Click/Hover on Speaker Photo for Bio and Contact Info
Everett
Gutierrez
Everett Gutierrez is a respected leader, entrepreneur, and speaker working with various groups and organizations to inspire change. He is also the award winning author of Chosen: A Call to Leading with Purpose. Everett holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Advertising along with a degree in Organizational Leadership and Development from Loyola University Chicago. Everett also holds a Masters in Nonprofit Management from North Park University and an Executive Masters of Leadership degree from Georgetown University.
In leaving a legacy, Everett has worked with teams and agencies throughout the United States, South Africa, Europe, and Canada with a passion for developing people through leadership enrichment programs. He is qualified with more than 15 years of award-winning achievements in delivering workshops, writing curriculum, managing teams, and creating processes for diverse audiences. Additionally, Everett possesses a wealth of extensive knowledge of varying business practices as an adjunct professor at North Park University.
Aasha
Francis
Aasha Francis is a wife, artist and most importantly minister of the gospel. Upon her conversion and baptism in the Christian faith she became a disciple and student of the bible. As a member of New Life Community Church in Bridgeport under the leadership of Pastor Luke Dudenhofer, Aasha is a part of a local small group community in Englewood and board member of Urban Youth and Family Outreach, a non-profit organization that seeks to bring restoration through proclamation.
Aasha formed a collective with fellow believers to bring evangelism and discipleship training to churches in Chicago and beyond and uses her music, poetry and songwriting to glorify the name of Jesus. As a native of the Englewood neighborhood and aware of the transforming power of Jesus Christ, Aasha seeks to see her community impacted by the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20.
Sofia
Gonzalez
Sofia Gonzalez is a high school AP English teacher for Morton East High School, College professor, and published author from Illinois. She has been in the field of education for over ten years and has a deep passion for students who are disadvantaged. She also educates and empowers future teachers in an online teacher preparation program called Teach-Now where she believes teachers need as much empowerment as students. She currently instructs a course with Teach-Now titled, Managing the Learning Environment, which covers topics like inclusivity, diversity, social-emotional learning, and creating safe classrooms for all students. She was awarded Claes Nobel Teacher of the Year with National Society of High School Scholars 2019 and 2020. She obtained two master’s degrees, one from the University of Phoenix in Secondary Education, and St. Xavier University in Reading instruction.
Sofia has also traveled nationally and internationally as a public and sought-after speaker covering a plethora of inspirational topics to influence and empower students, educators, and communities.
Chuck
Colegrove
Chuck Colegrove moved to Oak Park in 2012. He and his wife, Urshana, founded Free Church following a vision that God stirred in their hearts for a life-giving church representing the unique and vast diversity of Oak Park and the surrounding area. Pastor Chuck loves speaking to and influencing leaders, coaching pastors, running marathons, and climbing the occasional mountain. They have four boys-- Ethan, Elliot, Evan and Eli.
Dr. Eric
Rivera
Eric is the Lead Pastor at The Brook, a multiethnic church in Chicago that he and his team planted in 2013. Eric is passionate for mobilizing the church to be on mission in an urban context. He has a B.A. in Bible Theology from Moody Bible Institute, M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a Ph.D. in Historical Theology at Trinity. He is the author of “Christ is Yours: The Assurance of Salvation in the Puritan Theology of William Gouge” (Lexham 2019).
He married his best friend Erikah in 2003 and together are parents to three children. In addition to serving at The Brook, Eric and Erikah are on the national speaker team for FamilyLife’s Weekend To Remember marriage getaways and contributors to FamilyLife's The Art of Parenting video series.
Tracey
Kearney
Tracey Kearney works as a Clinical Mental Health therapist in West Humboldt Park where she specializes in working with those who have experienced significant trauma. She lives in West Humboldt with her husband and has been actively involved with their church and ministry work in the neighborhood for roughly 8 years. Tracey is originally from Michigan, loves to escape to nature when she can, is passionate about providing mental health resources and support to marginalized people groups, and enjoys using art as a way of communication, therapeutic expression, worship, and healing.
