Sophia Shaw

Sophia Shaw is a managing partner at Acorn Advisors LLC and Adjunct Professor of Social Impact at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. At Kellogg, Sophia teaches board governance and directs Kellogg Board Fellows, a rigorous 20-month program that connects top Kellogg MBA students to Chicago-area nonprofits for a distinct opportunity in board service.

From 2007–2016, Sophia served as president and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the largest cultural institutions in Illinois and one of the preeminent botanic gardens of the world. Under Sophia's guidance, the 385-acre campus experienced a 52 percent increase in attendance as well as record-breaking fundraising ($39 million in 2014) and operating budget results. The Garden also became recognized as a global model for environmental conservation, urban agriculture, and horticulture jobs training and education, emphasizing programs for diverse and underserved communities in partnership with a wide variety of corporations, schools, healthcare centers, organizations, and government agencies. Prior to leading the Chicago Botanic Garden, Sophia served as vice president of exhibitions and education at The Field Museum and worked in curatorial roles at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Throughout her career, Sophia has made board service a priority. She has brought her skills in governance, strategy, enterprise risk management, master site planning, construction, and nonprofit finance to her role as board president of the Arts Club of Chicago, as well as her service as a board or committee member of the Art Institute of Chicago, the advisory board of the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution), the executive committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Chicago Network, and the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO), where she led the membership committee.

In October 2016, Sophia was awarded the Openlands Conservation Leadership Award.

Sophia holds both a B.A. (Wellesley College) and an M.A. (University of Chicago) in art history, and an M.B.A. in finance (Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University).

Education

Bachelor of Arts, 1991, Art History, Wellesley College

Master of Arts, 1994, Art History, University of Chicago

Master of Management, 1999, Finance, Northwestern University

Academic Positions

Adjunct Professor and Director, Kellogg Board Fellows, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2016-present

Other Professional Experience

Director, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, 1991-1993

Exhibition Coordinator, The Art Institute of Chicago, 1993-1995

Curatorial Assistant, Museum of Contemporary Art, 1995-1997

Special Projects Manager, The Field Museum, 1997-1998

Manager, The Field Museum, 1998-1998

Director, The Field Museum, 1998-2002

Director, The Field Museum, 2002-2003

Vice President, The Field Museum, 2004-2006

Vice President, Chicago Botanic Garden, 2006-2007

President and CEO, Chicago Botanic Gardern, 2007-2016

Managing Partner, Acorn Advisors LLC, 2016-present

Honors and Awards

Pure Exhibitionsim, Chicago Reader

Field Will Dip Science in Chocolate, Chicago Sun-Times

Frontlines, Chicago

under 40, Crain's Chicago Business

Museum's Goal: Saving the World's Wild Places, The New York Times

Field of Opportunity: Sophia Siskel '99 Leads Chicago's Field Museum Into 21st Century, Kellogg World Magazine, Summer

Great Chicago Families, Chicago Magazine

What Will an MBA Get You?, Chicago Tribune

Sophia Siskel '99 Provides a 100-year Plan for Enduring Civic Value, Kellogg World Magazine, Winter

In Winter Gardens, A Marriage of Botany & Stark Beauty, The New York Times

Botanic Garden Plans $250 Million of New Growth, Crain's Chicago Business

Growth Futures, Northwestern Magazine, Spring

History Abounds in Arts Club Naming Sophia Siskel to Board Chair, Crain's Chicago Business

Women to Watch 2012, Today's Chicago Women

Mad Love for Green Women, Wren

One CEO's Garden Ethic, WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

Executive Profile: A Bold Plan for Growth, Chicago Tribune

Women in CSR: Sophia Shaw Siskel, Chicago Botanic Garden

Chicago Botanic Garden CEO Moving on After Almost 10 Years, Chicago Tribune

Sophia Shaw Leaving Botanic Garden, Crain's Chicago Business

Years, 65 Faces of IES Abroad, IES Abroad online

Conservation Leadership Award, Openlands