Sheridan Road, August 2023

Fifth Third Bank Business Transition Advisory Team

Trusted partners through life’s changes

Whether you’re looking at a business transition in the immediate future or perhaps a bit further down the road, our experienced team is here for you. Fifth Third’s Business Transition Advisory Team is fully dedicated to preparing business owners for their business transition or liquidity event.

Partner with a team of financial professionals to help you understand what you want to achieve from your business transition—both personally and professionally—and then plan what life for you will look like post-transition.

This is your story, and we’re here to help ensure the best is yet to come.

North Shore, we ® you

DEAR NORTH SHORE:

We love your vibrant communities, each with their own distinct character. We love your beautiful lakefront that sets the scene for blissful moments at Gillson Park, Sunrise Beach, and everywhere in between. We love your world-class events and attractions, from Ravinia to the Botanic Garden. We love your tree-lined streets, your charming local shops, your lively restaurants. We love YOU.

LOVE,

EDITOR’S

As CEO of Flex HR, Jennifer Morehead guides clients through a post-COVID world that is increasingly impacted by AI.

REACHING FOR THE SKY

Nadia Rawlinson has always aimed high, and now she brings her passion back home as Co-Owner and Operating Chairman of the Chicago Sky.

STEVE SAROWITZ: FROM PAYLOCITY TO PAYING IT FORWARD

Bringing positivity and philanthropy to Highland Park ... and the world.

Jenny Morehead, featured in Work It. Morehead is wearing Roksanda, Neiman Marcus. Photography by Katrina Wittkamp, styling by Theresa DeMaria, hair & makeup by Leanna Ernest ON

Nadia Rawlinson, featured in Reaching for the Sky. Rawlinson is wearing Dolce Gabbana, ikram. Photography by Katrina Wittkamp, styling by Theresa DeMaria, hair & makeup by Sohje Johnson and Mercedes Small

Founder & Publisher

Editor-in-Chief Associate Publisher

Contributing Editors

Special Sections Editor

Senior Fashion Editor

Style Editor

Contributing Writers

J.W. CONATSER

DUSTIN O’REGAN

JENNIFER STURGEON

MORGAN HOGERTY, MEGAN WEISBERG

KEMMIE RYAN

THERESA DEMARIA

ALLISON DUNCAN

THOMAS CONNORS, ELISA DRAKE, BILL MCLEAN, RONI MOORE NEUMANN, MONICA KASS ROGERS, ANN MARIE SCHEIDLER

Art Director

Production Manager/ Graphic Designer

Senior Graphic Designer Graphic Designers

Social Media Director

Contributing Photographers

Contributing Illustrator

Administrative Assistant

Advertising Sales Advisory Council

JORDAN WILLIAMS

LINDA LEWIS

AMIN QUTTEINEH

CHRIS GEIMER

REDDING WORTH

JAMES GUSTIN, MONICA KASS ROGERS, KATRINA WITTKAMP

ROBERT RISKO

CHEYANNE LENCIONI

GRETCHEN BARNARD

RAHEELA ANWAR, EILEEN BENNIN, RENEE CROWN, JEFFREY EISERMAN, MAUREEN GRINNELL, DANA

HUGHES, JOYCE BRUCE JIARAS, JILL KATZ, LEXIE KNOX, YOANNA KULAS, ARTHUR MILLER, MEREDITH MITCHELL, SANDRA CASPARRIELLO, RONI MOORE NEUMANN, IBBY PINSKY, AND MONIQUE WATTS

How to reach Sheridan Road

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: 847-370-6940 / JENNIFER@JWCMEDIA.COM

GENERAL INQUIRIES: 847-926-0911 / INFO@JWCMEDIA.COM

ON THE WEB: JWCMEDIA.COM

671 ACADEMY DRIVE, NORTHBROOK, IL 60062

Sheridan Road is published 10 times annually by JWC Media.

JWC Media accepts freelance contributions; however, there is no guarantee that unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or graphics will be returned. All rights to the contents of this magazine are owned in full by JWC Media. Sheridan Road may not be reproduced in whole or in part, including but not limited to advertisements and articles, without written permission from the publisher. Sheridan Road assumes no responsibility for statements made or opinions expressed by contributing writers, editors, or advertisers. However, comments or corrections or differing opinions are welcomed. The publisher reserves the right to edit and place all editorials and ads. © 2023 JWC Media

THIS MONTH I WILL BE

Don’t the balmy days of August make you want to spend every minute outdoors? When heading for a shady patio, sunny pool deck, or al fresco picnic, make sure to take this issue along. You’ll discover tales of entrepreneurs, philanthropists, financial experts, and legal leaders.

resident also reveals a long list of her city and shore favorites. In Trending, Wilmette native Chef Daniel Rose sets aside his apron to share how the busy gourmand stays current. Daniel and his extraordinary restaurants have been at the forefront of the international dining scene since 2006—if you are heading to Paris or New York, be sure to make reservations early. The Living & Giving section is packed with smiling faces celebrating remarkable organizations all over the North Shore.

REMEMBERING

John D. Nichols Jr. and his incredible contributions to the North Shore, Chicago, and beyond

LISTENING TO SENDING

Our cover highlights Winnetka’s Jenny Morehead, CEO of Flex HR, who guides clients through post-COVID workplaces that are increasingly impacted by AI. Jenny shares details about her new book CEO From Home. Trading books for basketballs, our second feature catches up with Lake Forest’s Nadia Rawlinson, the new co-owner and Operating Chairman of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. This self-described “chief optimism officer,” shares her journey to the team and her plans to take it to even greater heights. Leaving the court and heading to the theater, our third feature presents Highland Park’s Steve Sarowitz of the Wayfarer Foundation, Wayfarer Studios, and his newest venture, Highland Park’s Wayfarer Theaters. Steve strives to create purpose-driven film and television productions that elevate and speak to the human spirit, and he hopes Wayfarer Theaters, a new collective space for films, live events, and conversation, will strengthen the bonds of friendship across the North Shore. We follow the features with two special sections, Dollars & Sense and Legal Leaders, which highlight the North Shore’s financial experts and premier lawyers.

Shore vs. City introduces Source & Self founder Darcee Rabinowitz who shares the launch of Campus Rebel, a self-care society and online marketplace for college students. The Glencoe

The issue concludes with sage words from Susie Spigelman, co-founder and COO of Beacon, a company intent on eradicating germs and viruses throughout our houses and businesses. Enjoy these last lazy days of summer.

DUSTIN O’REGAN Editor-in-Chief dustin@jwcmedia.com

Follow Sheridan Road on Instagram: @sheridanrdmag

Moncler Mini Astro Backpack featured in The DO List

Chicago Sky’s Co-Owner and Operating Chairman Nadia Rawlinson who is featured in Reaching for the Sky. Nadia is wearing Alexander McQueen, Neiman Marcus Northbrook

Billy Corgan’s ATUM: A Rock Opera in Three Acts

My daughter off to her first year at Vanderbilt

SUMMER RESIDENCY

July 14 - August 20

Six weeks of soloists and symphonies, opera and pop standards under the stars

INSIDER

FINDS, OPINIONS, OBSESSIONS

YOUR GUIDE to the latest on PEOPLE, PLACES, and THINGS on the North Shore

Glencoe’s Darcee Rabinowitz is featured in Shore vs City. The founder of Source & Self, has launched the company’s new line—Campus Rebel, a self-care society and online marketplace for college students. Rabinowitz is wearing Veronica Beard striped short and jacket, Neiman Marcus Northbrook.

Photography by James Gustin, styling by Theresa DeMaria, hair & makeup by Leanna Ernest.

SAVE the DATE

Sheridan Road provides the North Shore’s comprehensive social calendar.

EDITED BY DUSTIN O’REGAN

AUGUST 19

DANCE FOR LIFE

WHERE: Auditorium Theatre, Chicago

“Dance for Life” is a one-of-akind annual performance and benefit event that has showcased nearly 40 Chicago-based dance companies, as well as numerous choreographers, artists, and designers throughout the past 32 years. The celebratory performance fuels The Dancers’ Fund and those who participate graciously donate their time, energy, and artistry. The performance will be followed by an after-party at Venue SIX10. chicagodancersunited.org

AUGUST 28

FRIENDS, FUN & GAMES

WHERE: Illinois Holocaust Museum, Skokie

The Illinois Holocaust Museum’s fifth annual Game Day brings together 200 attendees for specially curated Museum tours, card games, and of course candy. Funds raised support the Museum’s award-winning exhibits, programming, and educational initiatives. ilholocaustmuseum.org

AUGUST 24

SUMMER SOCIAL

WHERE: Venue West, Chicago

The Associate Board of Cara Collective hosts a “taste of gourmet” event with the help of notable chefs and restaurants to support Cara’s mission to transform communities and lives. The organization’s goal is to eradicate poverty by providing jobs to those in need. caracollective.org

SEPTEMBER 1-3

NASHWOOD: HIGHWOOD

MEETS NASHVILLE

WHERE: All around Highwood Watch Highwood transform into Nashville over Labor Day weekend. Highwood restaurants and bars will feature 100 free, live country, southern blues, classic, and contemporary rock beginning from Friday happy hour and running all day and evening Saturday and Sunday. Attendees (21+) can purchase tickets to board the Cocktail Barrel Bus where they will enjoy cocktails and live music while on a one hour tour around Nashwood. celebratehighwood.org/nashwood

SEPTEMBER 7

SOIRÉE

WHERE: Bryn Mawr Country Club, Lincolnwood

Join the Women’s Board of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center for an evening with great friends, handcrafted cocktails, fabulous food, the famous signature donut wall, and special entertainment. The silent auction and raffle are not to be missed. This highly anticipated event raises funds to support the Illinois Holocaust Museum’s award-winning exhibits, educational outreach, school field trips, and special projects. ilholocaustmuseum.org

SEPTEMBER 8

HARVEST DINNER

WHERE: Elawa Farm, Lake Forest Revel in the final days of summer at the Harvest Dinner where guests will enjoy a true farm-to-table feast prepared by award-winning Chef Jason Hammel of Lula Cafe on the beautiful grounds of Elawa

Farm. This annual benefit raises support for Elawa Farm Foundation’s accessible education and food access initiatives. Nancy Fletcher, Marina Carney Puryear, and Ellory Peck co-chair this festive affair. elawa.org

SEPTEMBER 8

RIVER NORTH DESIGN

DISTRICT GALLERY WALK

WHERE: River North Design District

The 8th Annual River North Design District will host its Fall Gallery walk presented by Daniel Kinkade Fine Art. Multiple showrooms will come alive with art and design vignettes courtesy of today’s most influential artists and designers. The evening will come to an end with an after-party hosted at LG Group’s new space, 363 W. Ontario, with a special auction curated by Oliver Aguilar for DIFFA. Proceeds benefit DIFFA Chicago. rivernorthdesigndistrict.com

SEPTEMBER 10

ANTIQUES & TREASURES

WHERE: East Lake Forest Train Station

Join us at our new location at the East Lake Forest Train Station, where the Lake Forest Chapter of the Infant Welfare Society will host its 55th annual event supporting healthcare services to medically underserved families in Chicago. More than 50 dealers from across the Midwest will offer treasures, including furniture, glassware, garden accessories, vintage jewelry, and clothing. All funds raised support the IWS Family Health Clinic. lakeforestantiquesale.com

SEPTEMBER 18

PLAY FOR A PURPOSE

WHERE: Knollwood Country Club

Reading Power, a literacy tutoring organization serving students in underserved areas of Lake County, will host its third annual Play for Literacy Golf & Games. The event supports Reading Power’s mission to foster the promise of literacy. playforliteracy.com

SEPTEMBER 24

BAGPIPES & BONFIRE

WHERE: Lake Forest Lake Forest Open Lands’ (LFOLA) annual fundraiser is like no other and is not to be missed. Proceeds from the event support LFOLA’s mission to connect all to nature through outreach and land preservation. Lake Forest’s Diana and David Moore are the 2023 Bagpipes chairs with Northern Trust as presenting sponsor. events@lfola.org

Devin Buchanan and Fernando Duarte. Dance for Life, August 19. Photography by Todd Rosenberg

Luxuries that Embolden Inspired Living.

For those seeking an exceptional lifestyle on Chicago’s North Shore, Optima Verdana®,Wilmette’s newest luxury residences, is an extraordinary expression of luxury that merges inspired design, breathtaking natural beauty, unparalleled service and a strong sense of community to create a flawlessly curated experience.

From the expansive rooftop sky deck designed for year-round use, 24-hour door person, fitness center, yoga studio, indoor pickleball & basketball court, sports lounge, business center, conference rooms, and library lounge to the thoughtfully curated suite of onsite concierge services and event programming, Optima Verdana® ensures you will always feel right at home.

WEDDING BELLS & BASEBALLS

As the official jeweler of the Chicago Cubs, CD Peacock is proud to offer its clients the chance to celebrate their engagement at Wrigley Field. Clients will kick off their engagement with the chance to win two gameday tickets to a Chicago Cubs baseball game during the 2023 season. Those who enter might get close to the action with two pregame access passes to watch batting practice, have the chance to wave to fans as the Wrigley Field jumbotron projects a congratulatory message, and pose on the field for an engagement photo session. Visit CD Peacock and “put a ring on it” in the name of love and baseball. For more information, terms, and conditions, visit cdpeacock.com.

Smeraldina natural artesian water originates from Sardinia, an island known for its natural beauty, its ancient traditions, and its high number of centenarians. The water’s source is located in Gallura, far from major cities, industries, and other pollution sources, and where the air is made clear and fresh by steady winds. Smeraldina originates from deep within the heart of a mountain considered sacred by the ancients: Monti di Deu or the Mountain of God. The brand’s rare balance of minerals is preserved throughout the production and bottling process at a state-of-the-art bottling plant in Sardinia. Smeraldina was recently voted the best still water in the world among 100 entries at The Berkeley Springs International Blind Water Tasting, the world’s most prestigious water tasting featuring brands from all five continents. Taste the award-winning Smeraldina for yourself. For more information, visit aquasmeraldina.it

ARTESIAN WATER FRANCES ELKINS

Rizzoli has published a wide-ranging book on the timeless, elegant interiors of the versatile Frances Elkins, the grande dame of early 20th-century design. Ahead of her time, Elkins became a successful decorator who by the early 1930s had reached the top of her profession. Working throughout the United States, Elkins brought an international perspective and architectural sensibility to her work. Her social circle included couturière Coco Chanel, arts patron Misia Sert, and painter Salvador Dali. Showcasing never-before-published material, Scott Powell’s Frances Elkins: Visionary American Designer includes more than 60 interiors illustrating her outstanding sense of color and her gift for mixing periods and styles—from her early work on the Monterey Peninsula to the North Shore estates she designed with her brother, renowned architect David Adler, to homes for film star Edward G. Robinson and banking heiress Celia Tobin Clark. With images by top photographers of the day as well as newly commissioned images of extant Elkins interiors, this volume will serve as a revelation and inspiration to fans of design. For more information visit, rizzoliusa.com.

ANNIE ROYSTER LENZKE KATIE MOORDAWN McKENNA

EDITOR’S SELECTS

EDITED BY DUSTIN O’REGAN

With my daughter college-bound, dorm essentials are top of mind. Here are my selects to get her campus-ready.

JORDYN CHARGING STUDDED HEADBOARD dormify.com

SUTTON CHARGING 3-DRAWER CART ON WHEELS dormify.com

MONCLER MINI ASTRO BACKPACK modaoperandi.com

GLOW BEAUTY FUEL BARS glowbeautyfuel.com

MH STUDIOS PERSONALIZED CAMERON DISCOLLECTION ALBUM modaoperandi.com

MADISON BOUCLE ROUND STORAGE OTTOMAN dormify.com

DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS dormify.com

CAMPUS REBEL SUBSCRIPTION BOX source-self.com

SHORE CITY

Glencoe’s Darcee Rabinowitz, founder of Source & Self, has launched the company’s new line—Campus Rebel, a self-care society and online marketplace for college students. The platform makes self-care accessible by offering student discounts on carefully vetted beauty, skincare, and wellness products while also providing knowledge and resources about issues college students face when away from home. Campus Rebel’s monthly subscriptions encourage students to join the self-care clean rebellion by supporting brands that prioritize transparency and authenticity. One item, “The Campus Box,” is a curated collection of three to five full-size products, featuring cult favorites and buzzy brands such as Apothékary, BlueBerri Beauty, Pōhala, and many more. This wellness guru shares her shore and city faves below.

What’s on the horizon? Growth. Not just in terms of personal development, but also for the expansion of my business Mantra? I am who I am, with all my flaws—and I’m grateful Best grooming tip? Sunblock Guilty pleasure? A Big Mac and medium fries once a month, in bed, binge-watching Workin’ Moms Favorite foods? Al’s Beef, lobster rolls, or a lobster bake Music you love? Everything. Amy Winehouse, Japanese Breakfast, The Strumbellas, Wet Leg, The Beatles, Sting, Guns N’ Roses, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Patti Smith, Deep Purple, Tom Petty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Lenny Kravitz … Best advice ever given to you? Stay healthy and take care of yourself Best advice you’ve given? The biggest mistake people make is trying to find all the right people to surround themselves with, when in reality, it’s about becoming the best person you can be because that is who you end up spending the rest of your life with Earliest memory? Accompanying my dad to the train station every morning and stopping at the bakery for some tasty treats before heading to the playground with my mom and sister When you wake up, you? I get up very early for my quiet peaceful “me time.” Starting with coffee or some natural caffeine with waterdrop®

cubes, I take my supplements, make a smoothie, listen to my favorite podcast, and check the news Before bed, you? I spend way too much time on the nighttime skincare routine. Maybe it’s because I’m always testing new brands and products that we discovered, but honestly the nightly ritual of vitamins, oils, face cream, eye gels, herbal teas, and diffusing blends of essential oils is so much work it puts me straight to sleep What’s on your bookshelf? My Life In Full by Indra Nooyi, Become The Fire by Elisa A. Schmitz, Burn Rate by Andy Dunn, Spillover by David Quammen, Lying by Sam Harris, Mentors by Russell Brand You can’t live without? My health, family, friends, and a few pets Love to escape to? The water Advice you would give to your younger self? “No” is a complete sentence

ON THE SHORE IN THE CITY

Your style is? Casual basics for everyday and playful and retro for going out Can’t leave the house without? A water bottle with Matcha Collagen Marine Crushes, which are flavored with organic superfoods for hydration Transportation? Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Driving music? The Storyteller: official playlist on Spotify Place to eat? DeLishka Sandwiches & Bites Shop?

