May 2025
Michelle Coughlin
Michelle has been singing on stage since the age of eight. And has appeared in several cabaret shows the latest at Davenport's and Atlantic Grill with Sami Scot. Her latest passion besides improv is storytelling. She has been part of the Goodman Theatre's Generations program since 2015 and has also performed at The Book Cellar on Lincoln Avenue and twice at Michele Williams Ladies Nite Productions. "My life goal has been to bring joy and laughter through entertaining" Michelle says.
Dolores Hernandez
Dolores is a passionate lifelong learner and dedicated tinkerer who finds joy in exploring new ideas and creating with her hands. As a proud neurodivergent individual, she embraces curiosity and innovation, always finding ways to tell stories with the projects she creates. When she’s not diving into her latest project, she’s a devoted dog mom, showering Hattie and Peanut with love and adventure.
Brandon Loring
Brandon Loring is a Chicagoan and Coloradan, with long and fond ties to both places. Brandon and his wife-and-partner, Stephanie - a Story Lab alum, herself! - live in Chicago with their Westie dog, Snacks. You can usually find him with Steph, Snacks, friends, and family, avoiding work and enjoying the many fine beverages, festivals, and comestibles offered by this great city. Oxford commas forever.
Stephanie Lucas
Stephanie Lucas, by profession, is a speech language pathologist who works with toddlers and their families. As a person, she is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend and Midwesterner. She has an inner child and inner 80-year-old, who are consulted frequently. This may explain both her wide variety of interests and half finished projects. While she has not had official "storytelling" experience, she comes from a line of people who are good at making short stories long when in social settings. She loves hearing the stories and experiences of others, embracing both the similarities and differences between herself and others.
Aaron Meder
Aaron lives in Glenview with his wife and two kids aged 18 and 16. Aaron had a 25 year career in investment management, culminating in his role as CEO of the second largest investment management business based here in Chicago. Aaron decided to leave his “dream” job about a year ago and transition his time and energy to purpose based work, beginning with himself. The future is open and Aaron looks forward to a journey of discovery on his second act.
Carolyn Ou
Carolyn Ou is Executive Director of the Davis Center for Leadership, where she manages a team that designs and delivers brilliant leadership programming for Chicago Booth alumni, students and the extended community. She likes to say that she’s taken a squiggly path to success, having been everything from a marketing copywriter and Dean at a design college, to Big 5 consultant, mompreneur and fiddler/keyboard player in a Chicago kids’ band. Outside of work, Carolyn seems to work even more, taking on a small number of passion projects with leaders and teams in whom she believes deeply, as well as trying to guide and support (rather than over-parent) her teenage kids whom she loves even more deeply. Recently, she's decided to take beginning guitar lessons at the Old Town School of Folk Music so that she can break free of her classical piano training and finally learn to speak in the language of chords. Maybe she'll even learn to jam. Tonight is her first live storytelling effort without notes.
April 2025
Jeannie Kay Blaho
Jeannie Kay Blaho is presently a career coach, breaking free from the corporate world after nearly two decades in 2023. She is a Mid-Westerner, born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, but has lived in Florida and Colorado before moving to Chicago in the late 90s. Although new to storytelling herself, she started attending StoryLab well before the pandemic. She is married and loves to travel, especially in Europe and Asia. She has recently caught the bug to cruise and has cruised the Danube River, the Mediterranean, as well as the Caribbean. She grew up in the 70s and loves 70s music. She loves going to art museums and has dabbled in pastels and sculpture. She does not have any human children, but she does have an adorably cute miniature double doodle.
Paula Cofresi-Silverstein
Paula Cofresi-Silverstein is an Artist, Educator, Storyteller, and Psychotherapist in private practice. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Fine Arts and Arts Education at Inter-American University in San German, Puerto Rico, and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work at the University of Illinois. The teacher taught in experimental educational programs and helped pilot the Chicago public school’s Bilingual Program. Upon retirement she continued her work as an EMDR therapist in private practice and returned to the School of the Art Institute and Oakton College to become a full-time artist, creating a body of ceramic art and Goddess sculpture.
