

TONIKA JOHNSON
PHOTOGRAPHER & ACTIVIST
Tonika Johnson is a visual artist/photographer from Chicago’s South Side Englewood neighborhood. She was featured in Chicago Magazine as a 2017 Chicagoan of the Year for her photography of Englewood's everyday beauty, countering its pervasive media coverage of poverty and crime.

KATE SCHMIDGALL
EDITOR & FOUNDER OF BITTERSWEET MONTHLY

Owner and Director at Bittersweet Creative. Kate founded the company in 2009 built on the premise that art and design have the unique power to transform statistics into stories and awareness into action.

MELISSA HENNESSY
FOUNDER HENNESSY REPS

A photographer turned agent, and now educator and consultant, Melissa is helping other visual artists grow their confidence and self-worth so they can find their audience and market more effectively to grow their businesses. A freelancer’s champion and cheerleader, she lives by the mantra, “The dream is free, the hustle is sold separately.”

MARTIN WOODS
OPERA VOCALIST

Martin L. Woods is a classically trained yet multifaceted Vocalist who has performed all over the world. Martin’s professional concert and operatic debuts include performances on the stages of The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Atlanta opera, The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Opera Theater, and the Goodman Theater.

a jazz multi-instrumentalist (mainly a percussionist) and composer. During the 1970s, he formed the musical groups Ritual Trio and the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. Kahil EL'Zabar has collaborated with Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Simon, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Roy Ayers.
Dr. El'Zabar received a doctorate from Lake Forest College, IL, (PHD Interdisciplinary/Arts) in May 2006. Sir Kahil El'Zabar was Knighted by the Counsel General of France for his international contributions to the arts as a performer, educator, and curator, in 2014, making him an official Chevalier (Knight of the Arts). El'Zabar is also co-scored arrangements for the highly acclaimed theatrical version of Disney's,"The Lion King".

Kahil El Zabar
Artist & Musician

OUR MISSION
True Chicago supports the diverse and equitable development of young creatives and artists by providing programs and opportunities that connect young artists with emerging and established creative professionals. With an intentional focus on black and brown creatives ages 15-25, we provide education and mentorship that develop an artist’s work and expand the perception of viable careers in the creative arts.


OUR VISION
True Chicago strives to educate, expand, and energize creatives by encouraging them to use their creative voices with confidence. It is our intention to use our events and programming to inspire artists to challenge themselves and the world around them. Through their artistic practice we believe each person has the power to illustrate stories that evoke deeper meaning and become part of our culture, and in that success, give back to their communities.
OUR VALUES
COMMUNITY is our most valuable gift.
Honest STORYTELLING is necessary for positive change.
We value EDUCATION as the process to unlock our purpose.
We believe in the impact of YOUTH ASSEMBLY.

We believe that a DIVERSE and INCLUSIVE community is the foundation for progress.

OUR HISTORY
True Chicago was founded by David Johnson in 2017 as a means of challenging creatives to give of their knowledge and time to empower Chicago’s youth through creativity and the arts. True began as a community of artists working to create space for gathering young creatives and career mentorship. Through consistent investment in the future of young artists, True Chicago has built a space for growth grounded in community.
OUR TEAM

DAVID JOHNSON
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

DORIAN RUSHING
VICE PRESIDENT

MELISSA HENNESSY
SECRETARY

WALTER JOHNSON
TREASURER

KAT TUSHIM
BOARD MEMBER

SCOTT GOLDSTEIN
BOARD MEMBER

TUAN HUYNH
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

NICOLE HUMPHREY
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

BRANDON RITTER
DIRECTOR MARKETING &
COMMUNICATIONS

DANIELLE FINK
MANAGING PRODUCER

MARQUELL OLIVER
DIRECTOR COMMUNITY
GROWTH

LENA HOWARD
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
PAST CONTRIBUTORS

ELISE SWOPES
Photographer & Designer, Brand Partnerships

COLBY LEWIS
Hamilton Actor & Producer

TONIKA JOHNSON
Photographer & Activist

COREY GILKEY
Founder, Leaders 1354 & Boxville

MELISSA HENNESSY
Founder Hennessy Reps

DAVID CHOI
Founder, Seoul Taco

SCOTT GOLDSTEIN
Artist & Entrepreneur

ROSS KIMBALL
Writer & Actor

SCOOP JACKSON
Sports & Culture Journalist, ESPN

MARCUS SMITH
Photographer

SENTROCK
Artist

TRASHHAND
Photographer

LIZ MILLER GERSHFLED
Exec Art Producer, Energy BBDO

TUAN HUYNH
Senior Art Director, Leo Burnett

KAT TUSHIM
Creative Director, Upshot

DAVE MATA
DJ, Founder, Soul Summit

KATE SCHMIDGALL
Director, Founder of Bittersweet


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