Public Allies Chicago

✨ Allies Leading the Way - Briana Janee Shields

I was 23 years old when I became a Public Ally during the 2015–2016 cohort, placed with AARP Foundation Experience Corps. That year was a stop on the path. Everything since has been me continuing to walk it.

Today, I'm a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist, creative wellness arts facilitator, and the founder of Deco Ave Creative Studio & Wellness House (Briana Janee' Arts). My professional work lives at the intersection of creative strategy, marketing, communications, and design — where I support nonprofits, artists, and community-centered organizations through storytelling, branding, and culturally rooted creative direction. Over the past decade, I've led communications and marketing initiatives for arts, education, wellness, and community development organizations throughout Chicago.

Alongside that work, I maintain an active artistic practice rooted in what moves me most — storytelling, cultural memory, healing, and human connection. Through abstract painting and mixed media, I create work inspired by movement, ancestry, migration, wellness, and collective memory.

I also facilitate Color Expressions, a creative wellness workshop series that uses abstract painting, guided reflection, and storytelling as tools for emotional expression and healing. It's one of the most meaningful things I do — holding space for people to access something in themselves through art.

Service, creativity, and community aren't separate paths — they're the same one.

Krystal graduated from North Lawndale College Prep . Then Public Allies sent her back.

NLCP was facing charter renewal and needed someone to build a centralized partnership system from the ground up. Krystal mapped existing relationships, researched new ones, made 500 calls to donors and partners, delivered presentations across campuses, and helped onboard new interns — all while the school worked to demonstrate its community impact to the Chicago Board of Education.

She hit every target. Most by more than 400%.

Krystal didn't meet the assignment. She expanded it.

✨ The priority deadline has passed—but the opportunity hasn’t. Momentum is building. Come be part of it. Apply today!

Host an Ally for the 26-27 cohort:
🔗 publicallies.org/chicago/become-a-partner
Be an Ally:
🔗publicallies.org/chicago/become-an-ally/

✨ Allies Leading the Way - Karizma Blackburn

I was 23 years old when I became an Ally for the first time, serving with Namaste Charter School as the Student and Family Engagement Coordinator.

Now, I am proud to share that I am working full time as a Program Steward at Grow Greater Englewood. Following my Fellow year with Public Allies, I was hired on at my placement.

In this role, I support our food access programming, coordinate the Englewood Food Sovereignty Network, and manage our Volunteer Network — work that is as much about people as it is about food.

Both professionally and throughout my community, I keep coming back to this question: as we uncover and return to ancestral wisdom, and dare to imagine what our food systems could look like — how do we deepen our relationship not only with the land, but with each other?

▪️ Co-created 4 EFSN Community Cookbook Newsletters
▪️ Developed 7 weekly EFSN Community Food Access Calendars during the SNAP Shutdown
▪️Helped produce a full season of Englewood Village Market — with another season launching June 13th
▪️ Supported 10+ events distributing free produce and meals across the community
▪️ Co-taught alongside Raymond Thompson, deepening my understanding of facilitation as a communal, creative, and story-driven practice

Creativity. Storytelling. Access. These aren't add-ons — they are the work.

I am constantly reminded that our stories don't just connect us. They help us discover more about who we are.

Rosa started her service at Chicago Public Schools before she even had a badge. Waiting on clearance, she worked remotely — designing graphics for professional development events and building materials that were already in use before she walked through the door.

Once cleared, she helped track student certifications, built survey tools, and created a student passport from vendor feedback — a resource her supervisor called the best thing the team had produced in years, shared across multiple offices. She also tripled her vendor training document target, producing three manuals where one was expected.

Before her service ended, she transferred every file to staff to make sure the work would last.

✨ The priority deadline has passed—but the opportunity hasn’t. Momentum is building. Come be part of it. Apply today!

🔗Host an Ally: publicallies.org/chicago/become-a-partner
🔗Be an Ally: publicallies.org/chicago/become-an-ally/

| | | |

✨ Allies Leading the Way - Evelin Santos

I was 25 when I became a Public Ally with Greater Southwest Development Corporation as an employment specialist. My son was 7. My daughter was 12. I showed up for that service year with my whole family in tow — and I wouldn't change a thing.

People might look at that and think — that's a lot to carry. And honestly, it was. But becoming a mother young never stopped me. I was the first in my family to finish high school. The first to graduate from college. I earned my BA in Psychology and Child Development from DePaul University — and I kept going. I served in AmeriCorps, built a career, and showed up every single day because I refused to let my circumstances define my ceiling.

