These are the 2020
Leaders for a New Chicago

We are extremely proud to present the 2020 Leaders for a New Chicago.

Artists. Organizers. Journalists. Storytellers. Visionaries.

Like our 2019 group, these 11 individuals represent a broad array of Chicago residents, with strong representation from African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American (ALAANA) communities. These awardees include a diversity of religion, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and practice, and those from different geographies and income levels. Some are executive directors, some are co-founders, some are organizers, and some are part of collective or shared leadership models. The story that this cohort is telling isn’t just celebrating leadership, it is redefining leadership in the city of Chicago. More than ever, leadership, which is the umbrella over all our program areas at Field Foundation, needs to be part of the city and state dialogues around relief, recovery, and reimagining.

This award recognizes past accomplishments in the fields of Justice, Art, or Media & Storytelling and promotes and advances a range of leaders whose influence will inform decision making across the city of Chicago. Each leader received a $25,000 cash award in recognition of past accomplishments, and their affiliated non-profit organizations each received an additional $25,000 general operating grant.

This year, we also asked our first round of awardees to be the voice in determining who comes next. Eight of the 2019 Leaders cohort made up the majority of the selection committee and join us in presenting this new cohort to you. Their unique perspective and experience working in justice, art, and media & storytelling was pivotal in picking the 2020 cohort. We look forward to seeing how this group of individuals collectively elevates leadership and equity in Chicago.

Meet the 2020 Leaders for a New Chicago: