share this page
About
Dawn Frances Reese is the Director of Strategy for the Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education, The CAFE. The CAFE supports and mentors underserved Chicago students & professionals by investing in organizations focused on college access and career success. Dawn Frances brings vast career experience spanning start-ups in advocacy, venture capital, and higher education focused on organizational advancement and strategic investments. Before moving to Chicago in 2012, Dawn Frances led and then sold her family’s real-estate investment firm in Mobile, Alabama.Most recently, she was the Associate Director for Advancement for Urban Labs at the University of Chicago, with a focus on improving lives in the five key areas of Education, Crime, Poverty, Health and Energy & Environment. Before joining Urban Labs, Dawn was Senior Associate of Business Development working with the Clean Energy Trust, an accelerator focused on early stage clean energy businesses in the Midwest.
Dawn Frances sits on the board of City Year Chicago, The Development Leadership Consortium, Congo Square Theatre and Urban Initiatives. She is a 2019 Chicago Urban League IMPACT fellow and a 2016 Development Leadership Consortium fellow. She previously served on Chicago Foundation for Women’s grant making committee, the Young Women’s Giving Council, and the foundation’s Civic Agenda Committee. She is a former member of the Chicago Women in Philanthropy and has lived and volunteered in Cape Town, SA. Dawn also received Chicago Crain’s prestigious 40 under 40 honor in 2018 and Chicago Scholars 35 under 35 in 2019.
Company Spotlight in Tech
Reliefwatch
videos (1)
Daniel Yu
Seller Labs
videos (1)
Jeff Cohen
AIT Worldwide Logistics
videos (1)
Vaughn Moore
SkillNet
videos (1)
Mike Kritzman
Codeverse
videos (1)
Katy Lynch
Scout Security, Inc.
videos (1)
AAron Dannenbring
Narrative Science
videos (1)
Stuart Frankel
Kenway Consulting
videos (1)
Brian King
eComfort.com
videos (1)
Pavel Sokolovsky
Innoplexus
videos (1)
Gunjan Bhardwaj
Solving IT
videos (1)
Paul Taylor
AutonomyWorks
videos (1)
David Friedman
Artisan Talent
videos (2)
Bejan Douraghy
Newark element14
videos (1)
Tamara Jurgenson
ExteNet Systems, Inc.
videos (1)
Ross Manire
Covalience, LLC
videos (1)
Kevin Sandahl
alligatortek
videos (2)
Sid Bala
Entara
videos (1)
Linda Maclachlan
UrbanBound
videos (1)
Michael Krasman
Upshow
videos (1)
Adam Hirsen
Chicago Public Library
videos (1)
Brian Bannon
Emerging Technologies, Inc.
videos (1)
Inna Berkovich
Peanut App
videos (1)
Michelle Kennedy
Infutor Data Solutions
videos (1)
Gary Walter
Goby
videos (1)
Helee Lev
Brilliant
videos (2)
Jeff Mariola
Savvo Digital Sommelier Solutions
videos (1)
Joseph Sheahan
Hyde Park Venture Partners
videos (1)
Guy Turner
Rubicon Technology
videos (1)
Bill Weissman
Zebra Technologies
videos (1)
NOW Foods
videos (1)
Jim Emme
Squadhelp.com
videos (1)
Darpan Munjal
Novatio Solutions
videos (1)
Gokul Solai
ActiveCampaign
videos (1)
Jason VandeBoom
Spotlite (part of Rally Health)
videos (1)
Chris Hill
Specifi LLC
videos (1)
Ed Marcheselli
Kamea Networks & Technology
videos (1)
Chach DalSanto
Lightstream
videos (2)
Stu Grubbs
KOMET of America, Inc.
videos (1)
Jan Pflugfelder
uBack
videos (1)
Kaitlin Reimann
Sunderland Coaching
videos (1)
Debra Sunderland
Shiftgig
videos (3)
Eddie Lou
Joseph Annotti Consulting
videos (1)
XSELL Technologies
videos (1)
Matt Coughlin
PowerReviews
videos (1)
Sara Rossio
10th Magnitude
videos (1)
Alex Brown
LotLinx
videos (1)
Denise Chudy
Lemko
videos (1)
Bo Pyskir