Presenting Coffee Talk: a weekly roundtable led by the city's best doers curated by Presence Agency.

Every Wednesday at 1pm we'll be sipping Stumptown Coffee in the lobby while we chat with some of our favorite people in town about what they're doing.

Our installment on February 12th features Priya Shah, Founder and Executive Director of the Simple Good

Priya Shah is triggering social consciousness to challenge barriers and empower communities from the inside out. As a Chicago creative and entrepreneur, she has built a network of artists and collaborators dedicated to igniting social awareness and change through art and imagination. Shah began volunteering in developing countries at a young age, which inspired her to fill the gap between business and the social sector. She went on to earn degrees in both Accounting & Finance from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, using her studies as an opportunity to deepen her understanding of diverse cultures and perspectives through international travel. After graduating she went on to work at Big Four Accounting firm, Ernst & Young, and finally Groupon, leading strategic planning in Operations. Shah's passion for art and travel has fueled her purpose to help better communities in Chicago and around the world.

Through her experience, Shah has developed a unique perspective on humanity and believes it is her responsibility to engage communities in need. Her purpose took shape when she founded The Simple Good, a non-profit with the mission to connect the meaning of good from around the world, empowering youth to become positive activists through art and discussion. By uniting communities under a universal truth, Shah hopes to bridge understanding across all walks of life in order to bring down obstacles separating us in working towards improving the lives of our children and in turn, our future.

Outside of her work with The Simple Good, she aims to build the next generation of positive leaders as a Strategist for Obama Foundation Scholars in Chicago and continues to lead necessary global dialogue as a Legacy Fellow at the Ariane de Rothschild Foundation. Shah is also a speaker with the Peace is Loud Bureau who promotes female changemakers promoting peace around the world. You may spot her in a print ad or two as she spends her free time as a model, promoting inclusive and diverse representation, empowering others with each new opportunity.