The Chicagoland Guide

Latest Episodes:

Kevin Francis-JaHbat FC Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

This week on, “Inside the Skev,” we sit down with Kevin Francis from JaHbat F.C. JaHbat FC is a non-profit 501(c)(3), community-based organization, committed to the development and advancement of youth soccer in the Chicagoland, Northshore and West Suburb area. Jahbat F.C. was founded in 1996 by Kevin Francis, Franz Calixte, and Jean Gregoire to address the need for a topflight mens Pro-Am soccer team in the Evanston and Rogers Park area. Jahbat F.C.stands for Jamaica America Haiti Belize Asia Trinidad, the cultural backgrounds of the teams first players.

In this episode we discuss the history of Jahbat, youth soccer, and Kevin’s story of immigrating to the United States from Jamaica as a teenager. We talk about the mission of the organization, and why soccer is so important to Kevin.

More information can be found here:

https://www.jahbatfc.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/jahbatfc/

Please share this episode and tag @jahbatfc @jahbatevanston #soccer #youthsoccer #evanstonsoccer #travelsoccer #immigrants #immigrantstory #jamaica #jamiacainevanston #insidetheskev

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. And if you have interest in buying or selling real estate, email me at aaron@skevanston.com or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

Khemarey Khoeun and Punisa Pov-Skokie Park District and the National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial Oct 16, 2019

Show notes

This week on, “Inside the Skev,” we sit down with Khemarey Khoeun and Punisa Pov. Khem is a Skokie Park District Commissioner, and the President of the National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial. Punisa is the Artist in Residence at the museum. In this episode we discuss Khem’s story of how and why she came to America, the museum, the history of Cambodia, Khem’s work at the Skokie Park District and the programing Punisa is running at the Museum.

More information can be found here:

National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial- https://www.cambodianmuseum.org/

Skokie Park District- https://www.skokieparks.org/

Coming Together- http://comingtogether.in/

Nisa Pov Official (Youtube)- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwzlV_lvyIzny5zFzuG1QSg

Please share this episode and tag @cambodianmuseum @skokieparkdistrict @skokieparks @friendsofkhem @khemareykhoen @punisapov #cambodia #cambodianculture #cambodianmusic #khmerrouge #vietnam #vietnamwar #skokie #skokieparkdistrict #skokieparks #refugees #immigrants

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

Juliana Taimoorazy-Iraqi Christian Relief Council and the Philos Project Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

This week on, “Inside the Skev,” we sit down with Juliana Taimoorazy. Juliana is the Founder and President of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council, a Senior Fellow at the Philos Project and a Skokie resident. We discuss what is currently happening in Iraq and Syria, Juliana’s journey from Iran to the United States and her connection to the Assyrian community in Skokie and Chicago.

The Iraqi Christian Relief Council exists to support, protect, and defend persecuted Assyrian, Syriacs, and Chaldean Christians in Iraq and other countries in the Middle East by providing emergency humanitarian aid, prayer support, and advocacy. Juliana started the organization in 2007. More information can be found on their website at https://www.iraqichristianrelief.org/

The Philos Project is a dynamic leadership community dedicated to promoting positive Christian engagement in the Middle East. This community is centered on a growing network of city-based chapters located in North America and around the world. More information can be found on their website at https://philosproject.org/

Juliana will be leading a prayer vigil for the people of Iraq and the Middle East on Wednesday October 9th at 6PM at Notre Dame High School at 7655 W Dempster Street, Niles, IL 60714.

Please share this episode and tag @Jtaimoorazy @iraqichristian @philosproject @StateDept @UNWatch @UN@UNHumanRights @PrevGenocide #iraq #iraqi #assyrian #skokie @USCIRF#help_iraq_now #help_iraq #saveiraq#iraqrevolution#standwithiraq #iraq #refugees

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

Sean Simpson-Lanzatech Oct 07, 2019

Show notes

This week on, “Inside the Skev,” we sit down with Sean Simpson, the co-founder of Lanzatech. LanzaTech is based in the Illinois Science and Technology Park that is located in Downtown Skokie. Lanzatech is a company that recycles carbon waste from steel mills and other carbon producers and turns it into fuel and chemical by-products. In this episode we discuss what brought Lanzatech from New Zealand to the Chicagoland area and specifically Skokie, and what they do.