Steve Frederick
Steve Frederick was writing stories before he could write. No fooling! An English teacher neighbor helped his older brother write while 4-year-old Steve dictated to her. He’s a career coach who helps people find work that excites them and gets them well paid. An important part of the work is helping people to tell great stories about themselves. Steve has held many jobs. He flipped burgers at Wendy’s for three days until a micromanaging supervisor drove him to hang up his apron for good. He’s assisted with laying headstones in a cemetery; Helped pass laws as a legislative assistant in Wisconsin And revived a dying organization as the Director of the Chicago Area Committee on Occupational Safety and Health. He is also the author of three kids’ books. Steve lives in Skokie and is married to Andi, a woman who brings amazing stories to kids as the Illinois Director of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Delilah Orizaba
Delilah Orizaba is a full-time therapist, a part-time standup, and an on-call storyteller. You’ve seen her perform at The Future of Comedy Festival, The Latina Comedy Festival, Laugh Factory and The Steppenwolf Theater. She’s a Scorpio sun; Capricorn Moon and Rising.
Adam Sperber
A Chicago transplant dredged from the mid-Missouri riverlands, Adam grew up immersed in storytelling stemming from his love of radio's Golden Age and on-air comedians like Jack Benny and Gracie Allen as well as the written works of Agatha Christie. Having spent time everwhere from kitchens to academic trivia companies to the Loop, Adam always has some story to talk about, known to go on for hours even after everyone else in the room has left and gone home. These days he loves biking around Chicago in search of the city's best dumplings while working as a bluegrass music teacher (and occasional data analyst).
Jessica Strauss
Jessica Strauss grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and is currently a high school special education and history teacher who teaches politics, civics, and geography in CPS. She is someone who has attempted every hobby and sport, and loves all of them! She also has a love of travel and has been to most of the states and 15 countries (and counting!) It’s about time she tried storytelling to share her life adventures.
March 2025
Eleanor Bartsch
Eleanor Bartsch is a classical violinist based in the Chicago area. She is a member of the first violin section of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra. Additionally, she is first violinist of the critically acclaimed Kontras Quartet, with whom she has toured the US and Europe, appeared as a regular guest on 98.7 Chicago Classical WFMT radio and released two studio albums. Bartsch is Professor of Violin and Head of Strings at Elmhurst University and is a performing member and frequent principal player of the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra where she also serves on the board of directors. Born into a family of professional musicians and music educators, Bartsch began violin lessons at the age of 4 in her hometown of St. Paul, MN and continued her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Betty Brandy
Betty Brandy is a proud mom of four and a newly minted first-time grandma, embracing this exciting new chapter with enthusiasm. While naturally shy, her kids insist she has the gift of gab and can easily strike up a conversation with anyone. Betty has a deep love for sports, particularly football, and enjoys hobbies like reading and movie-going—she managed to watch 107 films in 2024! Food is her “Love Language,” and she finds joy in exploring new flavors and sharing meals with her loved ones. At 53, Betty is focused on truly living and savoring each day with new and interesting experiences, rather than letting life simply pass by. For the past 19 years, she’s worked as an administrative assistant at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU). Whether balancing family, work, or her passion for new adventures, Betty continues to inspire those around her with her infectious enthusiasm, curiosity, and zest for life.
Jane Hobart
Jane is a retired 28 year veteran of first and special needs classrooms. Since retiring, she has spent her time traveling to National Parks, hiking, tutoring, volunteering at Treehouse Animal Shelter, dancing, and practicing yoga. Before teaching, Jane did some acting and writing, so, storytelling is harkening back to her roots. Her plan is to make this a permanent part of her glorious retired years.
