Lisa is a co-founder and board chair of WIND. After a corporate career in finance and marketing, Lisa found her calling in the nonprofit arena where she advises local organizations in fundraising and marketing. She has BS and MBA degrees in Finance from Fordham and New York University respectively. Lisa’s passion for social justice, with a focus on helping women and families build stronger futures, led her to create WIND with her talented group of co-founders.
Tracy is a co-founder and vice chair of the board. Tracy leads a family homeless shelter agency. She has a Master’s degree in psychology and is a Community Psychology doctoral student doing research on homeless families and the barriers faced by homeless mothers released from incarceration. Tracy has a passion for working with at-risk vulnerable populations and has a heart of service for mothers.
Kelly is a co-founder of WIND. She helps with programming and leads the volunteer program, collaborating with others to bring the best possible experiences to the women who receive WIND services. With over 25 years of experience in teaching and consulting in design and innovation, she has shifted her focus to mission-driven organizations and nonprofits. Kelly splits her time between running her own design consultancy, Panorama Innovation, and teaching at Northwestern University and at the Institute of Design at IIT in Chicago.
Penny is a founding board member of WIND. She was also a long-time faculty member and associate director of the Cook Family Writing Program at Northwestern University. Penny designed and taught a variety of courses in writing, engineering design communication, and project management. Her first-year seminars, like her volunteer work, focused on inequities in the criminal justice system and ways to help formerly incarcerated women return to their communities. Hirsch did her undergraduate study at Wellesley College and the University of Michigan, received her PhD from Northwestern University, and was a founding member of Communication Partners, a Chicago-area communication consulting firm.She is delighted to be a board member of WIND.
Margaret Knell serves as WIND’s secretary and focuses on governance. She has over 25 years of experience in not-for-profit and association management, with a focus in governance and legal operations. Margaret holds a BA in Communications and Business from John Carroll University; an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management; and an MS, Information Technology and Privacy Law, with Honors from The John Marshall Law School, Chicago. Margaret believes strongly in mentoring other women and giving back to her community and feels fortunate to be able to do so by participation on the WIND Board.
Laura joined the faculty of the Cook Family Writing Program in the fall of 2022 as Assistant Professor. She holds a PhD in Rhetoric and Scientific & Technical Communication with a doctoral minor in Bioethics from the University of Minnesota. Laura trained as a mechanical engineer, with a BS in Mechanical Engineering with a Bioengineering Option from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Additionally, She holds Affiliate Faculty status in the School of Nursing, University of Minnesota and Affiliate Faculty, Center for Community Health Equity, DePaul University/Rush University.
Honor Teoudoussia is an Executive Editor at National Geographic Learning. For 25 years, she has developed language and literacy programs for K-12 students. Honor did her undergraduate work at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago and at University of Montana. She then joined the Peace Corps and served as an English teacher for three years in Cameroon. She holds an MFA in Writing and Rhetoric from DePaul, and she is currently working on a second MFA in Writing at Northwestern. Honor is an aspiring writer who writes a blog about travel and the body. She loves helping others find the transformative power of writing, which is why she volunteers with WIND, co-leading the Writing for Empowerment course.
“My name is Queen Brown and I am an alumnus of the Grace House, with 11 years of sobriety. WIND had a workshop at the Women’s Justice Institute and that’s when I started participating as a co-facilitator, with workshops like Money Matters with Byline Bank, Writing for Empowerment, and corresponding with Cook County Department of Corrections. I have been attending their workshops for the past year and a half. I am writing a book called “A Cry for Help” and WIND has been very supportive in all areas as I continue my journey.”
“My name is Latrice Johnson since working with WIND I’ve participated at Columbia College in a workshop with the students. I’ve also had the opportunity to do writing on several occasions, with the Cook County Department of Corrections (CCDOC) writing program. Recently, I’ve done a couple of in-person groups at Grace House and I’ve facilitated. Both have been wonderful and amazing. Looking forward to new areas, learning, and assisting even more women.”
“My name is Ana Navaro. I joined WIND because I want to be able to help and guide women who have gone through difficult times like I have. I believe a good support system and guidance are one of the keys to succeeding in this world again.”
Inspiring women with a history of incarceration or at risk of incarceration to design a thriving life journey using newly learned tools and strategies for success.
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