Central Boutique, Rock N Rags, and Flying Lizard Boutique Best thing about the Shore? Chicago Botanic Garden, Skokie Lagoons, Lloyd Beach Worst thing about the Shore? Everything closes at 10 p.m. The perfect day is? To disconnect from all our digital devices and feel connected to the real and beautiful world around us

Your style is? Classic and modern Can’t leave the house without? My Mace pepper spray Transportation? Uber Place to eat? Obelix, The Bellevue Chicago, CH Distillery, Jinsei Motto, Bistro Monadnock. Drinks and late-night bars with music: Scofflaw, Billy Sunday, The Owl, and The Whistler Shop? Transit Tees, Penelope’s, Una Mae’s, STEELY Boutique Best thing about the City? Bears, Blackhawks, and the Cubs. Chicago’s lakefront, Lyric Opera, CSO, Millennium Park, and Wrigley Field along with the best neighborhoods and a great foodie scene Worst thing about the City? Parking and traffic

Darcee Rabinowitz wearing Veronica Beard navy dress, Neiman Marcus Northbrook

DeLishka Sandwiches & Bites

EDITED BY MORGAN HOGERTY/PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES GUSTIN STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA/HAIR & MAKEUP BY LEANNA ERNEST

Penthouse

Step One of the STRATEGIC DIVORCE PROCESS™

Decision-making for children.

WORDS BY MICHONE RIEWER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATRINA WITTKAMP / STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA

Divorce is complicated. It can be messy. And when you’re first starting out, it’s incredibly overwhelming. The attorneys at Strategic Divorce strive to educate our clients on all relevant matters to ease an often-difficult process. We believe knowledge of the divorce process provides the strength and peace of mind to complete it. This goal of education inspired me to write The Strategic Divorce Process™.

My book breaks divorce into five distinct steps when children are involved, and two distinct steps where no children are involved. These steps are: 1. Making Decisions for Your Children; 2. Visitation; 3. Child Support; 4. Maintenance; and 5. Division of Marital Assets and Debts. In this monthly series, we will examine each topic beginning with the first step of decision-making for children.

Any divorce that involves children includes discussions around decision-making and visitation—the two components that make up the custody agreement. Decision-making for the children tends to be straightforward and uncomplicated so it is usually determined first.

There are many decisions that come up throughout a child’s life—from big ones, such as where to go to school or to have a medical procedure, to smaller ones like what to eat for dinner each day. Generally speaking, the court tries very hard to keep most day-to-day decisions out of the custody agreement. What happens during each parent’s visitation is their responsibility to handle as they see fit.

However, for larger decisions, a decision-making structure is outlined. These decisions are separated into four categories—religious, education, medical, and extracurriculars.

There are three primary types of decision-making structures— sole decision-making, sole decision-making with consulting, and joint decision-making.

In sole decision-making, one parent gets the opportunity to make all of the decisions (in a given category) without the other parent having any input or approval. Rather than having one parent in charge of all large decisions, each parent will have specific categories. For example, one parent will be in charge of medical decisions and the other will handle all education and religious decisions. Extracurriculars is the only category that is almost always joint, as there are financial implications for each parent.

Sole decision-making works very well in situations where the parents aren’t amicable, or there are abuse issues as it limits the number of interactions and the number of items the parents need to agree upon.

It is also possible to have sole decision-making with consulting. In this structure, the two parents are required to talk through any situation that arises, trying to find a way forward that they can both agree upon. Of course, it is possible that the parents will not agree on every decision. Because of this, one party does have

the final decision-making power. However, they are required to consult the other parent and give them an opportunity to share their opinion.

Regardless of whether the relationship has remained amicable, most parents choose to move forward with joint decision-making. Neither parent typically wants to risk the other gaining sole decision-making power and, therefore, agrees to joint decision-making as a compromise. In joint decision-making, both parents must agree on the decision being made. If the parents can’t agree, they must attempt to find a solution through mediation. If mediation is unsuccessful, then either party can file a motion with the court and the court makes the decision for them. While the prospects of mediation and going to court may feel daunting, most parents find that they are able to agree on major decisions jointly without the need for mediation or court intervention.

Once the decision-making structure is settled, the second component of the custody agreement—visitation—is addressed. This complicated, and sometimes contentious, step will be explained in Sheridan Road’s September issue.

Michone Riewer

Michone Riewer is an attorney with Strategic Divorce in Lake Bluff, 847-234-4445, strategicdivorce.com.

Summer is here!

It’s time to get your boat in the water and your kids out on the lake! Lake Noquebay Shores offers a unique opportunity to have that lakefront vacation home you have always wanted at an affordable price.

Lake Noquebay Shores is a beautifully wooded 62-acre conservation community set right on the shores of a pristine 2,983-acre lake. Choose your vacation paradise from 19 available lots, including 12 waterfront lots. But hurry, summer is here and these lots won’t last! Call today for an exclusive showing. LOTS

BASES COVERED

WORDS BY MITCH HURST PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN MCLEOD

When it comes to wealth management, individuals and families have a host of options to choose from to identify investment strategies and create intergenerational wealth. Yet, finding the right option that meets their financial needs, helps them reach their goals, mitigates risk, and ensures comfort that their money is in good hands can be a challenge.

Those who choose to place their trust in Fifth Third Private Bank can tick all the above boxes. Fifth Third provides comprehensive, individually customized investment services to individuals and families with a minimum of $2 million in wealth. The bank also serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Kathleen May Yoder, Senior Vice President and Regional Director of Personal Trust Chicago for Fifth Third Private Bank, says one of the things that differentiates Fifth Third from other corporate fiduciaries in Illinois is the team approach to wealth management.

“We surround our clients at $2 million and up with the same level of service, the same collaborative team, and the same subject matter experts no matter their level of wealth once they’re in the Private Bank,” May Yoder says. “Our clients are all different and have their own complexities. It is our belief that each client deserves the highest level of personalized guidance and solutions to meet their financial needs effectively and efficiently.”

Fifth Third gets to know each of its clients at all levels of wealth and to understand their family dynamics to ensure it is providing the right fiduciary solutions.

“Each client has a dedicated portfolio manager who is their portfolio manager and doesn’t have any dual functions,” says Claire Ellerhorst, Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager at Fifth Third Private Bank. “The sole focus is to study the markets and the economy and to use that expertise to create customized investment strategies.”

Ellerhorst says Fifth Third maintains a highly credentialed portfolio management team and the team is supported by analysts and strategists who provide resources and research to help bring the best ideas forward so the team can make the right decisions for a client’s portfolio.

The Fifth Third Private Bank team takes the time to understand their clients’ intent and what they want their money to do for them. They want to understand the “why” to provide the best investment, estate planning, and tax planning solutions to meet the client’s goals and objectives.

“Many clients either have not yet solidified their estate plan or

are unsure of what their current plan provisions include.” May Yoder says, “Our fiduciary team works alongside Claire and her team, as well as the other subject matter experts, to review the investment strategies with a lens for estate and tax planning. We sit down and say, ‘Let’s make it work for you and customize it to make sure we meet your goals—today, tomorrow, and for future generations.’”

Fifth Third Private Bank recently opened a new branch in Northbrook, at 400 Skokie Boulevard, as part of an overall bank strategy to be integrated with the communities in which it conducts business.

“We really want to be present in the communities that we’re serving,” May Yoder says. “We take time to understand our clients and provide guidance and solutions that are right for them.”

To schedule a meeting with a Wealth Management Advisor and learn more about Fifth Third Private Bank Chicago, visit 53.com/PrivateBank or call the Northbrook office at 847-275-1778.

Fifth Third Bank does not provide tax, accounting or legal advice. Please contact your tax advisor, accountant or attorney for advice pertinent to your personal situation. This commentary is intended for educational purposes only and does not constitute the rendering of investment advice or a specific recommendation on investment activities or trading. Fifth Third Private Bank is a division of Fifth Third Bank, National Association, which is an indirect subsidiary of Fifth Third Bancorp. Banking, investment and insurance products and services are offered through or made available by one or more of Fifth Third Bancorp’s indirect subsidiaries. Investments, investment services, and insurance:

Claire Ellerhorst, Kathleen May Yoder

At Fifth Third Bank, investors benefit from customized fiduciary services and a hands-on investment team that tailors strategies to their individual needs.

FASHION & BEAUTY

LIVING AND DRESSING WELL

BOOK SMART

Enjoy majorly cool campus-inspired looks

Anine Bing Blazer and Pant, Anine Bing Gold Coast, 21 E Chestnut, Chicago

EDITED BY ALLISON DUNCAN

EDITED BY ALLISON DUNCAN

CULTURE & ARTS

THE NORTH SHORE’S MOST CREATIVE PURSUITS

CELEBRATE PICASSO AND LEARN

HOW CHEF DANIEL ROSE STAYS

CURRENT BETWEEN COURSES

Museo Picasso Málaga Sala II ©Museo Picasso Málaga

ART & ARTIST

Fifty years after his death, all eyes are on Picasso.

WORDS BY THOMAS CONNORS

PABLO, PABLO, PABLO

Portrait of Pablo Picasso in the studio of Notre-Dame-de-Vie, Mougins, photograph by André Gomès, April 1965, Picasso National Museum – Paris Photo © RMN-Grand Palais (Picasso National MuseumParis) / Michèle Bellot © André Gomes © Succession Picasso 2022

ART & ARTIST

It’s a Friday night in Málaga and a constant hum runs through the streets of the city’s historic center. At a restaurant on the Plaza del Obispo, steps from the massive, Baroque cathedral, a group of mature women sings happy birthday to one of their own. A few streets away, voices raised in civil disputation flow through the open door of a narrow, standing-only bar. On the Calle Larios, Málaga’s main shopping street, a beefy, tattooed fellow stops to take a photo of his ice cream cone. Down the block, a family of four also comes to a halt, their blank faces bearing the weariness of the tourist just looking for a place to eat.

As the gateway to the Costa de Sol, this Andalusian city teems with visitors. While many come to shop and dine and hit the beach, plenty include Pablo Picasso on their agenda. This is the artist’s hometown, and when it comes to things to see and do, his birthplace and the Museo Picasso Málaga are right up there with a visit to the 11th-century fortress of Alcazaba and a dinner at El Pimpi, the wildly alive wine cellar across from the Roman amphitheater.

Self Portrait, c. 1906, Oil on canvas, 65 × 54cm, National Picasso Museum Paris, Donation Pablo Picasso, 1979, © Picasso Estate.

Photograph by Mathieu Rabeau/Public establishment of the meeting of national museums and the Grand Palais des Champs-Elysees

Bust of a young woman, 1906, Oil on canvas, 54 x 42 cm, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

All artwork on this page appearing in Picasso 1906: The Turning Point (November 14 - March 4) at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

The Two Brothers, 1906, Gouache sobre carton, 80 x 59 cm, Musée National Picasso- Paris

ART & ARTIST

In a way, Picasso is a ghost here. Not because he died 50 years ago, but because, as a young artist, he spent more time in Madrid (where he haunted the Prado) and Barcelona (where he had his first exhibition) than he did in this Mediterranean town. Born in 1881, the son of a painter, by 23, he’d left Spain for Paris and made France his home until his death in 1973 at age 91. Prolific in many media—painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics—he was excessive and inescapable. The sheer volume of his output made him, at times, easy to dismiss, but impossible to ignore. A protean talent whose life and work were threaded with narcissism and cruelty, he was no saint but was widely revered. Not every art aficionado fell under his spell and plenty of casual museum-goers have scoffed, “My six-year-old could do that,” but like him or not, it’s tough not to be impressed by his powerful, never-ceasing commitment to creation. Whether driven by an utterly assured ego or pathetic insecurity, his all-consuming passion led him to produce a body of work that fundamentally challenged the way we understand art. As he once said, “I have a horror of people who speak about the beautiful. What is the beautiful? One must speak of problems in painting!”

In an era when the Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan can duct tape a banana to a gallery wall and a work by British street artist Banksy self-shreds moments after it fetched $1.4 mil-

lion at Sotheby’s, even the most extreme of Picasso’s images seem downright accessible. Not all his pieces are easy to read, of course, but they do welcome repeated viewings, they do continue to intrigue and repulse and no matter how simple, offer that deeply satisfying experience of sensing the artist’s hand at work.

Throughout 2023, dozens of museums and other institutions across Europe and in the U.S. have been reexamining the artist’s work under the banner, Picasso Celebration 1973-2023, an initiative organized by the governments of Spain and France. As summer rolls into fall, venues across Spain are readying an array of exhibitions. The Museo Picasso Málaga presents The Echo of Picasso, which looks at how later artists have leveraged the freedom inherent in Picasso’s practice to develop their own creativity

Museo Picasso Málaga central patio ©Museo Picasso Málaga

Man Seated in an Armchair, Paris, 19151916, Pencil and watercolor on paper, 31 Å~ 24.7 cm, Almine and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso Foundation for the Art, Madrid. © FABA Photograph by Hugard & Vanoverschelde. © Succession Pablo Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2023. Appearing in The Echo of Picasso (October 2 – March 30) at Museo Picasso Málaga

Works in the Sala VII 1200, appearing in The Echo of Picasso at (October 2 – March 30) Museo Picasso Málaga. ©Museo Picasso Málaga

ART & ARTIST

(October 2 – March 30). The Museo Picasso Barcelona and the Fundació Joan Miró have teamed up for Miró-Picasso, which recounts the artists’ friendship, their links to the city, and the themes and subjects—bullfighting, the circus, the Spanish Civil War— that engaged both men (October 19 – February 25). Meanwhile, the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum does a deep dive into sculpture with Picasso: Matter and Body (September 29 – January 14).

In Madrid, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza will hang its eight Picassos and loans alongside a selection of Old Master paintings to consider how the artist addressed traditional genres, from history painting and myth to portraits and still life. And the nearby Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, which houses Picasso’s gargantuan and horrifying Guernica (named for the Basque town bombed by the Nazis in 1937), offers Picasso 1906: The Turning Point (November 14 - March 4) examining the artist’s complicated response to African art.

Clearly, anyone crisscrossing Spain this autumn and winter will have ample opportunity to enjoy a wealth of Picassos, key works from major collections. And for the true aficionado, the one for whom the life of Picasso is as intriguing as the work, a jaunt to

Buitrago del Lozoya might be in order. Approximately an hour drive north of Madrid, this small town houses a collection of Picasso material with a unique provenance.

When Spain fell to Franco in 1939, Republican fighter and barber Eugenio Arias fled from Buitrago del Lozoya to France. In 1948, he opened a shop in Vallauris, where Picasso kept a home. The artist became a customer, and the two men formed a special friendship, one infused with a love for the country they had left behind. Over the years, Picasso made small gifts of all sorts to Arias—posters, ceramics, lithographs—that the barber gave to his hometown and are now housed in the Museo Picasso - Colección Eugenio Arias. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is not here. Neither are any Blue Period beauties or stunning examples of analytic cubism. However, to encounter in these few small galleries the classic lines, the singular gestures that define the artist, to know that these pieces are the legacy of a special bond, is to appreciate the master as a man, the genius as a friend.

For more information visit, museopicassomalaga.org, museupicassobcn. cat, museothyssen.org, museoreinasofia.es, turismomadrid.es/en.

Eugenio Arias cutting Picasso’s hair at La Californie, photograph by David Douglas, 1957, Museo Picasso – Colección Eugenio Arias. ©David Douglas Duncan ©Sucesión Pablo Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2023

Pablo Picasso, The Voyage of Columbus, 1917, oil on canvas, 40 x 32 cm, MPB 110.028 appearing in Miró-Picasso (October 19 – February 25) at The Museo Picasso Barcelona

Joan Miró, The balcony, Baix de Sant Pere, 1917, oli on canvas, 40 x 35 cm, Adrien Maeght Collection, Saint Paul de Vence appearing in Miró-Picasso (October 19 – February 25) at The Museo Picasso Barcelona

THE RISE OF ROSE

EDITED BY JULIA PAULMAN / PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELODIE DUPUIS

Le Coucou restaurant in New York City.

Photography by Ditte Isager

Chef Daniel Rose

Chef Daniel Rose is best known for his mastery of classic French cuisine, for treating all his ingredients with the utmost care and respect, and for seeking out and sourcing the best local markets have to offer. Since opening his first restaurant in Paris in 2006, his restaurants have spanned two continents and have been at the forefront of the international dining scene.

A Wilmette native, Rose landed in France to study at The American University of Paris. To improve his French, he found himself at the Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, nourishing a passion for the restaurant business that would turn into a vibrant career. Rose credits his post-college work at Auberge des Abers in Brittany and Le Pré du Moulin in Sérignan du Comtat near Avignon as providing him with a foundation that he relies on when mentoring his restaurant teams. Rose also cooked for some of the world’s most esteemed chefs including Paul Bocuse in Lyon, Jean-Pierre Bruneau in Brussels, and Yannick Alléno at Hotel Le Meurice in Paris. He traces his turning point from cook to chef to a life-changing year spent in Panajachel, Guatemala in 2003—Rose’s first experience as a Head Chef, running a kitchen and managing a team.

Following that experience, Rose returned to Paris in 2004, joining the restaurant team at the five-star Hotel Le Meurice. In 2006, his first solo venture, Spring, was born. The restaurant earned the distinction as The Guardian’s “One of 10 of the best restaurants in Paris,” Forbes’ “The Trophy Reservation,” and quickly became the Paris restaurant of choice for an international culinary elite including Gail Simmons, Alan Richman, Tim and Nina Zagat, Danny Meyer, and Alain Ducasse.

In September 2015, Rose opened La Bourse et La Vie, a traditional “Bistrot du Quartier” in Paris’ 2nd arrondissement near the Louvre. The restaurant, which garnered rave reviews both domestically and internationally, epitomized Rose’s style—the highest quality ingredients, excellence in the kitchen, abundance, generosity, and of course, a respect for tradition.

In 2016, Rose opened his first stateside restaurant, Le Coucou, to much critical acclaim. This New York City venue earned him his first Michelin star and was recognized with a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.

Rose was named Chef Partner for Air France’s business class service on long-haul flights from the United States and Canada to Paris in 2019. In 2022, Rose was honored as a chevalier of the Order of Agriculture Merit by the French Republic. Rose sets aside his apron to share how this culinary artist stays current between courses.

