Sara is the Head of Ecosystem Solutions based in Next Street’s Chicago office. She leads the lifecycle of small business ecosystem building – from assessment to implementation to collective impact and coordination, work Next Street has done in 30+ markets across the U.S.
For nearly twenty years, Sara has partnered with small business owners, government officials and community & institutional stakeholders in economic development, policy, and non-profit leadership. She has served as the Executive Director for chambers of commerce in Chicago’s Uptown and Andersonville communities as well as Pittsburgh’s Strip District and lead economic development and communications for the 48th Ward, City of Chicago.
Sara has served on the City of Chicago’s Retail and Accessibility Task Force, the Mayor’s COVID-19 Reopening Task Force, as a board member for Local First Chicago and Care for Real, and as the 10th District representative for the Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues. Sara holds a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and minor in Italian from the University of Pittsburgh and a Mindful Leadership certificate from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Executive Education.
