Gloria Castillo is the director of We Rise Together, a multi-faceted initiative of The Chicago Community Trust to ensure the Chicago region’s equitable recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. Castillo is the former president and CEO of Chicago United, a corporate membership organization that advances multiracial leadership in business to achieve parity in economic opportunity for people of color. She is a pioneering advocate for diversity, inclusion and justice through the lens of business strategy. Numerous organizations have recognized Castillo’s work, including an honorary doctorate in social justice from Roosevelt University in 2017 and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Award in 2018. Highly regarded as an active and outspoken inclusion advocate in Chicago’s business community, Castillo has served on numerous boards and commissions. Currently, she serves as chairman of the Field Foundation Board of Trustees and director of Mather.
Jeromé (pronounced Jeremy) joins the Trust as campaign fundraising manager after spending several years as the executive director of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois. Before that, Jeromé was an associate director with CCS Fundraising and was the assistant to the deputy chief of staff in Governor Pat Quinn’s office. He is currently co-chair of AFP Chicago LGBTQ+ Affinity Group, the board chair of YNPN Chicago, and was listed among Crain’s Notable LGBTQ Executives in 2020. He has a bachelor's in Communications from Alabama State University and an MPA in non-profit management from the University of Illinois at Springfield.
Christen Wiggins comes to philanthropy with over 20 years of experience working with and for non-profits in the fields of community development and affordable housing. She began her career on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee and worked on policy and advocacy for Habitat for Humanity International and Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago. She ran an independent consulting firm dedicated to helping non-profits translate their vision for change into actional plans for over a decade. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia and holds a master's in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.
Xiao “Lin” Mei is the impact coordinator of We Rise Together. She recently graduated from the University of Illinois with a background in Asian American Studies and Adult Development. In 2014, Mei participated as a student representative on the steering committee of Generation All, an initiative to revitalize neighborhood high schools. She interned at The Chicago Community Trust for Generation All in high school and then again after graduating from university. Mei has been recognized for her work in the community as an Education Change-Maker by Mikva Challenge and Youth Who Excels by the Asian American Coalition of Chicago. Born in Guangzhou, China, she speaks four languages: English, Toishanese, Cantonese and Mandarin.