ON HIS NIGHTSTAND

“On the Nature of Things by Lucretius. It is something I have been revisiting every few years since I first read it 25 years ago! I think that I keep reading it because I didn’t truly understand it the first few times. I still don’t know if I understand it, but it becomes more pertinent to me the more I live. It is a sort of treaty on Epicureanism. All of this, of course, relates to my understanding of cuisine, which is always evolving. Today more than ever, it is all about a search for balance despite being a guide to an eternal quest for pleasure. Don’t get the wrong idea ... this book is sitting on a pile of well-worn Tom Clancy novels and a rich collection of cookbooks!”

ON HIS MOBILE

“I spend entirely too much time surfing the live art auctions on drouot.com. Drouot is a collection of auction houses that all operate out of a central auction house in Paris. Although I bid very little and buy even less, it is fascinating in so many ways. It is about art, collecting, and trying to understand the things that people find valuable. It is often a history lesson. Each auctioneer has their own style, and I find the entire process captivating. Go and stroll around the next time you are in Paris and in the meantime ... tune in online.”

IN HIS EARBUDS

“Sohrab Pournazeri is an Iranian musician and composer who plays the tanbur and a few other traditional Persian instruments. It’s hypnotic—entirely exotic to my ear, and it reminds me of how much more there is to discover in the world and how limited our horizons can be until we force ourselves to find new paths.”

FOOD & TRAVEL

Napa Valley vineyard. Photography by alacatr

GLASS NOODLE, SHRIMP & VEGGIE BOWL

One of my dear friends, Becky, who grew up in Thailand introduced me to Thai cuisine. As she cooked me my first Thai meal, she explained that there is no actual Thai word for “salad,” but tossing fresh vegetables, proteins, and noodles together with a dressing is the commonplace equivalent, called “yam.” (I quickly learned to say, “Yum!” to yam.) This dish—glass noodles with shrimp, cilantro, Thai chilies, a bit of ground pork, fresh matchstick vegetables, and sugared chili-limegarlic-fish sauce dressing—is a classic known as Yam Woon Sen.

It is very customizable; you can leave out the shrimp and pork if you like, or add in some fried tofu and more veggies, and eat it warm or cool. For the dressing, I like to add tamarind for extra pucker, and you can add a bit more sugar and less fish sauce if you prefer but be sure not to skip any of the basic ingredients. The spicy sweet/sour/salty flavor profile of the dressing is what makes this recipe sing.

Yam is a great use for the garden vegetables you’ve been nurturing all summer or those you find at the farmers market.

WORDS, RECIPE, AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONICA KASS ROGERS

Serves: 2 to 3 people

INGREDIENTS

For the glass noodle shrimp bowl:

• 2, 1.8 to 2-ounce bundles mung bean starch noodles (glass noodles)

• 8 to 10 large fresh shrimp, heads, tails, and shells removed, cleaned well

• 1/2 pound ground pork

• 1 Thai red chili, minced (optional)

• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, core, stem, and seeds discarded, finely diced

• 2 green onions, (roots discarded) cut into 1-inch lengths and slivered

• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves (save the stems for the dressing)

• 1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, cut into 2-inch matchsticks

• 1/2 cup carrot, peeled, cut into 2-inch matchsticks

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup cilantro stems, snipped fine

• 1 small Thai red chili, minced (NOTE: depending on your heat tolerance, you can add an extra chili)

• 1 c love garlic, minced to make 1 tablespoon

• 1 1/2 tablespoon palm sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Fresh lime juice to make 1/4 cup

• 2 to 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (Fish sauce is funky deliciousness; add at least 2 tablespoons, more if you like)

• 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate

For garnish:

• 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped

• Lime wedges

• Extra cilantro leaves

METHOD:

Soak 2 of the 2-ounce glass noodle bundles in a bowl of warm water.

Prep and measure vegetables. Peel and clean shrimp. Use a marble or stone mortar and pestle to mash the cilantro stems, minced chili, garlic, salt, and palm sugar into a paste. Stir in lime juice, fish sauce, and tamarind concentrate. Move dressing to a large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium-sized pot, heat 4 cups of water mixed with 1 teaspoon salt to boiling over high heat. Add shrimp. Poach shrimp for a scant minute or two until pink and cooked firm. Using a slotted spoon, scoop shrimp into the dressing in the large bowl. Leave pot of water boiling on your stove. Add the pork to the pot and poach until no longer pink. Scoop pork out of the water and add to the shrimp and dressing. Leave pot of boiling water on stove—add more water if depleted. (Don’t worry about any bits of pork still in the water.) Add the soaked glass noodles to the boiling water; boil 2 minutes until plumped and translucent. Drain noodles in a colander. Add noodles to the shrimp/pork/dressing. Add matchstick vegetables and cilantro, pulling noodles apart in order to mix better. Transfer to serving bowls. Top with chopped peanuts. Garnish with additional sprinkling of cilantro leaves. Serve hot or at room temperature with lime wedges.

BEYOND THE CORK

The Vine Trail, a new 47-mile walking and biking trail system connecting the entire Napa Valley—from Vallejo to Calistoga— is just one sign of Napa’s exciting evolution.

WORDS BY MEGAN WEISBERG / PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF VISIT NAPA VALLEY

Napa Valley needs no introduction. For wine enthusiasts, its name alone conjures up the image of relaxing days spent visiting sun-dappled vineyards. Yet, recent additions to the Napa scene are sure to entice enthusiasts of all sorts from bikers and hikers to culinary adventurers, even teetotalers.

My sister and I recently met in Napa to explore all the newest happenings. Our heavenly weekend started with an early morning stop at the serene Meadowood Spa. As I followed the attendant to my private spa suite, the calming sound of water from the

low waterfalls lining the hallway was just a hint of the immense relaxation to come. I opted for the Essential Journey Massage, which started with a pretreatment aromatherapy steam. After the steam, my masseuse began the treatment by using a tuning fork to produce vibrations that my body aligned to. What a novel way to heal any aches resulting from the daily grind or a cross-country flight! In a state of total relaxation after our incredible treatments, my sister and I sipped organic cold-pressed juices while relaxing in the mineral soaking pool in the Garden Lounge, enjoying the blue skies above. Later that day, we met with the Napa Valley Wine Trail Coalition who enlightened us about an amazing com-

An idyllic California setting to try new wines at Elizabeth Spencer Winery.

Photography by Kelly Hyattjpg

munity effort—The Vine Trail. This 47-mile walking and biking trail system will connect the entire Napa Valley with some vintners donating parts of their land for the trail. Truly, remarkable. On the trail, which starts in historic Vallejo and passes through the world-renowned vineyards and towns of Napa Valley, visitors will be able to stop for wine tastings at various wineries—an utter delight to combine views of the mountains on either side of the Valley with wine along the way. The trail culminates in Calistoga’s train depot where antique rail cars have been chicly re-purposed. The individual rail cars now house alluring restaurants and shops including a champagne and oyster bar, Mexican restaurant, chocolate shop, and retail boutique. Next door is Calistoga Depot Provisions—a modern mercantile and wine shop with an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven, delicious coffees, prepared foods, and more. Just the spot to end a day after exploring The Vine Trail.

A few blocks away from downtown Calistoga lies The Francis House—our luxury boutique home for the weekend. Built in 1886, this French Second Empire-style home is surrounded by lush grounds full of vibrant citrus trees and a lovely pool. As the day was a bit chilly, we decided to enjoy a wine apéritif by the fire. The proprietors, she an interior designer/he a developer, stumbled upon the dilapidated property in 2015 and spent years restoring it. Now, each room is infused with old-world Parisian elegance updated with modern-day touches like heated floors and built-in bedside USB chargers. Guests can rejuvenate in the infrared sauna and the salt room when not being regaled by hilarious stories by the proprietors who truly make you feel like a guest in their home.

That evening, we headed back to Meadowood to dine at Forum. This light, airy restaurant with an adjoining outdoor lounge has a more casual feel than the property’s former three-Michelin-star restaurant that was tragically destroyed in a 2020 wildfire. We began with the refreshing Meadowood Greens (burrata, citrus, and crispy sunchoke drizzled with a pistachio vinaigrette) and a lobster bisque made with a vadouvan spice blend and coconut milk—a balance of exquisite flavors. The black bass with mustard greens was cooked to perfection and an absolute treat. A rich chocolate dessert signaled the delicious end to a memorable meal. Retreating to our deluxe accommodations at The Francis House, we were thrilled to end the day in such a cozy and luxurious space. The next morning we decided to veer from the expected by tasting not wine but olive oil at the just-opened tasting room of Grove 45. Entirely female-owned and operated by a mother and daughter, Grove 45 is a small, premium brand of extra virgin olive oil. The art of producing extra virgin olive oil dates to Greek and Roman times, and the Grove 45 team remains dedicated to preserving this ancient craft. We learned the fine art of tasting olive oil (much like Stanley Tucci in Searching for Italy we too swirled the olive oil in small, blue-colored glasses) and savored their homemade olive oil ice cream—unreal in its amazingness.

The Francis House Inn in Napa Valley

The Francis House Inn’s serene outdoors.

After a brief shopping stint (we loved Alchemy Works) and an espresso break in famed Yountville, we returned to traditional Napa pursuits with a signature tasting at Elizabeth Spencer Winery. Their tasting room at the historic 1872 brick Post Office building is decorated with kitschy items from the past (walls lined with copper pots, antique sifters hanging from the ceiling), and our sommelier educated us in the nuanced differences of each vintage we tried. Dinner that evening was at Sam’s Social Club, a lively and fun spot with a Nantucket meets California vibe. Our first course consisted of baby lettuces and radishes with a refreshing and delicious fine herb vinaigrette. Next, was an Ora King salmon prepared with whipped roasted garlic potatoes, blistered cherry tomatoes, and a divine lemon beurre blanc sauce. Not only was every item cooked to perfection, but the ingredients were as fresh as could be. Our last morning before departing involved a stop at Clif Family Winery & Farm to try their newest offering—a Farm Elixir Mocktail Flight. Held in their Refugio Tasting Room, which boasts an impressive view of the mountains across the valley, the Farm Elixir Mocktail Flight is a non-alcoholic experience expertly paired

with small bites. The offerings include a pluot lavender limonata, a pear ginger with chocolate, and a blackberry crumble with cinnamon and honey. While its beautiful vineyards and exquisite vintages are not to be missed, Napa’s newest offerings from bike trails to mocktails signal there’s so much more to this beloved destination than wine alone.

For more information, visit visitnapavalley.com, thevintetrail.org, and thefrancishouse.com.

A gorgeous spot for a tasting at Elizabeth Spencer Winery in Napa.

Elegant rooms at The Francis House Inn

Wine from Elizabeth Spencer Winery

THE GRAND GENEVA

The Grand Geneva is a luxury escape just over the state line.

EDITED BY CHEYANNE LENCIONI / PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE GRAND GENEVA RESORT & SPA

“Into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”

- JOHN MUIR

Irecently took a weekend trip with my family to The Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin—located an hour and a half away from the North Shore. This jaunt gave us a precious opportunity to connect with nature and each other. Each day felt full of potential, but as opposed to an overwhelming number of options, it felt more like taking a deep breath.

The resort is located near the southern end of Lake Geneva’s downtown but is separated from the world by a vast expanse of trees. The property spans 1,300 picturesque acres complete with a wellness center, a golf course, a riding stable and trails, a water park, and several restaurants serving international cuisine. I would go so far as to call it the Ojai of the Midwest.

Upon arrival, we toured the renovated Geneva Club where guests are served complimentary drinks and small plates from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. With a charming fireplace, beautiful wood paneling, and cozy built-in banquettes, the club’s décor is the epitome of rustic sophistication. Then we were off to the indoor swimming pool for a dip before dinner at the lobby restaurant. Later that evening, we indulged in the late-night room service. Not a disappointing dish was served at either meal! Our second day led us to the wellness center, where activities range from rock climbing with a personal instructor to mani/pedis to our choice of golf, basketball, or tennis with the kids. We ended the trip at the

indoor water park—an absolute joy thanks to the two giant threestory-high water slides.

The Grand Geneva is currently undergoing renovations to further improve the guest experience. We were delighted with our renovated room. The warm fireplace, vibrant textiles, ambient lighting, and rich wood built-ins made the room ideal for relaxing while the lovely views through the expansive windows forged a strong connection between the interior and exterior landscapes. Exceptional customer service is a hallmark of the resort. From the desk personnel to the Geneva Club attendees and the wellness center staff to the restaurant waitstaff, each person went out of their way to make sure our stay was a delight. When rainy weather canceled our eagerly awaited golf game, a staff member provided us with wristbands for the water park so we could still enjoy the day. When a waiter heard us debating our dinner plans, he cleverly suggested we try the resort’s Italian restaurant where the menu was bound to please everyone.

Throughout the relaxing weekend, we felt disconnected from our cares and connected to each other. Surrounded by nature’s beauty, we created wonderful memories while already planning a return visit with family and friends. So, when your family needs a break from hectic days and busy schedules, plan the easy trip to The Grand Geneva for a luxurious vacation in a gorgeous setting.

For more information, visit grandgeneva.com.

LEFT: Aerial view of The Grand Geneva Resort & Spa

ABOVE: The Grand Geneva Resort & Spa Lobby

“Dave + Amy are absolutely top notch. They are experts at staying on top of market trends and applying that to their client’s specific and unique needs. When we needed anything, they responded immediately with answers, backed by years of industry knowledge.

What sets them apart is their ability to prep and stage homes to sell quickly in an unpredictable market, earning the respect of others in the industry, as well as repeat business and referrals. When you work with Dave + Amy, you feel like their sole client from their level of attention and responsiveness. I highly recommend this extraordinary team!”

-Nat and Corey

SUNNY SUMMER DAYS

Tour an Annie Liddle Design project and peruse scalloped home décor

A Kenilworth sunroom designed by Annie Liddle Design and featured in Home Tour. Photography by Dustin Halleck

HOME TOUR

DESIGN MAGIC

Interior designer Annie Liddle gives us an insider’s look at how she reimagined a Kenilworth family’s home into their chic empty nest.

WORDS BY ANN MARIE SCHEIDLER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN HALLECK

David Burdeny Abandoned Villa photograph from Anne Loucks Gallery in the dining room

“Ilove designing with color and pattern, so when clients trust me with this mix—that’s when the real magic happens,” says Lake Forest’s Annie Liddle, founder and principal of boutique interior design company, Annie Liddle Design. For the last 15 years, the Winnetka native has become known for design work that is classic, colorful, creatively textured, and tailored to her client’s lifestyle.

Take, for example, a traditional red brick, two-story colonial home in Kenilworth. The homeowners were looking for a refresh after their children moved out.

“This partnership has a very special beginning,” Liddle says. “I met them years ago when I was working with Jeannie Balsam Interiors, and they hired us to redo their primary bedroom. Jeannie was such an incredible mentor and a wonderful friend. I learned a lot from her about design and the business of interiors.”

“Even though I tend to be drawn toward brighter colors, to me bedrooms should feel soothing and calming,” Liddle explains. To ground the room, the walls are awash with the Schumacher Twiggy sisal wallcovering, setting a neutral background for the clean-lined, custom-upholstered bed flanked by Chelsea Textiles bedside chests for extra storage. An antique chandelier original to the home lights the space.

“The pop comes in the whimsical Suzanne Tucker window treatments,” she says. The fabric, depicting an enchanted forest populat-

ed with swirling vines, mesmerizing blossoms, and charming creatures, is repeated on the desk chair in the adjacent sitting room. The chair sits in front of a clean-lined Haslev desk from Julian Chichester framed by window treatments fashioned from Peter Fasano Sarpa fabric that provides a perfect, jewel-colored finishing touch.

A couple of years later Liddle was tapped to redesign the first floor of the home. Liddle tackled the dining room, living room, sunroom, and powder room simultaneously to ensure cohesiveness.

The dining room was swathed in a Gracie Antique Peony hand-painted wall covering that Liddle needed to build her design around. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Liddle welcomed the opportunity to marry the old with some new. She introduced hourglass Loren dining chairs from Artistic Frame upholstered in a Holland & Sherry leather on the front and the silvery gold Byzantium fabric from Fortuny’s Bivio collection on the back. “The chairs are the perfect shade of lavender,” she adds. They are a fresh contrast to the dark-stained custom walnut din-

Primary suite’s sitting room

HOME TOUR

ing table with 24-karat gold leaf detailing that Liddle designed. The dining room’s color story continues with the perfectly pleated teal Holland & Sherry wool draperies with a Samuel & Sons’ trim on the lead edge. “I think everything deserves a cord, a little taping, or some sort of embellishment. There is a way to accomplish this where it feels fresh and new,” Liddle says. The David Burdeny Abandoned Villa photograph from Anne Loucks Gallery grounds the room, while the ethereal ceiling design by Studio Lunaris takes your line of sight to the stunning gold leaf Niermann Weeks chandelier.

In the living room, the existing colorful artwork provided inspiration for Liddle’s revamp. “I really wanted to punch up the furnishings with fun patterns and bold colors that tied into the paintings,” she says. A plum-colored Coraggio mohair sofa from A. Rudin anchors the room and is accented with sculptural bronze side tables from Baker Furniture. “The color is deep enough to be sophisticated, but also approachable and fun,” Liddle says.

Liddle gave the homeowner’s vintage wing chairs a modern makeover with a green geometric fabric by Kravet’s Gaston Y Daniela collection. She also remade the client’s armchairs with a Colefax and Fowler tweed fabric and added a pop of color with Clay McLaurin Studio Oxford berry pillows.

An attention-grabbing brass star lantern by Vaughan carries the polish of the living room into the sunroom. The diamond-patterned sisal rug from Kashian Brothers acts as the backdrop for this cheerful space, while an antique console is adorned with several varieties of plants to bring the outdoors in. Leveraging the room’s natural vibe, Liddle finished the four lounge chairs with

Christopher Farr Cloth’s Tangle fabric in olive.

The last room Liddle completed in this phase of the redesign was the first-floor powder room.

“This little jewel box is an inviting medley of color, pattern, and texture,” she says of the playful use of marbled paper from Madeaux on the walls and Phillip Jeffries’ Empire paper in vintage pearl on the ceiling. The room is masterfully trimmed in Benjamin Moore Aegean Teal.

