When I joined Lumity in 2009 as executive director, the world was a vastly different place. Blackberry was leading Apple in the smartphone race. Facebook had just surpassed MySpace in popularity, and the core business for Netflix was DVDs by mail.
The digital landscape has changed dramatically since then—and so has Lumity. Our ability to adapt to meet the moment has become a defining part of who we are.
In my early years at Lumity, we focused on making nonprofits more effective and efficient through IT and finance services, our nonprofit job board NPO.net, and closing the digital divide by supporting community technology centers across Cook County. We built on that foundation with an intentional shift toward preparing young people for careers in STEM. We created two core programs, STEM Career Prep and STEMWorks, introducing high school students and young adults to opportunities in technology, healthcare, construction, green energy, transportation, and more. Last year, we opened the doors to the Lumity STEMWorks Training Center in Maywood, where we offer hands-on training programs that prepare youth without a college or career plan for success in the future.
Now comes the newest change on our horizon—I am planning to retire this fall. Leading this organization for the past 17 years has been the honor and privilege of my professional life. Together, we’ve touched the lives of more than 6,000 young people and built a forward-thinking, ever-adapting nonprofit that delivers tangible outcomes for the youth we serve. That won’t change when I step away. I’ve been closely involved in the search process for Lumity’s next executive director and will stay engaged to ensure a smooth transition … more on that soon.
If you’re reading this, you’ve been a part of this incredible work, and I am deeply grateful for your partnership throughout the years. Thank you for helping build an organization that is truly changing lives.
In the words of one recent graduate, “Lumity is a program that gets you where you need to be for your success to grow … it’s a beacon of hope.” As a new chapter begins, I’m excited to see what comes next for Lumity as we build on the momentum we have created together.
Gratefully yours,
Kara Kennedy, Executive Director
My heartfelt appreciation to all who have helped Lumity’s story these past 17 years
Lumity changes lives for young people because of your dedication, your commitment, and your willingness to step up to make a difference. This support comes in many forms. It’s your time, expertise, mentorship, leadership, creativity, partnership, and generosity. We could not have done this work without you. Sending all of you a very special thanks and my wish that you continue to show up and shine for Lumity in the years ahead. — Kara
Our Board Leaders and Directors
Chris Johnston • Rod Zech • Steve Betts • James Beattie • Jennifer Village • Jennifer Telek • Greg Guidotti • Russ Bostick • Ian Frost • Jack Stonebraker • Jenny Scanlon • Cathie Kozik • Srinivas Veeramasuneni • Paul Ungaretti • Shelley Stern Grach • Ray Oral • James Bowler • Ken Gaebler • Michael Boyle • Scott Campbell • Danny David • Michael Fay • Fares Ghanimah • Schereina Horton • Kapil Kalokhe • Mark Kauffmann • Barbara Loth • Les McCollum • Fred Thompson • Conor Waddell • Angela Williams • Vikas Wali • Dan Morris • Hardik Bhatt • Mike Pflieger • Travis Chavous • Marty Skerjan • James C. Jones • Scott Dillingham • Katherine Kohatsu • Eric Sanders • Andee Harris • Troy Landoch • Spencer Heinz • Andy Khorshid • John Head • Jeffrey Thrall • Victoria Ocholla • Donna Macek • Rich McGhee • Jason Birnbaum • Praveen Sharma • Megan McCann • Jon Fieldman • Promod Vohra • Mia Boom-Ibes • Alok Dalal • Michelle Green • Sreelatha Surendranathan • Roshni Joshi • Anson Johnson • Jerome Nolasco • Aparna Misra • Juatise Gathings • Shouvik Dutta • Tejas Mehta • Linnelle Clark-Lane
