70 Chicago Personal Brands

June 2012

Name dropping the who's who of Chicago

They're known by name. Many of them are known simply by first or last name. These women and men are true personal brands: individuals who are recognized and have built their brand far beyond a single product or deed. Rather, they're known for what they represent and are endemic to Chicago parlance.

In compiling this list, we eliminated two professions from the mix. Politicians, for obvious reasons, and athletes, save for one notable exception, Michael Jordan, who has extended his brand far beyond his basketball legacy. Also not eligible: Those whose businesses are no longer based in Chicago. Sorry, Oprah.

A note: if you read through this list and are unable to place more than a few of these familiar monikers, it might be time to brush up on your reading.

• The Abt Family
• Corri McFadden
• Grant Achatz
• The McCaskey Family
• Lindsay Avner
• The Melman Family
• Jimmy Bannos
• Mary Mitchell
• Rick Bayless
• Ina Pinkney
• The Bluhm Family
• The Ponce Family
• Roe Conn
• Abra Prentice Wilkin
• Sister Rosemary Connelly
• The Pritzker Family
• The Crown Family
• Billy Dec
• Hedy Ratner
• Grant DePorter
• Jerry Reinsdorf
• Richard Driehaus
• The Ricketts Family
• The Duchossois Family
• Richard Roeper
• Roger Ebert
• Roger Ebert
• Graham Elliot
• John Rogers
• Stella Foster
• The Sage Family
• Ikram Goldman
• Manny Sanchez
• Christie Hefner
• Terry Savage
• Mellody Hobson
• Alpana Singh
• Charles Ifergan
• Tom Skilling
• Stephanie Izard
• Victor Skrebneski
• Linda Johnson Rice
• Art Smith
• Candace Jordan
• Lovie Smith
• Michael Jordan
• The Smithe Family
• Jim Karas
• Michael Sneed
• John Kass
• Seattle Sutton
• Tom Kehoe
• Diane Swonk
• Tiffani Kim
• Dawn Turner Trice
• Margie Korshak
• Mario Tricoci
• Bill Kurtis
• Charlie Trotter
• Lucien Lagrange
• Laura Washington
• The Lurie Family
• Rocky Wirtz
• Tony Mantuano
• Bernarda Wong
• Bob Mariano
• Sam Zell
• Carol Marin
• Bill Zwecker

TCW compiled this list with the intent of limiting the number to 70. We are only too aware that some names were overlooked, but it certainly was not our intent.

Copyright © 2012 Today's Chicago Woman