Saya Hillman

Saya Hillman:

Likes lists.

Does not believe in work/life balance.

Says possibility/the unknown is her drug of choice.

Is never disappointed.

A graduate of Boston College, Saya worked as an associate producer for a documentary film company before founding her digital media company, Mac ‘n Cheese Productions, which quickly grew a teaching element, bringing videography, photography, blogging, and entrepreneurship to hundreds of Chicago Public School students from high-poverty communities.

When her love for throwing dinner parties accidentally (yet welcomingly) led Mac ‘n Cheese to grow a ‘Connecting Strangers-to-Strangers’ branch, Saya found a way to turn her “Things I Want to Get Paid to Do” list into a business. Today, having hosted more than 900 people in her living room, Saya spends her time as nametag-crafter, discussion-facilitator, event-curator and life-navigator at her Mingler, Supper Club, Potluck!, Fear Experiment and Tool-Belt events, bringing strangers (who are required/encouraged to attend solo) together to experience possibility and the unknown – and to make new connections.

Chosen as one of Brazen Careerist’s Top Twenty Young Professionals to Watch in 2012, Saya also travels the world speaking. Well, she’s actually only taken a twenty-seven minute Brown Line ride downtown to speak, but she’s OPEN to traveling the world to speak. It’s on her list.