John Manning
John Manning served for 39 years as professor of electronic media arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, founding the Art & Technology Department in 1982. One of his projects was producing the video faces that appear on the Crown Fountain in Millennium Park. His passions include world music & blues, international cooking, conversing with friends, current events, psychology, and -since age 11-electronics. He is the one who always tends to ask, "EXACTLY does this thing work, anyway?”
Chris Turley
Chris Turley gets his kicks by being a lens through which people envision and create inspiring places to expand themselves into. He does this through architecture, photography, a goal setting group and now story telling. He is also a seriously addicted, serial-organizer, a leader in groups ranging from Chicago’s largest photography group to a film club, a business networking group, and in projects for people with developmental disabilities. He is a Chicago boy down to the marrow yet he cares not a nit about sports. Instead, he is on a life quest in search of the best Italian ice (who are we kidding – it’s Mario’s) and is a first responder when a Chicago deep dish pizza is threatened by the likes of ranch dressing and other obscenities. He has a blended family of four kids that are shared with the goodly woman, Julie Goldstein. He bonds immediately with stray animals and ugly children but adults he is not so sure about yet. Approach with caution and if possible, with treats like a flagon of beer or a good Old Fashion.
February 2025
Julie Goldstein
Julie Goldstein is new to the formal story-telling world, although she has a history of telling long and convoluted stories. When asked how she got into the story-telling world, she tells people that an interesting fact about her that they may not know is that she is mom to two children and two bonus stepchildren, all adults who are living their own adventures, and she is adjusting to being a new-ish wife to a fellow who has a history of telling short dad jokes and obscure puns, prompting her to suggest that he also be new to the formal story-telling world. And so here they both are. To be brief.
Ken GoodSmith
Ken GoodSmith is a retired commercial litigation attorney. He was a partner at mega firm Latham & Watkins before fleeing with 2 of his partners to form GoodSmith Gregg & Unruh a month shy of his 40th birthday. He loved the smaller law firm life , but retired to travel while still healthy. Alas, December of 2019 turned out to be a poor time to plan travel. Post co-vid, however, his wife Jennifer and he have picked up the travel pace. Ken and Jen have lived in Oak Park for 44 years They have 3 grown sons, 2 daughter-in-laws and 1 grandson. They are blessed that all of them live in Chicago.
Pete McNamara
Pete McNamara (he/him) was born in Iowa, raised in Michigan, and after stints on both coasts has called Chicagoland home for the past 20 years. Pete lives in Evanston with his wife Shyanmei, two kids, one dog, and two new kittens. When he is not busy catering to his family and pets, he likes to spend his time cooking, running, and watching old movies.
Samantha McGrath
My name is Samantha McGrath, and I am half Japanese and half Irish American. I am the girl who likes to try something new pretty much every day whether it’s an event, a dance, or something yummy to eat. Preferably something yummy to eat. I grew up in Michigan, and have since moved from sunny California to the Windy City.
Sanjna Punja
Growing up in India, far from what many call 'home,' I've spent the last decade crisscrossing the American continent, with Chicago as my latest adventure. By day, I'm a consultant helping corporates ditch linear thinking for a more multi-threaded approach. An avid athlete, I've tried every physical game out there or binge-watched YouTube tutorials about them. Recently, I've been on a mission to live consciously, focusing on my footprint on the world and my community.
Linda Sullivan
Linda is an event host and owner of a small beverage education business here in Chicago called Seyna Secreto. As a former high school teacher, she much prefers her students, nowadays, with a drink in their adult hands. She's a proud dog mom to Audrey and step-sis Ella as well as an expert-pigtailer and pretend-makeup artist to her partner, Eric's, three-year old daughter. Linda believes that stories are the threads that connect us and that the connections between us make us truly human.
