Archives: People

Kelly Dean joins Urban Gateways with 15 years of Human Resources experience. She has held various HR roles with Target, Apple, Crate & Barrel, and Jellyvision and is currently the SVP, People at Green Thumb Industries where she is helping to shape GTI’s culture, supporting business strategies and continuing to build a high-performing workforce. The …

Stanley is a Junior at Whitney Young Magnet High School. He loves to dance; he has performed for Michelle Obama and has been on Good Morning America. He joined the Teen Council because he was excited to get involved in a program he has utilized so much (Teen Arts Pass). He hopes to give more …

Mikaela is a Senior at the University of Chicago Lab School. She is interested in visual arts, urban planning, architecture, and design. She appreciates the storylines and history behind plays, music, dances, and other art forms. She thinks Teen Arts Pass (TAP) is an interactive and entertaining way to meet and connect with others who …

Zalayah’s pronouns are she/her/hers. Her hobbies are reading, writing, and cooing over baby yoda. She’s an avid fan of ballet and her favorite shows would be The Nutcracker and Whipped Cream.

Daphne is currently a junior at Whitney Young Magnet High School. She joined Urban Gateways’ Teen Advisory Council because she wanted to be able to reach out to teens across Chicago through the power of the arts. In her free time, she loves to play the violin, spend time with her friends, indulge in good …

Efrén loves experiencing and creating art. During times of stress, it’s what keeps him sane. As a very economical person, he thinks a $5 arts pass for teens (via Teen Arts Pass) is a fantastic idea. He loves cats, puns, music, and other things. You may catch him smiling at something or doing nothing at …

Robert attends Urban Prep of Bronzeville, Class of 2024. He enjoys drawing, making animations, building things, and playing video games. He joined the Teen Council to help give feedback on how to improve the art and culture in his community.

Tatiana is a recent graduate of Jones College Prep High School. She loves bullet journalling, iced coffee, playing the piano, and has an enormous earring collection. Tatiana has been a member of the teen councils at Steppenwolf Theatre and The Old Town School of Folk Music. She has also performed within theater ensembles at the …

Violet is a senior at Whitney Young Magnet High School and a life-long musician. Her main music domain is classical clarinet, but she also enjoys playing piano, guitar, ukulele and learning the harp with her family. She’s passionate about equal access to a quality arts education for all students, and is involved in a number …

Oyindamola, Oyin for short, is a high school student who currently attends Nicholas Senn High School. She joined the council because she wants to expand the arts and reach out to all the communities, and get more teens engaged in the arts. Oyin loves to play her instruments (Guitar, Violin, and Clarinet). She believes that …