Our Team

Leadership

Steve DeBretto, Chief Executive Officer

Steve oversees the strategy and operations of ICNC and is responsible for seeing that the organization is consistently focused on its mission. Before assuming the executive director role, Steve led ICNC’s membership department and was later the first director of ICNC’s export assistance program. Steve grew up in Joliet, Illinois and moved to Chicago to attend university. He lived in Spain and Poland before returning to Chicago and joining ICNC. Steve is on the Board of Directors for InBIA, an international organization that focuses on building thriving, innovative entrepreneurial ecosystems in business incubators and centers across a wide scope of industries. He has an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management with majors in international business, finance, and marketing.
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Entrepreneurship Assistance

Natalie Shmulik, Chief Strategy and Incubation Officer

Natalie Shmulik is ICNC's go-to resource for launching a successful food and beverage business. With an M.L.A. in Gastronomy from Boston University, Natalie has years of innovative experience working with supermarkets, culinary publications, consumer packaged goods companies, and food service establishments. She continues to play a valuable role in branding and marketing for food businesses around the country, with her specialty in trend forecasting.
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Margaret Doherty, Programs Manager

Margaret is ICNC's Programs Manager.
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Marketing and Advocacy

Devin de Lima, Director of Marketing

Devin de Lima is the Director of Marketing at ICNC. With a degree in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago, Devin has extensive experience with nonprofit and community-based marketing, outreach, and event management. He has received PR XChange Awards for his work in public libraries and led marketing boards across Illinois's nonprofit marketing industries. He specializes in marketing strategy development, graphic design, and digital brand creation.
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Facilities

Robert Climack, Chief Facilities Officer

Bob Climack is the Chief Facilities Officer at ICNC. Prior to this role, Bob worked at ICNC as an Account Executive. As an Account Executive, Bob strived to provide the best customer service to employers while focusing on business growth and job creation. Now, Bob looks forward to providing tenants with exceptional management, including prompt maintenance service, as well as maintaining a safe and attractive environment to work in. Bob earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Public Administration from Governor’s State University, where he studied public policy and urban planning.
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Monique Kilgore, Director of Operations at The Hatchery

Monique is the Director of Operations at The Hatchery.
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Mattie Young-Burns, Make City Property Manager

Originally from Minneapolis, Mattie has her Bachelor’s in Government and Spanish from Lawrence University. Before coming to ICNC, she spent 5 years working in nutrition education in Chicago after starting her career doing youth development work in India and Latin America. In her free time, Mattie loves to cook, travel and walk her dog in Humboldt Park.
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Gabby Owens, Make City Assistant Property Manager

Gabby is Make City's Assistant Property Manager.
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Tamera Fields, The Hatchery Assistant Property Manager

Tamera is The Hatchery's Assistant Property Manager.
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Victor Leon, Maintenance Foreman

Victor is ICNC's Maintenance Foreman.

Noemi Alvarado, Make City Custodian

Noemi has been with ICNC since March of 2015. Noemi is a custodian where she keeps the common area and outside grounds clean.

Rosa Castruita, Make City Custodian

Rosa has been with ICNC since August of 2015. Rosa is a custodian where she keeps the common area and outside grounds clean.

Jorge Ortiz, Make City Building Maintenance

Jorge was born in Patzcuaro, Michoacan in Mexico. He went to "Secundaria Tecnica Industrial" (high school) in Morelia, Michoacan and went to his first year of college. He was also a car mechanic in Mexico. Jorge came to the U.S.A. in 1972 and was introduced to the ICNC buildings in 1974 by his uncle who was an engineer. He works on the building's maintenance team where plumbing is his main job. He has worked for ICNC for 43 years. Jorge has been married for 26 years and has 6 children and 12 grandchildren. Jorge's hobbies include playing with his granchildren, his son's dog, and his train set.

Jaime Vela, Make City Building Maintenance

Jaime is a maintenance staff member at Make City.

Adan Perez, Make City Building Construction

Adan has been with ICNC since September of 2013. Adan is a building maintenance employee with a focus on carpentry.

Jim Barcelona, Make City Electrician

Jim is an electrician at Make City.

Robert Feare, Make City Building Maintenance

Robert is a maintenance staff member at Make City.

DeAngelo Washington, The Hatchery Kitchen Assistant

DeAngelo is a kitchen assistant at The Hatchery.

Workforce Development

Priscilla Torrence, Chief Workforce Development Officer

Priscilla has lead ICNC’s business employment and human resources services since 2005. In this capacity, she provides one on one coaching for our small business owners in all functions of HR, assists in developing training curriculum for various trainings, manages a workforce development team as well as facilitates our extremely successful emergency medical technician program. Priscilla enjoys learning new things and has earned a dual master’s degree in Human Resources and Educational Management from the Keller Graduate School of Management. Her enthusiasm for developing people through employee relations and teaching has allowed her to engage in several roles including computer class instructor, job readiness and leadership development trainer, guest speaker at various agencies and human resources liaison for many of our employers. Priscilla enjoys gardening and delights in quality time spent with her family and friends, travelling, cooking and being an active member at her church.
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Nancy Kramer, Talent & Recruitment Coordinator

Nancy has over 12 years of experience with the City Colleges of Chicago in program management and workforce development. She will be working with ICNC members and further developing relations with community based organizations.
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Matt Miller, Culinary Instructor at Impact Culinary Training

Matt Miller, Chef Instructor, has been working in professional kitchens for 17 years, from Michelin and James Beard award-winning fine dining to rustic all-woodfire cooking, private dining, and more. Most recently, Matt has run a community kitchen in Avondale and served as an adjunct Chef Instructor at Kendall College before taking the position of Instructor at Impact. Additionally, Matt has been an anti-racist community organizer since moving to Chicago in 2017.
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Lorraine Nguyen, Impact Culinary Training Program Manager

Lorraine Nguyen, Program Manager, has been in the industry for almost 20 years, with experience spanning Michelin-awarded fine dining restaurants, private catering experiences, and alternative events, such as pop-ups. Lorraine’s work centers around empowering voices of historically marginalized people, community organizing, mutual aid, and culturally relevant practices.
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Kelly Dull, Culinary Assistant at Impact Culinary Training

Kelly Dull, Culinary Assistant, has a Bachelor's Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts and has been working in the food industry for over 20 years. She has spent time working in a variety of restaurants, hotels, and bakeries all over Chicago, Cleveland, New England, and NYC. Kelly is passionate about utilizing her baking talents to raise money for community organizations and local causes through virtual bake sales and cake raffles.
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Select photos by: The Camera Department