January 2025
Jeff Ediger
Jeff owns and operates a small business dedicated to the restoration of architectural elements. Drawing upon his life and work, he composed and performed his first solo show titled "Dwell is a Verb." This show was inspired by a statement made by the Jewish French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas, "We dwell; therefore we build architecture"...to which he added the caveat, "Sadly, then, we forget how to dwell." The vignettes in this show derive from his meditative melting down of the symbolic structures of architecture to recover the human capacity that makes them possible. Twelve years later--some things just take a little time--he got inspired to compose and perform a second show, based on a statement made by Rabbi Ishmael, recorded in the Talmud: "All beginnings are hard." This show, titled "Dawn and Other Difficult Beginnings" is a meditation in story (and song) about the various difficulties we encounter in any new venture...but why we should begin them anyway! (This show and a couple of vignettes from his first show are available on his YouTube channel.)
Tim Harrington
Tim Harrington was born and brought up on the far south side of Chicago when there were still street cars going down Stony Island Avenue. He graduated from Loyola University in 1969 and went on to become a civil servant for the City of Chicago. He has no, I repeat no, experience in the performing arts, or for that matter the arts of any kind except bookbinding. He is, however, fatally attracted to artist types as evidenced by his beautiful third wife Loretta. Many of his stories come from his travels and reconnections with family both here and abroad, abroad being in Scotland and Ireland. He is currently enjoying a healthy and vigorous retirement and is trying his hand at storytelling for the very first time.
Rebecca Lindell
Rebecca Lindell has spent decades telling other people's stories — first as an underpaid editorial assistant in the New York City book publishing world, and then as an underpaid reporter at newspapers around the Midwest. More recently, she worked as a somewhat-better-paid communications professional in higher education. Now she's a freelance writer telling stories of her own — and teaching others the art of storytelling through the written word. She particularly enjoys working with college-bound high school seniors panicking over their application essays. She loves showing them that they, too, have funny, compelling, heartbreaking and inspiring stories to tell. Rebecca's second-favorite thing to do after storytelling is hiking. She's hiked in 30 of the 50 U.S. states, and last year accomplished one of her life's dreams: walking the 500 miles of the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
Annie Roessler
Annie Roessler is from Cincinnati, Ohio, and studied Behavioral Neuroscience in college before completing her PhD in Pharmacology at Loyola University Chicago. In her current role, Annie serves as a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry, leading research and development aspects of early stage products. Outside of work, Annie spends her free time guiding backpacking trips with the Sierra Club, running long distances with Chicago Area Runners Association, and replicating recipes from the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated. Annie has recently returned to Chicago after living abroad in England, and she is delighted to be reunited with Portillo’s chocolate cake shakes.
Elizabeth Smart
Elizabeth Smart has always loved hearing and telling stories. She grew up in Skokie, lived quite a few years on the north side of Chicago, and currently resides in the western suburbs. After studying theology and psychology, she embarked on a 35 year career in health care, primarily as a medical speech pathologist. This offered her the honor of walking closely with people in the most difficult situations, and to see the depth of human nature and resilience. When not writing stories, you may find her tutoring immigrant English language learners, singing in choir, or walking among trees. She is likely to stop on a moment’s notice to snap a photo of tree bark, clouds, or reflections in water.
DeWitt C. Williams
DeWitt C. Williams was named after his grandfather, who was named after an abolitionist. DeWitt is from the south side and is the youngest of 11 children, raised by a single mother. He enjoys travel, skiing, scuba diving, hang gliding, and photography. He truly loves movies. Seriously. It's insane. Don't start talking to him about them. He'll follow you home, stand in front of your house, and yell up at your window to keep the conversation going.
Maryilene Blondell
A native Chicagoan~ being the only girl in the home of four alpha males. This, of course, translates into hardly ever being able to finish a sentence, let alone a story. She does not believe there was ever a time when a full sentence of hers was ever finished. She's looking forward to trying. Now, long gone from the testosterone vortex, she has migrated to the estrogen vortex with her three daughters where she fights for her life to get a word in. She schooled them with the notion of letting their 'voices be heard'- which she now, deeply regrets. When she isn't in a bloody battle to finish a sentence...with someone, she's a film producer and writer.