Our History
floChicago launched in the summer of 2015 with the intent to cultivate a diverse community of high school students and expose them to new people, places and perspectives to broaden their horizons and further develop them as engaged leaders. Founded by Matthew Brewer, the organization was inspired by his experience growing up on Chicago’s South Side. Matthew grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood and experienced little to no diversity among his peers. His high school guidance counselor recommended that he participate in a youth development program, and that program ultimately changed his trajectory by introducing him to a slew of new perspectives and role models in diverse environments. Opening his mind to new ideas, pathways and opportunities, Matt came to the realization that he could do things that were far bigger than his surroundings.
And that he did. After earning his undergraduate degree from Stanford, JD from Yale Law School and MBA from Harvard Business School, Matt became a partner at Chicago-based law firm Bartlit Beck and is a pillar of Chicago philanthropy. Realizing that his trajectories were enabled through the experiences he had access to as a young man, Matthew returned to Chicago to pursue his career with a commitment to give youth the same opportunities he benefited from in high school.
With the help of business leaders, educators, community leaders, and the Chicago Community Trust, floChicago was born with a commitment to broaden youth’s horizons. The summer of 2015 launched the organization’s first cohort and pilot program. The class consisted of 30 students from 25 different high schools and 26 different neighborhoods throughout the Chicago area. floChicago provided these students with the opportunity to participate in the full submersion week at the University of Chicago to learn from one another, as well as some of the most innovative minds in Chicago.
Today, floChicago has a network of 126 floAlumni, whom we continue to engage, connect and support through ongoing programming. We exist to expose students to new people, places and perspectives in order to create a diverse pipeline of civically engaged leaders for the city of Chicago and beyond.
