The Chicagoan

Dustin Drankiewicz, a Chicago-based hospitality professional, recounts his journey from Milwaukee to Chicago on the latest episode of The Chicagoan Podcast.

Artisha Moore is a young and ambitious real estate investor from South Holland. She grew up in a large family, with three older sisters and a father who instilled in her the importance of discipline and hard work.

Brandon Bell-Booker, a South side Chicago native, was born to teenage parents and has lived a life of resilience and determination. 

Ari Bendersky's passion for stories and finding out about people’s lives drew him towards a career in journalism and content creation. He started his career as a music journalist in the nineties, gay publications writer, and is currently a freelance editor. 

Having lived in Chicago for the last 13 years, Pooja Naik has recently made a name for herself in the influencer world as content creator focusing on Chicago’s seafood scene. Originally from Mumbai, she immigrated to the United States when she was 17. She first spent time on the east coast and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh. 

Eric Platt, aka Eric Boss in the nightlife scene, is an event producer and nightlife promoter in Chicago. He joins us to share his story on how he became involved and how he's using his platform to enrich the lives of others. 

“Every young person is born to win.” This is Vondale Singleton’s model for every situation in life. Vondale is the CEO of Champs Male Mentoring Program; his journey into mentorship stemming from losing his mother to drugs at only 29. Something he believes could be different, if only she had a mentor.

Mary Scala’s heart has always been in the hospitality industry. She started working in restaurants at a young age, but amidst the pandemic, she lost her job like so many others. As Scala was trying to understand her next step in life, she spent a lot of sleepless nights researching future foods and food supply chains.

Growing up in the projects on the South Side, Dr Michael Airhart never let his circumstances weigh him down. Given the name “The Black MacGyver” by his friends and neighbors, Michael found a way to create, with whatever was available to him.

To say Juan Leyva has been on a journey would be an understatement. Like many immigrant stories, his family would travel undocumented from Mexico to Chicago, where he’d realize a destiny that awaited him. Though never imagining a life in hospitality, Juan is now in charge of one of the most prestigious hotels in Chicago: Oxford Hotels & Resorts - LondonHouse.