www.negociosnow.com
4 March 2022
WORDS OF WISDOM:
"W
e cannot seek achievement
for ourselves and forget
about progress and prosperity for
our community. Our ambitions
must be broad enough to include the
aspirations and needs of others, for
their sakes and for our own."
Cesar Chavez
Age: 27
Title: Executive Director
Organization: Increase the Peace
Berto Aguayo is the co-
founder and executive direc-
tor of Increase the Peace, an
organization that develops
young leaders and promotes
peace through community or-
ganizing and policy advocacy.
Aguayo is a proud Back of
the Yards native, where he was
raised by a single mother who
emigrated from Mexico. His
struggles and experiences as a
former gang member led him
on a journey toward social jus-
tice. He holds bachelor's de-
grees in political science and
economics from Dominican
University, is an alumnus of
the University of Chicago's Ci-
vic Leadership Academy, and
is a first-year law student at
Northwestern University.
From 2013 to 2016, he coor-
dinated the Hoops in the Hood
program in Back of the Yards
while at the same time wor-
king for state Rep. Emanuel
Chris Welch. In 2015, he was
appointed by the mayor's offi-
ce to the My Brother's Keeper
Cabinet. In 2016 he co-foun-
ded Increase the Peace. Since
then, the program has trained
hundreds of residents in com-
munity organizing, organized
dozens of actions to increase
the peace, and has expanded
its work to include violence
prevention, public health, and
multicultural unity. In 2018,
Aguayo worked as a national
leadership trainer with the
Obama Foundation.
In 2019, he ran an indepen-
dent grassroots campaign for
15th Ward Alderman. He was
the political director for Ma-
rie Newman's congressional
campaign and did a brief stint
on Lori Lightfoot's mayoral
campaign. In addition to his
current role, he serves on the
boards of CHANGE Illinois
and Beyond Legal Aid, and is
a part of the Chicago Com-
munity Trust's Changemakers
Network.
Aguayo is a past recipient
of the Young Hispanic Leader
Award from the United States
Hispanic Leadership Institute,
of the Outstanding Alumnus
Award from the Mikva Cha-
llenge, and of the Elevating
Youth Voices Award from the
Bright Promises Foundation.
He is also a former scholar of
the Aspen Institute, and he
was a fellow at Citizen Univer-
sity.
Berto Aguayo
Community
Advocate
