![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Jim-Kales-1.jpg)
share this page
About
Jim Kales is CEO of Aspire, a non-profit recognized throughout the Midwest as a leader in providing bold, pioneering and uncompromising services to kids and adults with developmental disabilities like autism and Down syndrome. Each year Aspire helps more than 1,000 kids and adults with disabilities and their families through its ground-breaking enterprises – Aspire Kids, Aspire Careers, Aspire Living and Aspire CoffeeWorks. Since Kales took the helm in 2007, Aspire’s private fundraising has doubled, helped by a strong emphasis on corporate partnerships. Aspire has embraced social entrepreneurship and social media, launching its own coffee company, Aspire CoffeeWorks. Aspire coffees are sold in all Chicagoland Whole Foods stores and numerous corporate offices and were featured nationally on TODAY. Prior to joining Aspire, Kales served as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lake County where he helped forge mentoring partnerships with Fortune 500 companies such as Baxter, CDW, HSBC and Macy’s. Kales also served as the director of communications for the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. Kales graduated summa cum laude with honors from Bucknell University, and received his Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.Company Spotlight in Tech
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/NM-Chicago-logo.jpg)
Northwestern Mutual Chicago
videos (1)
Nathan Kinzinger
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/onShoreSecurityLogo_Horizontal_LightBackgrounds.png)
onShore Security
videos (1)
Stel Valavanis
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/savoirThumbnail.jpg)
Savoir
videos (1)
Shatabdi Basu
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/msdsonline.jpg)
MSDSonline
videos (1)
Glenn Trout
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/AArete.png)
AArete
videos (2)
Loren Trimble
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAQZAAAAJGZhY2VjNWVhLTBiMTAtNDRlZC05MzFiLWMwN2RlY2IwMTFiYQ.png)
Chowly
videos (1)
Sterling Douglass
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Catalytic-Logo.png)
Catalytic
videos (1)
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Novatio-logo.jpg)
Novatio Solutions
videos (1)
Gokul Solai
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/charlie.png)
Charlie
videos (1)
Aaron Frazin
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Shift7-Digital-logo.jpg)
Shift7 Digital
videos (1)
Andrew Walker
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HighlandSolutions.png)
Highland Solutions
videos (1)
Jeff Nixon
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Vertex.png)
Vertex Software
videos (1)
Dan Murray
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/scout-alarm_1.jpg)
Scout Security, Inc.
videos (1)
AAron Dannenbring
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/riselogoblue.jpg)
Rise Interactive
videos (1)
Jon Morris
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Framework-CareFree-IT-Ben-Kohn.png)
Framework CareFree IT
videos (1)
Ben Kohn
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kentech.png)
KENTECH Consulting Inc.
videos (1)
Kenneth Coats
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Avail-logo.png)
Avail
videos (2)
Ryan Coon
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/GuardianVets.png)
GuardianVets
videos (1)
John Dillon
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CityBase.jpg)
CityBase
videos (1)
Mike Duffy
Joseph Annotti Consulting
videos (1)
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/icstarslogo-1.png)
i.c.stars
videos (1)
Sandee Kastrul
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/ITPeopleNetwork.png)
ITPeopleNetwork
videos (2)
Amit Dutta
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Chicago-Interactive-Marketing-Association-logo.png)
Chicago Interactive Marketing Association (CIMA)
videos (1)
Eric Whobrey
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Keeper-Security-logo.png)
Keeper Security, Inc.
videos (2)
Darren Guccione
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Public-Good.png)
Public Good Software, Inc.
videos (3)
Melissa Anderson
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Rippleshot_WEB.png)
Rippleshot
videos (1)
Canh Tran
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/LISA-App.png)
The LISA App, LLC
videos (1)
Robert Richmond
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Jiobit-Logo.png)
Jiobit
videos (1)
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ampy.png)
AMPY
videos (1)
Tejas Shastry
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAkaAAAAJDlmZDk3NTAxLWY0ZmUtNDcyNi1iMGNlLTc4ODBjYTEzZWQ1MA.png)
Elevate
videos (1)
Larry Bak
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ActiveCampaign-logo.png)
ActiveCampaign
videos (1)
Jason VandeBoom
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/TappedIn_Logo-color.png)
TappedIn
videos (1)
Joseph Sheahan
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ballast-Group.png)
The Ballast Group
videos (2)
Kellee Johnson
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Tovala-logo.png)
Tovala
videos (1)
David Rabie
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Intetics-logo.jpg)
Intetics, Inc.
videos (2)
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/smbhelpdesk.jpg)
SMB Help Desk, Inc.
videos (1)
Matthew Cleaver
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/royaldieandstamping.jpg)
Royal Die & Stamping Co.
videos (1)
Erik Freitag
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Winston-Logo-Dark-600x167-1.png)
Winston Privacy
videos (1)
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/17e9884.png)
FLEx Lighting
videos (1)
Mike Casper
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Keono-logo.jpg)
Keono
videos (1)
Michael Medema
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Blue-Nova-Technologies.png)
Blue Nova Technology
videos (1)
Nathaniel Smith
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Specifix.png)
Specifix
videos (1)
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Amount.png)
Amount
videos (1)
Adam Hughe
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/SAP-Fieldglass-logo.jpeg)
SAP Fieldglass
videos (1)
Jai Shekhawat
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/geofeedia_logo_final_blue2.png)
Geofeedia
videos (1)
Phil Harris
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Redshelf-logo.png)
RedShelf
videos (1)
Greg Fenton
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/source-one-global-logo.png)
SourceOne Global Partners
videos (1)
Jesse Lopez
![](https://bizcasthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAbhAAAAJDFmNDRjN2U3LTMyMTYtNDY4MC1hZjIxLTdkMDA3YjdjMmFhOQ.png)
RKON Technologies
videos (1)
Jeff Mullarkey