Who are you?

My name is Victoria. I am a lawyer in Chicago. I have a private investment deal sourcing firm in which we help people. We help investors find private businesses to invest in, and we do the diligence for them on the opportunities that they're interested in. I'm also the founder of Joy and Magic, which is a loose-leaf tea company. And I'm also the author of a children's book called Little Valerie and Her Big World of Options.

How do you identify?

I identify as a woman.

How do you want to/prefer to be seen?

I do like to be seen. Not in a way that I, like, need to. I don't crave attention. But I'm fine being seen. I don't want to be ignored or dismissed. I should say literally or figuratively. I never want to be ignored because I feel like that's a proactive action that someone is taking. There are times when I may not want to rise to a level of attention, so I, you know how to kind of step into the background or not bring myself to the center of attention. But, yeah, I never want to be ignored or displaced. 

Could you tell me why you live in a city?

I love city life. I'm a big city girl very much, and I just enjoy the vibrance of the city. I enjoy the way cities feel, the sights and sounds of the city. I just enjoy city vibes. I like big cities. I like to know there's a lot of options as far as what I can do around town. And just the variety of the city, the way that cities are not monochromatic in many ways, and just knowing that there's just so much out there, you know, whether it's opportunity or people, I like options. So knowing that cities have a lot of options, I really enjoy that. 

Can you tell me about a memorable urban experience you have had?

One memorable urban experience I could actually say was when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016. I was working for the city of Chicago in the mayor's office at the time, and we had a parade and rally for them. And honestly, but for working in the mayor's office, I'm not sure I could think of any reason that I would have gone to that rally. But I'm really excited that I did because it really was a picture of our city coming together to celebrate something. I think it's the largest rally that we had for a championship we've had. You know, not really. Oh, the Chicago sky did win in 21. So that was our most recent championship.

Sorry, the Cubs were the champions before that. And before that, there hadn't really been one for a little while. So it was really exciting to see. Oh, no, sorry. The Blackhawks won, too. Kind of close to that. Okay, Sorry. But still, the Cubs had the largest of the championship rallies and parades that we had. And just seeing so many people coming together to celebrate our city. And I mean, of course, there's a lot of, you know, a big reason that the people were excited about the Cubs [was] because they hadn't won in 99 years or 100 years, I think, at that point. But it was just really exciting to see the city come together. 

And sports is the main reason that it ends up happening. A lot of times people, I think, look to divide so many reasons, but sports is usually a time where people come together. And we definitely saw that and felt that at that rally. So that was a really exciting urban experience. And, like I said, something I'm pretty sure I would not have experienced had I not been in that role in the mayor's office. 

Why wouldn't you have gone there?

I just don't think I would have. As much as I love cities, I don't love super big crowds. So, I probably would not have gone for that reason. I'm a big basketball fan versus a baseball fan, so I would have been happy for the Cubs, but at the distance of being at home. So, just based on personal preference, I would not have gone. But the fact that I got to go technically for work was a really cool experience. And like I said, I know, and I thought about this that day, that, like, I would not have been there but for the fact that I had to work. But I was so glad that I was there because it was such a very cool and fun and just exciting experience. 

How supportive do you feel the city is to your needs?

I feel that the city is supportive to my needs. I feel like part of that is probably because I used to work for this city. So, I probably know more about it than some others may or may know.  I also know that I am thankfully situated in a way that there are things that I'm not necessarily needing that I think others who may not feel served by the city do need or are looking for the city to do. And I think part of that is from a resources perspective, and part of it is just from a knowledge and awareness perspective. I think there are people who are looking for the city to do certain things that they should not be looking for the city to do. 

Maybe it's the private sector that should be doing it, or maybe it's like they should be somehow doing it themselves. But I think it is both my personal situation and also the awareness and information that I have from actually working in local government and also working prior to that in state government, that I know certain things that don't require me or won't allow me to work. I mean, to expect certain things of the government, local or state or otherwise, that some others might. And there are certain needs that I don't have. And I say that from a very blessed and thankful position, I don't have certain expectations or needs from the city like that. 

Could you talk about some of the things you think no government should be doing, like state, local, or otherwise? Are the other examples you can think of? 

That the government should be doing? 

Should not. I thought you said [there are things] they shouldn't be [doing].

