina Reynolds, Resource Coordinator at Barnard

Catrina is the Resource Coordinator for the Community Schools Initiative program at Barnard.
Javon Wright, Recess Coordinator at Daley

Javon is the Recess Coordinator at Daley Elementary.

Available Jobs

Community School’s Initiative Resource Coordinator

The Resource Coordinator (RC) is responsible for managing and expanding out of school time (OST) programming for Community School’s Initiative (CSI) by recruiting student participants, coordinating developmentally appropriate activities, engaging family and community members in programming opportunities, and overseeing staff members at one partner school. The RC is also responsible for maintaining accurate financial and attendance records, working with community members and organizations to offer programs and services that meet the needs of students and their families, and marketing the program for growth and sustainability. The RC manages relationships with school administrators and staff, as well as recruits and sustains relationships with community vendors through the support of their program manager and the 21st Century Learning Grant.

Urban Initiatives & Community School’s Initiative Overview

Urban Initiatives is dedicated to intentionally fostering a climate of purposeful inclusion in our workplace, and candidates of diverse backgrounds and identities are strongly encouraged to apply. Urban Initiatives is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Personnel are chosen on the basis of ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. This is in accordance with federal and state law. Founded in 2003, Urban Initiatives is a nonprofit organization that runs youth development programs in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Urban Initiatives’ mission is to empower Chicago’s youth to become community leaders through academic success, healthy living, and social-emotional learning. We amplify the inherent power of sports and teamwork to unify diverse stakeholders and strengthen communities. Urban Initiatives takes a collaborative, whole-child approach to development in order to provide children with ongoing opportunities to reach their full potential. Currently, Urban Initiatives serves thousands of students throughout the City of Chicago. Community Schools Initiative (CSI) is a federally funded program that utilizes a year-round approach to impact youth, families, and the broader community with comprehensive support in the out-of-school time (OST) space.
Responsibilities

-Oversee the day-to-day operation of OST coordination at a CPS school. This includes: Planning and making recommendations for the implementation of high quality program activities that meet the mission and vision of program, align to the schools goals, and provide diverse learning opportunities; Meet program requirements in partnership with CSI and 21st century grant requirements; maintain accurate record-keeping and monitoring of policies and procedures.

-Staffing and Training: Supervise and participate in the recruitment of out-of-school-time (OST) program staff; Negotiate vendor and independent contractor agreements on behalf of the program with agencies and individuals who provide services

-Budget Management: Tracking and maintenance of expenditures within the budget.

-Provide direct service to youth and/or parent participants.

-Stakeholder Engagement: Organize and manage an Advisory Committee that is responsible for general oversight of the out-of-school-time program; Seek input from administration, teachers, school staff, LSC members, parents, and students to determine ongoing needs of community.

-Evaluation: Assure that site-based reporting and evaluation components are completed and delivered.

-Attend the following Annual UI Fundraising Events: Soccer Ball and Work to Play Cup
Requirements & Qualifications

● Passion for Urban Initiatives’ mission
● Commitment to interrupting all forms of oppression in the workplace
● Committed to supporting a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for youth
● Ability to build relationships and communicate effectively with a diverse set of stakeholders including other staff members, youth, coaches, families, partner organizations and funders through a variety of different mediums.
● At least two years experience working in the youth development field (experience in a supervisor role preferred)
● Superior communication skills, both spoken and written
● Strong budget management knowledge
● Strong presentation and group facilitation skills (demonstrated experience preferred)
● Quick learner and problem solver, experienced in managing conflicts
● Strong time management, administrative, analytical, and organizational skills
● Self-directed while balancing multiple tasks within a team-based work environment
● Ability to be flexible and manage multiple priorities while maintaining high quality of work
● Demonstrated experience working with a diverse group of people, particularly those living in underserved neighborhoods
● Willingness to travel locally as needed
● Fingerprint Background Check (required in-house)
● CPR certification (training provided)
● Negative TB test (required)
Compensation Package

● Base salary of $35,000
● Health, dental, and vision insurance premiums paid 100% by Urban Initiatives (for employees and for their children)
● Life, short term disability, and long term disability insurance paid 100% by Urban Initiatives
● Option to contribute to a 401K with up to a 3% match of your salary after one full year of employment
● 120 hours (15 days) paid time off per year (PTO may be prorated based on start date)
● Paid holidays (Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day)
● Comp time for salaried employees

How to Apply: Link to apply is HERE.

