When I first moved to Chicago, I wanted to learn as much as I could about my new home. And the more I learned about the city, the more I learned about the entire state. So it was perhaps made for me to work on this new project, although it would be a decade later in my career.
It was a long process. We had to pitch the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) with a massive document and two, in-person presentations. And when it was finally awarded, we were already behind.
I was excited about working for the entire state. It was the same idea: I was fascinated about how Chicago fit into the greater state, but more importantly to understand what it meant to be an Illinoisan, too.