One of the moments I'll never forget from my Ally years? Standing at President Obama's inauguration during my second year of service. That memory still gives me chills.

Today I work at Erie Family Health Centers as an Executive Assistant, and I recently received a Relationship Award from my organization — something I'm really proud of. But if you ask me what my greatest accomplishment is, it's not an award. It's my kids.

That 12-year-old daughter? She graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago as a civil engineer. That 7-year-old son? He just graduated from the United States Navy and is continuing his education through service. I used to bring them with me to community service events because I wanted them to see what it looks like to give back. I had no idea just how deeply it would stick with them.

Watching who they've become — that's my legacy. That's everything.

I share this because I want someone out there to know — whatever you're carrying, it doesn't disqualify you. It equips you. And where you start does not have to be where you stop.

Malik arrived at the Institute for Positive Living as a second-year Ally with a degree in Criminology and a clear sense of why early investment in young people matters.

He started by listening — having students read aloud so he could understand exactly where each one struggled. From there he built individualized academic plans, identified culturally relevant books, and recommended technology to strengthen the program's literacy tools. His ideas didn't just help the students he worked with directly. His supervisor noted they strengthened the entire program.

By year's end, Malik had expanded programming to 400% of its original target.

✨ The priority deadline has passed—but the opportunity hasn’t. Momentum is building. Come be part of it. Apply today!

Host an Ally for the 26-27 cohort:
🔗 publicallies.org/chicago/become-a-partner

Be an Ally:
🔗publicallies.org/chicago/become-an-ally/

Today’s the day 🔥 Our next Fireside Chat features Stephen Ramsey, Community Leadership Fellows, bringing us a powerful conversation titled “From Lockers to Listings.”

Stephen’s journey from student-athlete to real estate professional is rooted in discipline, growth, and seizing opportunity. From earning academic honors and basketball scholarships to building his career in real estate, he has consistently turned commitment into momentum.

Now a licensed real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, Stephen combines his background in business management and marketing with hands-on industry experience to carve out his path in the field.

This session invites our Allies to reflect on transition, identity, and what it takes to move from one chapter to the next with purpose.

Growth isn’t accidental—it’s intentional.

✨Allies Leading the Way - Rudy Lozano Jr.

I was 23 years old when I became a Public Ally and served with Public Allies Chicago during the 1998–1999 service year. I was placed at two organizations — six months each — the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) and the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT). That year shaped the leader I am today in ways I'm still discovering.

Today, I serve as Executive Director in Global Philanthropy at JPMorganChase & Co., where I lead The Fellowship Initiative (TFI) — a college and career success program launched in 2010 that uses a holistic approach to increase the economic mobility of young people of color. Through academic enrichment, skills building, mentoring, career readiness, and leadership development, TFI is the embodiment of the work I've always believed in.

Outside of my professional role, community is everything to me. I serve as Board Chair for Enlace Chicago, a founding board member of Chicago Education Alliance, an advisory board member of the Academy for Local Leadership Chicago, and a longstanding member of the 22nd Ward Independent Political Organization. I was also appointed to and served on the Chicago Board of Education for 15 months.

I've run for office twice — in 2010 and 2012. I am deeply proud of the organization and the cadre of leaders that emerged from those campaigns. Many of them are now elected officials themselves. That, to me, is the real victory.

Everything I do is rooted in love for this city and in service of working-class people, immigrants, women, young people, BIPOC communities, and LGBTQ+ neighbors.

Laly showed up at Erie Neighborhood House and stepped into two programs at once — and delivered in both.

For Little Village Reads, they developed more than 50 phonics and guided reading curriculum materials for K-3 students, administered literacy assessments, and hit every target every month. For Erie's ESL program, they learned to register students, administer language assessments, manage filing systems, and enter state reporting data — independently by spring.

Two programs. One Ally. Ten months of showing up completely.

🔗 Learn how your organization can host an Ally for the 2027 cohort, priority applications due by May 29th: publicallies.org/chicago/become-a-partner

🔗Learn how to join 2026-2027 cohort as an Ally and apply by May 29th: https://publicallies.org/chicago/become-an-ally/

Fireside Chat happening today 🔥

Our Allies will be in conversation with Mary Smith, a trailblazing leader in law, governance, and public service.

As the former President of the American Bar Association—and the first Native American woman to hold the role—Mary brings a wealth of experience across government, corporate leadership, and public policy. From serving as CEO of the Indian Health Service to launching initiatives that protect American democracy, her work reflects a deep commitment to equity, access, and systems change.

This space is for our Allies to lean into critical dialogue, deepen their understanding of civic leadership, and explore the tools needed to shape what’s next.