Leslie Bluhm is a social entrepreneur who empowers people to tackle challenges through collaborative action. She is the Co-Founder of Chicago Cares, the city’s leading volunteer service organization. Chicago Cares builds group volunteer programs that meet the critical needs of the community. Chicago Cares uses the volunteer experience to educate volunteers from diverse communities about each other.

In addition to her progressive work at Chicago Cares, Leslie and her husband, David Helfand, created the Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellowship in partnership with Chicago Ideas. Leslie was also the founding Co-Chair of the Chicago Community Trust’s On The Table initiative which brings together 50,000 Chicagoans from every neighborhood for a shared meal and conversation about creating a more unified region. Leslie was named one of six Chicagoans of the year by Chicago Magazine and was named to Crain’s 40 under 40. She is proud to serve on the Board of Directors of Chicago Cares, The Chicago Community Trust, The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, OneGoal, Shining Hope for Communities, and The Whitney Museum of American Art. She earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

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