LIFESTYLE & ARTS
Partial view of PEAK6 pit
office. Simultaneous with the COVID-19 pandemic and the popular expansion of Zoom, their homegrown ladies’ poker group extended to online classes and then to collegial clusters at PEAK6. “When other finance industry executives began calling to inquire about how they could get in on this to benefit and boost female camaraderie within their own companies, it was obvious an entrepreneurial entity with a major cultural contribution had presented
itself to us,” Just notes. This was not the first time connections between sports and finance forged a path for Just. “I was a tomboy growing up, and loved following college basketball.” Raised in a suburb near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, her father was a surgeon, and her mother, now an artist, was a schoolteacher. Her four brothers provided an early training ground for navigating primarily male-dominated work scenarios. Just describes her mom as
MATERIAL PURSUITS This weekend’s curated luxury trends
BIRKIE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the American Birkebeiner (“Birkie”) is the largest cross-country ski race in North America. The two premier Birkie events are the 31-mile skate and the 34-mile classic races from Cable to Hayward, Wisconsin. In celebration of the 50th anniversary, the U.S. Ski Team’s Jesse Diggins—the greatest American cross-country skier of all time with three Olympic medals—joins as a special guest racer. The Birkie is patterned after the Norwegian Birkebeiner Rennet that dates back to 1932. The race recreates a historic Norwegian event when in 1206, two warrior soldiers, called “Birkebeiners” because of the birch-bark leggings they wore, skied infant Prince Haakon to safety during the Norwegian Civil War. Prince Haakon subsequently became the King of Norway, and the Birkebeiner soldiers became a Norwegian symbol of courage, perseverance, and character in the face of adversity. The first American race took place in northern Wisconsin in 1973. Today, the Birkie provides year-round, active lifestyle events for thousands of adventurous spirits of all ages and abilities. Celebrate the warrior within and sign up for a race in February 2024. For more information, visit birkie.com. THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
a role model and credits her for Just’s decision to go away for college. “She pushed me to spread my wings, and going out of state, I think, was an opportunity she didn’t have herself and wanted for me.” At the University of Michigan, Just initially applied her aptitude for math by pursuing architecture. “My grandfather had recommended that as a potential field to fit nicely with my skill in numbers. I took one physics class and knew it wasn’t for me!” She was accepted into the business school and explains her postgraduate arrival on the options trading floor as more about landing in the right place than the right job position. “Chicago was the big city and the place I wanted to be,” says Just, “I would have done advertising, banking, you name it.” Her commitment to the Midwest has never swayed. Just started her career at O’Connor & Associates, where she met her husband. Back then, they were two coworkers who both wanted to remain local when the company was making a move to the East Coast. Together, they collaborated on an idea pitch of continuing a branch in Chicago. Turned down, they responded by deciding to go out and do it on their own anyway. In 1997, PEAK6 was established. Over the last 25 years, Just has stayed
out of the spotlight by choice. “It was never a ‘maybe’ when the press would inquire before, it was a firm ‘no.’ But two things changed recently, I realized that people need to be proud of where they work, particularly with the internal PEAK6 structure changing with the possibility of Apex Fintech Solutions going public and my name getting out there. And, while I always knew we had a good story overall, I didn’t want to be talking about us without something tangible to offer.” Poker Power provided the product she was seeking to join her voice. It doesn’t hurt either that Forbes and TIME magazine both recently featured Just in their publications. The fact that Poker Power is something she gets to do with Juliette makes it extra special. “She not only improved her tennis but went on to join lacrosse and became a varsity captain,” remarks Just, “that’s where we really saw her apply the concept of ‘what am I doing’ turn into ‘what is the team doing.’” As for herself, Just offers this advice in paying it forward to the next generation: “It’s really not about the hand you’re dealt,” she says, “it’s about how you play it.” For more information, visit pokerpower.com and peak6.com.
NATALIE KONSTANT X ARCH COLLECTION
Chicago and Florida-based interior designer Natalie Konstant of Konstant Home has collaborated with Winnetka interiors store ARCH to launch a high-end collection of customizable furniture pieces. The Natalie Konstant x ARCH collection brings new life to works by some of the most influential French designers of the 20th century. The pieces include the Settee Nouvelle—a sleek mohair and wood bench inspired by Jean Prouvé’s Banc Marcoule; the Beau Bench—a new take on Jean Royère’s X-shaped bench; and the Le Lin Trunk—a stylish interpretation of Pierre Jeanneret’s “Dirty Linen Basket.” The locally made pieces are offered in a variety of fabrics with various wood and metal finishes and are available exclusively at ARCH in Winnetka. For more information, visit archglow.com. PRE-FABULOUS
Established in January of 2022 and partnering with the Latvian brand My Cabin, PrefabPads LLC brings its vision to North America. The company builds prefabricated, sleek, Scandinavianstyle cabins in four different sizes ranging from 132 square feet to 520 square feet. The cabins are suited for year-round use as in-law suites, artist’s studios, backyard offices, an Airbnb in the wilderness, or just your primary or secondary residence. The factory is located in Waukegan, where the cabins are built in a controlled environment and can be delivered nationwide and to Canada. PrefabPads LLC is a family business founded by Managing Member Hemang Mehta, his wife, his son-in-law, COO Peter Seltenright, and his daughter, CMO Anisha Seltenright. For more information, visit mycabin.us or contact the company at info@prefabpads.co to place your order. SATURDAY NOVEMBER 18 | SUNDAY NOVEMBER 19 2023 |
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