Cherita Ellens is a native Chicagoan; longtime advocate for women, youth, and families; working mom; and caregiver. As CEO of Women Employed, Cherita leads an organization that, for five decades, has been at the forefront of proposing and enacting policy to grow the economic power of women, and is currently focused on closing the wealth gap at the intersection of gender and race. Before joining Women Employed, for more than 15 years, Cherita has held leadership positions with Chicago-based nonprofits serving historically marginalized communities and people. Cherita holds an MBA from The University of Notre Dame, and a B.S. in Speech Communications from Illinois State University.