Where We Work

Schools

Barnard 10354 S Charles St
Barry 2828 N Kilbourn Ave
Bateman 4220 N Richmond St
Beethoven 25 W 47th St
Beidler 3151 W Walnut St
Brighton Park 3825 Washtenaw Ave
Christopher House 5235 W Belden Ave
Claremont 2300 W 64th St
Daley 5024 S Wolcott Ave
Davis 3014 W 39th Pl
Doolittle 535 E 35th St.
Faraday 3250 W Monroe St
Goethe 2236 N Rockwell St
Goudy 5120 N Winthrop Ave
Greene 3525 S Honore Ave
Gunsaulus 4420 S Sacramento Ave
Henry 4250 St Louis Ave
Howe 720 N Lorel Ave
Jackson 917 W 88th St
Jahn 3149 N Wolcott Ave
Jordan 7414 N Wolcott Ave
King 644 W 71st St
Kozminski 936 E 54th St
Lawndale 3500 W Douglas Blvd
Lee 6448 S Tripp Ave
Libby 5300 S Loomis Blvd
Little Village 2620 S Lawndale Ave
Lloyd 2103 N Lamon Ave
Marquette 6550 S Richmond St
McNair 4820 W Walton St
Morton 431 N Troy St
Neil 8555 Michigan Ave
Nixon 2121 N Keeler Ave
Nobel 4127 W Hirsch St
North River 4416 N Troy St
National Teachers Academy 55 W Cermak Rd
Northwest Middle 5252 W Palmer St
Orozco 1940 W 18th St
Otis 525 N Armour St
Passages 1643 W. Bryn Mawr Ave
Pasteur 5825 S Kostner Ave
Piccolo 1040 N Keeler Ave
Powell 7511 S South Shore Dr
Prieto 2231 North Central Ave
Providence Englewood Charter 6515 S Ashland Ave
Ravenswood 4332 N Paulina St
Reavis 834 E 50th St
Sandoval 5534 S Saint Louis Ave
Schubert 2727 N Long Ave
Shields 2611 W. 48th St
Spencer 214 N Lavergne
Stevenson 8010 S Kostner Ave
Stone 6239 N Leavitt St
Tarkington 3330 W 71st St
Walsh 2015 S Peoria Street
Ward 2701 S Shields Ave

Communities Served

Albany Park
Armour Square
Ashburn
Auburn-Gresham
Austin
Avondale
Belmont Cragin
Brighton Park
Chicago Lawn
Dunning
East Garfield Park
Englewood
Gage Park
Grand Boulevard
Hermosa
Humboldt Park
Hyde Park
Irving Park
Kenwood
Lakeview
Logan Square
Lower West Side
McKinley Park
Near North Side
Near South Side
New City
North Center
North Lawndale
North Park
Rogers Park
Roseland
South Lawndale
South Shore
Uptown
West Elsdon
West Englewood
West Lawn
West Town

Board

Board of Directors

- Neil Hirshman, Board Chair, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
- Sarah Naim, Board Vice-Chair, Grainger

Solomon Barnett
Shawn Broadfield
Pete Cherecwich, Northern Trust
Patrick Croke, Croke Fairchild Morgan & Beres
T.J. Dammrich, Mercer Oak LLC
Jim Dower, Urban Initiatives
Patrick Gallagher, Arthur J. Gallagher
Alaina Harkness, Current Innovation
Adolfo Hernandez, Pritzker Community Health
Ralf Hilpuesch, Storck USA
Adam Hitchcock, Sovereign Infrastructure Group
Michael Landers
David Mahoney, CBRE
Brian McBride, US Men’s National Team
Edwin McDonald, MD, University of Chicago Medicine
Dave McGranahan, Relative Value Partners
Michael McGrew, Constellation Brands
Jason Pritzker, The Pritzker Organization, LLC
Ari Randolph, Nike
Dawn Reese, Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education
Katy Reichert, Civic Leader
Karen Schweickart, CGC Law LLC
Stacy Stutz, Independent Consultant
Joe Taets, Archer Daniels Midland Company

Associate Board

The Urban Initiatives Associate Board is a group of young professionals dedicated to volunteering, raising awareness and funds to support Urban Initiatives.

Coety Wyse, Competence Group, President
Harrison Freund, Avant, Vice-President
Libby Rice, Innosight, Vice-President

Young Kwak, Citadel, President Emeritus
Ashley Dobbins, Spark Foundry, Vice President Emeritus
Greg Friend, Ampersand, Vice President Emeritus

Members

Orlando Aguirre, CBRE
Benjamin Andrews, Heartland Alliance
Heidi Annaheim, PNC Capital Markets
Nicole Antonuccio, Onion, Inc.
Nathan Asher, Health Strategy
Munzer Awad, Accenture
Andrew Bartush, Honeywell UOP
Michelle Baumann, VMLY&R COMMERCE
Ben Bayles, Allstate Investments
Kim Bird, Fit City Kids
Paola Blanca, fluent360
Doug A. Bowen, MBA Candidate
Jack Buehler, Kinesso
Nicholette Cameron, Masters Candidate
Andrias Campbell, Fidelity Investments
Will Campbell, Huron Consulting
Shreya Canakapalli, DiMeo, Schneider & Associates
Jeff Cassidy, McDermott Will & Emery
Nick Cauley, WestPoint Financial Group
Justin Cho, CIVC Partners
Benjamin Cohen, Lee & Associates of Illinois
Andrew Cole, Arthur J. Gallagher
Chris Dayal, Citadel
Keegan De Silva, Great Point Capital
Michelle Dear, Wind Point Partners
Logan Deeney, Northwestern University
Brandon Deger, The Pritzker Organization
Shay Deverell, Citadel Securities
Caroline DeWeirdt, Mindshare
Ashley Dobbins, Spark Foundry
Brian Dobmeier, DoorDash
Joshua Dunn, Arcadis
Thomas Durr
Kevin Eisele, William Blair
Chris Ellison, Jump Trading
Jamie Ende, JD Candidate
Holton Faust, Northwest Community Healthcare
Brian Flanagan, KPMG
Rachel Flanagan, Accenture
Dillon Flynn, JBS Energy Solutions
Larry Fogel, Sidley Austin
Nick Franz, Loyola University Chicago
Harrison Freund, Avant
Greg Friend, Ampersand
Elise Goodman (O’Connor), MB Real Estate
Catie Gordon (Wilber), Spark Foundry
Alex Gorniak, McDonald’s
Jeremy Guterl, Ketchum
Austin Haas, Sprout Social
Brian Hail, Mintel
Kyle Hannon, Acrisure
Wilfrido Hernandez, William Blair
Sam Hong, Perkins Coie LLP
Patrick Hopkins, Peak6
Liz Hoppe, Lurie Children’s Hospital
Lauren Horn, All Stars Project of Chicago
Angelica Jalasco, Kirkland & Ellis
Mark Jaskolski, Glassdoor
Patrick Jones, Robert W. Baird & Co
Ashley Jordan, re:work training
Brett Joseph, JD Candidate
Ben Joslin, Northwestern University
Jonathan Kauzlaric, Guaranteed Rate
Conor Kelch, EY
Andre Kohn, Physician Growth Partners
Joe Kryza, GCM Grosvenor
Young Kwak, Citadel
Chris Laackman, NCSolutions
Lauren LaVan, Amount
Bill Lawrence, JD Candidate
Carly Levick, Amount
Patrick Mahal, Antares Capital
Joe Mark, Havas Media Group
Rick Marquardt, PepsiCo
Ivette Marquez, DiMeo Schneider & Associates
Elise Marrinan, Qualtrics
Kathy Matos, William Blair
Matt Matosian, MBA Candidate
Brian Mattoni, Priority Sports & Entertainment
Stephen McCormick, William Blair
Joe McLean, Mutual of Omaha Mortgage
Brandon Medina, Wind Point Partners
Jordan Metter, Comunidade FIT
John Moten, Tegus
Preston Murphy
Hannah Nichols, Fidus Investment Advisors
Susan Nichols, Guggenheim Technology Investment Banking
Erica Nied, Stryker
Mike Perconte, TrustPlace Technologies
Manny Peredo-Muniz, Accenture
Kellan Pierucci, TD Ameritrade
Christen Baillie Plotkin, UBS
Rhian Pritchard, RSM US LLP
Clara Purk, MBA Candidate
Brian Quirke, Davis & Hosfield Consulting LLC
Michael Quirke, Accenture
Patrick Quirke, Magnetar Capital
Jose Ramos, Community Investment Corporation
John Reglin, US Soccer
Will Reichert
Liz Reichter, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Steven Resnik, the Edgewater Funds
Libby Rice, Mondo
A.J. Riddell, Compast Group
Chris Ritter, Crafty
Erica Romero, MBA Candidate
Colleen Rooney, creative werks
Cliff Sakutukwa, CPA, EY
Catherine Sangster, National Student Leadership Conference
Shereen Sater, Conversant
Lars Skattum, William Blair
Derek Skoog, PwC
Sarah Skoog (Lewis), Home Chef
Kyle Smith, SC Johnson
Annaka Stoeckel, Archer Daniels Midland Company
Phil Terrazzino, TKK
Taylor Thorndyke, Grainger
Isaac Torres-Villa, Northwestern Mutual
May Tysinger, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Hannah Tzeghai, PepsiCo
Melissa Valentino, Affili8 Media
Emily VanGilder, ActiveCampaign
Tyler VanGilder, PPM America
Phillip Wadle, Health & Human Services at Office of the Mayor of New York City
Ryan Wall, EM Search Consulting
Kate Walsh, Consultant
Christopher Wang, Grainger
Stanley Washington, Deloitte
Nicole Willens, Northwestern Medicine
Lauren Wolf, Enova International
Coety Wyse, the Competence Group
Stacy Zabrin, Moriah Early Childhood Center
Katie Zara, Kraft Heinz
Austin Zimmerman, Avison Young

