Over 350 CWIP members and friends gathered for the CWIP Annual Luncheon on Tuesday, March 7, at the Marriott Hotel Downtown. We honored the incomparable Liz Thompson, President of the Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education (The CAFÉ Group). Musical performer Keya Trammell kicked off the lively celebration during the networking reception while guests snapped selfies. The excitement of our members to gather and see one another was palpable!During the lunch, CWIP’s new board co-chairs Clare Butterfield and Lindsey Moorman detailed CWIP’s vision for the coming year, and mentors and mentees from both the Women’s and Girls’ Leadership Mentoring Programs shared their experiences. Representing different ages, life stages and career-paths, the common themes of support, mutual learning and the importance of sisterhood came through in each speakers’ story. Nonprofit Braven was spotlighted by Liz Thompson for its key work in closing the education-to-employment gap. Guests were delighted by the fireside chat between Liz Thompson and her friend and Honorary Co-Chair Na’ilah Suad Nasir, President of the Spencer Foundation. In her trademark sneakers, Liz discussed her non-traditional path to becoming a leader in philanthropy and the family and mentors that supported her. Liz and Na’ilah elevated the importance of leading with radical love and mentoring the next generation. Liz detailed the CAFÉ Group’ efforts to support the visions and dreams of Black leaders while diversifying philanthropy to create a more inclusive sector. The audience responded strongly when the two discussed the importance of funders sharing their “No’s with a comma” and providing connections for organizations even if they decline support. The conversation was rich in laughter and welcomed the audience into the pair’s decades-long friendship. The entire fireside chat is available here. The spirit and energy our community brought to that room was incredible. The event raised more than $105,0000 to support CWIP’s programs to empower women and girls in Chicago.
As President of The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group (The CAFE Group), Elizabeth Thompson is deeply engaged in the nonprofit and philanthropic community in education, Black philanthropy, and youth and professional development. The CAFE Group's programs focus on college access and success, and career attainment, beginning in high school. Liz is the Co-Founder of the 1954 Project, a $100 million philanthropic initiative of The CAFE Group focused on embracing Black leadership in the education sector to fulfill the promise of equal education for ALL.
Liz began working with nonprofits in 1993 as founding Executive Director of City Year Chicago, a national service organization that was the AmeriCorps Program template. Then in 1995, Liz served as Executive Director of Family Star Montessori School in Denver, where she led a multi-million-dollar expansion of their Early Head Start program. In 1998, she became active with nonprofit boards in the San Diego area, which further fueled her interest in philanthropy and education. Before following her passion in the nonprofit sector, Liz had a successful ten-year career with Ameritech Corporation after having received an Electrical Engineering degree from Purdue University.
In addition to her commitment to serving Chicago’s students, professionals, and communities, Liz and her husband, Don Thompson, are co-founders of Cleveland Avenue, an investment company that provides financial resources, expertise, and individual support to entrepreneurs to grow and scale their businesses. Their collective work has been recognized from numerous organizations, most recently through the naming of the Don and Liz Thompson Minority Engineering Program at Purdue University, by World Business Chicago through their Corporate Ambassador Award and by Loyola University Chicago's Baumhart Center through their Innovator Award for Social Impact.
Liz is currently a Director of the Lamar Advertising Corporation and Director and Co-Chair of the Governance Committee for Chicago Public Media/WBEZ. She is a National Director for Braven and Chairman of Braven's Chicago Board. She serves as a Director for the Partnership for College Completion and Special Advisor to OneGoal.
Liz is an alumnus of the Nonprofit Leadership Program of Denver and Leadership Greater Chicago, where she served on the Board for ten years. Liz is a past Trustee of the University of Chicago, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Liz is a Fellow of the Aspen Institute Global Leaders Pahara Education Program. She has received Chicago Public Media's Amplifier Award, YWCA Chicago's Community Leadership Award, Outstanding Community Leader Award from The Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Dream Builders Award from the Chicago Child Care Society, and the John J. Dugan Award from OneGoal. She was featured in Make It Better Magazine as one of Chicago’s Top Black Women of Impact. She has appeared as a keynote speaker at the Grantmaker's For Education Conference, The Walton Family Foundation, the National Center on Family Philanthropy, the Forefront Annual Luncheon, the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, and the Chicago Venture Summit.
Liz has been married to Don for 34 years and they have two adult children, one incredible Labradoodle and an adorable Boston Terrier grand puppy.
How a love of education shaped her philanthropic giving
Inspired by teachers and the altruism in her childhood Cabrini-Green community, Liz Thompson came to embrace a broader vision of philanthropy.
Click here to view the full Crain's Chicago Business article featuring Liz Thompson.
Na’ilah Suad Nasir is the sixth President of the Spencer Foundation, which funds education research nationally. Prior to joining Spencer, she held a faculty appointment in Education and African American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley where she also served as the chair of African American Studies, then later as the Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion. She also served on the Faculty of the Stanford Graduate School of Education.
Nasir’s research examines the racialized and cultural nature of learning and schooling, with a particular focus on the experiences of African American students in schools and communities. She recently co-edited The Handbook of the Cultural Foundations of Learning (Routledge) and We Dare Say Love: Supporting Achievement in the Educational Life of Black Boys. She is also the author of Racialized Identities: Race and achievement for African-American youth, published by the Stanford University Press in 2012. Nasir is a member of the National Academy of Education and a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. She formerly served as President of the American Educational Research Association (2021-2022).
Braven closes the education-to-employment gap. Braven received a Luminary Award from the 1954 Project. The 1954 Project's flexible financial commitment and suite of supports allows leaders to maintain their focus on driving innovation, improving student outcomes, and creating lasting systemic change.
