Beyond Closure

Paola Aguirre Serrano is a native from the Mexico-US region, urban designer, and partner at Borderless since 2016. Borderless is a design and research practice based in Chicago and San Antonio focused on approaches and collaboration frameworks addressing spatial justice and equitable design while cultivating collaborative design agency. With emphasis on interdisciplinary exchange, Borderless explores creative civic design and engagement interventions that address the complexity of urban systems and spatial equity by looking at intersections between architecture, urban design, infrastructure, landscape, planning, and community processes. Borderless’s work has been recently recognized by The Architecture League of New York with the Emerging Voices Award (2022), and the John and Catherine MacArthur Foundation’s Creative Placemaking Award (2022).

Erin Babbin, On The Real Film’s cofounder, is a Chicago-born director, editor, and producer with a deep commitment to social justice and art centered work. Inspired by her family’s artistic legacy, Erin’s documentary work is a testament to her belief in the power of real people telling their own stories, making visible those often overlooked by mainstream narratives.

Asiaha Butler is a longtime resident of Englewood and cofounder and CEO of the Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.), in Chicago. R.A.G.E. offers education, youth development, economic development, and civic empowerment to uplift, inspire, and change perceptions of her neighborhood. R.A.G.E. was at the forefront of pushing for discussion about repurposing schools closed in 2013. Butler also organized walk-throughs of vacant school buildings with community members, elected officials, city planners, and potential developers to showcase the potential of the facilities and share Englewood’s vision for rebirth which helped launch CPS School Repurposing Committee. As a leader in economic justice, Butler chaired the Englewood Quality of Life Housing and Public Spaces Task Force, created the Buy the Block Homeownership Program, and also founded a local housing development company. Under Butler’s leadership, she launched the R.A.G.E. Economic Upliftment Program (The Re-Up), which is laser focused on commercial and residential real estate development, homeownership, and developing innovative strategies to help create pathways to generational wealth. Among other community roles, she was a founding member of the Greater Englewood Community Development Corp., helped develop a comprehensive educational plan for local schools, and engaged residents in plans grounded in community planning and development.

Cecile De Mello is the executive director of Teamwork Englewood, an organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life of the residents and stakeholders of Englewood by facilitating economic, educational, and social opportunities. As a founding member of Mayor Lightfoot's Community Safety Coordination Center Launch Committee, Cecile organized City and community resources to improve streetscapes and vacant lots as a violence prevention strategy.

Darnell Shields is the Executive Director at Austin Coming Together (ACT), a nonprofit organization located on Chicago's West Side. A passionate builder of relationships and innovative developments, Darnell is a lifelong Austin resident and co-owner of HairTech the Salon, a local business he started with his wife. In 2010, Darnell joined Austin Coming Together as a volunteer, helping the organization improve their technology and business development systems. It wasn’t long after that he was offered a staff position moving him from IT to Director of Operations and in 2016, the board nominated him to become the Executive Director. Darnell was named a 2015 Fellow of the Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago. In addition to this distinction, he has received the following awards: Community Leadership Award in 2017 from the United Way of Metro Chicago; Martin Luther King - Keepers Of The Dream Award in 2019 from the Leaders Network; 2019 Community Service Award by the Austin African American Business Networking Association; and was named one of the top twenty nonprofit executives in 2019 by the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management. He was also honored with the Mayor’s Medal Of Honor in recognition of his leadership as a founding member of the city's Racial Equity Rapid Response Team and recently recognized among Crain’s 2022 Notable Black Leaders and Executives.

Michael Sullivan is a Chicago-based artist working in film and photography. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, he studied photography, painting, and printmaking at the University of Texas, Austin. In 2011 he cofounded the documentary film and photo production company On The Real Film with partner Erin Babbin.

Iker Gil is a founding partner at MAS Studio, editor in chief of the nonprofit MAS Context, and executive director of the SOM Foundation. Iker has edited or coedited several books including Radical Logic: On the Work of Ensamble Studio and Shanghai Transforming. He has curated multiple exhibitions including Nocturnal Landscapes, Poured Architecture: Sergio Prego on Miguel Fisac, and BOLD: Alternative Scenarios for Chicago, part of the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial. He was Associate Curator of the US Pavilion for the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale and cocurator of Exhibit Columbus 2020–2021. He was the 2024 Morgenstern Visiting Chairs at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and has taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), and the Escola da Cidade (São Paulo).