Tag: hyde park chicago

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Interview with Diane Burnham – Executive Director of the South East Chicago Commission (SECC)

Diane Burnham – Executive Director of the South East Chicago Commission (SECC) | Photo Credit: Diane Burnham

By Charles Mombo

Meet Diane Burnham. Diane is the executive director of the South East Chicago Commission (SECC). As the commissioner, she oversees and recommend the annual services, budget and Service Provider Agency to the city. She started in the fall of 2013 and was initially hired as a program manager over community development.  She started before the existence of the Special Service Area (SSA) #61 and the downtown Hyde Park brand. Continue reading “Interview with Diane Burnham – Executive Director of the South East Chicago Commission (SECC)”

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Interview with Executive chef Marco Bahena – BARDAVID Restaurant

Executive chef Marco Bahena/Photographed by Charles Mombo/ Surge Synergy, Inc.

By Charles Mombo

Meet Marco Bahena. Marco is the executive chef at BARDAVID Restaurant. A Chicago native, Marco is a graduate of the School of Culinary Arts at Chicago’s Kendall College. He previously worked at Martín Berasategui, a 3-Michelin star restaurant in the Basque region of Northern Spain. Continue reading “Interview with Executive chef Marco Bahena – BARDAVID Restaurant”

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YogaSix Hyde Park – An Interview With Studio Owners

YogaSix Hyde Park co-owners Sharon Calhoun Norman and Crystal Pinkston

By Charles Mombo


I had the opportunity to sit and talk with the co-owners of YogaSix Hyde Park, Hyde Park’s newest yoga studio. Crystal Pinkston and Sharon Calhoun Norman are very excited to welcome the community to their studio. Beyond the body-heart-mind components of yoga, they’re very focused on bringing diversity and inclusivity to their yoga space. Continue reading “YogaSix Hyde Park – An Interview With Studio Owners”

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Master Barber Robert Leaks owner M.L.S Grooming

Robert Leaks M.L.S. Grooming

Meet Robert Leaks. Robert is a Chicago native, a husband, the father of three sons, a barber stylist, an educator and an entrepreneur who is passionate about his work. His barbershop wall is lined with BARBICIDE® course certificates proving his dedication to the controlled of linfection in his barbershop. Robert also believes that education and mentoring are essential for the growth and development of our future generation. Continue reading “Master Barber Robert Leaks owner M.L.S Grooming”

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Keisha Howard: An entrepreneur, video gamer, and a futurist

Keisha Howard: An entrepreneur, video gamer, and a futurist

Meet Keisha Howard. Keisha is a ‘geek of all trades,’ as her friends referred to her. She’s an entrepreneur, video gamer, and a futurist. Keisha is the founder of Sugar Gamers, a tech advocacy organization that focuses on video games and geek culture. Keisha is also the Market Development Manager for HTC VIVE (Virtual Reality System). Continue reading “Keisha Howard: An entrepreneur, video gamer, and a futurist”