ChicagoNEXT is focused on making Chicago the best possible place for technology entrepreneurs.

I grew up in a household that revered building businesses. It wasn't thinking about leadership; it was more about building something. To build something, you ultimately have to lead.

Whatever you build, youre building for the family - not with an eye toward getting away, but with an eye toward adding to the family pie.

In my day job, I worry non-stop about making wise investments for long-term gains.

I'm involved in issues, and issues are about grass-roots politics.

Women get 77 cents on the dollar that men get for the same job.

I wanted to build businesses from the time I was little.

Early childhood education is an urgent educational, economic and moral imperative. Without it, we face a long-term national economic security crisis.

It is good to focus, but never forget to look around. If you focus on the wrong target, you may miss seeing all of the beauty around you.

In a time when consumers desperately want to trust businesses - but they just don't - influencer marketing is one way to overcome this problem.

You don't need to try to be God, you are! But if you try to be God it means you don't know you are.

I think that the fact that a relationship becomes public is a bit of a bummer. Because it can distract from the real reason why you're together, which is that you just like each other.

I'm pretty open book, I'm also the kind of person that will say, 'That's none of your business,' too.

It is only by a total death to self we can be lost in God.

I would rather receive a Pap smear from Captain Hook than venture out on New Year's Eve.

I am someone who values truth - actual truth as opposed to 'truthiness.'

I write to keep from going mad from the contradictions I find among mankind - and to work some of those contradictions out for myself.

Eeek,” Shane said. Nothing. Right, Amazon princess, I got the point.