Luis founded Latinos Progresando in 1998, to serve Chicago’s Pilsen and Little Village communities where he was born and raised, and continues to live today. In 2010, Luis also launched the Marshall Square Resource Network, a highly-localized coalition that has grown from three to more than 45 organizational partners, building the capacity of member agencies to advance integrated solutions to the most pressing issues on Chicago’s southwest side.
Luis contributes knowledge as a steering committee member of civic organizations like We Rise Together, Chicago’s Racial Equity Rapid Response Team, Forefront’s Advancing Racial Equity Committee, and Resilient Chicago. Luis was also a member of an AJC delegation of Latino leaders to Israel.
Luis serves as co-chair of the Equity & Inclusion Committee on the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Illinois, and as a board member of the Lincoln Park Zoo, Esperanza Health Centers, HHPLIFT, Lookingglass Theatre Company, and AMPT. Luis received the Leaders for a New Chicago Award from the Field Foundation in 2019, the Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award from the Chicago Bears in 2018, Positive Impact Award from Hispanicize in 2017, and the Excellence in Community Service Award from MALDEF in 2011.
The Chicago City Council approved the appointment of Luis Gutierrez as a member of the Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, October 27, 2021.