👥 Explore the People Issue

"You can be part of what makes Chicago better." The People Issue is out online and at Reader boxes now! We highlighted 21 Chicagoans who are making a difference in our communities. Since introducing the People Issue back in 2011, we've learned that people generally have much more in common than not, and new human connections are what give us all a story to tell. As Jamie Ludwig wrote in the issue: "When you consider how many threads connect the nearly three million people who call Chicago home, it’s easy to see where the city gets its strength." Pick up a copy ([find your most convenient location here]( or [check it out online](. [Wisdom Baty: The Uplifting Curator]( by [Kerry Cardoza]( | Photo by Yijun Pan Wisdom Baty, 39, is an artist, mother, curator, and arts administrator. In 2019, she founded Wild Yams, an artist residency on the south side that supports Black mothers. Baty also works as the Girl/Friends Leadership Institute programming coordinator at [A Long Walk Home]( an art organization that works to end violence against girls and women. [Read more]( [Forrest King-Cortes: The Community-Centered Conservationist]( by [DMB (Debbie-Marie Brown)]( | Photo by Hannah Hufham Forrest King-Cortes is a lifelong Chicagoan who recently began a job as national director of community-centered conservation for the Land Trust Alliance. The Land Trust Alliance is a nonprofit that brings together more than 900 wildlife conservation organizations across the country to help grow their resources to make equitable and effective change. He studied wildlife ecology and management at Auburn University, but Chicago’s parks and green spaces nurtured his interest in this work. [Read more]( [Ellen Duong: The Corridor Cultivator]( by [Savannah Hugueley]( | Photo by James Hosking Since the 32-year-old Uptown resident inherited her parents' plant shop on Argyle Street in 2015, Ellen Duong has been carving her own identity as business owner and community leader with her dad at her side. As she reimagined QIdeas as a multigenerational neighborhood hub, Duong reached out to another second-generation Vietnamese American creative initiative, Haibayô, with an invitation to share the brick-and-mortar space. Construction is currently underway, and the plan is to reopen QIdeas in January and follow with the Haibayô side by spring 2024. [Read more]( [Check out the profiles online]( | [Read the People Issue [PDF]]( [@chicago_reader]( [@chicagoreader]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( [chicagoreader.com]( Copyright © 2024 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to receive emails from Chicago Reader Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.