As CEO/Principal of Community Allies, Ellen Shepard has helped dozens of communities to build equitable, localized economies; bridge past divides to unite around common goals; and put historically disadvantaged communities in the driver’s seat for decision-making. Ellen has led trainings in her “Radical Inclusion” model of community engagement in cities across the United States, and she authored Main Street America’s “Community Engagement for Main Street Transformation” guidebook. Ellen was a pioneer of the “Local First” movement, and she has championed economic localism as a speaker and consultant in cities across the country. During her tenure as Executive Director at the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood revived and gained international acclaim for its thriving business district and its use of economic localization, place-making, and environmental sustainability as economic revitalization strategies.Ellen occupies a unique niche of working on the ground in economic development as well as collaborating with regional and national thought leaders on economic policy issues. For ten years, she served on the board of directors of the national Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (now Common Future). She has served on the City of Chicago’s Mayor’s Small Business Advisory Task Force, Retail Advisory Committee, and “We Will Chicago” comprehensive planning effort. A trusted speaker and writer on the subjects of community empowerment, neighborhood commercial district revitalization, and economic localization, Ellen’s writing can be seen in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Crain’s Chicago Business, and YES! Magazine. As a faculty member at Roosevelt University's Masters of Arts in Community Development and Action and Masters in Public Administration programs, Ellen teaches courses in community development, economic development, history and theory of urban planning, and community empowerment. She has a master’s degree in Urban Studies from Loyola University. When she’s not building other communities, Ellen is fostering a community of musicians by teaching harmony singing at assorted music camps and playing with her band, The Twilight Stealers.