Jamila Trimuel is on a mission—and it started right here on Chicago’s South Side.
“I grew up on the South Side of Chicago where my dad said, ‘You’re an African girl. You can do anything you set your mind to,'” Jamila shared in a video titled Black Girls: Perception is Not Reality. From a young age, college was the expectation. But she knew that wasn’t the reality for many of the girls around her.
She went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Master of Science in Health Systems Management from Rush University, and a Master of Education from The Broad Center for Management of School Systems. But her heart never strayed from the community that raised her.
From boardrooms to classrooms, Jamila has always led with purpose. She began her professional journey in leadership at one of the nation’s top hospitals and quickly rose through the ranks in health systems management. But it was her passion to create lasting impact for Black girls that led her to shift paths—and ultimately, shift lives.
“For many of my childhood friends, they did not have the same upbringing. Given the conditions I’ve seen, our girls cannot stand to get less than anything. They need people in their lives who won’t give up. This is why I started Ladies of Virtue.”
In 2011, Jamila founded Ladies of Virtue (LOV) with just six girls. Today, it has grown into a powerhouse mentoring and leadership program that serves more than 2,000 girls and women each year. The organization equips girls on the South Side with the tools they need to become confident, purpose-driven leaders. From mentorship and college prep to career development and community service, LOV is transforming lives—one girl at a time. In 2024, the organization raised over $200,000 at their annual fundraiser at Carnivale in Chicago.
Under Jamila’s leadership, Ladies of Virtue has built powerful partnerships with the Obama Foundation, Girls Opportunity Alliance, L’Oréal, Northwestern Medicine, CME Group, Foot Locker, and Social Venture Partners, among others. The organization earned the Top 100 Chicago Innovation Award, solidifying its status as a leading force for change.
Jamila’s influence has not gone unnoticed. In 2016, she was named a Change Agent by the Obama Administration and invited to speak at the White House United State of Women Summit. In 2023, she was honored as one of only 16 PepsiCo Changemakers across the nation—recognized for her groundbreaking work in the nonprofit sector.
But Jamila’s reach goes far beyond her own organization. She’s served on the Steering Committee for the Greater Bronzeville Neighborhood Network, co-chaired the Status of Women and Girls Working Group led by City Clerk Anna Valencia, and co-authored A Status Report on Teen Girls in Chicago for the Coalition on Urban Girls. In 2022, she was appointed to the 78 Community Advisory Council by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. And most recently, in 2024, Jamila and one of her LOV mentees received the Education Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.
A TEDx speaker and a graduate of the IMPACT Leadership Development Program, Jamila continues to use her voice, vision, and values to pave a brighter path for the next generation of leaders.
Learn more about Ladies of Virtue here.
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