Oh, yes. I'm trying to think of a specific example, but I, I don't, I can't think of a specific example. But I mean, I guess over time it's something…because government has been such a safety net in a lot of ways for different groups of people, whether it's like marginalized groups of whatever sort. It could be racial, it could be economic, it could be disability, community, et cetera. Or I should say differently abled. I don't really like the term disability, but different abled community, et cetera. But I think that there are also things, and I really want to come up with an example, and I'm trying to think of something.

Because the government has been that safety net in a lot of ways, I think people have that expectation. And there are some things that either the government should not solely be responsible for, or they should be responsible for. They should be. It should be a partnership. So maybe even like, for example, I guess a big one really is like violence reduction. That is not something that the government can or should be thought to do alone. And I think obviously there are community groups that are looking to help with violence prevention and violence reduction, et cetera. So certainly some people, you know, do understand that. But I think there's probably less to do on the government side. Not that they don't have a role; they have a huge role.  

But that's kind of one of the things that I think of that I know that people look to the government to, like, basically solve. And there is just as much for the government to do as there is for the community and the private sector to do. It's not the government alone. I'm sure there's other examples. I just can't think of anything with industry. 

Do you feel included in the city (as a person of value)?

I do, yes. Part of it may be because of my experience working for the city and not just from it specifically, like as a city employee, because there are lots of city employees. But I think I was able to build a network and a community from that job. So, that has given me a sense of community within the entire city. And I think that community is a huge part in making people feel wanted and appreciated and give them a sense of belonging. And so that's why I think that I have that sense of belonging here. I would also say I just think [about] other communities [I am connected to]. You know, there is a black professional community in Chicago, both formally and informally. Other communities that I belong to. I feel like I belong to the legal community here in Chicago, which includes other lawyers and the investor community. 

So I feel like there are spaces that I can say give me a sense of community and belonging within the city as well as a part of the city as a whole. 

What would make the city more convenient for you?

If the cold months were warmer.

I mean, that's happening with climate change.

It's probably not fast enough for me because it's cold today. But I mean, yes, literally that. But I just. To be able to move around. I like walking. I don't like walking when it's cold. I feel like the city is pretty walkable. Not the entire city, unfortunately. But there are, you know, some pretty walkable areas in the city. And I feel like I could do a lot more walking if it wasn't so cold. More convenient. I mean, I could complain about construction for sure, but we need the roads to be smooth. And because of the weather, the way the weather compromises concrete, we have to have construction. 

Other conveniences. I don't know. I really can't think that. I'm sure there are some. But generally speaking, I don't know that I would say Chicago is inconvenient [to me]. There are things I would say about our transit system that could certainly be more convenient, but knowing how some other transit systems are in other cities, Chicago is actually very good. And that doesn't mean that we don't have dead zones in transit and that there isn't more to be done. There are things that need to be approved for sure. But we are in a really good place. So I don't know. I feel like obviously the conveniences that I will complain about are very first world.

I don't know if we're still a first world country. 

It doesn't feel like it sometimes. That's true. But just based on what that definition is, I would probably say that it's from a convenience perspective. 

Who is part of your community?

I would definitely say, like, friends I grew up with, friends I went to both undergrad and law school with, and then, like, friends from my career, whether those people I worked with at the state of Illinois or the City of Chicago. And then, like I mentioned, the other communities, you know, professional and otherwise.

What else should we know about how you feel about cities?

I love cities. I think they have a great role in our American culture. They're anchors to metropolitan areas. They're anchors to, you know, the suburbs, because without a city, the suburbs aren't necessarily suburbs. And they're, you know, they're great economic engines. One thing I'll say about Chicago, I know this is kind of similar with New York, even though I don't know the exact number. But In Chicago, there's 77 different neighborhoods, and they are all very different. And I think people throw labels on Chicago because I can speak to that city; specifically, people throw labels on Chicago, which may be inaccurate, which are inaccurate because it may talk about one aspect or one day in Chicago or one block or one small aspect of the city. But with 77 neighborhoods, we have so much rich texture and so much to appreciate here.