Norma
Serrano-Williams
Norma is an award winning Entrepreneur, Tedx Speaker, Contractor, Society of Innovators Member, Mentor, Creator, Painter, Transformer, Mother. Her passion is simple: Love her hurting Sisters and help them through love, training, and connections. Through nine years of training, her company, Excellence by Design has offered women a transitional career while creating resources to help them launch their own based on their passions. In the meantime, she has created a viable, growing and prospering paint contracting business in the local and outlining communities. Norma believes that when you positively impact a woman, you change the dynamic of her whole family, and healthy women change communities.
Oscar
Sotelo
Oscar’s life mission is rooted in the Great Commission of Jesus Christ: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..." His passion is to catalyze disciple-making movements for local Gospel-centered churches. He is currently a student of theology at Moody Bible Institute graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in the spring of 2021. His current position in ministry is Elder and Ministry Leader at New Life Community Church in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, where he and his wife have been serving for eight years. He has experience in speaking, teaching, and preaching in church settings. His professional experience includes a decade in hospitality management and operations.
Oscar is currently involved in two cohorts focusing on microchurch movements, which he is very passionate about. His dream is to continue learning about launching businesses in hospitality and real estate and to inspire and empower others to be all that God has called them to be.
Kimmi
Hart
Pastor Kimmi Hart is a fearless leader who challenges her peers, members and community to possess the kingdom of God and all that comes with it. She is the wife of Pastor Josh Hart and proudly serves at his side. Kimmi is dedicated to creating a culture of love, grace, and servitude as an advocate for mental health and cultural competency. She recently graduated with her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is also a mother to three wonderful children, Aivah, Carson and Remi. The Hart family is committed to developing and discipling broken people, enhancing community through outreach, and promoting and living wholly healthy lives.
CW
Allen
CW Allen was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio where he grew up listening to Hip Hop music and fell in love with heart pounding drums and bass lines. He began rapping his senior year of high school and never looked back. By that time he had already fallen deeply in love with God and His word so his music was just an expression of his heart and surroundings. He currently resides on Chicago’s Southside where CW also works as the program director for Sunshine Gospel Ministries’ BridgeBuilders program.
Now in year 15 of his musical journey CW has finished first book and latest album entitled CATALYST. CW has had the privilege to share all over the country in bars, schools, camps, and
conferences opening for Artists such as Cannon, Da Truth, Sean C. Johnson, Shopé, This’l, and the Legendary Curtis Blow.
Jamal
Hegwood
Pastor Jamal Hegwood is the author of The Miracle of Misfortune and Your Money Matters as well as being a renowned speaker, trainer, and entrepreneur. Jamal's known for his passion, honesty, and dedication to seeing people succeed and become bigger and better in life. Jamal is not only an author and entrepreneur but also serves as a Youth Pastor alongside his wife, a mentor to students in local schools and a trainer of educators within the greater Chicagoland area. With over 8 years of experience in leadership training and development, Jamal is committed to providing cutting edge ways to get the most and best out of everyone he encounters. His passion is the Gospel and helping everyone become everything they were created to be.
CHOSEN SPEAKERS
Josh
Moran
A ministry and business leader, Joshua Moran has a vast amount of experience serving the church in vocational and volunteer roles over the last 22 years. Currently, Joshua owns and operates an audiovisual engineering firm that designs and installs commercial, education and government AV projects. With years of experience in ministry (youth, creative, teaching, and administrative), marketing, business administration and serving in the United States Air Force, Joshua provides a unique perspective on Christian living.
Josh enjoys running marathons with Team World Vision and raising awareness about clean water opportunities. He and his wife Heather are married over 20 years and have 4 children. Joshua is known for diving deep and telling a compelling story, but most importantly, he desires to make a lasting impact with each adventure in life.
Rev. Ayanna
Solomon
Rev. Ayanna Solomon is Founder and President of Jesus in the City | Festival of Praise International, sponsor of the Annual Jesus in the City Parade in Toronto, Canada.
Born in Toronto, Ayanna has ministered internationally throughout the Caribbean, South America and Africa.
Immediately after graduating from Bible College, she established a Bible Institute in the West Indies where she worked as a missionary for three years. In 1999 she founded Festival of Praise International and organized the Annual Jesus in the City Parade in downtown Toronto.
She has served as Worship Pastor in churches in Toronto, St. Kittss and Atlanta. Her vision is to network with churches and organizations to advance the Kingdom of God by communicating the Word of God through music, the arts and culture and by training and mobilizing individuals to reach their full potential and purpose.