Lisa Nigro shared the amazing story of the Inspiration Café with William Blair & Company’s Women’s Leadership Forum earlier this month.
At the May 3 event, Ms. Nigro discussed the events that inspired her to quit her job as a police officer so she could focus full-time on serving the homeless residents of Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Starting with a vision and a red wagon full of sandwiches, Ms. Nigro has turned her dream into a $5 million organization that today serves more than 3,000 individuals and families each year. In 2010 she received the Presidential Citizens Medal, which is the second-highest award given to U.S. civilians.
“You can’t wait for the perfect time to get something done. You just have to do it,” Ms. Nigro told the audience at Chicago’s Peninsula Hotel. “It happens when you have the vision, the power, and the energy to move something forward.”
William Blair’s Women’s Leadership Forum brings influential women together to engage in a dialogue on issues relating to professional, financial, and personal growth. Previous keynote speakers have included Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, financial columnist Terry Savage, and Dr. Nanette Rumsey of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
For more information about the Women’s Leadership Forum, please contact us at pwm@williamblair.com.