“Lanzatech’s mission is to turn our global carbon crisis into a feedstock opportunity with the potential to displace 30% of crude oil use today and reduce global CO2 emissions by 10%. By recycling carbon from industrial off-gases; syngas generated from any biomass resource (e.g. municipal solid waste (MSW), organic industrial waste, agricultural waste); and reformed biogas, LanzaTech can reduce emissions and make new products for a circular carbon economy.

LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology is like retrofitting a brewery onto an emission source like a steel mill or a landfill site, but instead of using sugars and yeast to make beer, pollution is converted by bacteria to fuels and chemicals!” They currently have a commercial production facility in China, and in October 2018 fueled a Virgin Atlantic jetliner that flew from Orlando to London.

Lanzatech can be found at https://www.lanzatech.com/

Please share this episode and tag @lanzatech @downtownskokie @ istplifescience @intersectillinois @intersectillinois1 @CARGlobalCouncil @chicagocouncil #biorevolution #ClimateActionNow #bioeconomy@BioeconomyForum #cleanenergy #skokie #skokietech #insidetheskev #dreamtown #chicagobusiness #chicagotech @wsj @chicagotribune @crainschicago

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

Sam Glassenberg-Level Ex Oct 02, 2019

Show notes

This week on, “Inside the Skev,” we sit down with Sam Glassenberg from Level Ex. Sam is a Skevanston resident, and founder of Level Ex, which is a company that creates breathtaking video games for doctors that capture the challenges of practicing medicine: from puzzling diagnoses to rare surgical complications. Level Ex has been dubbed the, “Deep Dish Hotdog of Chicago Tech.”

In this episode we discuss Sam’s history in the video game industry, his current role as CEO and Founder of Level Ex, what Level Ex does, and his advice for people looking to get into the video game industry. We also discuss the grant Level Ex received from NASA to develop medical training for astronauts on their way to Mars.

Level Ex can be found at https://www.level-ex.com/ The current games available for download can be found Here:

Please share this episode and tag @samzg @levelexteam #levelex #medicaltraining #skevanston #videogames #virtualreality #vr #gaming #medicalgaming #airwayex #pulmex #gastroex #cardioex #chicagobusiness #chicagomedical @crainschicago @NASA #space #spacetravel #spacetraining #spacevr #spacelevelex #insidetheskev

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

Miriam Ament-No Shame on U Sep 23, 2019

Show notes

This week on, “Inside the Skev,” we sit down with Miriam Ament from No Shame on U. No Shame On U is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to eliminating the stigma associated with mental health conditions and raising awareness. Their goal is for the people who need help to seek it, for family members and friends to know how to provide proper support and to save lives.

In this episode we discuss why Miriam started the organization, and how it has successfully grown in since 2014. We also discussed the various programs No Shame on U runs to help people from various parts of the community cope with mental health conditions which can be found by clicking here. No Shame on U also participated in the Skokie 4th of July parade in 2019 to raise awareness.

No Shame on U’s upcoming major fundraising event centers on a celebrity and a local Skokie teenager who have coped with mental health issues. The reason for this is to raise awareness that mental health conditions affect us all, there is help available, and to raise funds for the organization. This year’s event features actor Sean Astin and is taking place on November 3, 2019. Please click here to sign up.

We discussed a conversation between Howard Stern and Conan O’Brien on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show’s in which they discuss the mental health conditions they have experienced and how they have gotten help. You can listen to a clip of this conversation on Youtube here.

Part of the conversation center around suicide prevention and its prevalence in society. For those who need help please call the National Suicide Prevention Crisis Line at 800-273-TALK (8255), or text 741741.

