HerStories

HerStories

HerStories is a series of frank conversations with leading women at the forefront of Chicago’s business, professional, cultural, nonprofit and educational communities. Join us as we hear their inspirational stories to learn who they are, how they got there, and what challenges they faced on the way. HerStories is brought to you by The Chicago Network, Chicago's premier organization for leading women, dedicated to empowering women to lead.

Episodes

October 27, 2025 70 mins

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In Lima Peru, a young woman by the name of Sara Sirotzky responded to an ad seeking to hire an individual who spoke some English. Little did Sara know that this opportunity would take her and her young son almost four thousand miles away to Chicago, where she would build a legendary career culminating in serving as Managing Director of the Chicago office of Marsh McLennan, the world's leading professional service...

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American Institute of Architects (AIA) Gold Medal winner, founding member and former first President of Chicago Women in Architecture (CWA) Carol Ross Barney joins Maria to discuss her life story, designing the Chicago Riverwalk, joining the peace corps, and the lack of peanut butter in Düsseldorf.

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When a young Janet Foutty considered her future, she imagined herself in the arts: music, or theater; she certainly never anticipated that she'd one day become Executive Chair of the Board of Deloitte US, or Chair and CEO of Deloitte Consulting LLP. In this episode, Janet recounts the journey that led to her tremendously successful career.

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Roseanna Ander joins Maria to discuss how her background led to her work today in reducing gun violence and advancing justice as Founding Executive Director of The University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab.

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The daughter of immigrant parents who fled pogroms to reach the U.S., lifelong advocate and activist Hedy Ratner shares her life story and describes her work in civil rights, anti-war, and gender equity movements.

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In this episode, Maria speaks with Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall, Founding President & President Emerita of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. Stephanie talks education, students with special needs, and her personal philosophy.

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October 23, 2023 74 mins

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Gloria Castillo, Former Director: Together We Rise, Chicago Community Trust joins us this week, discussing overcoming generations of gender bias, growing up in Wrigleyville, and working towards a more diverse and equitable future.

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CEO of America's largest charity, Feeding America, Claire Babineaux-Fontenot shares what it's like to grow up in small-town Louisianna with over 100 siblings, how Feeding America provided 6.5 billion meals during the pandemic, and how a dollar can turn into ten meals.

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September 25, 2023 66 mins

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Personal finance expert and author Terry Savage joins us this week to let us in on some little-known top personal finance tips. Terry also discusses buying a seat on the options exchange, becoming a TV and Radio personality, becoming the first woman to sit on McDonald's board of directors, and her secret vice as a financial expert.

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September 11, 2023 84 mins

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Tina Tchen joins us to discuss her career, her work as  Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Impact Officer for the The Barack Obama Foundation, what it was like to campaign for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential election campaign, and gives us an insight into growing up as a child of first-generation immigrant parents.

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From a young age, the importance of education was impressed upon Suzet McKinney. Taking this lesson to heart, Suzet has built a wildly successful career across multiple fields. As if becoming one of the United States' foremost leaders in  bioterrorism  and disaster preparedness and response,  Executive Director of the Illinois Medical District, and leading  Chicago’s response to the H1N1 and Ebola outbreaks wasn&...

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August 7, 2023 62 mins

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In this episode,  Gray Matter Founder and CEO Sheila Talton takes us on a journey from fighting against racial injustice in her youth as a Black Panther, building a career in the face of racial and gender prejudice, to becoming the sole founder and  CEO of Gray Matter Analytics.

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If you've ever walked down a Chicago street, chances are you're familiar with Anne Bigane Wilson's work. Following the passing of her father, Anne took the reigns at Bigane Paving Co.,  overcoming a steep and sudden learning curve, gender-based preconceptions, and even a massive warehouse fire to steer Bigane Paving Co. into the vertically integrated Chicago mainstay that it is today.

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With a career spanning everything from education, to interior design, and even warehousing, Ann Drake tells her story, and shares how she plays a crucial role in creating a better, more equitable future for women as President and Founder of Lincoln Road Enterprises.

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At the end of China's cultural revolution, a young girl in Shanghai played her first notes on an oversized, secondhand violin. Today, Yuan-Qing Yu is an international award-winning violinist, Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University, and Assistant Concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Join us to hear her story.

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February 27, 2023 72 mins

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Maricela Garcia has spent her life fighting to improve the lives of others. In this episode Garcia shares her story, from facing mortal peril as a young activist, to her work today as CEO of Gads Hill Center, a non-profit youth education and family resource center on Chicago's South Side.

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February 6, 2023 51 mins

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Former chaplain, musician, lawyer, and global citizen Angela Williams, President & CEO of United Way, joins us to talk living up to her family legacy, how faith has informed her journey, and how she came to lead America's largest privately funded charity.

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December 5, 2022 70 mins

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Kimberly Moore, President of KDM Engineering on dealing with loss while launching a new business, serial entrepreneurship, and what it's like to be the only woman of color in the room.

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November 8, 2022 68 mins

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Christie Hefner, one of The Chicago Network's founding members, reflects on learning about movie theaters, Playtique, a former boutique clothing and music retail subsidiary of Playboy Enterprises, getting women into the c-suite, and the decisions that led to her many accomplishments today.

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October 24, 2022 62 mins

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 This time on the HerStories Podcast, American Red Cross of Illinois CEO Celena Roldan gives us a rare look into what it's like to lead an organization that saves lives every day. 

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