http://chicagobusiness.com/section/takes-names http://www.chicagobusiness.com en-us Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:06:44 EST 10 http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130617/BLOGS03/130619825/for-bill-rudnicks-25-years-with-food-banks-a-surprise?utm_source=BLOGS03&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chicagobusiness 20130617/BLOGS03/130619825 Bill Rudnick's support. So it was only proper that they honor him for his involvement.

But instead of a grand dinner with a head table and timed speeches, they threw him a surprise party.

The event was held last week at Farmhouse Chicago in River North.

Mr. Rudnick thought he was attending a board meeting for the Global FoodBanking Network. He's a board member and former board chairman of the Chicago-based organization that helps set up food banks in developing countries.

But when arrived, he saw key players from other food-bank organizations and from DLA Piper LLP, where he's a partner.

“When I saw Lee Miller, DLA Piper's global chairman, and Lisa Dewey, who's the firm's pro bono partner and based in D.C., they were out of context,” Mr. Rudnick told me. “There were two (food-banking) people from Cleveland and north Texas. There's no reason in the world they should be there. And then I saw my wife (Lisa Walker). She hadn't planned on going, so then I realized something was up.”

Attendees included Kate Maehr, CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository; Jeff Klein, president and CEO of the Global FoodBanking Network; and Matt Knott, CEO of Feeding America.

After the crowd yelled “surprise!” and Mr. Rudnick savored a big glass of scotch, they roasted him and sang his praises.

He says his friends knew better than to try to plan a dinner around the honors. "I would have pushed back" at the thought, he says.

Mr. Rudnick might have missed the surprise party, too, if it weren't for his wife.

He had been in meetings all day and wasn't relishing the thought of attending the board dinner. “My wife said in the calmest, easiest way, 'Why not go to the cocktail hour and then you can leave?' " It was so well-done on her part.“

Mr. Rudnick says the surprise beat out a big fancy dinner party any day.

“This was intimate and it was about the work we all are doing,” he said. “It was much more meaningful.”]]> Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130614/BLOGS03/130619854/diane-primo-lisa-madigan-unfazed-by-luncheon-glitch?utm_source=BLOGS03&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chicagobusiness 20130614/BLOGS03/130619854 This story has been updated since it was first published.

Fifteen minutes before Diane Primo was to keynote the Rotary Club of Chicago's annual Woman of the Year luncheon earlier this week, organizers realized Abe Thompson, who was to introduce Ms. Primo, hadn't shown up.

“We were waiting and waiting and he wasn't there,” said Rotary President Lisa Russ, who was a bit frazzled at the thought of having to ad lib the introduction before a crowd of 260.

Learning of the program dilemma, Ms. Primo, founder and chairman of marketing company IntraLink Global, turned to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, one of the honorees, and asked if she could make the introductions instead.

As it turns out, Ms. Primo actually meant for Lisa Skolnik, who she works with, to do the introduction. Neither Ms. Russ nor Ms. Madigan realized that.

“Diane was so graceful about it and Lisa (Madigan) didn't miss a beat and said she'd do it. They were completely unflustered,” said Ms. Russ, who didn't like the idea of having to “make guests work” the stage.

All her worries were for naught, however, as Mr. Thompson, a partner at Captivate Marketing, showed up in time to make the introductions.

Also honored at the Wednesday event at the Union League Club were Victoria Brander, who co-founded Operation Walk Chicago, which provides free hip and knee replacements to patients in under-served communities, and Patricia Jahn, a longtime supporter of the Chicago 502, an organization that supports soldiers and families of the 502 Airborne Infantry Regiment.]]> Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130614/BLOGS03/130619830/andretti-sting-dine-and-stretch-like-the-rest-of-us?utm_source=BLOGS03&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chicagobusiness 20130614/BLOGS03/130619830
Racing legend Mario Andretti dined at Chicago Prime Steakhouse on Thursday with business associates.

George Kalkounos, owner of the Schaumburg restaurant, fussed over Mr. Andretti like a good Greek mom, serving family specialties, including a Greek yogurt made from a 100-year-old recipe from Greece.

Andy-John Kalkounos, the restaurant's managing partner, says the visit was special for him because he's hit close to 20 Indy 500 races over the years and was pleased to find the race-car driver “personable and friendly.”

It was more low-key when Sting mingled with regular folks in Chicago.

After playing two weekend shows at Ravinia, he visited a Lincoln Park yoga class Sunday at Yogaview, which also has studios in Wicker Park and Wilmette.