Student Board

Kate Abdo, Saint Ignatius College Prep
Luke Anderson, Hinsdale Central
Adriana Brist, Whitney Young Magnet High School
Bruna Cambron, Lake View High School
Athan Chiampas, Loyola Academy
Katia Chiampas, Loyola Academy
Jimmy Dadura, New Trier High School
Landon Douthit, New Trier High School
Rylin Douthit, New Trier High School
Reighne Dyson, Whitney Young Magnet High School
Teagan Frye, New Trier High School
Augie Gallun, North Shore Country Day School
Teddy Gallun, North Shore Country Day School
Sophie Gerstman, New Trier High School
Lindsey Glew, North Shore Country Day School
Thor Graham, Latin School of Chicago
Benni Green, New Trier High School
Joshua Green, New Trier High School
Joe Hielscher, New Trier High School
Peyton Hudson, North Shore Country Day School
Drew Klearman, Evanston Township High School
Lily Landrum, Uplift High School
Libby McGranahan, New Trier High School
Makayla Meers, New Trier High School
Max Meers, New Trier High School
Jamila Moore, Chicago Vocational Career Academy High School
Sandra O’Malley, Saint Ignatius College Prep
James Paden, New Trier High School
Lauryn Redd, Saint Ignatius College Prep
Anna Ristic, North Shore Country Day School
Nina Sharda, Lincoln Park High School
Owen Shean, New Trier High School
John Sprenger, North Shore Country Day School
Will Terry, New Trier High School
Lauren Tiemann, Saint Ignatius College Prep
Charlie Turner, Lane Tech
Graham Weiler, New Trier High School
Grace Wolfe, New Trier High School
Teddy Woodman, New Trier High School

Advisory Board

Jen Axelrod, Chicago Community Trust
Megan Bartlett, WeCoach
Eddie Bustamante, UIC
Felicia Davis, Chicago Foundation for Women
Connie Falcone, Northwestern Memorial Foundation
ME Girgenti, Philanthropist
Alicia Gonzalez, Cubs Charities
Christian Gordon, Depaul University
Kate McAdams, Arabella Advisors
Nelson Padilla, Youth Development Worker
London Rakestraw, SCR Transportation
Nancy Sullivan, Illinois Ventures
Cedric Thurman, Federal Home Loan Bank
Jasmine Thurmond, King Academy of Social Justice
Lisa Wiersma, IMC Chicago Charitable Foundation

Supporters

Soccer Ball Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

Allstate
Storck

All-Star Sponsors

Ampersand
Barnett, Hill & Twells Families
Belvedere
Boeing
CBRE + Rachel & Dave Mahoney
Clayco
Gallagher
Global Water Technology
Kirkland & Ellis Foundation + The Hirshman Family
IMC
McDermott Will & Emery
National Student Leadership Conference + Themis Bar Review
Northern Trust
Optiver
Revel
Sprocket Sports
Tully Family
Uber