And I really hate that in the media we get such a bad rep because there are so many, so many, so many positive things about this city. And I'm sure other cities are like that, too. And so I'd like to see cities get more positive attention because I think they have so much to offer. But just as much as they have to offer, they stand to receive a lot, too. And I think people should, you know, feel more inclined to give to cities, to live in cities, and to do their part in making the cities thrive. But, yeah, I just. I love cities. I think cities are really important to our nation, and I think they play a great role in a way that down here, sometimes people don't realize you get a lot from your city that I think a lot of times people take for granted. It's the, like. It's kind of like your first line of defense.

Line of defense against what?

I mean, so I'm not against anything or whatever. But like, for example, you know, your city, and I guess this is kind of true with suburbs, too, but your most immediate municipal level is what is where you can, like, really effectuate change in a way that is more direct than either at the state level or certainly at the federal level. And I think it's almost a luxury to be able to kind of take that for granted. But a lot of times, people do. And so that's why I think it's really enforced to be able to have an appreciation for cities because cities are not only giving more than people realize, but they're taking on, I think, more than people realize too much cow.

When you say that you can affect change, what sort of change are you talking about?

I'm certainly speaking from a lobbying and community engagement perspective. I want to broaden the definition just because I think people hear “political” and they think politics, which that's included. I have a background as a lobbyist, so the fact that you can go to your alderman or whatever local council you have, you can go to them and say, like, we have this issue in the neighborhood, and this needs to be addressed. You can go to other people in the neighborhood or wherever your relevant community is, that needs change to be affected and build a coalition and get people to stand with you, which will also create people to stand against you, because there's always opposition to things. But you can do that and be able to get things changed in a more direct way than having to go all the way to your state capitol and certainly having to go all the way to D.C. or be able to get in line with your state or federal elected official, which people should still do. Absolutely. But just being able to change things at the local level is definitely more direct and can sometimes be more. It can sometimes be faster, for sure, than having to go to higher levels of government. And like I said. And also, building those coalitions can tend to be a tad bit easier because everybody is kind of at your fingertips versus, you know, a wider geographic space.

There is something interesting you said; [like if you have any issue] there's definitely going to be an opposition. Do you think that's universal? Would there always be someone [in opposition]?

Yeah, because I feel like there's people sometimes I think people just like to be contrarians, quite honestly, because I have brought things forth before, you know, certainly the state legislature and, you know, would wonder, how can anybody be against this and then I found out how they can be against it, you know, and, you know, and sometimes it's just things that people, the one side doesn't think of and it's not that they want to be contrary, but they just want to give another perspective and it actually ends up being better. That's fine. But there are other times when, yeah, I think people just want to be contrary or, you know, ops, as you say. And I just haven't come across any issues that have literally had no opposition. So that's why I was just preparing my mind for opposition.

Oh yeah, I know. I don't know if this has too much to do with cities, but it's something to think about when trying to see things from other perspectives. For instance, I think women should be given access to health care, [including abortion], and some people would say [“You’re supporting murder”].

And I think that part of that, to me as a woman, that is a narrow perspective because I understand that view that, you know, “There is someone living inside of you. How could you? You should not be allowed to end their life.” But there are aspects to that happening that I think people should open their minds to. Sometimes, it is a medical situation where it is not in the best health interest of the mother or the child to continue the pregnancy any further. Sometimes it's not in the mother's interest, and later won't be in the child's interest. If it's not necessarily a health perspective, but I mean [in addition to the] health aspect, it could be economics or maturity or whatever. And I think if a woman can make that very tough decision to say like, “I cannot go through with this for whatever reasons, that is absolutely her decision.

Because I also think that the people who are saying that there should be no choice for a woman are not going to take on these children, you know, because you could argue like, okay, well, you know, she should just carry it and birth it, and then it'll go to such and such. Well, that's a whole other complication. Certainly, that happens with adoption. But if adoption is not something that this woman wants to deal with, maybe she doesn't have the means to do that [that is her choice]. A lot of times there are people who are specifically against abortion in any kind of way, but they are not like standing in line waiting for people to have children. These are not the same people who can't have their own kids and are, you know, working, you know, through the systems in place to await a newborn baby to adopt. These are, you know, different people. And I think a lot of times those types of positions are hypocritical, unfortunately. But I break them down to narrow viewers, quite honestly. Like, you just, you know, people don't want to open their minds to other aspects and other ways that things can be perceived and experienced.