But the star of the space is a striking custom vanity designed by Liddle, featuring tambour detailing with a marble top and classic brass hardware in a polished nickel finish. “I try to design vanities to look as much as possible like pieces of furniture,” Liddle observes.

Liddle’s attention to detail is seen in the custom colors of the sconces. “The Visual Comfort gold lights we installed were too bright for the space, so to get the tone exactly right I had Studio Lunaris tone down the gold to make it feel more burnished,” Liddle adds. She also had the deAurora Linus mirror made in a custom size so it would fit perfectly above the sink.

As Liddle, a married mother of two, continues to draw inspiration from her past travels—including a recent anniversary trip to Tennessee’s famed Blackberry Farm—she looks forward to finishing the home’s family room this summer.

“After all of these years, it’s a joy and privilege to work with lovely clients who value my design. Their words of affirmation matter the most to me,” Liddle says. “When a client tells me how much they are enjoying a space I designed, that’s all I need to hear.”

For more information, visit annieliddle.com.

Living room’s plum-colored Coraggio mohair sofa

Powder room

HOME TOUR

01 MOUS Spirograph Centerpiece, mousstudio.com 02 Meg Braff for Wildwood Mirasol Lamp, wildwoodhome.com 03 Daniel House Club Swivel Chair, danielhouse.club 04 Wall Paint by Annie Sloan, anniesloan.com/us 05 Muzungu Sisters Bloom Ceramic Dinner Plate, modaoperandi.com 06 Mitzi Maisie Table Lamp, mitzi.com 07 Brooke & Lou June Sconce in Natural Brass, brookeandlou.com 08 Light and Dwell Project with Scalloped Stools, lightanddwell.com 09 Lotus Marble Bowl, shoppalomaandco.com 10 Wildwood Scallop Side Table in Benjamin Moore’s Raspberry Blush, wildwoodhome.com 11 Walter E. Smithe Lounge Chair, Walter E. Smithe Oakbrook, 630-285-8000 12 Light and Dwell Project with Scalloped Side Table, lightanddwell.com 13 Scallop Placemat, shoppalomaandco.com 14 Muzungu Sisters Bloom Ceramic Dinner Plate, modaoperandi.com 15 Mitzi Roshani Table Lamp, mitzi.com 16 Patterson Flynn Scallop Rug, pattersonflynn.com 17 Walter E. Smithe Chair, Walter E. Smithe Oakbrook, 630-285-8000 18 Walter E. Smithe Bench, Walter E. Smithe Oakbrook, 630-285-8000

Jennifer Morehead

WORK IT

As CEO of Flex HR, Jennifer Morehead guides clients through a post-COVID world that is increasingly impacted by AI.

WORDS BY THOMAS CONNORS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATRINA WITTKAMP STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA / HAIR & MAKEUP BY LEANNA ERNEST

“The Great Resignation.” “Quiet Quitting.” “Rage Applying.” Workers and working have been through the wringer over the last few years. COVID didn’t kill every opportunity, but it certainly led employees and employers alike to reconceptualize the workplace; a workplace that is also being transformed by artificial intelligence (AI). As the CEO of Flex HR, a rapidly expanding human resources and payroll outsourcing and consulting firm with offices in Chicago and Atlanta, Jennifer Morehead has a front-row seat to this shifting landscape.

A Nebraska native, Morehead began her career in the analyst program at a consulting firm after graduating from Northwestern University. She then spent seven years at the Tribune Company while earning her MBA at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of

Management. In 2010, she started a digital marketing company, then sold it in 2020 and bought Flex HR. Armed with estimable skills and insights, Morehead continues to succeed in a time of change by achieving spectacular growth for her firm—which has been named three times to Inc. magazine’s annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies—and solid results for her clients.

“It’s interesting to have been both a founding CEO and an acquiring CEO,” shares Morehead, who lives with her husband, Brad, and three young children in Winnetka. “I was lucky to acquire a company where the leading subject matter expert at the company—its founder—wanted to stay on and we got along and still do. I feel very grateful to help our clients with their HR and payroll because these are such essential functions to a business.” Facing a shrunken pool of job candidates and a population of

employees demanding flexibility and better life/work balance, companies must strategize effectively to meet the new normal. When it comes to the transformation that characterizes the American workforce these days, Morehead observes, “Employers need to be nimble and open to designing a work team that looks different than it did before by incorporating gig workers, consultants, and W2 employees, often in a remote or hybrid setting.”

While many major players—JPMorgan Chase, Meta, Twitter—are playing hardball when it comes to returning to the office, Morehead is a big proponent of remote and hybrid work. “Overall, I think remote work is good for the American family, for the default parent who maintains the bulk of child-rearing responsibilities, and it can bring down some of the overhead costs for businesses,” suggests Morehead, whose book, CEO From Home, details how someone can start, acquire, or continue to run a business on their own terms while working from home. “Employers are able to recruit talent beyond the geographical confines of their city and evolve with the changing geographic needs of current employees. In order to do a remote or hybrid work setting well, employers should design virtual get-togethers like regular town hall meetings and offer ways to connect in a remote work setting outside of specific work tasks, such as virtual yoga sessions or virtual book clubs. Employers can incorporate monthly or

quarterly in-person time. Training and relationship building take longer in a virtual setting, so there must be a plan for this along the way that could include a comprehensive mentor program. In addition, while quiet quitting is a trend with remote work so is quiet hiring, so it can go both ways between employer and employee.”

The fast-accelerating reality of AI is firmly on Morehead’s radar. “AI will most likely start displacing workers at the bottom rung of knowledge industries like marketing, publishing, banking, and consulting and will reach many other industries as it proliferates,” she observes. “It will be important to retrain existing employees to interact with AI effectively to be more productive in their own roles without sacrificing data security, client confidentiality, integrity in the end product, and overall tone. These workers will need to be upskilled or reskilled, so they won’t lose their jobs. Employers need to be evaluating job descriptions and scope of work for their workers to plan how they might evolve in an AI setting. In addition, employers should decide how to incorporate the allowed or prohibited use of AI in their work setting in their employee handbook.”

Looking back at the evolution of her career, Morehead recalls a moment that came to inform all that followed. “I was about to turn 25. I had worked in a consulting job out of college and was supporting a husband through business school at Kellogg. When we moved back to Chicago, I took a risk in a 100 percent commission sales job for WGN Radio, which at the time was owned by the Tribune Company. The AM radio industry certainly wasn’t sexy, but it taught me how to sell and take entrepreneurial-related risks. At age 26, I was quickly promoted to a sales management position running a $30 million sales department. I don’t think I would’ve had the opportunity in another job to get that type of experience so quickly, and it changed the trajectory of my career. It taught me that sometimes, it’s good to take the road less traveled.”

For more information about Flex HR, visit flexhr.com, CEO From Home is available at amazon.com

Jennifer Morehead wearing Roksanda, Neiman Marcus Northbrook

“Facing a shrunken pool of job candidates and a population of employees demanding flexibility and better life/work balance, companies must strategize effectively to meet the new normal.”

REACHING FOR THE SKY

Nadia Rawlinson has always aimed high, and now she brings her passion back home as Co-Owner and Operating Chairman of the Chicago Sky.

WORDS BY ELISA DRAKE / PLAYER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CHICAGO SKY

Nadia Rawlinson describes herself as a “chief optimism officer,” who strives to create workspaces where people can thrive and reach their full potential. She is now bringing her perspective, her expertise, and her positive attitude to the business of basketball. In January, the Lake Forest native, 44, was named Co-Owner and Operating Chairman of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky women’s basketball franchise.

The Sky won its first WNBA Championship in 2021, and it was recently valued at $85 million, the second-highest valuation in the league next to the Seattle Storm. Plus, viewership for WNBA games as a whole is on the rise. In other words, it’s a great time to get in the game. “There’s great momentum happening in women’s sports right now, and it’s pretty exciting,” says Rawlinson who will now be on the frontlines to push the team to even greater heights.

In the newly created position of Operating Chairman, Rawlinson hopes to enhance player support; improve the fan experience, grow revenue streams, and improve capital infrastructure, including building a new practice facility.

Rawlinson has led the creation of Sky’s new, all-female group of minority investors. In fact, “co-owner” was the title Rawlinson originally had in mind when she considered getting involved with the team last year, but principal owner Michael Alter had even broader plans for her. “He said he appreciated that I was a business executive at the intersection of tech, media, and entertainment and thought I’d bring great value to the franchise in an operating role.”

Alter certainly knew what he was talking about. Rawlinson brings some big-name business experience—high-profile roles at Slack Technologies, Live Nation Entertainment, and Google, for starters—but she arrived at her human resources career in an unusual way: via an MBA from Harvard Business School. “I can count on one hand how many people in my graduating class went into HR,” Rawlinson says.

For Rawlinson, it was a typically atypical move. “I thought I could offer something that was different from most people who worked in that function,” she recalls. “I have found my individuality and confidence in doing things that most people would not automatically choose.”

Some of her confidence might stem from being one of just a few Black students at Lake Forest High School. “I don’t want to say that I’ve been underestimated, and I’m sure maybe I have been, but it’s more that I wanted to prove that what I was doing was possible,” she says.

Along the way, Rawlinson has since shifted out of proving mode. “There’s nothing left to prove. It’s just to be. And that’s been very freeing and has created richer opportunities.”

One thing Rawlinson was not, was an athlete, but she knows that a large percentage of female business leaders played sports at some point in their lives. “It’s the teamwork, commitment, drive for

Rebekah Gardner

Nadia Rawlinson wearing Dolce & Gabbana, ikram.

Photography by Katrina Wittkamp, styling by Theresa Demaria, hair & makeup by Sohje Johnson and Mercedes Small

excellence, and resilience that prepares them so well,” she says. “So, I have a deep appreciation for those with that competitive spirit and athleticism, and for women in particular who really exemplify the discipline that it takes to play at the professional level.”

Rather than sports, Rawlinson credits her parents for nurturing her drive and passion. Her mother was an educator, then served in nonprofits helping domestic violence victims. Her father was first an educator, then moved to the corporate world, eventually rising to the C-suite of Fortune 500 companies. “It was about valuing education and striving for excellence, no matter what while staying authentic to who you are,” Rawlinson recalls. She’s kept that philosophy top of mind throughout her career, despite often being the only Black woman in the room, because she says, “We’re here to make sure we’re the best we can be, reaching our potential, whatever that may be.”

After following jobs around the country, Rawlinson and her husband are now back in her hometown. “It’s been a really meaningful homecoming in ways I didn’t expect,” she says. In between attending Chicago Sky games, she’s been able to enjoy Lake Forest life, continuing her Pilates practice at Superior Pilates,

checking out the farmers market, and dining at Sophia Steak, Le Colonial, Hometown Coffee & Juice, and Deer Path Inn. “What’s so wonderful is that it’s the same in all of the best ways it was when I grew up here in the 1990s.”

Besides her new day job, Rawlinson sits on the Stanford University Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors for J.Crew Group, Vail Resorts, and is an Advisor with Google Ventures. An impressive lineup for a woman who as a high schooler snuck out of her house to attend the Chicago Bulls Championship parade. Maybe the passion for basketball then has brought her to this point now. “I hope the Sky can continue to be part of the Chicago culture, just like the Bulls were for me growing up.”

Dana Evans

Courtney Williams

Marina Mabrey

STEVE SAROWITZ: FROM PAYLOCITY TO PAYING IT FORWARD

WORDS BY RONI MOORE NEUMANN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES GUSTIN / STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA

Visionary. Billionaire. Filmmaker. Dreamer. Philanthropist. Runner. Entrepreneur. Husband. Father. Creator. Member of the Baha’i Faith. Highland Park’s Steve Sarowitz is all of these things, and so much more.

A University of Illinois graduate with a passion for software development and solving problems, Sarowitz saw an opportunity in the payroll and HR marketplace following years of experience at payroll companies.

Sarowitz founded Paylocity, an online payroll and HR provider, in 1997 and took the enterprise public in 2014. Today, he serves as chairman of the company, headquartered in Schaumburg, with nearly 6,000 employees and annual revenues exceeding $1 billion. Sarowitz also is director of PayEscape, a United Kingdom online payroll firm based in Northern Ireland.

After actively leading his company for 15 years, Sarowitz has turned his attention to the betterment of humanity, shaped by his journey—inspired by a close friend and running partner—from Judaism to the Baha’i faith.

Central to the Baha’i faith is that all human beings are equally God’s creation, regardless of gender, race, nationality, or creed, and should be respected and treated without prejudice.

These values fundamentally shape Sarowitz’s life mission and are reflected in his endeavors: the Wayfarer Foundation; Wayfarer Studios; and his newest venture, Wayfarer Theaters, a five-theater complex at Renaissance Place in Highland Park.

Wayfarer Foundation, launched in 2021, has a mission to advance humankind spiritually toward a future peaceful world civilization.

According to the organization’s website, “We fund and support spiritually rooted and justice-oriented nonprofits and we center our work on the power of universal participation to create a more hopeful, joyful, and just world.”

In 2021, Wayfarer Foundation awarded nearly $4.2 million in grants to broad-ranging organizations, called “friends in service.” Examples include a $50,000 grant to fund racial justice and COVID-19 recovery in Evanston Public Schools, a $50,000 grant to support youth experiencing homelessness in California, and a $50,000 grant to provide job training for individuals with developmental disabilities. In 2022, Wayfarer more than doubled its giving with over $9 million in grants, and in 2023, Wayfarer will be giving more than $19 million in grants.

Sarowitz’s partner in Wayfarer Studios is actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni, who is currently starring in, producing, and directing an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s hit 2016 novel, It Ends with Us, also starring Blake Lively.

Sarowitz and Baldoni, a fellow Baha’i, seek to create “purpose-driven, multi-platform film and television productions that elevate and speak to the human spirit. We are a home for creators

and fresh voices debunking the typical studio model by producing stories that serve as true agents for social change. Our work highlights inspiration, unity, and the power of the human connection.”

Sarowitz has high-profile experience in the film industry, having served as Executive Producer of the Peabody Award-winning documentary, Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, and The Gate: Dawn of the Baha’i Faith and Clouds, which was named one of the best movies on Disney+.

Sarowitz has teamed with another Baha’i friend, actor Rainn Wilson, best known as Dwight Schrute in the hit television comedy The Office, on four different movies, including an action-comedy called Code 3 starring Wilson and Lil Rel Howery.

Wilson recently released a New York Times best-selling book, Soul Boom, in which he asserts that “Our world needs a spiritual revolution.” According to Arthur Brooks in The Atlantic, “Wilson told me how faith—including traditional religions in which adherents worship the divine—give us what we all crave: The bonds to community. A shared purpose. Transcendence. A concept of the sacred. The idea that service to others is the highest form of worship.”

Along with Wilson, Wayfarer Studios is working with Hollywood heavyweights like Robert DeNiro and Bobby Cannavale.

With the goal of being a “collective space for films, live events, and conversation,” Wayfarer Theaters is designed to strengthen bonds of friendship in the community. Highland Park is the inaugural location, with plans to expand to other markets throughout the country.

Sarowitz is quick to credit his team, including Manager Clay Stamper, for their efforts in launching the theaters. “Our mission is to show films that uplift, inspire, educate, and unite our community. Positivity is even more important for all of us after the tragedy last July 4th here in Highland Park.”

“In addition to premiering our own films at Wayfarer Theaters, we are bringing in filmmakers and changemakers for enlightening conversations. In just our first few months, we have brought in Jane Goodall, Penn Badgley, Rainn Wilson, Keith Beauchamp, Bob Hercules, Aviva Kempner, and several others to Wayfarer Theaters,” he explains.

“There’s so much violence and negative energy out there; we’re working to impact meaningful change,” he notes.

What’s next for Sarowitz? “I’d like to welcome more people from Highland Park and throughout the North Shore to Wayfarer Theaters, so we can truly be a beacon for the community and amplify our message of hope and unity. Through our theaters, our foundation, and our studios, we will continue working to advance the good in humanity.”

For more information, visit wayfarerfoundation.org, wayfarertheaters.com, and wayfarerstudios.com.

Dollars & Sense

Sheridan Road’s annual Money Issue features the top wealth managers, estate planners, and insurance experts that serve clients on the North Shore. High-net-worth North Shore residents and business owners trust the experts found in the following pages to manage their assets, help them achieve their financial goals, and secure the futures of upcoming generations.

PRODUCED & EDITED BY KEMMIE RYAN

WORDS BY MITCH HURST

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN MCLEOD & KATRINA WITTKAMP

STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA

HAIR & MAKEUP BY LEANNA ERNEST, CATHLEEN HEALY, KAYLA JATZAB, MARGARETA KOMLENAC, KONSTANTINE

MIRONYCHEV, AND FRANCES TSALAS

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: CHEYANNE LENCIONI

STEVEN ESPOSITO

YELLOWSTONE WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Wealth management isn’t just a profession to Steven Esposito. He considers it a hallowed responsibility, and it shows in his values and how he serves his clients. Esposito knew in high school that he wanted to be a wealth manager, and today he is the founder, President, and Managing Director of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest. Esposito says wealth management isn’t about chasing hot stocks; it’s about risk management and maintaining confidence in portfolios for Yellowstone’s clients. He works closely with an experienced team that includes Kate Baness, Director of Client Experience; Stephanie Esposito, Chief Operating Officer, Managing Partner; and Melissa Esposito, Client Associate. Yellowstone’s unique business model utilizes back-office support from Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network while maintaining the independence to serve clients at a highly individualized level and address each client’s unique needs. Esposito is committed to the Lake Forest and surrounding community and supports charities such as the national Tunnels to Towers Foundation and the Mothers Trust Foundation in Lake Forest. He is a recipient of Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisor from 2019-2022.* Esposito likens his approach to wealth management to a health care concierge and a physician that doesn’t have to answer to hospital administrators. “They determine what a patient needs,” he says. “I do the same with my clients. I listen to what makes them tick.”

For more information, visit yellowstonewm.com.

Steven Esposito’s minimum account value starts at $1,000,000. Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), Member SIPC. Yellowstone Wealth Management is a separate entity from WFAFN. Yellowstone Wealth Management is located at 100 N. Field Drive, Suite 120 in Lake Forest, 224-880-0850, yellowstonewm.com.

*The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors rating algorithm is based on the previous year’s industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC. Investment performance is not a criterion. Self-completed survey was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.

