I met Erica through the Chicago Women in Philanthropy’s Mentoring Leadership Program, a space that brings together women doing incredible impact work across the city. When we began talking about her origin story, she pointed immediately to her childhood as the youngest of seven children. Her introduction to the water was remarkably hands-on: her father bought a beat-up boat from a colleague, and restoring it became a family project. Ironically, while her father never learned to sail, Erica and all her siblings did, spending their summers on the water.
Erica isn’t the only one in her family who turned a childhood hobby into a career and lifelong passion; her brother builds sailboats, and her sister, a former professional racer, runs a speed shop. We spoke at Montrose Harbor, the same harbor where she grew up sailing, and is now building her own sailing school. Being the youngest of seven, she grew up fast; she has been working since she was 13, and that grit is evident in everything she touches.
Throughout her life, she has often been one of only a handful of women in the room or on the dock. This reality was never more apparent than during the J70 World Championship, a high caliber, international competition hosted in Saint Petersburg, FL. At an after-party, a competitor approached her and asked which team her husband was on, assuming that Erica was accompanying someone. She vividly remembers the surge of emotions that followed (some of which she jokingly attributes to being six months pregnant at the time). To put this gender imbalance in context, of the 83 teams competing (with five people on each team), only ten participants were women. Erica’s team, led by David Kerr didn’t just compete; they won, beating out elite teams funded by corporate giants.’
She also participated in the Independence Cup race, the nation's oldest adaptive sailing regatta held annually on Lake Michigan at Burnham Park Harbor in Chicago. She was the tactician for the blind skipper, and they came in third.
That moment of being overlooked at the championship propelled her to ask what she could do to ensure other women had a different experience. Her goal was to create a welcoming, low-cost environment for those who might find the sport intimidating. A welcoming space for women and community alike. That place became Great Lakes Sailing.
Great Lakes Sailing is a US. Sailing Accredited center at Montrose Harbor that she started to get more women out there at an affordable price, and what started as a vision has expanded into three boats, a team of instructors, corporate team-building sessions and continues to grow.
But Erica’s impact extends far beyond the docks. She wasn't looking to offer just a fun summer program; she wanted something with academic rigor. She developed Sail Her Dreams, a STEM-curriculum grounded program, integrating water quality, sustainability, and marine biology. This grew into a competitive program through After School Matters. The work behind the scenes has been tireless: she applied for 200 grants and received one, joined the Chicago Learning Exchange to better understand student programming, and leaned on her mentors to bridge the gaps.
She is particularly passionate about youth who live near Lake Michigan but have never had the chance to experience it. She encourages her students to design their own sails and test boat designs, and she was delighted when they organically decided to build their own podcast. Beyond education, she is a vocal advocate for Chicago and Lake Michigan and is a member of the Great Lakes Business Network.
Reflecting on her journey as a "solopreneur," she echoes a theme I’ve heard often: she wishes she had asked for help sooner.
Personally, what brings her joy is being outdoors with her two kids. She loves living by the river and going to Indiana Dunes.
As she looks toward the future, Erica tells me she is only in year one of a 30-year plan. Her vision includes a nature center, a STEM hub, and a community space designed to provide resources and internet access to the lakefront. She has already partnered with 11th Hour Racing & Sail Her Dreams to launch an immersive art exhibition: Where Wings Meet Water.
It is a remarkable story of turning a personal passion into a platform for systemic change. I, for one (of many), am excited to see all Erica continues to build for all of us.