As a young child, Jan Tratnik stepped off a bus and into conversation with a “small man” in a child-size car. A photo of this interaction between Jan and what was actually a ventriloquist’s dummy appeared in the Sunday paper soon thereafter. She was fascinated by this. Thus was born her life-long passion for photography. […]
Red Cross Board Member Jill Schaaf says she’s “hooked” on seeing just how far a little, or a lot, of good can go. At the time of her retirement in 2016, Schaaf was the CVP, President of Renal at Baxter Healthcare. Now, after a prolific career in healthcare, she continues to make a big impact […]
Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted before the most recent Hurricanes Fiona and Ian in September, which devastated areas in and south of North America, including Florida and parts of the Caribbean Islands. Read our most recent How To Help article about how The Red Cross and others are working to bring aid to those […]
Challenging times require leaders with courage, strength and authenticity. At Better, we think it’s important to highlight women who exhibit those positive attributes as they build businesses, lead cultural institutions, guide non-profits and serve as public servants. That’s the motivation behind our list of the most powerful women in the Chicago area. We combined our […]
During challenging times, the 10 women named to our Black Women of Impact List for 2022 have taken the helm of a range of different important institutions and have provided what is most needed to guide us forward in a positive way: energetic, caring and visionary leadership. At Better, we think it’s important to take […]
Now more than ever, businesses, nonprofits and government agencies rely on strong, energetic leadership to thrive during challenging times. At Better, we think it’s important to recognize the leaders who are building businesses, serving as public servants, and leading nonprofits, all of which inspire positive change in the world — whatever the arena. That’s the […]
Sound, inspired leadership has never been more critical to the future of our communities. At Better, we’ve made it our mission to celebrate local and global leaders driving positive change. From eco warriors fighting to save our planet, to athletes making an impact on and off the court, to forces for change achieving progress in […]
Bold, inspirational, determined, compassionate: these are just a few adjectives we can use to describe these powerful Chicago leaders. With impressive resumes, accomplishments and success, not only are these women at the top of their game, but they all give back to the community in meaningful ways. From retail and tech to education and even the White […]