SPONSORED ADVERTISING CONTENT

LISA BERTAGNA

REGIONAL DIRECTOR II OF PRIVATE BANKING FIFTH THIRD BANK

Lisa Bertagna leads a team of Private Bankers who serve high-net-worth clients with credit solutions to help them meet their financial goals. She is also currently building a Fifth Third Private Bank team on the North Shore. Fifth Third Private Bank has over 100 years of experience in wealth management, and helps clients achieve their financial objectives through personalized wealth planning, banking, insurance, investments, and trust and estate services. As a bank within a bank, Bertagna and her team are able to leverage the resources of a top financial institution to deliver a premium level of service to clients. Bertagna has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, most of that spent at large global banks. “I am thrilled to work with a super-regional bank like Fifth Third,” she says. “The bank offers all of the expertise, services, and products that you expect at a large bank but is small enough to stay focused on our clients at a local level.” Fifth Third Private Bank surrounds its clients with a full team of advisors starting with a $2 million minimum investment. Many of the bank’s peers only offer a team-based approach with a much higher relationship minimum. Bertagna spent a decade early in her career in commercial lending, which she enjoyed, but she realized helping individual clients was her true passion. She’s never looked back. “In Wealth Management, we have the privilege to get to know our clients deeply and to be in a position to help them achieve their personal and family goals,” she says. A science lover, Bertagna has served on the Women’s Board of the Adler Planetarium, and she was recently named to the Women’s Board of Chicago’s Field Museum.

For more information, visit privatebankadvisors.53.com/il/rosemont/6111-n--river-rd--34312196.html.

SUSAN REICHERT MILANAK

FINANCIAL ADVISOR MORGAN STANLEY

Susan Reichert Milanak was motivated to become a financial advisor through her experience helping her mother navigate complex financial charts when meeting with her financial advisory. The experience prompted Milanak to want to help others the way she was helping her mother. She says she felt there was a need not to just advise, but to educate, especially in working with women, because men have traditionally handled family finances. With more than 25 years of experience in the finance and investment field, her approach to working with clients is to first understand their goals and aspirations then focus on the investments. Milanak is a CERTIFIED

FINANCIAL PLANNER™

professional and Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley. She holds a B.A. in Economics from DePauw University and an MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business. In addition to her work at Morgan Stanley, Milanak serves as the Executive Director of the Reichert Foundation, a charity founded by her parents to support the disadvantaged. Milanak is a long-time member of the Lake Forest community and attended Lake Forest High School. She moved back in 2000 and her children have also grown up and attend school in Lake Forest. For more information, visit advisor.morganstanley.com/susan.milanak.

Morgan Stanley 207 E. Westminster Ave, Suite 300, Lake Forest, IL 60045

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. CRC 5685710 05/23

MICHAEL KATZ, CFA®,

MANAGING DIRECTOR

COLLEEN MCCAFFERY,

TRUIST WEALTH

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Colleen McCaffery and Michael Katz are an advisory team focused on successful individuals, multi-generational families, business owners, divorced and widowed women, and those in transitional parts of their lives with complex issues. The collaboration of McCaffery and Katz, both with over 25 years of experience, brings a highly engaged team with complementary skill sets to each client relationship. McCaffery’s career has been inspired by her father. “He strongly believed that as a woman, I should understand how money affects family, and how it can work for and against those whom you love. With wealth comes complexity and it requires a strong and impartial voice to guide it to its most valuable place and to create harmony,” McCaffery says. Katz brings a technical investment discipline to the team. He became passionate about the financial markets at an early age after his grandparents gifted him some stocks. After attending the University of Illinois for undergrad and the University of Chicago for graduate school, Katz’s interest in the psychology of investment success grew and forged the path of his professional career. “I owe my success in this business to my ability to utilize my skills in both the technical and interpersonal sides of the business. I help our clients live their best lives without having to stress about the day-to-day of the markets,” Katz says. McCaffery and Katz were selected along with a team to build the Wealth Management business for Truist in Chicago. They run a national practice, and working with the seventh largest bank allows them to provide the comprehensive resources and capabilities needed to advise their clients yet still provide a boutique level of service. They believe in simplicity and education. They simplify complex wealth planning issues that confront everyone from Baby Boomers to Gen Z. McCaffery and Katz summarize, “We speak the language of multiple generations and that makes a meaningful difference to the families we support.”

For more information on Michael Katz, visit truist.com/michael.katz. For more information on Colleen McCaffery, visit truist.com/colleen.mccaffery.

JENN BARRY, CFA

INVESTMENT ADVISOR AARON WEALTH ADVISORS

As Investment Advisor at Aaron Wealth Advisors, an independent boutique advisory firm, Jenn Barry serves as a fiduciary and advocate for her clients to help simplify the complexities of their wealth. By building deep, trusting relationships, Barry advises her clients to view their wealth as a tool to live fulfilling and meaningful lives. “I like to share my history and experience, starting with humble beginnings in Michigan to working on Wall Street, in order to demonstrate my expertise, motivation, and innate need to help others,” she says. Barry received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder, a graduate of the Building the Behavioral Advisor (BTBA) program, and a candidate for Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification. Barry’s current role as private wealth manager is an evolution of her 26 years on Wall Street in institutional equity sales. “It’s the perfect opportunity to use my knowledge, experience, empathy, and ability to connect to help families define and achieve their financial and life goals,“ she says. Barry resides in Northbrook with her husband and three children.

For more information, visit aaronwealth.com/our-team/jenn-barry-cfa.

Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC is registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission, nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability.

ADRIANNA STASIUK

INVESTMENT ADVISOR

AARON WEALTH ADVISORS

In her role as Investment Advisor at Aaron Wealth, Adrianna Stasiuk provides comprehensive wealth management services to the individuals and families with whom she works. Stasiuk is proud to hold both a B.A. and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. Further instrumental to her development and growth into a hardworking, disciplined advisor was being recruited to play Division I college volleyball at Notre Dame, attending on a full athletic scholarship and acting team captain her junior and senior years. Stasiuk considers it an honor to be the primary advisor to closely held family business owners as well as providing guidance and care to successful women. “If I wasn’t working as an advisor, I’d be a teacher,” Stasiuk says, speaking to her expertise. “I’m passionate about personal financial education and erasing the perceptions of finance as being intimidating or complicated.” Her sincere goal is to help clients and their families understand their investments, allowing them to uncover true meaning and purpose for their wealth. Working at an independent firm like Aaron Wealth Advisors allows Stasiuk to serve as an advocate for her clients by sitting on their side of the table. By limiting the constraints and conflicts of interest that can arise in the financial services industry, she can truly serve her clients’ best interests. Important to Stasiuk is giving back to the community by supporting causes like youth literacy and education. Most recently, she served as a board member at Reading In Motion, a Chicago-based literacy nonprofit, and volunteered as a tutor at Chicago Lights, a nonprofit at Chicago’s Fourth Presbyterian Church.

For more information, visit aaronwealth.com/our-team/adrianna-stasiuk.

Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC is registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission, nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability.

Wardrobe by Veronica Beard, available at Neiman Marcus

TOM KILBORN

MANAGING DIRECTOR, WEALTH MANAGEMENT ADVISOR KILBORN PHILLIPS & ASSOCIATES MERRILL

LYNCH WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Since 1983, Tom Kilborn has been helping affluent families pursue their financial goals through thoughtful investment advice and guidance at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He draws upon his years of investment experience to help clients preserve and grow their assets during their lifetime while helping build a legacy for future generations. As lead partner of Kilborn Phillips & Associates, Kilborn crafts personalized asset allocations and drives the team’s overall investment philosophy. His industry knowledge, combined with the resources of Merrill Lynch and Bank of America, allows his team to provide a high level of service on both sides of the balance sheet. Kilborn says his “greatest reward is knowing we make a positive difference in the lives and legacies of the families we serve.” He strives to be an excellent listener and problem solver, working closely with all members of the team to meet client needs. He says, “My partners and I say every day to our clients ‘control what you’re able to control.’ Do our clients have the appropriate risk to meet their long-term goals, and the liquidity to meet their short-term needs?” Kilborn says he’s very blessed to have a great team working beside him. His team of eight has 125 years of collective experience at Merrill Lynch and is recognized as one of the best in the industry. Given how the financial industry has changed over the decades, Kilborn says he’s proud of his forty years with Merrill Lynch. Clients who called him when he was just starting out can still reach him at the same phone number. He says, “If what brings meaning to you happens to be what you do for a living, then that’s not considered work.” Kilborn graduated from Southern Methodist University, and lives in Winnetka with his wife Katy, and has three grown children: Courtney, Grace, and Charlie.

For more information, visit fa.ml.com/kilborn-phillips.

F. J. PHILLIPS

SENIOR

VICE

PRESIDENT, WEALTH MANAGEMENT ADVISOR KILBORN PHILLIPS & ASSOCIATES MERRILL LYNCH WEALTH MANAGEMENT

At a young age, F.J. Phillips witnessed the devastating effects that can result from a lack of financial planning, and he takes a personal interest in each of his clients to make sure that doesn’t happen to them. Phillips joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1997, and his expertise in comprehensive, multi-generational wealth management and retirement planning helps him make a difference in clients’ financial lives by prompting them to understand opportunities and risk. Phillips’s ability to simplify complicated financial strategies allows his clients to make informed decisions. “By getting to the heart of what wealth means for each family, we can help them better understand the implications of their financial choices,” he says. Phillips earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. He attended Iowa State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in finance. Phillips volunteers extensively and serves as Board Chair and a team leader for the nonprofit Care for Friends in Chicago. He is also the current Senior Warden at Church of the Holy Comforter in Kenilworth. “These experiences of leadership have shaped my sense of accountability to others while helping me focus on driving outcomes with impact and purpose,” he says. Phillips resides in Wilmette with his wife, Carrie and their two sons, Everett and George. For more information, visit fa.ml.com/kilborn-phillips.

Legal Leaders

Many of the top lawyers in the state of Illinois practice on the North Shore, and this issue of Sheridan Road highlights experts in estate planning, family law and divorce, personal injury, and other legal matters. We never know when a legal issue will arise, and this section serves as a handy guide to accomplished and award-winning attorneys who have strong records of achieving results for their clients.

PRODUCED & EDITED BY KEMMIE RYAN

WORDS BY MITCH HURST

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN MCLEOD & KATRINA WITTKAMP STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA

HAIR & MAKEUP BY LEANNA ERNEST, CATHLEEN HEALY, KAYLA JATZAB, MARGARETA KOMLENAC, KONSTANTINE MIRONYCHEV, AND FRANCES TSALAS

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: CHEYANNE LENCIONI

MICHONE J. RIEWER MANAGING

PARTNER STRATEGIC DIVORCE

Michone J. Riewer has been practicing law for more than 25 years and has acquired an impressive degree of experience in all areas of family and matrimonial law, including complex and high-net-worth divorces. Her practice also includes post-judgment modifications, division of complicated assets, custody, visitation, parental decision-making, maintenance, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, mediation, and civil litigation. Riewer is a Lake County-approved mediator and also has experience in corporate law and estate planning. Riewer’s Lake Bluffbased firm, Strategic Divorce, is all about finding solutions for clients during difficult times. “Being a divorce attorney allows me to do this every day. We help people through the hardest time of their lives,” she says. Riewer holds a J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law and received her Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University. “It is very gratifying to be able to assist our clients with creating a plan to resolve their divorce issues and helping them move forward toward their future,” she adds. Many of her firm’s clients are sophisticated professionals and business owners. The firm is able to communicate the complex process of divorce in a way the client can grasp, allowing them to make smart decisions with confidence because they better understand their options. Riewer specializes in high-net-worth individuals, business owners, and professionals who need help equitably dividing complicated assets. Divorce is often adversarial, and her firm helps clients recognize that working toward an amicable settlement costs less financially and emotionally and the outcome often has more financial benefits. “We have the legal and financial expertise to help clients obtain the best possible solution without creating unnecessary drama, acrimony, or attorneys’ fees,” she says.

For more information, visit strategicdivorce.com/attorney-profile/ michone-j-riewer-esq.

MICHAEL BONAMARTE IV

MANAGING PARTNER LEVIN & PERCONTI

In March of this year, Michael Bonamarte IV obtained a $40 million verdict in Coles County on behalf of a now 20-year-old girl who suffered brain damage as a result of not being delivered by c-section in a timely fashion. The verdict, the largest medical malpractice verdict to date in Illinois outside of Cook County, speaks to one of Bonamarte’s key strengths, which is his ability to connect with a jury. Bonamarte is a skilled and passionate attorney who has achieved outstanding results in a number of high-profile medical malpractice, nursing home, wrongful death, and personal injury cases. He has a special respect and admiration for the elderly, which our society so often fails to honor. As Managing Partner at Levin & Perconti, Bonamarte interacts regularly with younger lawyers, helping them strategize, plan, and think about their cases in a way that everything they are doing helps move cases forward. “I try to remind them that while sometimes the work is hard and we get anxious about how many cases we have, we can’t forget that behind each case is a person with a story who has often come to us at the worst time in their life,” he says. Bonamarte graduated from John Marshall Law School in Chicago and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the founder and president of the Michael Bonamarte III Foundation, named in honor of his father. The foundation is dedicated to raising awareness and funding research on the treatment of strokes. For more information, visit levinperconti.com.

MIRIAM COOPER, HELENA L. TRACHTENBERG

COOPER TRACHTENBERG LAW GROUP, LLC

As attorneys, Miriam Cooper and Helena L. Trachtenberg offer an important combination of compassion, pragmatism, and experience to their clients. Compassion is necessary because often clients are working through one of the most challenging times in their lives, and pragmatism and experience are essential as every family law case is uniquely complex. “We have the professional and strategic experience needed to navigate each case,” Cooper says. “We are strong, smart, professional attorneys and take great interest in the practice of law.” Cooper has more than 30 years of experience in family law cases representing parents and children through all stages of divorce, including child custody and support, visitation and maintenance, and paternity issues. Trachtenberg handles all aspects of family law along with mediation, collaborative divorce, and representing children in family law proceedings as a Guardian ad Litem or Child Representative. The firm is also deeply experienced in real estate law, including residential, commercial, and industrial. Together, Cooper and Trachtenberg have built a thriving family law practice that is growing every year, and they work very hard to offer the highest quality professional services while remaining in close contact with clients. “Plain and simple, we work for every client like they were a close relative or dear friend of ours,” Trachtenberg says. “We work long hours, and we are focused on our client’s goals.” The law group views family issues as being among the most important legal matters to be resolved, and both attorneys are deeply committed to the professional practice of family law with the greatest concern for the well-being of minor children and conflicted spouses. For more information, visit mcooperlaw.com.

ARIN FIFE, PARTNER JANET BOYLE,

FAMILY LAW SOLUTIONS, P.C.

FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL

Family law can be a complicated journey, and Family Law Solutions makes sure its clients do not make that journey alone. In Janet Boyle, Family Law Solutions Founder and Principal, clients have a partner and advocate who is personally involved, particularly through the significant events of their cases. Boyle’s strength is listening to and truly understanding her clients. Her considerable experience allows her to communicate with a client and tell them what they need to do and need to not do. “Many clients need me to be their strength, and some need me to give them a second perspective,” Boyle says. “Some may just need someone to bounce ideas off of, and some need us to just do it all.” All clients need to be educated and plan for their futures, and that is what Boyle and her colleagues at Family Law Solutions do best. Clients may have different priorities and expectations, but Boyle’s experience and flexibility allow her to find the best outcomes for them. Boyle’s colleague at Family Law Solutions, Arin Fife, ensures her clients have a hand in their own destiny in regard to their divorces while also helping them develop realistic and attainable expectations during the entire process. “My greatest strength is helping my clients with both compassion and strength,” Fife says. “People need to be educated and listened to, and I make it my priority to do both.” Divorce is difficult. People’s needs and priorities are different and like Boyle, Fife believes it is important to listen to her clients to understand what their needs and priorities are. Attorneys are not miracle workers, but Fife and her colleagues work diligently to explain the best and worst possible outcomes to their clients.

For more information, visit familylawsolutionschicago.com.

MARJORIE CAREY JACOBS

ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES, INC.

In 2001, Marjorie Carey Jacobs founded Alternative Strategies, Inc., a boutique practice that specializes in all aspects of divorce mediation. As a former healthcare attorney whose work focused on developing alternative dispute resolution programs for hospitals and health care organizations, she’s now focused on providing alternative divorce options. She has conducted over 2,500 mediation sessions and is a respected mediator, combining her interpersonal skills with a deep knowledge of family law and financial acumen to prompt parties to achieve lasting resolutions. Her greatest strengths are her patience and attention to detail, which allow her to meet the needs of her clients. “I get the best results by being an active listener and understanding the needs of clients and facilitating creative solutions,” Jacobs says. Jacobs was in the 5th Grade when she decided she wanted to be a lawyer, and after working at two large firms and as an in-house corporate counsel, she realized mediation provides better and more efficient results for clients. Her practice includes all aspects of divorce mediation, from pre-decree to post-decree divorce, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, child support and parenting time and responsibilities, alimony, division of assets, college contributions, and relocation. “My proudest professional achievement has been being able to establish one of the first, independent practices more than 20 years ago when very few people practiced or believed in the mediation process,” she says. Jacobs is a graduate of the Washington University School of Law and a member of the Mediation Council of Illinois and the American Bar Association, the Lake County Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association. For more information, visit marjoriejacobs.com.

MEIGHAN HARMON MANAGING

PARTNER

SCHILLER DUCANTO & FLECK LLP

While no two divorces are the same, in Meighan Harmon’s eyes, the key to every successful case lies in looking forward. She firmly believes that dwelling on the past hinders progress and prevents clients from achieving their best results. “There are few opportunities we have as adults to reinvent ourselves and get a fresh start. Divorce provides that opportunity, should you choose to take it,” says Harmon. A versatile attorney, she offers her clients a myriad of options for resolving their disputes and possesses the skills necessary to provide the right solution for each unique situation. Harmon is an experienced litigator who can be fierce in the courtroom, but she is also a trained collaborative lawyer and a family law mediator who can devise creative solutions and amicably settle even the toughest of cases. She focuses on complex family law cases involving the distribution of multi-million-dollar estates and represents successful business professionals and their spouses from a variety of industries, as well as individuals with multi-generational wealth. Harmon is part of an elite group of leaders in family law. Her peers elected her to be President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in 2011. Her impressive reputation as a trailblazer in family law garnered international recognition with Chambers and Partners USA ranking her in the top tier (Band 1) for Family/Matrimonial Law: High Net Worth 2019-2023. Harmon has also been recognized as a Top 50 Women Lawyers in Illinois every year since 2016, and she was recently named a “Lawyer of the Year” in Family Law by Best Lawyers in America

For more information, visit sdflaw.com/team/detail/meighan-harmon/bio.

GREGORY C. MAKSIMUK PARTNER

SCHILLER DUCANTO & FLECK LLP

Gregory C. Maksimuk has devoted his entire 17-year professional career to helping high-net-worth clients involved in complex divorces move their cases efficiently toward resolution and achieve the best possible outcomes. “I believe in strategic, planned, aggressive advocacy, and specialize in the resolution of complex family law and divorce matters, including financial and parenting matters,” he says. Maksimuk skillfully guides—and stands by—his clients throughout the process so they can achieve their goals. He is recognized by Illinois Super Lawyers, Leading Lawyers, and Best Lawyers for his accomplishments in family law. His goal is to provide stability to his clients during the turbulent divorce process. Maksimuk knew he wanted to be a lawyer at an early age, and it wasn’t until he started practicing law that he knew he wanted to work in family law. “From my first family law case, I knew this was something I was destined to do,” he says. Maksimuk has been recognized as a Top Trial Lawyer

Under 40 and by the LawDragon 500 for his litigation skills in the family law arena. He received a J.D. from the John Marshall Law School and a Bachelor of Science degree from Bradley University. Given his prowess as a strategic litigator and involvement in the community, Maksimuk has also held a number of leadership roles throughout his career in various organizations, including CASA, whose work is focused on abused and neglected children. Through his dedicated and impactful volunteer work, he has established a prominent presence within and beyond the confines of the courtroom and legal community, surpassing his competitors.

For more information, visit sdflaw.com/team/detail/gregory-maksimuk/bio.

KATHARINE HATCH

PARTNER

STEINER HOWETH PASQUESI & HATCH

With over 17 years of courtroom experience, Katharine Hatch has honed a unique ability to read the room and most importantly the presiding judge, which is the key to her success as a trial lawyer. Hatch, who obtained her J.D. from the University of Minnesota School of Law, has litigated over 50 trials—ranging from multi-million-dollar high-asset divorce cases to first-degree murder trials. Hatch believes winning in the courtroom is determined not by who is the loudest but by who is listening the best and is the most prepared. The depth and breadth of her trial experience has resulted in an attorney who has “seen everything,” giving her the confidence to aggressively pursue the best results for her clients. Even with the extent of her experience, Hatch firmly believes that “attorneys can never stop learning and should never be afraid to say, ‘I don’t know but I will find out!’” In 2023 Hatch was nominated as the president of the Lake County Bar Association to advocate for the legal profession and promote the rule of law. Katharine believes in advocating for her community and was elected to the Lake Bluff Village Board as a trustee in April of 2023. Hatch listens to clients and communicates with them early and often because she says it is the only way to ensure the best, individualized results. Together with her partners, Hatch is an owner of the all-female family law firm Steiner Howeth Pasquesi & Hatch, Ltd. which utilizes a team approach to representing clients to make certain that every aspect of the case is thoroughly analyzed. It was an internship at the Hennepin County Public Defender’s office that ignited Hatch’s fiery advocacy style. She says, “once I entered the courtroom and started advocating, I was sold on the profession of law. It was literally a perfect fit!”

For more information, visit lakeshorelawyers.com.

KRISTIN M. HOWETH PARTNER

STEINER HOWETH PASQUESI & HATCH

Kristin M. Howeth is a fearless and persistent advocate on behalf of her clients. Focusing her practice on divorce and family Law, Howeth understands the care that must be taken when representing people during some of their toughest times. Howeth prioritizes working closely with her clients to truly understand their goals: developing creative and practical strategies to achieve those goals in a way that best serves the client then and in the future. When settlement is not the best choice for a client, Howeth is an adept litigator, having successfully litigated multi-million-dollar complex financial divorces as well as high-conflict custodial disputes. While Howeth thrives in the litigation sector, she believes that battling it out in court should be the last option and a decision that should be made with great care and understanding. “Being able to analyze all sides of every issue and anticipate allows me to have well-rounded conversations with my clients about possible outcomes and ensure they are making educated decisions about their case,” Howeth says. “I always want my client to be able to say, ‘Kristin told me that was a likely possibility.’”

Along with her partners at Steiner Howeth Pasquesi & Hatch, Ltd., Howeth prides herself on the unique level of care that they work tirelessly to provide their clients. “We have developed a trust and collaboration with one another that allows us to provide a level of service to our clients that is truly unmatched.”

For more information, visit lakeshorelawyers.com.

SONIA E. PASQUESI

PARTNER

STEINER HOWETH PASQUESI & HATCH, LTD.

Sonia E. Pasquesi exudes strength and control when advocating on behalf of her clients in both the courtroom and during negotiations. Pasquesi relies on her deep understanding of the law to strategically navigate through the personal and complicated issues which arise in divorce and family law. Prior to her current firm, Pasquesi worked in foreclosure and bankruptcy law on behalf of major lenders, participating in mediation, administrative, and courtroom proceedings. As a result, she gained significant knowledge in complex financial issues involving the banking and real estate industry which has proved valuable in the context of complex divorce and family law. Pasquesi earned her law degree from the Loyola School of Law and cites her empathy and compassion for clients as keys to her success. “It is very important to me that my clients feel supported not only in my advocacy but in my commitment to their case,” she says. She gets the best results for clients by knowing the facts of the case, paying attention to detail, and analyzing issues from all angles while advising clients. “It is important that my clients understand all of the possible outcomes in their case and can make educated decisions about the positions they take, whether in settlement or in litigation,” she says. Pasquesi started her undergraduate studies thinking she wanted to be a physician, but she took a pre-law class her sophomore year and changed her mind. “I was drawn to the study of law, and specifically the power of advocacy,” Pasquesi says. “I have learned the impact that being an advocate can have on someone’s life.”

For more information, visit lakeshorelawyers.com.

VALERIE I. STEINER PARTNER

STEINER HOWETH PASQUESI & HATCH, LTD.

Valerie I. Steiner prioritizes her client’s needs as the most important component of her representation in her divorce and family law practice. During the complexity and confusion that comes with financial and custodial disputes, Steiner helps her clients understand their options and make decisions in line with their priorities. Steiner then executes her client’s goals with unwavering focus using tools, strategies, and skills catered to the client’s unique situation. In her advocacy, Steiner has the unique ability to break down complex financial and child-related issues, developing cogent and persuasive strategies to achieve success on behalf of her clients. Steiner’s background includes litigating complex financial matters involving closely held businesses and executive compensation, and multi-million dollar estates. She is a frequent speaker at family law conferences on business valuation, litigation, and other financial issues that arise in divorce proceedings. In addition to her extensive experience involving finances, Steiner represents parents and children in high-conflict custodial disputes. She is compassionate about the difficult issues her clients face and guides them through the emotionally challenging process with confidence and strength, and she uses her extensive experience to achieve the desired results. “Attorneys are often eager to speak without a clear understanding of the facts or their audience, whether it is the judge or the opposing attorney,” Steiner says. “It is critical to understand the facts surrounding your client’s circumstances and know the proclivities of your audience in order to develop an effective strategy and advocate.” Steiner Howeth Pasquesi & Hatch, Ltd., succeeds a prior firm co-founded by Steiner in 2012 and was re-introduced in June of this year. “We have developed a unique brand of fierce, collaborative, intelligent, and compassionate advocacy,” Steiner says. “It’s easy for anyone to call themselves unique, but I know we are, and I am extremely proud of the stellar work we do on behalf of our clients whom we genuinely care about.”

For more information, visit lakeshorelawyers.com.

JENNIFER J. HOWE, MANAGING PARTNER DAVID M. LUTREY, PARTNER KATHRYN G. SHORES, PARTNER

LESSER LUTREY PASQUESI & HOWE LLP

Estate planning is remarkably complex, and the attorneys at the Lake Forest firm Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe (LLPH) make the process easy for their clients to understand. They are deeply experienced in estate planning and litigation, and help clients shape their legacies by creating efficient, practical plans for their futures. The plans consider family dynamics, circumstances, and individual needs. Jennifer J. Howe, Managing Partner at the firm, concentrates her practice in trust and estate litigation, controversy

Jennifer J. Howe, Kathryn G. Shores

resolution, guardianships, and estate administration and planning. Howe is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and earned her J.D. from the University of Detroit School of Law, and she says the key to getting good outcomes for clients is a keen attention to detail and a laser focus on preparation. “I realized I wanted to be an attorney because I have always loved problem solving and helping people, and this is a profession that lets me accomplish both,” says Howe. David M. Lutrey, a partner at LLPH, has been with the firm for 25 years, counseling individuals and corporations in the areas of trust and estate planning, administration, and litigation, including probate and guardianships. Lutrey who earned his J.D. from the DePaul University School of Law and holds an MBA from the school’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and participated in the drafting of a variety of Illinois statutes relating to trusts. Using his breadth of expertise, Lutrey also represents financial institutions with regard to the creation and implementation of trust and estate policy manuals, risk management strategies, and employee training. He served as a professor at Loyola Law School in Chicago and is a frequent speaker for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education and Chicago Estate Planning Council. Kathryn G. Shores, also a partner at LLPH, focuses her practice on estate and trust administration and litigation, including a concentration in guardianship administration and litigation. Shores, who earned her undergraduate degree from Stetson University and her law degree from the university’s College of Law, is a National Certified Guardian with the Center for Guardianship Certification and a member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys and a number of other law associations. Shores is particularly adept at analyzing all sides of an issue. “I have a tendency to play devil’s advocate which can be a little annoying for my family and friends but as an attorney I think it’s an asset and helps me anticipate and get in front of issues,” Shores says. Shores is a leader in the field of guardianship law in Lake County and the surrounding region. Early on in her career Shores recognized that she wanted to help families navigate the guardianship process for those families with loved ones with disabilities. Howe, Lutrey, and Shores represent the broad and deep experience Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe attorneys have to offer to its trust and estate clients. For more information, visit llphlegal.com

JEFFREY P. O’KELLEY, PARTNER FREDRIC BRYAN LESSER, PARTNER

LESSER LUTREY PASQUESI & HOWE

Fredric Bryan Lesser has been in private law practice for 43 years as both a litigator and estate planner, representing individuals and families, and counseling owners and principals of privately held businesses. As a partner in Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe, a top trust and estate firm in Lake Forest that helps clients understand the complex laws of trust and estate planning, Lesser has developed a proficiency for drafting effective and efficient trust documents. “Trying lawsuits involving trusts and estates makes us better at drafting estate planning documents, and drafting the documents helps us to explain these documents in court,” he says. Lesser, who received his J.D. from the University of Michigan and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois, says he believes estate planning should be practical and cost-efficient. “When we are working with a client to create a plan, we encourage them to develop a simple plan yet flexible enough to allow for unexpected developments. People need individual plans that suit their lives and legacies,” Lesser says. Jeffrey P. O’Kelley, LLPH partner, former lead chair of the Lake County Bar Association Trusts and Estates Committee, and current President of the Lake County Estate Planning Council, focuses his practice in estate and trust litigation such as will and trust contests, and claims for the financial exploitation of the elderly and disabled, will and trust construction cases, complex fiduciary litigation, and contested guardianship proceedings. O’Kelley, who has written for the Illinois Bar Journal, the Illinois State Bar Association Trusts and Estates Newsletter, and the Lake County Bar Association Docket, also has extensive appellate litigation experience. O’Kelley graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, and has been licensed to practice in the state of Illinois since 2009. Lesser, O’Kelley, and their fellow attorneys at Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe understand that when they partner with clients to help them shape an estate plan, that plan will be their legacy. For more information, visit llphlegal.com.

JENNIFER S. TIER, PARTNER JOY M. FEINBERG, PARTNER

DAVIS FRIEDMAN, LLP

Davis Friedman, a leading family law firm established in 1946, is exclusively focused on all aspects of family law in Illinois. Thoughtful, thorough, and tough, the Davis Friedman team pursues effective solutions through clear communication and mutual respect. Partner Joy M. Feinberg is a fierce and focused advocate for individuals of wealth who are contemplating or in the midst of divorce. Feinberg recognizes the struggle her clients experience prior to initiating and throughout the divorce process. She forms close bonds with her clients in order to understand and empower them, developing winning strategies to achieve her clients’ goals. Jennifer S. Tier, also a partner in Davis Friedman, has a passion for family and matrimonial law to which she has dedicated her entire career. Tier is a highly skilled litigator and negotiator with a reputation for diligence and attention to details. “My greatest strength is being able to ‘triage’ a case. I like to look at a case globally so that I can come up with a strategy that meets my client’s goals and strengthens their arguments,” Tier says. “It helps to know where you are going with a case overall so that you can pick and choose the best arguments.” Feinberg strategizes and plans for her clients so they can move forward for both the short and long-term. Her 40-plus years of experience and her knowledge and wisdom is most beneficial to her clients. “Successfully completing each case with the best possible results for each individual client is most important to me,” Feinberg says. “I’m also very proud of my support for younger lawyers as they rise and shine.”

For more information, visit davisfriedman.com.

MICHAEL J. LEVY PARTNER BEERMANN LLP

Michael J. Levy has been working exclusively in the field of family law since being licensed and possesses a keen ability to creatively translate his clients’ desires into a successful result through his tenacity and knowledge of the law. He counsels clients on the dissolution of marriage, legal separation, parenting issues, child support, spousal maintenance, parental alienation, and domestic violence. Levy, a New Trier class of 2008 alum, has been recognized as a member of the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys Top 10 Under 40 and has been a Super Lawyers Illinois Rising Star honoree from 2020-2023. “Looking at the big picture and knowing how to prioritize clients’ goals is how I maximize positive results,” Levy says. He jokes that he was born into family law since his father is a prominent family law practitioner. “However, when I decided that law school was the path for me, I knew I wanted to work in a profession that helped people solve their most intimate and difficult problems,” he says. “Family law was a perfect opportunity to do just that.” Levy received his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School and his passion for family law was also sparked when he served as an extern for the Honorable Grace Dickler, Presiding Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Domestic Relations Division. “It was then I began to fully appreciate and understand the positive impact that a dedicated family law attorney can have on divorcing parents and their children,” Levy says. For more information, visit beermannlaw.com.

BETH F. MCCORMACK

EQUITY PARTNER BEERMANN LLP

Great family law attorneys recognize the importance of listening and being patient with clients as they tell their stories, especially when clients are going through the difficult process of divorce. From the first meeting with a client through to their case being resolved, Beth McCormack, one of the top family law attorneys in Illinois, takes the time to listen to her clients, learn about their goals, and manage their expectations. “I’m in constant communication with my clients and am always accessible,” McCormack says. “This helps them feel heard and eases their angst in an unimaginably stressful time in their life.” McCormack is a fighter and knew at a young age she wanted to be a lawyer, and her tenacity and hard work have made her the successful attorney she is today. She has experience in complex litigation, mediation, and Collaborative Law, and has won numerous awards, including Leading Lawyer and Best Lawyer as well as the peer-nominated Top 50 Women Super Lawyer and Top 100 Super Lawyer. A decade ago, McCormack became the first woman Equity Partner at the firm, which was founded in 1958 by Highland Park resident Miles Beermann. McCormack says her creativity in helping clients choose which path to divorce sets her apart from her colleagues. “Fighting in court is an option, but not the only one,” she says. “Resolving cases outside of court allows clients to have control over their outcome, privacy, and is often a more cost-effective option.” For more information, visit beermannlaw.com/team/beth-f-mccormack.

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PRERNA PATEL PASULKA

PARTNER BEERMANN LLP

Prerna Patel Pasulka brings a diverse set of skills to her practice of family law and uses her abilities and knowledge to get the best results for her clients. It’s her people skills that stand out, and she truly enjoys the journey alongside her clients, from the first meeting to the final settlement. “When people reach out to me, it means that they’re going through a bad time in their lives, and I have the privilege of navigating this process with them,” Pasulka says.

“It’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of a case, but I never allow myself to forget that my job is all about walking my clients through the legal process and ensuring that they come out on the other side as well off and as whole as they can be.” Pasulka’s approach to her cases is to be as thoughtful and methodical as possible while she navigates the specifics of each case. Each case has a number of variables that she needs to take into consideration before she makes a move: the presiding judge, opposing counsel, the facts of the case, and her client’s wants and needs. Pasulka never intended to be a family law attorney but was offered a job in a family law firm and realized that she had a talent for managing the demands of clients with the demands of the law.

“While I was working at that firm and learning the ins-and-outs of family law, it became clear to me that I was a good fit for this line of work,” she says. For more information, visit beermannlaw.com/team/prerna-p-pasulka.

KAITLIN M. POST, PARTNER MICHAEL D. SEVIN, PARTNER

BEERMANN LLP

Kaitlin M. Post and Michael D. Sevin are partners with Beermann LLP, an award-winning divorce and family law firm serving the Chicago region for 65 years. Post and Sevin hold deep experience and knowledge, each having exclusively practiced family law. With over 40 lawyers, Beermann tailors its legal teams based on a client’s individual needs, ranging from contentious litigation to the collaborative process. Post handles all aspects of dissolution of marriage and parentage proceedings, and focuses much of her practice on prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. “Prenups often have a negative connotation, but I find the process gives couples control in a way the court system would not,” Post says. “You have the same ability to expand upon a spouse’s rights as you do to limit them, and it is key to find counsel that can offer creative solutions to meet both parties’ needs.” Post has strong ties to both Cook and Lake counties, having grown up in Wilmette and now living with her husband and two children in Lake Forest. Sevin was also raised in the Northern Suburbs, and he and Post have been close friends and collaborators since early in their careers. Sevin concentrates his practice exclusively in the area of family law, representing parties in the litigation and resolution of sophisticated matrimonial and family-related matters. He counsels clients on a wide range of divorce-related issues including custody disputes, analysis of complex financial matters, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, and the disposition of marital and non-marital assets. “It is important to remain levelheaded and pragmatic, as cases that appear to be straightforward may quickly become complex, especially when children, businesses, and estates are involved,” Sevin says. Sevin’s peers and colleagues have recognized him as a leading advocate for his clients, including being named one of Illinois’ “40 Under 40 Attorneys to Watch” by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company in 2019.