No Shame on U can be found online in the following places:

Web- http://www.noshameonu.org/

Instagram- @NoShameOnU

Facebook- @NoShameOnU

Twitter- @NoShameOnU

Please share this episode and tag #noshameonu #evanston #skevanston #skokie #mentalhealth @nshameonu #youarenotalone #socialanxiety

@seanastinpublic and #insidetheskev.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. I’d like to thank Industrious in Evanston for use of their space to record follow them on Instagram at @industriousevanston. And if you have interest in buying or selling real estate, email me at aaron@skevanston.com or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

Sketchbook Brewing Company Sep 16, 2019

Show notes

This week on, “Inside the Skev,” with Cesar Maron and Shawn Decker from Sketchbook Brewery. Sketchbook Brewery is located at 821 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, IL 60202 and are building a second facility at 4901 Main Street, Skokie, IL 60077. First opened to the public on November 15, 2014, Sketchbook has come a long way from its early days filling growlers from an alley. Fueled by fierce customer loyalty and a passion for brewing excellence, this Evanston success story is expanding its distribution of cans and kegs quickly.

Sketchbook Brewing Company is the brainchild of two home-brew heroes, Shawn Decker & Cesar Marron, who met through Evanston’s Homebrew Club – a mighty throng of beer enthusiasts. Cesar’s brewing skills have earned him a dozen medals, and he was the Samuel Adams Longshot American Homebrew Contest 2013 winner: his grätzer was selected from over 1,000 entries nationwide. Shawn brings a solid home-brewing practice to the partnership and decades of experience as a musician, artist, and teacher working on big projects where quality was important.

Sketchbook opened its Tap Room in April of 2016 at 821 Chicago Ave. in spring of 2016, and this intimate space has become a favorite with locals and beer connoisseurs. They recently held a Kickstarter to raise funds for an expansion of their facility and tap room, and more recently announced their expansion of a second brewery and tap room in Skokie.

We talk with Cesar and Shawn about their history and passion for beer, their incredible success in getting community buy-in, and the transformation of Chicago Avenue in Evanston. We discuss their success in business, and their hopes for the future.

Sketchbook Brewery can be found online in the following places:

Web- http://www.sketchbookbrewing.com/

Instagram- @sketchbookbrew

Facebook- @sketchbookbrew

Twitter-@Sketchbookbrew

Please share this episode, get some of their beer and tag #maindempstermile #evanston #skevanston #skokie #shopskokie #beer #brewery #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #illinoisbusiness #aaronmaslianskyrealestate and #insidetheskev.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. I’d like to thank Industrious in Evanston for use of their space to record follow them on Instagram at @industriousevanston. And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, email me at aaron@skevanston.com or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

David Sutton-Sutton Studios Sep 09, 2019

Show notes

This week on, “Inside the Skev,” we sit down with David Sutton from Sutton Studios. David has been a photographer for many years and specializes in taking square black and white photos of people and their pets. He is also a musician and writer. He is located in Skevanston at the corner of East Prairie Road and Church Street at 3417 Church Street Evanston, IL, 60203.

We talk with David about his relationship with animals, his road to becoming a photographer, his passion for the arts and creatives and story of how he got to Evanston. He talks about first being a freelance photographer and then finding his niche. He explains that the key to being successful is to continue to practice and improve. He also talks about the challenges for creatives in running a business.

David also discussed his philanthropy work. Over the course of twenty-five years Sutton Studios has helped raise over $1,000,000 for dozens of human and animal welfare agencies. This includes portrait sittings sold in auctions, and calendars.

