CEO & CO-FOUNDER- DESIGNERSHARE

Sarah Perkins is the CEO and co-founder of DesignerShare, the first truly peer-to-peer marketplace for women to rent their designer clothing and accessories to one another. She has a marketing degree from Santa Clara University and a masters in journalism from DePaul University, leading her to become a lifestyle journalist and editor before taking the entrepreneurial plunge. Sarah has loved fashion her whole life—she has visions of outfits based on mood and vividly dreams in color.

FOUNDER & CEO-BE THERE IN FIVE

I'm a Chicago transplant from Virginia. I'm a recent entrepreneur, perennial creative, lover of black clothing, pop culture enthusiast, cheerleader of women and a people-loving introvert. I launched my Etsy shop in early 2014 as a creative outlet after painting "turn off your curling iron" on my own doormat, and what started as a way to poke fun at myself actually turned into a really practical piece of home decor. After some great press and feedback from my customers, Be There in Five, LLC was born. 

My mom and I painted the first 1,000 doormats by hand out of our living rooms and now we've grown to an online store & wholesale distributor with over 30 hand painted & screen printed products made possible by a great team of artisans in downtown Chicago. Be There in Five Mats are now sold here, Etsy, Wayfair, select Nordstrom stores and over 50 retailers (and growing!) nationwide.

FOUNDER/CEO- SIX DEGREES SOCIETY

Emily, also lovingly referred to as "20 questions" has always loved figuring out people's stories. After 7+ years in the Retail world specializing in Events & Marketing working at Ralph Lauren, Club Monaco, Tory Burch and INTERMIX. She decided to focus on connecting others and empowering women through curated connections and created Six Degrees Society, a women’s focused networking organization that’s grown throughout 10 markets. In her free time, you can find her exploring new restaurants, drinking bold bottles of wine, taking early morning workout classes, planning her next trip or playing the name game. Follow her adventures at @emerrell09.

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
HARMONY 4 HOPE

As the Founder of Harmony4Hope (H4H), a Chicago based nonprofit charity organization, Kerry combines her passion for working with children and love of music to shine the spotlight on Rare Disease. Through the power of music, the mission of H4H is to fuel scientific discoveries in Rare Disease, educate future physicians and uplift affected children with gifts of music and music therapy.
 
Kerry began her journey in Rare Disease Activism as a spokeswoman for The Hope 4 Bridget Foundation, which exists to advance research to find a cure for Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses, more commonly known as Batten Disease. Bridget, the daughter of Kerry’s close friend, inspired her to make a difference in the lives of those facing the challenges of living with rare disease. After years of advocating and fundraising for this cause, Harmony4Hope was established in 2014 as result of this passion.
 
Kerry is an alumna of Marquette University where her philanthropic work had its beginnings. An accomplished educator holding a Master’s Degree in Reading Instruction, Kerry tutors young children experiencing literacy challenges. She is a community activist, volunteering her time to teach art history and appreciation to children, comforting sick children in local hospitals & coordinating community outreach initiatives such as school supply drives, are some of Kerry’s passions for giving. When she is not volunteering, Kerry enjoys spending quality time with her husband, two children and her Golden Retriever, Lily.

FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Alexandra Leigh is the Creative Director & Founder of ALX Creatives - a full-service, strategically-driven creative digital agency.  Fueled by opportunity, creativity, community and coffee, she has spent over a decade helping companies find their voice and build their brand from the ground up. 
 

Alexandra Leigh and her team of talented specialists bring to brands an integrated, holistic approach.  By empowering her clients to find their own vision, she helps their big ideas become one powerful story across multiple platforms. 
 

Before founding ALX, Alexandra Leigh was the Creative Director at Elite Brands by ways of a successful career in fashion and editorial photography. The agency is headquartered in New York City  and recently expanded to Chicago. Alexandra Leigh and Louis, her 4 year old French Bull Dog, split their time between the two cities.