Paddle Raise Sponsor

William Blair

Work to Play Cup Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

Target

In Kind Sponsors

Aramark
Chicago Park District
Flood Brothers
Split

Corporate Challenge Cup Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

Morningstar

In Kind Sponsors

Chicago Indoor Sports
Constellation Brands
The French Pastry School
Limelight
RXBars
Starbucks

Financial Archive

Overview

Urban Initiatives is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization operating in the state of Illinois.

87% of expenses directly support our programs.

For the fiscal year ending July 31, 2018, Urban Initiatives had:

Total income: $4,504,868
Total program expenses: $3,831,434
Total fundraising expenses: $156,854
Total administrative expenses: $462,541
End of year net assets: $1,332,068

Our mission is

to empower Chicago’s youth to become community leaders through academic success, healthy living, and social-emotional learning.

Our Participants:

83%

57

Make an Impact

Where We Started

Our Growth

Executive & Management Team

Jim Dower, Co-Founder & Executive Director, President

Julie Chelovich, Managing Director, Vice President

Joy Nelson, Chief People Officer

April Lillstrom, Program Partnerships Director

Dajuan King, Program Director

Lauren Gaynor, Director of Institutional Partnerships

Linda Galib, Research & Evaluation Director

Sara Shanley, Director of Innovative Partnerships

Samantha Suh, Special Projects Manager

Jasmine Lardizabal, Development Manager – Corporate Partnerships

MaryGrace Pankratz, Development Manager

Rebecca Daaleman, Program Manager – Culture & Climate

KyJuan Hardin, Program Manager – Culture & Climate

Michelle Ramos, Program Manager – Culture & Climate

Chanelle McFarland, Program Manager – Continuum

Dani Berny, Program Manager – Continuum

Arianna Bell, Program Manager – Continuum

School-Based Program Coordinators

Chris Espino, SBPC at Jahn

Ebony Stallworth, SBPC at Shields

Daniel Lagunas, SBPC at Prieto

Brandy McMahan, SBPC at Lawndale

Victor Ramirez, SBPC at Davis and Gunsaulus

Program Coordinators & Associates

Will Ensign-Church, Program Coordinator

Moises Saucedo, Program Coordinator

Daniel Serna Geitz, Program Coordinator

Jackson Boleky, Program Coordinator

Mia Jackson, Program Coordinator

Culture + Climate Staff

Lakita Chandler, Recess Coordinator at Brighton Park

Bernie Hanson, Recess Coordinator at Ravenswood

Ruth Guerra, Resource Coordinator at King

Amere Washington, Recess Coordinator at Tarkington

Tiffany Washington, Resource Coordinator at Spencer

Reggie Scruggs, Resource Coordinator at Doolittle

Catrina Reynolds, Resource Coordinator at Barnard

Javon Wright, Recess Coordinator at Daley

Community School’s Initiative Resource Coordinator

Urban Initiatives & Community School’s Initiative Overview

Responsibilities

Requirements & Qualifications

Compensation Package

Schools

Barnard 10354 S Charles St

Barry 2828 N Kilbourn Ave

Bateman 4220 N Richmond St

Beethoven 25 W 47th St

Beidler 3151 W Walnut St

Christopher House 5235 W Belden Ave

Claremont 2300 W 64th St

Daley 5024 S Wolcott Ave

Davis 3014 W 39th Pl

Doolittle 535 E 35th St.

Faraday 3250 W Monroe St

Goethe 2236 N Rockwell St

Goudy 5120 N Winthrop Ave

Greene 3525 S Honore Ave

Gunsaulus 4420 S Sacramento Ave

Henry 4250 St Louis Ave

Howe 720 N Lorel Ave

Jackson 917 W 88th St

Jahn 3149 N Wolcott Ave

Jordan 7414 N Wolcott Ave

King 644 W 71st St

Kozminski 936 E 54th St

Lawndale 3500 W Douglas Blvd

Lee 6448 S Tripp Ave

Libby 5300 S Loomis Blvd

Little Village 2620 S Lawndale Ave

Lloyd 2103 N Lamon Ave