Jamila Trimuel
Founder and CEO
Jamila Trimuel, a proud South Side Chicago native, began her career in leadership at one of the nation's top hospitals. After excelling in health systems management, she transitioned into educational leadership, driven by her passion to uplift and inspire others. Today, Jamila is the visionary Founder of Ladies of Virtue (LOV), Chicago’s leading mentoring and leadership program for Black girls. She believes her purpose is to empower young Black girls to become confident, purpose-driven leaders while strengthening families and transforming communities.
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What started with just six girls has grown under Jamila’s leadership to serve over 2,000 women and girls annually. Ladies of Virtue boasts partnerships with major organizations like the Obama Foundation, Girls Opportunity Alliance, L’Oréal, Northwestern Medicine, CME Group, Foot Locker, SVP, and more, helping to amplify the program's impact. In recognition of its groundbreaking work, Ladies of Virtue was honored with the Top 100 Chicago Innovation Award.
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Jamila’s commitment to empowering others has earned her national recognition. She was named a Change Agent by the Obama Administration and invited to the White House United State of Women Summit in 2016. Additionally, in 2023, she was selected as one of only 16 PepsiCo Changemakers across the country, an honor recognizing her as a trailblazer in the nonprofit sector. She has also served as a Steering Committee member for the Greater Bronzeville Neighborhood Network alongside Pastor Chris Harris and co-chaired the Status of Women and Girls Working Group, led by City Clerk Anna Valencia. Jamila is a TEDx speaker and co-author of “A Status Report on Teen Girls in Chicago,” published by the Coalition on Urban Girls. In 2022, she was appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to the 78 Community Advisory Council. In 2024, she received an Education Award alongside her Ladies of Virtue Mentee by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.
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Jamila earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds a Master of Science in Health Systems Management from Rush University, as well as a Master of Education from The Broad Center for Management of School Systems. She is also a graduate of the IMPACT Leadership Development Program.
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Jamila resides in the South Loop community with her husband, Damien, and their one-year-old son, David.