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Board of Directors

Our work is guided by the thoughtful direction of our Board of Directors.

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Diana Sands

Chair of the Board
Chicago, Illinois

Billie Wright Adams, M.D.

Pediatric Associates
Chicago, Illinois

Curt R. Bailey

President
Related Midwest
Chicago, Illinois

David Casper

President, CEO
BMO Harris Bank
Chicago, Illinois

Mawiyah Coates

Chicago, Illinois

Nancy Carrington Crown

Winnetka, Illinois

Deborah Daro, Ph.D.

Senior Research Fellow
Chapin Hall Center for Children
University of Chicago
Morrison, Colorado

Kelly King Dibble

Senior Vice President
The Northern Trust Company
Washington, D.C.

Vicki B. Escarra

Senior Advisor
Boston Consulting Group
Chicago, Illinois

Marilyn Fields

Chicago, Illinois

Marquia Fields

Chicago, Illinois

Lula M. Ford

Board Secretary
Chicago, Illinois

Bill Friend

Founder, Managing Partner
Core Capital Management LLC
Chicago, Illinois

Tom Gimbel

Founder, CEO
LaSalle Network
Chicago, Illinois

Keith Kiley Goldstein

Chicago, Illinois

Mary Hasten

Board Vice Chair
Chicago, Illinois

Charles Matthews

Chicago, Illinois

Dan O’Keefe

Chicago, Illinois

Isabel Navarrete Polsky, M.D.

Chicago, Illinois

Michael Rapelyea

Founder & CEO
Bosun Asset Management
Washington, DC

Raul I. Raymundo

CEO
The Resurrection Project
Chicago, Illinois

Dick Rothkopf

Non-executive Director
Ludorum PLC
Belvedere Tiburon, California

Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach

Director of the Institute for Policy Research
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

John Schreiber

Centaur Capital Partners
Chicago, IL

Suk Shah

Board Treasurer
Chicago, Illinois

Linda K. Smith

Bipartisan Policy Center
Washington, D.C.

Laura Thonn

Managing Partner and Trust Solutions Partner
PwC Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Sam Yagan

CEO
ShopRunner
Chicago, Illinois

Helen Zell

Executive Director
Zell Family Foundation
Chicago, Illinois

Sheila Ater Capestany

Washington State Advisory Council Chair
Director, Children, Youth and Young Adult Division
Department of Community and Human Services
King County
Seattle, Washington

The Late Bernice Weissbourd

Honorary Founding Member

Emeritus Directors

Start Early would like to thank the following Board members for their continued service and contributions in advancing our mission to close the opportunity gap and ensure every child has a chance to reach their full potential.

  • Paul Metzger, Special Counsel, Sheppard Mullin, Chicago, Illinois
  • Catherine M. Siegel, LCSW, Chicago, Illinois
  • Anne L. Tuohy, Glencoe, Illinois
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What We Do

Our comprehensive approach applies our deep expertise in program, policy and research so that children, families and educators can thrive.

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