Associate Board Members & Volunteers
Arnold Tate • Ron McClain • Fletcher McCombie • Omar Harb • Maria Benitez • Josh Moore • Diana Mucci • MeLissa Tate • Julie Fultz • Alex Crick • Lexi Jung • Ashley Giovinazzo • Santiago Ardila Villarreal • Rachel Washington • Aksheytha Chelikavada • Ken Sourounis • Jaemie Neely • Dan Segura • Alyssa Hall • Sivu Suppiah • Sid Khaitan • Derek Hosler • Charles Gill • Miguel Guerra • Chandrika Shrinivasan • Vernon Johnson • Steve Johnson • Tyrone Clark • Allison Wroble • Anwar Ali • Joanna Solis • Dhaval Joshi • Bill Casperson • Laszlo S. Gonc • David Jones • Darren Kall • Andy Kong • Kevin J. Lovell • Ken Robinson • Lance Russell • Myrna Santiago • Karriem Shakoor • Jack Shedd • Dana Anderson • Kevin Rice • Angela Acevedo
Our Education Partners
Anna Pavichevich • Kristi Eilers • Minh Nguyen • Bridget Welch • Jennifer Sutton • Israel Urbina • Brett Fickes • Cindy Morris • Principal Douglas Maclin • Jadine Chou • Luc Leavenworth • Marshall Ruetz • Ken Hunter • Sebastian Sieczkowski • Ellen Estrada • Ali Kuran • Cori Hobbs • Principal Hull • Andrea Anders • Lillian Perteete
Our Staff and Contractors
Debby Strauss • Julie Henderson • Koz Kritzer • Jeff Sklenar • Querube Della Cella • Caleb Neal • Raheed Davis • Michael Hurley • Kelly Salzburg • Amber Taylor • Asia Ousley • Kevin Phillips • Eli Salgado • Timothy O’Brien • Paula Rooney • Linda Lampe • Lawrence Brown • Maggie McCoy • Jonathan and Melinda Carter • Jean Newcomer • Dale Youngkrantz • Adam Garcia • Tashiara Little • Kathleen Kearns • Amy Brierly • Stacy Galiatsos • Eddie Mosquera • Tamika Hill • Jeanette Gurolnick • Raymond Fleming • Joe Harvey • Toye Begbaaji • Dottie Johnson • Anthony Smith • Ryan Jacobs • Kevin Hauswirth • Pedro Gonzalez • Laura Birnbaum • Becky Carroll • Roger Scott • Raul Almarez • Jennifer Cooley • Kim Coleman • Richard Laible • Francie Portrey
Our Community Partners & Supporters
Mayor Nathaniel Booker • Speaker Chris Welch • Senator Kimberly Ann Lightford • Commissioner Tara Stamps • Senator Dick Durbin • Senator Tammy Duckworth • Congresswoman Delia Ramirez • Brij & Praj Shah • Deborah Phadnis • Norman Ruano • Mervin Mendez • Andy Dettman • Deb York • Matt Bruce • Becky Betts • Arne Duncan • Taylor Amerman • Tola Alade-Lambo • Brandon Bax • Julio Rodriguez • John Barr • Ruchir Ranjan • Balaji Ganapathy • Ashley Brizzo • Eliska Champagne-Veselka • Robert Kress • Jason DeHaan • Michael A. Chiappetta • Melinda Kelly • Mick Weltman • Daniel O’Neil • Kyla Williams • Dan Broughton • William Himmelstein • Wendy Haubenreiser • Louise Packard • Lecia Knight • Pierre Clark • Sandi Price • Ernie Sanders • Raymond Fleming • Jillian Eichel • Jennifer Serino-Stasch • Rick Stefaniak • Marium Baker • LaSondra Banks • Iris González • Robert Wright
In Loving Memory
Charles Benton • Chetan Phadnis • Dan Rodgers • Socka Suppiah
Last but certainly not least, I want to acknowledge my husband, Jack Graves. My commitment to Lumity often translated into long hours, late nights, and postponed plans. Thank you, Jack, for your kindness, understanding, and incredible patience over the years.
