Rahm Emanuel

Mayor of Chicago, IL

The founders of PayPal, YouTube, Netscape and Yelp, who were trained in Illinois, left to start their companies in Silicon Valley. But a new generation of tech talent is staying here, starting new companies and helping to send a signal that Chicago has made a definitive cultural shift.

Jordan K. Turgeon

Lifestyle Blog Editor, The Huffington Post

For me, health means strength. Health means trying each day to treat my body well. That kind of health goes beyond just diet and exercise. It comes in a variety of sizes. And if you don't carry that size in your store, I'm happy to take my money elsewhere.

Brandon Kleinman

CEO, whatsGood.com

We took on the challenge of figuring out your food, so all you have to focus on is getting your groove on. We scoured our database to round up the best grub in the area worth checking out.

Chris Krapek

Film Blogger

hey drink nearly every night after work at the bar. Beer is a living, breathing character in Drinking Buddies and probably should have been billed fifth.

Amanda Reiman

Policy manager, Drug Policy Alliance

Thursday, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed HB1 into law, making Illinois the 20th U.S. state, plus Washington, D.C. to establish a medical marijuana program.

Lauren Drell

Entertainment journalist, photojournalist and freelance writer

Goose Island's barrel-aging warehouse was perhaps the perfect backdrop to uncork those stories the duo holds, and unveil new music; just hours before the internationally-acclaimed musicians took the stage at the Chicago Theatre on July 24.

Donna Solomon, DVM

Veterinarian, Animal Medical Center of Chicago

I strongly believe an educated client is my best client and pet owner. It is my goal today to educate you about your pet's urine so that when your veterinarian discusses your pet's urinalysis results with you, you understand it and can make the best decision on your pet's medical care.

Zondra Hughes

Creator, The Six Brown Chicks

A doctor, a disciplinarian, a dancer, a church lady, a columnist, and an adventurous wife convened to deliver a frank talk about sex to a crowd of women at the American celebration of National Orgasm Week.

Vivian Diller, Ph.D.

Psychologist and author, 'Face It'

We know that as many of us hit our 40's and head into our 50's, we hit that proverbial fork in the road when we question the life path we are on.

David Protess

President, Chicago Innocence Project

Eric Caine had millions of reasons to smile, so why the glum expression when we met at our favorite eatery on July 25? The previous day, the Chicago City Council had approved a $10 million settlement of his lawsuit against Comdr. Jon Burge and the cops who tortured him into falsely confessing to a double murder in 1986.

Robert Koehler

Syndicated writer

We're spreading toxicity around the planet and into the atmosphere not simply by overconsumption, greed and carelessness but also by a fundamental failure to value all of life.

David Ormsby

Public Relations Strategist, Ex-Press Secretary, Democratic Party of Illinois

Years ago, the federal Medicaid program sought to prevent the warehousing of individuals who were struggling with drug and alcohol abuse in large residential facilities. But the architects of Obamacare failed to reconcile the new benefit with the old law. So what does that mean?

Laura Gottesdiener

Author, 'A Dream Foreclosed'

Since 2007, the foreclosure crisis has displaced at least 10 million people from more than four million homes across the country. They add up to approximately the entire population of Michigan.

Valerie Alexander

Author, 'Happiness as a Second Language'

Happier people are more productive, live healthier lifestyles, make better parents, and so on. But have we gotten to the point where happiness is a burden? Where the things we're supposed to do to "be happy" are causing more stress than joy?

Chris Abraham

Social media, digital marketing, and PR consultant

If you're in an urban environment and have taken to the streets on a pedal bike, be it through a bikeshare scheme or on your own bike, you're going to get yourself killed unless you pay close attention to my 35 of riding in cities on the street.

Ann Brenoff

Senior Writer, The Huffington Post

I have curmudgeon days now. Nothing hurts, nothing worries me; I'm just cranky, set off by the petty annoyances of life. Before you go there, this isn't a product of old age. Old age is at least 25 years away from where I sit. I am not in the proverbial fist-waving 'get off my lawn' state of elderliness. No, in my case, this is just the life-balance dance.

David Katz, M.D.

Director, Yale Prevention Research Center

A 54-mile bike ride to celebrate a 74th birthday is, indeed, very cool -- for many reasons. My father's lifelong devotion to physical activity is partly responsible for my own.