For more information, visit beermannlaw.com.

KAREN PINKERTLIEB

SENIOR PARTNER SCHILLER DUCANTO & FLECK LLP

Karen Pinkert-Lieb’s results as a family law attorney have led to extensive recognition, including being named Family Law Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America as well as the No. 1 Female Divorce Attorney by Leading Lawyers. “I am a strategist and I plan three steps ahead,” Pinkert-Lieb says. “My financial experience and background in psychology give me an advantage in arriving at creative solutions that my competitors may overlook,” she says. Pinkert-Lieb was the first woman to be elected to serve on her firm’s Executive Committee, a role she continues to enjoy. Dedicated to empowering her clients, Pinkert-Lieb has earned a reputation as a tenacious and empathetic advocate. She is consistently named as a Top 10 Family Law Attorney in Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys. Pinkert-Lieb’s experience has led to a deep understanding of the problems faced by professional women who are going through divorce. In a society where gender roles are evolving and women are increasingly the primary breadwinners in the family, divorce proceedings can present unique challenges for professional women. Pinkert-Lieb has spent the last 30 years representing professional women and understands the hurdles that they often face in the legal system. “One of the most common obstacles faced by professional women during a divorce is the challenge to their role as the primary caretaker of their children,” she says. “These women often find themselves having to defend their choices, availability, and ability to provide a consistent and stable environment for their children.” Pinkert-Lieb is committed to dismantling the biases that exist against women who have elected, by necessity or otherwise, to have a career outside of the home.

For more information, sdflaw.com/team/detail/karen-pinkert-lieb/bio.

TANYA STANISH

SENIOR PARTNER

SCHILLER DUCANTO & FLECK LLP

Tanya Stanish describes her profession as a family crisis manager, otherwise known as a divorce lawyer. Practicing more than 25 years, she has become a highly experienced negotiator and formidable litigator who represents a wide array of clients, from high-profile executives and Chicago’s talented athletes and music artists to spouses with generational wealth and stay-at-home parents. Her work includes every aspect of complex and high-net-worth family law, including executive compensation plans, trusts and businesses interests, and high-conflict child custody and parenting issues. Stanish’s combination of litigation and settlement expertise is rare among family law attorneys. When settlement fails, she has the skills and ability to handle complex cases in the courtroom that many lawyers find difficult to present. She’s also taken over many cases from other divorce attorneys who prefer not to litigate against a contentious spouse or aggressive opposing counsel. “I am often sought out to represent a client who has a difficult spouse or a litigious attorney on the other side and sometimes you have to fight fire with fire,” Stanish says. “While my litigation skills are preeminent, I successfully negotiate most of my cases to resolution to the client’s satisfaction. Only a handful of cases need the courtroom.” Her strong integrity helps a client get to a resolution by way of facts and law. Stanish appreciates the many “best lawyers” awards she has received for her work as an attorney, but what’s most important to her are the letters and notes of appreciation from clients for the work she’s done for them. “They really touch me because I know that I have made a positive difference in someone’s life and have gotten them through one of their toughest times,” Stanish says. For more information, visit sdflaw.com/team/detail/tanya-stanish/bio.

MORGAN L. STOGSDILL

HEAD OF FAMILY LAW GROUP BEERMANN LLP

As an owner and Equity Partner at Beermann LLP, Morgan L. Stogsdill’s practice is focused on complex family law matters and counseling highprofile clients that require the utmost attention and confidentiality. She has built a reputation on a strategy that seeks to calm tensions, which translates to better family dynamics and less stress in the process. “Family comes first and it’s up to me to provide impeccable service and strategy to get my clients what they need,” says Stogsdill, who offers concierge and confidential divorce services for the client at all times. Her focus is divorce and family law, including premarital agreements, but one thing that sets her apart is a level of compassion. “After trying jury trials for a few years, I wanted a more personal relationship with my clients where I could actually help the family,” she says. “I pride myself on listening with curiosity, speaking with honesty, and acting with integrity.” Seeing that the divorce practice in the past was tearing families apart, Stogsdill works tirelessly with her colleagues at other firms to make the divorce practice better. “Instead of tearing families apart, we work to redefine them,” adds Stogsdill, who has been featured in The New York Times and on various news outlets related to her work in family law. In addition to her long list of distinctions, she was named as one of The Top 10 Women Lawyers in Chicago by Emerging Lawyers in 2020 and one of the Most Influential Women Lawyers in Chicago by Crain’s Chicago Business. Stogsdill also hosts one of the top-rated divorce podcasts on Apple Podcasts, How Not to Suck at Divorce.

For more information, visit beermannlaw.com/team/morgan-l-stogsdill or follow @divorceattorneychicago on Instagram.

SHANA VITEK

EQUITY PARTNER BEERMANN LLP

Shana Vitek is an Equity Partner at Beermann LLP, the largest family law firm in Illinois. For the past 20 years, she has practiced divorce and family law exclusively. She handles a wide range of cases, including divorces for business owners, high-profile and high-net-worth clients. Vitek’s ability to handle any type of case has allowed her to become one of only a handful of attorneys in Illinois to be Board Certified in Family Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and serves on the Board of Governors for the Illinois Chapter. “Every family is different, so each case that we handle needs an individualized approach,” she says. “I enjoy going to court and arguing my client’s position, but that typically isn’t a client’s first choice.” In addition to being a litigator, Vitek is also a trained mediator, arbitrator, and collaborative attorney. If a case can be handled using a cooperative approach, that is her preferred process as it allows the parties to decide what is best for their family and maintain confidentiality, keeping personal matters out of the public record. Vitek believes it is important to give back to the community. She is Chair of the Beermann LLP Family Law Clinic. In partnership with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, this first of its kind family law clinic provides pro bono legal services to individuals going through domestic relations proceedings who could not otherwise afford legal representation. “We feel strongly about giving back to the community, and given the size of our firm, we are in a unique position to make a big difference for clients who would otherwise go unrepresented in family law matters,” says Vitek. For more information, visit beermannlaw.com/team/shana-l-vitek.

BRETT WILLIAMSON

THE STOGSDILL LAW FIRM, P.C.

Brett Williamson is a highly accomplished attorney with a passion for advocating for justice and championing the rights of his clients. A product of a divorced family and upbringing, Williamson developed a deep understanding of the challenges with divorce and remains motivated by a desire to make cases easier on children and the parties. In an effort to resolve cases amicably, he strives to keep people out of court, but also understands some cases cannot be resolved amicably requiring a skilled trial lawyer to complete the case. Williamson successfully represents high-net-worth individuals in a variety of dissolution matters and is known for his meticulous case preparation, leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of justice. Not only a skilled negotiator, but a formidable litigator, Williamson is a dedicated and tireless attorney whose work ethic has earned him the respect of his clients and peers. Beyond professional achievements, Williamson is deeply committed to giving back to the community. He volunteers his time as a coach as well as expertise to various legal aid organizations, including providing pro bono services. He believes in the power of the law to effect positive change and strives to make a difference in the lives of others through his legal practice.

For more information, visit stogsdilllaw.com.

STEVEN WORTH

INDEPENDENT ADVISOR

Steven Worth, an accomplished lawyer, executive, volunteer, and athlete, is an advisor to technology companies, nonprofits, and foundations. After attending Cornell, he went on to earn his J.D. and MBA degrees from the University of Wisconsin. Like his academic achievements, his professional career has been both varied and deep. Starting out in finance and tax, Worth went on to Winston & Strawn where he represented clients across a broad range of commercial matters before he transitioned to the corporate world as a three-time General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer. His strong finance and operational skills also led to serving as a public company Interim CEO and as Interim CFO. “Legal and regulatory issues constantly surround organizations,” says Worth, and he finds it “vital to connect those legal issues with business strategies and goals. There are amazing things happening right now at the intersection of privacy, technology, public policy, and law for example.” Having worked in cybersecurity and as an operational executive, Worth aims for value-added insight that is practical, risk-adjusted, and takes into account the organization’s mission. While he has more than 25 years of experience in the for-profit sector, including running a public company, Worth has also worked nearly that long with nonprofits. He has been a volunteer, an advisor, an officer, and a fundraiser for a variety of organizations with a particular emphasis on health/wellness, veterans’ causes, and the environment. He continues to bring his unique and broad experience base to firms where he shares a passion for their mission. For more information, email Steven at srworthesq@comcast.net.

LIVING & GIVING

OPENING NIGHT PARTY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN MCLEOD, TONY SOLURI, AND RYAN MCDONALD

The Lake Forest Chapter of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago hosted the opening night party to preview the 2023 Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens. More than 650 guests gathered to be the first to see the transformed estate and celebrate the work of more than 40 top interior designers and landscapers. The evening featured lavish food stations with cuisine generously donated by jdR Companies’ Chef John des Rosiers. It also marked the debut of Cambio Tequila founded by des Rosiers. Both blanco and reposado styles were enjoyed in palomas and margaritas from a dedicated Cambio Tequila bar. lakeforestshowhouse.com

Ryan and June Duncan

Meghan Doka, Kristin Schemer, Anna Breitner

Wendy Franzen, Cynthia McCullough, Stephanie Klein, Laura Duggan

Kathy Allen, Jennifer Durburg, Sondra Douglass

Cathy and Phil Rosborough

LIVING & GIVING

Melissa Trandel, Dustin O’Regan, Martha Nippert

Doug and Jean Sullivan, Patti and John Poth

Jen Buettner, Jenny Mulliken

Martha Everly and Wesley Ingold

Mike Stornello, Tom Konopiots, Nathan Tucker

Kiki Smith, Chrissy Davis

Sheila Graham, Anne Faherty

LIVING & GIV ING

ALL 3, ALL FOR YOU

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN MCLEOD

Style maven Peyton Merrill launched Winnetka’s Bunny & Babe in the winter of 2020. Bunny Mellon and Babe Paley, two fashion icons and “It” girls, have inspired Peyton’s carefully curated collection of women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, accessories, and home. The shop has enjoyed such success that Merrill recently expanded its footprint. Guests were invited to celebrate the grand opening at the “All 3, All for You” event. Bubbles and bites were served as shoppers perused the boutique’s beautiful offerings. bunnyandbabe.com

Celia Sinclair, Maggie Hammond

Brittney and Kevin Magner

Jackie Magner, Annie Magner

Laura Kepes, Carolynne Weisenthal

Fiona Tragos, Karen Tragos, Olivia Tragos

Peyton and Topher Merrill

Britt Callahan, Alexis Ross, Tiffany Erickson, Anne Reilly

The Witkowski Family

Bruce Mygatt, Stephanie Wilkins, Meg Aherns, Craig Notari

Scott Hasley, Josh Newsome, Topher Merrill, Joe Shenton

Jen Hasley, Jordan Shackelford, Marie Tillman Shenton

LIVING & GIVING

SUMMER BALL

Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago Woman’s Board hosted the 74th Annual Summer Ball at the Theater on the Lake with more than 300 guests in attendance and raised more than $1.6 million. These funds will directly benefit the nearly 20,000 youth aged five to 18 at all BGCC Club locations, where kids can have a safe place with nurturing staff and countless beneficial programs. As the city’s oldest black-tie gala, the Summer Ball has been a beacon of elegance and charitable giving since 1952. bgcc.org

Cathy and Michael Busch Yizrakhyah, Junior Youth of the Year

Tom Smithburg and Colette Cachey Smithburg, Cece and Thomas S. Ricketts

Linda and Bill Gantz Boys & Girls Club youth leaders

Chris Olson, Mimi and Bob Murley, Mimi LeClair, Michael Crowley, Charlene Huang Olson

Michael Crowley, Mimi LeClair

Chuck Gowdie, Mary Jo Kwasigroch

Co-chairs Jacky Ferro, Cece Ricketts

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN SUBAR

WINNETKA HOME TOUR

The Winnetka Community House Woman’s Board hosted a Home Tour showcasing exquisite houses in Winnetka, Glencoe, and Wilmette with a variety of architectural styles along with a catered luncheon. All proceeds benefitted the Community House. mycommunityhouse.org/home-tour SHERIDAN ROAD

Anahita Hajjar, Sara Leakey

Stephanie Collins, Molly Aquilino Kelly Smith, Rene Holzman Rada Burdeen

Carmel Cowan, Laurie Bauer

Carey Elder, Annie Elder

Jenny Katzman, Daley Spiegal, Kristen Cross, Allison Murphy, Emily LeVert

Liz Cushman, Lori Nielsen, Monika Cheney

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN MCLEOD

Nicole Roberts, Diana Moustoukas, Alicia Segal, Mary Ryadi

Josh Mescall, Pam Maher, Gary Beyerl

Julie McCauley, PK Wilson, Kate Kligora

LIVING & GIVING

ART OF CARING

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE KELLY

The Women’s Board of Catholic Charities, Lake County, with Honorary Chairs Ron and Barb Kelner, hosted the 31st Art of Caring at Exmoor Country Club. More than 200 guests attended, raising $500,000 for critical programs. Buffy Rock was posthumously recognized with the Irene Leahy McMahon Award for exemplary volunteerism; the award was accepted by her husband, Dr. Rick Rock, and her daughters Madeline, Margee, and Kathleen. catholiccharities.net

Katherine and Chris Reynolds Ellie Costello, Karina Kedo, Reverend Wayne Watts, Mary Margaret Watts, Emily Renwick

Event chairs Joanie Reynolds, Natalie Reinkemeyer, Jane Hinton-Kedo

Evelyn Stamelos, Dan and Monica Barrie

Madeline Rock, Dr. Rick Rock, Margee Rock, Kathleen Rock

Jake Hansen, Margeaux Adam

Ann and Tim Finnegan

Perry Georgeopolis, Susan Lovell

Jeannie Moy and Dr. Len Valentino

Honorary Chairs Ron and Barb Kelner

HYDE PARK DAY SCHOOL GALA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN MCLEOD

Hyde Park Day School celebrated its annual gala at Bryn Mawr Country Club with a festive event co-chaired by Jo Aaron, Aimée Davis, and Kari Darmstadter. Guests of the event, The Stars Are Out At HPDS, enjoyed cocktails, dinner, and a silent and live auction and raised more than $200,000. Funds raised will support the Bright Futures Scholarship Fund. hydeparkday.org

The Adelman Family

Jo and Brad Aaron

David and Adina Adelman

Aimée and Marcus Davis

Karen Hershberger, Jen Deutch, Kim Frezados, Claudia Rozenberg

Michael and Megan Scully, Vicky and Adam Hartstein

Janet Hoffman, Adam Steinback, Amy Troob

Dr. Casey Crnich, Dr. Pamela and Steve Adelman

LIVING & GIVING LITERARY LUNCHEON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN SUBAR

Cindy Bardes Galvin, the celebrated interior designer and owner of Maze Home, and her guests gathered at Le Colonial Lake Forest for a literary luncheon. The event presented a panel discussion of two books—Deborah Goodrich Royce’s Reef Road and Architecture & Design Palm Beach featuring Bardes Galvin’s design work. Panel host Alison McNally led the discussion while guests dined on Le Colonial’s French Vietnamese dishes in a private event space adorned with floral arrangements designed by Nancy Chase. The afternoon was a treat for all. mazehome.com

Deborah Goodrich Royce, Cindy Bardes Galvin

Carolyn Rocchio, Tiffany Erickson

Megan Wilson, Jen Hasley

Lee Thinnes, Susan Canmann, Shelley Johnstone

Bobbie Vender, Deborah Goodrich Royce

Alison McNally

Brittney Magner, Jen Hasley, Chrissy Taylor

Cindy Bardes Galvin

Flowers by Nancy Chase

Melissa McNally, Susan Merlin, Jen McKinney

Jordan Shackelford, Jaime Christopher, Carrie Wilson

Molly Weinlander, Jenn Phillips, Jenny Morehead

LIVING & GIVING

WORDPLAY GALA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE MAZZA-BRAVE LUX

Writers Theatre hosted its annual WordPlay Gala at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. The Grand Ballroom brimmed with energy as local Chicago artists created and delivered an exceptional performance, followed by a spirited live auction. The event hosted a remarkable milestone with a record number of corporate tables and welcomed more than 200 dedicated supporters. Their generous contributions will uphold Writers Theatre’s unwavering commitment to artistic excellence and support innovative educational programming at CPS schools and the North Shore community. The evening paid tribute to two longterm advocates of the organization, Thomas Hodges and Christopher N. Knight, as recipients of the 2023 “Spirit of Writers Theatre Award.” writerstheatre.org/gala

Craig and Linda Umans

Artists Dana Saleh, Alexis J. Roston, Parker Guidry, Matt Mueller, Matt Edmonds, Bridget Adams-King, Harper Caruso

Nyenemo and Sabuli Sanguma, Veronica Perez

Blake Hodges, Abigail Walsh, Gail Hodges, Tom Hodges, Lydia Cannady, Elizabeth McQuade

Gala co-chairs Nicole Elipas Doherty, Sonia Smith-Evans

Ebba and Euler Bropleh

Christopher Knight, Jr., Emily Knight

Executive Director Kathryn Lipuma and Artistic Director Braden Abraham

LYRIC WINE AUCTION

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACLYN SIMPSON, DARYL WILKERSON, DIANE M. SMUTNY

Many of Chicago’s most generous philanthropists attended Wine Auction 2023, which is presented by the Women’s Board of Lyric Opera of Chicago. Dedicated to supporting the art form of grand opera and Lyric’s learning and creative engagement programs, the auction returned to Lyric’s Ken Pigott Stage after a five-year hiatus and was tremendously enjoyed by all. Led by co-chairs Nancy S. Searle and Erica L. Sandner and vice-chairs Suzanne W. Mulshine and Eileen Austin Murphy, the auction attracted enthusiastic participation from all corners of the stage. The evening opened with remarks from the event’s honored guest, distinguished winemaker Laurent Drouhin of Maison Joseph Drouhin. The renowned Burgundy winery, which spans four generations and 142 years, donated numerous lots for the occasion. Guests enjoyed a selection of fine wines from the winery with a dinner presented by J&L Catering. lyricopera.org