Sutton Studios can be found online in the following places:

Web- https://www.suttonstudios.com
Instagram- @davidsuttonstudios
Facebook- @SuttonStudiosPortraits
LinkedIn- @suttonstudioss

Please share this episode and tag #photography #evanston #skevanston #skokie #adoptapet @pawschicago #aaronmaslianskyrealestate and #insidetheskev.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. I’d like to thank Industrious in Evanston for use of their space to record follow them on Instagram at @industriousevanston. And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, email me at aaron@skevanston.com or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

Elisabeth Foran-Industrious Aug 28, 2019

Show notes

This week on, “Inside the Skev,” we sit down with Elisabeth Foran, the community manager at the Industrious coworking space in Downtown Evanston. We talk about what coworking is, what Industrious offers and how Elisabeth got to this position.

Coworking is a flexible workspace where people from different industries can rent space, network and work independently. Coworking’s goals are to make people be more productive, have fun and work in a professional space. It has been dubbed as the future of work as many companies are now renting space in coworking spaces instead of leasing large amounts of concentrated real estate in one location in addition to independent business owners are choosing to work in coworking spaces instead of home offices.

Industrious is a premium coworking solution. It pairs thoughtfully designed spaces with hospitality-driven services and amenities. They have many events to help people meet, and they offer shared space and private office options. They now have 80 locations throughout the United States and are continuing to grow.

Elisabeth hails from the great state of Wisconsin and happily settled in Chicago after completing a Bachelor's degree in Music, English, and psychology at Lawrence University. In May of 2018, Elisabeth helped launch the Industrious Evanston location, and is now the community manager. Elisabeth talks about how great Industrious has been to meet people in a new area for her, and how she loves being part of the Evanston and Chicagoland community.

Industrious can be found online and on social media in the following places:

Instagram- @industriousevanston
Facebook- @IndustriousOffice
LinkedIn- @industrioushq
Twitter- @IndustriousHQ
Web- https://www.industriousoffice.com/
Blog- https://www.industriousoffice.com/blog

Please share this episode and tag Industrious, #coworking #downtownevanston. #aaronmaslianskyrealestate and #insidetheskev.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. I’d like to thank Industrious in Evanston for use of their space to record follow them on Instagram at @industriousevanston. And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, email me at aaron@skevanston.com or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

Nina Barrett-Bookends and Beginnings Aug 22, 2019

Show notes

This week on, “Inside the Skev,” we interview Nina Barrett the owner of Bookends and Beginnings. Bookends and Beginnings is an independent bookstore located in, “Bookman’s Alley,” located at 1712 Sherman Ave, Alley #1 Evanston, IL 60201. We discuss her ties to the store, why she became a bookstore owner, the book selling industry, her career in writing and her connection to Evanston. Her store is purpose driven in a personal way.

Bookends & Beginnings just celebrated its 5th birthday. The building used to house a different bookstore in it, and Nina did a story on it when she was in college at Northwestern University. It closed several years ago, and Nina opened up her store in 2014. She talks about her love of the space, and how she competes with Amazon and chain stores, and how she urges people to support independent bookstores.

Nina discusses the development that almost occurred on her location, and why she thinks it is so important for downtowns to have spaces like hers that offer lower rent in these areas. If you destroy all of the small independent shops, it can destroy the ecosystem of the neighborhood. She stresses the realities versus the fantasies of owning a small independent business and how lower rent is so important for her business to be viable.

Nina talks about how her store is so different than many other stores, and what things they do differently. She and the staff also hand curate all of the books. Bookends and Beginnings also has many events at the store, which can be found here: https://www.bookendsandbeginnings.com/event Some customers call it a speak easy for books where you have to know the password to get in so you can get drunk on the books, and it feels so much better than shopping at a chain store.

Bookends and Beginnings can also be found online at https://www.bookendsandbeginnings.com, on Instagram at @bookends_and_beginnings and Facebook at @bookendsbeginnings.

Please share this episode and tag Bookends and Beginnings, @IndieBound #shopindependent and #insidetheskev.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. I’d like to thank Industrious in Evanston for use of their space to record follow them on Instagram at @industriousevanston. And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, email me at aaron@skevanston.com or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Photo credit to Jeff Barrett for the photo of Nina Barrett.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.