He took a level two class taught by instructor Geri Bleier.]]> Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130614/BLOGS03/130619853/weekend-agenda-leslie-lancry-of-language-stars?utm_source=BLOGS03&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chicagobusiness 20130614/BLOGS03/130619853 Leslie Lancry, founder and CEO of Language Stars LLC, this weekend. She lived there for a few years and her husband, Ouriel Lancry, a Bain Capital consultant, is a native of France.

Here's what she has planned.

Saturday

7 a.m. A 30-minute run and then back to make crepes for her son and daughter and her daughter's two friends who are sleeping over.

Noon A mother-daughter lunch at Floriole Cafe & Bakery in Lincoln Park, where she and her family live. The French restaurant is a favorite, especially for its tartine, or open-faced sandwich.

1 p.m. Shopping along the Armitage/Halsted corridor to buy a birthday gift for her daughter, who is turning 12.

4 p.m. After taking her daughter to a sleepover, it's time to shop for her son, 14, who is heading to Europe for the summer as part of an exchange program. “We have to find a swimming cap. They wear them in France. It's one thing the kids hate about French culture.”

7 p.m. Bike ride with her son before he heads to a sleepover.

8 p.m. The Lancrys will attend an adults potluck dinner with parents from Lycee Francais de Chicago, which their children attended when they were younger.

Sunday

10 a.m. Family game of squash or tennis at the free courts at Oz Park or, if they're full, at Lakeshore Sport & Fitness on Fullerton Avenue.

Noon Father's Day picnic and a bike ride or hike. Debating on driving to the Indiana or Michigan dunes or to the northern suburbs.

5 p.m. Cooking couscous. “We always try to make something international” for Sunday dinner, Ms. Lancry says.]]> Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:00:00 EST http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130613/BLOGS03/130619883/jpmorgan-vp-golfs-for-charity-100-holes-at-a-time?utm_source=BLOGS03&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chicagobusiness 20130613/BLOGS03/130619883 Jim Colton's ultimate golf adventure begins Monday, when he'll walk 100-plus holes a day at four top-tier golf courses, all within two and a half weeks and all for charity.

The senior vice president at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in Chicago is founder of Hundred Hole Hike, a website that connects golfers to charity donors.

Like a walk-a-thon, a golfer taking a Hundred Hole Hike gets pledges for playing 100 holes, or about six rounds of golf, in one day. Bonus donations kick in for a birdie or an eagle.

The idea started three years ago, when Mr. Colton was golfing at Ballyneal, a walking-only course in Colorado. Ben Cox, a caddy there, recently had been paralyzed in a skiing accident.

“I had a good relationship with the caddies so I came up with this crazy plan to walk what I thought was 108 holes to raise money for Ben and his family,” said Mr. Colton, who has a 4 handicap and posts to wegoblogger31.com, a popular golf blog.

He emailed 40 or 50 friends for donations, figuring he'd raise a few thousand dollars. But the donations skyrocketed to $110,000. Mr. Colton finished 155 holes that day, and Hundred Hole Hike was born.

“After that, I thought, instead of one guy walking a bunch of holes for one guy on one day, why not get a bunch of people doing it,” Mr. Colton said.

Golfers can choose the charitable causes they want to golf for, and Mr. Colton's organization gives them the social media tools to do the fundraising. (Here's another story on high-tech gear for golfing.)

A quick look on the web page and you'll see Clint Squier, vice president at First Community Bank & Trust in Chicago, is golfing June 17 for the Evans Scholars Foundation, which offers college scholarships to caddies. And Neil Johnston, of Atlas Financial Holdings Inc., is golfing for Misericordia.

“I've played golf all my life and it can be a selfish endeavor if you want it to be,” the 39-year-old Mr. Colton said. “At the end of the day you can make friends but you're not making an impact except for yourself. To take something your passionate about and impact other people's lives, it's been eye-opening for me.”

Over the past three years the Hundred Hole Hike has raised nearly $600,000 for nonprofits nationwide.

Mr. Colton's four-course adventure starts Monday at Pinehurst Golf Course in North Carolina. June 24, he'll be at Ballyneal; July 1 at Cabot Links in Canada; and July 4 at St. Andrews in Scotland.

He'll be golfing for the Solich Caddie and Leadership Academy in Denver and the Western Golf Association's Evans Scholars Foundation.]]> Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST