Willie Barrow

Co-chair of the Board, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition; first executive director of Statewide Coalition Against Hunger.

Marca Bristo

President, CEO, Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago; National Council for People with Disabilities.

Bliss Browne

President, Imagine Chicago to re-imagine the city, with particular focus on youth and teacher renewal.

Iva Carruthers

Dr. Iva Carruthers is former chairperson and Professor of the Sociology Department at Northeastern Illinois University. She serves on the Governing Council of Trinity Hospital of Advocate Health Care System, the Saltpond Redevelopment Institute and the Harold Washington Foundation.

Patricia Crowley

Daughter (Patricia) is executive director of Deborah's Place, Chicago's largest shelter for homeless women.

Patty Crowley

Mother (Patty) is long-time civil rights activist.

Josie Opeña Disterhoft

National advocate in early childhood education; supporter of the Philippine community.

Sunny Fischer

Founder of Chicago Foundation for Women; executive director of Driehaus Foundation; has shaped policy and programs for poor with Welfare Task Force.

Ann Ida Gannon

Former president of Mundelein College, Chicago; advocate for higher education for women and innovator in degree programs for older adults.

Jackie Grimshaw

Lifelong political and civil rights activist and works to promote neighborhood economic development.

Ronne Hartfield

In her role at the Art Institute she has worked tirelessly to bring minority art and artists into a major cultural institution.

Bette Cerf Hill

Artist, poet, convener; founder of Girl's Charter School and of Printers' Row book fair; donor to many organizations working for justice and Chicago arts.

Mary Houghton

President, Shorebank Corporation, which addresses lack of credit in African-American neighborhoods; founder of Women's Self Employment Project of Chicago.

Jean Hunt

Professor, Emerita, of City Colleges; historian and founder of Chicago Area Women's History Conference; activist for women's rights.

Indira Johnson

Artist, peace activist; brought children together to paint the CTA's first bus celebrating peace; founded and directs Shanti, an organization for nonviolence through the arts.

Eva Maddox, Architect

Principal, Perkins & Will and Eva Maddox Branded Environments; co-founder of Archeworks; an alternative postgraduate design school to develop design systems for those most in need.

Aurie Pennick

Executive director of the Leadership Council; director of one of the first battered women's shelters; lawyer on fair employment; long-time leader for fair housing.

Sylvia Puente

Project Director, Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame; developed community programs in the areas of health, education, and economic development.  Served on Board of Mujeres Latinas en Accion for eight years.

Hedy M. Ratner

Feminist activist through the Women's Business Development Center; her activities have impacted economic independence and empowerment for women and minorities.

Jan Schakowsky

U.S. House of Representatives; advocate on behalf of children and families to rid playgrounds of harmful arsenic-treated wood and to ensure cribs and playpens meet safety standards.

Diann DeWeese Smith

Lifetime commitment to civil, women's, and human rights and for all the work she did and she began.

Alaka Wali

Head of community outreach for the Field Museum; strongly committed to community and minority engagement in a major cultural institution and to multi-cultural education for everyone.

Bernarda Wong

President, Chinese American Service League, which helps newly arrived immigrants and the Asian community; first Asian on both Chicago United Way board and Public Library Board.

Addie Wyatt

Pastor at Vernon Park Church of God and a feminist activist and a prominent labor organizer for United Food and Commercial Workers union; Founder, CLUW.