Gillian Darlow

The Chicago Public Education Fund accelerates student achievement in Chicago's traditional and charter public schools by building high–performing teams of principals and teachers, improving evaluation and accountability systemwide, and reinventing classrooms with the innovative use of time, technology and talent.

Skills for Chicagoland’s Future (SCF) is a public-private partnership working to match businesses that have current, unmet hiring needs with qualified, unemployed or underemployed job seekers. More than 1,300 unemployed job seekers have been hired through partnerships with over 40 employers since SCF launched. Additionally, over 170 unemployed job seekers have been enrolled in train-to-hire programs which result in immediate employment upon successful completion of the programs. SCF’s employer partners have signed commitments to hire more than 1,000 unemployed job seekers in 2015. As a national thought leader in workforce development, SCF has been tapped as a resource demonstrating the need for business intermediaries both locally and nationally.

Civic Consulting Alliance's mission is to make Chicago a great region for everyone to live in and work. By leveraging the support of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago (collectively the major private employers in the region) with incomparable professional resources and committed leaders and funders, the Civic Consulting Alliance helps to address the region's most pressing problems and greatest opportunities. At no cost to the taxpayer, Civic Consulting Alliance works with clients – the Mayor, County Board President, Police Superintendent, foundation presidents and other leaders – who commit to advancing significant reforms and are willing to collaborate on large-scale change. With these leaders, Civic Consulting Alliance supports projects that lead to results. Together, they accomplish more than any one firm or sector can on its own.