Suzette Bulley, Eileen and Chris Murphy, Paul Chevalier

Sheila and David Ormesher

Michael Davis, Auctioneer in Action with Lot 5 Display

JoAnn Gilbert-Holmes

J. Douglas Gray, Marion Cameron-Gray

Nancy S. Searle, Nancy S. Santi, Erica L. Sandner

Ann Ziff

Sylvia Neil, Amy Carbone

Doug Cohen, Lori Komisar, Morris Silverman

Amelia and Alejandro Silva

Suzette Bulley, Lucy Bulley, Allan Bulley III

Matthew Ozawar, Penelope Steiner

Margarita Chavez-Tatro and Mark Tatro

& GIVING

RUSH SPRING LUNCHEON

The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center hosted its 28th Annual Spring Luncheon at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago featuring keynote speaker Geena Davis, a two-time Academy Award-winning actor, author, and founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Funds raised at the Spring Luncheon will benefit RUSH’s next investment campaign, the goal of which is to make concentrated investments in the areas that are most likely to improve the health of the region. Before the seating, guests were treated to a display of jewelry from Hindman. Winnetka’s Book Stall offered copies of Geena Davis’ new book Dying of Politeness for sale, donating 20 percent of sales back to the Woman’s Board. thewomansboard.org

Lindsay Garrison, Dena Pavlopoulos, Nora Larkin

Mary Womsley, Nicole Ochsenhirt

Liz Hayes, Kelly Sadler, Tracey Uruba

Geena Davis

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN SUBAR

Jenny Walsh, Mary Freeburg, Kelly Heneghan

Abigayil Joseph, Amanda Alpert Knight

Anne Loucks, Suzanne Kipp

Kelsey Lawrie, Margaret Nelson

LIVING & GIVING

Jenny Damon, Claire Holland, Diana Keen

Sarah Lyons, Roni Neumann, Adrienne Weisenberger, Kathryn Mangel, Libby Graham

Kristen Koepfgen, Suzanne Nelson Kim Urban, Cammy Hines

Lindsay Everest, Margaret Bode, Sarah Vaile, Carolyn Withey

Marianne Nielsen, Sonja Smith

Sharon Hayes, Steffie Madigan

Jacqui Singer, Jill Muldoon, Cindy Mancillas, Barbara Ahlering

Julie Unruh, Geena Davis

LIVING & GIVING

GLENCOE UNDER THE STARS

Under the stars of a beautiful evening at Northmoor Country Club in Highland Park, friends of Family Service of Glencoe (FSG) gathered to raise awareness of and funds for the organization at its largest fundraiser of the year. After the last paddle was raised and the last auction items claimed, more than $243,000 was raised in support of FSG’s mission to build a stronger community. Proceeds go directly toward ensuring that everyone in Glencoe and neighboring communities has access to affordable mental health care and social services, regardless of ability to pay. familyserviceofglencoe.org

Sarah and Howard Abrams

Brenda Robles, Lauren and Ben Kase, Andres Ordonez

Dave Barta and guests

Megan Donahue accepting the golden ticket on behalf of Jud Price

Lindsay and Phil Kiraly

Jennifer and Mark Gershon

Dave Barta, President of the Board of Directors for FSG

Scott and Karen Kremeier

Jennifer and Michael Wirth

PHOTOGRAPHY BY INDRE CANTERO

LIVING & GIVING

NUSH GALA KICK-OFF

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN MCLEOD

The North Shore Board of the Northwestern Settlement hosted its 2023 Gala Kick-Off Luncheon at Skokie Country Club. The North Shore Board supports the Northwestern Settlement’s mission to disrupt generational poverty by raising funds for the award-winning House In The Wood Camp, which provides both a residential summer camp experience in Lake Delavan, Wisconsin as well as a yearround outdoor education program for at-risk youth. Save the date for the North Shore Board’s House In The Wood Gala on November 4 at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago. northwesternsettlement.org

Jackie Blackett, Lisa Sligh

Kelly Laszlo, Julie Magnani

Amy O’Donnell, Carol Golder, Carole Wood

Becca Goering, Gina Gooden, Lauer Bâby

Kelly Laszlo, Anna Wiśniewski, Lindsay Anderson, Jessica Newell, Alyssa Quinn

Melanie Panchal, Jessica Montgomery

Katie Taylor

Kelly Laszlo, Julie Magnani, Laura Senner

Carol and David Golder

Susan Hollander, Amanda Sasse, Patty O’Connell, Sarah Sims, Heather Pfeffer

SHARE OUR SPARE

Share Our Spare (SOS) hosted its annual gala at RPM in Chicago. Guests enjoyed cocktails, a seated dinner, live and silent auction, and a paddle raise. SOS’s largest fundraiser of the year raised more than $400,000 enabling the organization to equip every Chicago area child, from birth to age 5, for a strong start by ensuring they have the essential items they need to support their health and development. shareourspare.org

Nadine Ott, Tamara Cobbst

Lisa Demet, Laura Lee McAllister, Melissa Ford

Lauren Urban, Allison Perlman, Amy Kadens

Daniella Schwartz, Alexis Bednyak, Kitty Brandtner

Keren Weiss, Dina Tognarelli, Jennifer Kim, Margot Paisley

Lindsay Swift, Alexis Bednyak

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN MCLEOD

Julie Jacobson, Jamie Romick, Betsy Rubenstein, Joelle Bilow, Stefanie Hest, Jessica Turf

Erin Ankin, Elizabeth Mollen, Emily Slovitt

Madeline Bouche, Jill Lubetsky, Emily Potter, Lauren Buddig, Alyse Shapiro

LIVING & GIVING

MUSIC INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO GALA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KYLE FLUBACKER

The Music Institute of Chicago welcomed 270 guests to its Annual Gala Benefit, which honored inspiring, trailblazing women in classical music and raised more than $1 million. Highlights of the evening included the presentation of the Dushkin Award to Marin Alsop, the Cultural Visionary Award for Chicago to Karen Gray-Krehbiel and John Krehbiel Jr., and the Colburn Award for Teaching Excellence to Barbara Ann Martin. With the support of Patron of the Arts Benefactors John D. Nichols and Chair Emerita Alexandra C. Nichols and Honorary Chairs Nancy and Scott Santi, the gala was led by co-chairs Carlos Cárdenas, Dan and Yoo Mi Hahn, and Barbara Speer. Proceeds from the gala provide the single largest source of funds for financial aid and scholarships, tuition-free community engagement and school programming, and neighborhood-based service activities. musicinst.org

Alexandra C. Nichols, Karen Gray-Krehbiel, Mark George

MIC voice students Jaiden Hsu, Evie Hsu

Renée Parquette, Barbara Ann Martin

Music Institute Academy pianist Anna Knight

Mark George, Marin Alsop

Ethan Zheng, Zachary Guo, Marta Aznavoorian, Noah Kim, Anna Knight

ROAD

Scott and Nancy Santi, Marin Alsop, Alexandra C. Nichols, Karen Gray-Krehbiel, Fran Edwardson

Anne Kaplan, Mark George, Elizabeth Calihan

Carlos R. Cárdenas, Marin Alsop, Barbara Speer, Dan Hahn

Claudia Chocano, Gilat Zamost, Deb Wineman, Nicole Putzel, Judy Golson

Music Institute Academy violinist Sameer Agrawal

WILLOW HOUSE 25TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN MCLEOD

Willow House, the only nonprofit organization in Illinois dedicated to providing free supportive grief services for children, families, schools, and other communities, celebrated 25 years of service to the greater Chicagoland community. The festive gala at Winnetka’s Community House raised $133,000 to support its mission. The evening treated nearly 200 supporters to a fun throwback to the ‘90s, with music from the era, dancing, signature cocktails, and retro fare. As many guests dressed in their favorite fashions from the decade, the photo booth with playful props was a hit. A live auction, paddle raise, and raffle were also featured. willowhouse.org

AJ and Tracy Coleman, Roz and Ken Fox

Amanda and Brian Delaney

Mo French, Ellie Ander

Chad and Jill Coe

Bob and Rosa Broseman

Carrie McCormick, Jill Kutilek

Gary and Mary Beth Balas

Kim Melancon, Heather and Jim Pigott, Tracey and Mark Lowry

Ellie Ander, Keya Peterson

David and Jenny Schultz

A HOUSE IN THE SKY

Sonia Jager and her family feel perfectly at home in the luxurious Tribune Towers Residences on Michigan Avenue.

WORDS BY MITCH HURST

Sonia Jager and her family have lived in numerous neighborhoods throughout Chicago and even spent six years living in Hinsdale, but it was her fourth move in the Chicago area where she found a place for her and her husband and two children to truly call home.

Jager’s somewhat winding journey to her home at the sumptuous new Tribune Tower Residences was driven both by doing what was best for her children and fulfilling a desire to be close to the culture one can find just steps away from Michigan Avenue.

“We were often visiting Michigan Avenue and the Gold Coast because we love museums, going out to eat, and the energy of the city,” Jager says. “We had heard about Tribune Tower Residences and the minute we walked in we fell in love.”

The units feel more like a real home, rather than your typical big-city high-rise, which can be impersonal. With two growing kids, the space Tribune Tower Residences offer—their unit is approximately 4,000 square feet—provides the kids with room to roam. Jager, who grew up in North Carolina and has lived in New York and Dallas, says living in Tribune Tower is the happiest she’s been since she moved to Chicago.

“It feels like you’re living in a hotel, having the staff there to take care of you, helping with groceries, packages, anything you

need,” she says. “They feel like an extension of our family and are there for us for whatever we need. My son recently turned 3 and could have had his birthday party anywhere, but he insisted on having it at Tribune Tower.”

Jager’s family loves to travel, both domestically and internationally, and says the assurance when leaving town knowing the topnotch security in the tower will keep her home and her neighbors safe is freeing. But she says with the amenities and the quality of her unit, she’s inclined to spend more time at home especially because there’s so much to explore nearby.

Meeting neighbors has also come easily given the shared amenities for residents. In addition to the pool on the seventh floor and the third-floor lounge featuring a bar and kitchen and a 1/3acre park, there is a luxury suite of spa features, a full fitness center by The Wright Fit, a sun deck and terrace, and the 25th-floor Crown Terrace with a 360-degree view of the city.

“Residents are in all different phases of life, there are a few families with kids, retired people, and newly married couples,” she says. “Socially, it has been the most fun. The people are amazing.”

For more information about Tribune Tower Residences, visit tribunetowers.com, and for sales inquiries, contact the sales gallery at 312-967-3700.

Crown Terrace

Pool

Tribune Towers residence

BREAKING THE BARRIERS BETWEEN BUSINESS AND PERSONAL WEALTH

WORDS BY KATIE FLORIG AND BRUCE LINGER

For many of our clients, their biggest financial asset is their business. Many business owners, however, tend to regard their business and personal finances as a church-and-state situation and are hesitant to mix the two. The fact is, their personal and professional interests are very much intertwined.

For example, how you plan to exit your business will have significant implications on your personal wealth and on your family. Because business owners are so intensely focused on running their companies, they often don’t give the same attention to the potential consequences of a poorly designed wealth strategy.

Clients typically approach us to help with their commercial banking needs, such as managing cash flow, financing new equipment, or providing lines of credit. These are what we would call the “must have requirements.” While BMO is certainly equipped to deliver on these requirements, we are also equally motivated to add value beyond such specific parameters. Given that so much of our clients’ personal wealth is tied up in their businesses, our commercial banking and wealth management teams work together to look for ways to unlock some of that value, offering liquidity options for them to consider.

One component of our coordinated approach involves maximizing the value of our clients’ businesses from an estate planning perspective. There are untold horror stories of individuals who maintain huge levels of assets on their personal balance sheets but haven’t undertaken the proper planning to optimally transfer those assets. Such options may include passing the business down to the next generation, transitioning the company to a member of their leadership team, or selling to a third-party buyer. In addition to working through succession matters, we help business owners think about the value they’ll need to realize in their business so that they can continue living the lifestyle they’re accustomed to when they are ready to move on.

Even if retirement is a long way off, or you’re not considering a sale in the near term, working with a banking partner that understands both the business and personal sides of your finances is beneficial. A recent example involved a client who, as with many owners, wasn’t ready to sell but was interested in adding more to her personal liquidity. As is often the case, her liquidity was tied up in the company. In this situation, we executed what’s called a dividend recapitalization, in which a business assumes new debt and distributes the proceeds to shareholders in the form of a dividend. This provided the owner with substantial liquidity—some of which she used to finance the purchase of a home—without impacting the ownership of the business. She also effectively diversified her personal “risk” without impairing her business. Along with managing her business’ banking needs, we also manage her personal funds and continue to build a relationship with her and her family.

It is critical for us to provide business owners with ongoing, proactive ideas as economic conditions and the legislative environment are always evolving. Businesses are continually evolving

as well. For instance, a client’s business may be bringing in $5 million in revenue when you start a banking relationship. By the time this business grows to be a $100 million company, however, you’re dealing with a different set of considerations that require a different set of solutions.

In addition to frequent in-person meetings, we regularly send our clients economic updates and invite them to events that cover the industry and economic topics that could affect both their business and their personal wealth. Constant communication and a consistent flow of information are essential.

The experts at BMO can advise on both the Commercial and Private Wealth fronts. Our expertise can help unlock and maximize value in a client’s business and personal balance sheets. As a result, our clients are well positioned to confront the ever-changing economic landscape.

Bruce Linger, Katie Florig

Katie Florig is a Managing Director at BMO Wealth Management, 520 Green Bay Road, Winnetka. uswealthadvisor.bmo.com/il/winnetka. Bruce Linger is a Managing Director at BMO Commercial Bank.

WORDS BY STEVEN BLOCH, M.D. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONICA KASS ROGERS

PLASTIC SURGERY UPDATE:

Creating Beautiful Lips

Many patients who I see in consultations think they need a facelift. What they really need to address is the aging process around the mouth, which is not corrected by a traditional facelift. As we age, the distance between the base of the nose and upper lip lengthens and the corners of the mouth droop. The lips lose volume, thin out, and wrinkles and vertical lines appear. There are various options to restore and create a more youthful mouth. First is a lip lift, where a small incision is made at the base of the nose and an ellipse of skin is removed to shorten the distance and create a fuller lip. The droop of the corners of the mouth is addressed by excising a “valentine” ellipse of skin, creating a lift. This improves the “marionette” lines and corrects an angry or sad expression. Lastly, the lower lip loses volume, and if deemed too thin, an incision is made in the central lower lip. An ellipse of skin is removed, and the lip is rolled downward. The procedure provides a plump youthful lower lip. All of these incisions are very well hidden and heal extremely well.

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If additional volume is needed, the patient has several options. A fat transfer using the patient’s own fat can be injected into the nasolabial folds, lips, marionette, and pre-jowl areas to restore volume. Fillers such as Restylane® or Juvéderm® are other options. Laser resurfacing, plasma peels, and/or injections are often employed to correct the fine lines, wrinkles, or skin texture,

All of the above procedures are often done at once depending upon what is needed. This can only be determined after a careful exam. The art of facial rejuvenation is to create a perfectly natural face that looks refreshed and youthful. There truly is an “art” to this involving far more than just injections and some fillers. Patients have choices and should seek out an expert who is comfortable with all of these techniques.

For additional information, visit bodybybloch.com or Dr. Bloch can be reached at his Highland Park office at 847-432-0840.

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Auburn, Winnetka

$3,295,000 | 6 BD | 5.3 BA

Enchanting summer escape ...just steps from town, train and schools. Spectacular and refined, this renovation offers all that you could dream of for your ‘forever’ house! All on an acre+ in the heart of Hubbard Woods!

BodyByBloch

bodybybloch

Steven Bloch MDBodybybloch

PARTING WORDS

CATCHING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL BUG

Startup executive Susie Spigelman uses her curiosity and passion for tinkering to squash germs as co-founder and COO of startup Beacon.

WORDS BY BILL MCLEAN / ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT RISKO

An innate interest in tinkering led Highland Park native Susie Spigelman to a career in startups. Her latest startup, Beacon, aims to make the world a healthier place.

Launched in 2021 by Spigelman and co-founders Brian and Andrea Clark, Beacon created a hand-sized, wall-mounted smart device that simplifies daily cleaning routines. Operated by a phone app, Beacon helps eliminate germs and viruses in the air and on surfaces without the need for harsh cleaning products like bleach.

“There are no chemical-free options for keeping people safe from the spread of illness. This is something that impacts us all, particularly essential workers and underserved populations, who are hit the hardest in the throes of pandemics like COVID-19,” Spigelman says of the impetus to form Beacon.

“We’re seeking to revolutionize the way we fight germs through simple, intelligent technology. We want to be the next ‘Alexa’ in every house and business,” she explains. “A consumer said Beacon ‘feels like an Apple product.’ That’s a massive compliment. Customers like our product because we’ve built something that looks good and is effective.”

As germs are a collective and societal problem, Beacon donates up to 5 percent of all proceeds to bring the device to underserved communities. The startup’s admirable “Beacon for Good” mission states, “Our commitment is to empower everyone to gain control over their health, thus improving overall community health.”

Spigelman’s path to Beacon began with a resume roadblock. After receiving her B.A. at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her M.A. at National Louis University, Spigelman struggled to find a teaching job following the 2000s recession.

She managed to find temporary work at Walgreens, as an admin in the facilities division. She eventually worked her way to

a full-time position on the corporate sustainability team, where she coordinated solar panel installation projects with renewable energy startup SoCore Energy.

“SoCore installed solar at stores across the country,” Spigelman says. “When I started working alongside their team, I discovered a desire to be involved with startups—a chance to put my curiosity to work.”

Spigelman joined SoCore in 2013 and kickstarted the startup’s Project Development Team.

“I spent my days problem-solving and getting stuff done with teammates who were just as passionate about building a business as I was,” she recalls. Spigelman was eventually named SoCore’s chief of staff.

She later joined the Chicago startup Green Thumb Industries (GTI), a national cannabis consumer packaged goods company and retailer.

Spigelman served as GTI’s vice president of operations, then went on to lead partnerships at climate tech investment nonprofit Evergreen Climate Innovations serving under its CEO, Erik Birkerts.

Beacon co-founder Brian Clark knew Spigelman during their days at the University of Illinois and reached out to her at the start of the pandemic to start building Beacon.

“Brian came across research on Beacon’s underlying technology and realized it could help slow the spread of viruses like COVID,” Spigelman says. “Our incredible founding team is now bringing that technology to life. Brian is a serial entrepreneur with deep financial and regulatory expertise, his sister, Andrea Clark, has a decade of public health experience, and I’m focused on operations, communications, and customer experience.”

“We’re loving every minute of building Beacon, even the long days—they’re all worth it.”

For more information about Beacon, visit beaconlight.co.

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