About Forefront
Forefront’s mission is to share leadership and management expertise through the lens of respected corporate business leaders — how they use their skills to tackle the challenges of their role, in order to inspire other business leaders and aspiring professionals.
Across sixteen print issues and hundreds of web features, our editors interviewed executives at global brands to bring you their personal stories: key stepping stones, learning experiences, and the remarkable projects they were working on.
The archive stays online, free, for anyone taking part in their own professional development.
The team
George Bozonelos is Managing Director and co-founder of Forefront Magazine. George guides the team by providing the vision for overall strategy, editorial content, business development and operations.
He has been passionate about business since his early childhood, having helped in various aspects his family's businesses. He got his first taste of the publishing world right after college when he started a small local newspaper in the western suburbs of Chicago while studying towards his MBA. George sold the newspaper to focus on his studies and later joined a midsize publishing firm in Chicago, rising through the ranks, leading a business development team and eventually reporting to the President. His passion for leadership and management grew during this time, so much so that he decided to use his experience to co-found a magazine devoted to those who are serious about maximizing the potential of themselves and their teams.
George earned his MBA from Loyola University Graduate School of Business and resides in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. When he's not working on Forefront, he spends his time with his family, long bike rides on Chicago's beautiful lakefront and sampling some of fine craft beers from the breweries around city.
Anthony D'Amico is the Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Forefront Magazine. A native of Michigan, Anthony has been immersed in advertising, marketing and publishing for most of his career. After graduating with a degree in marketing, he joined the corporate world at Wells Fargo in a sales and marketing role. Anthony later moved to Chicago to gain additional advertising and marketing experience at a mid-size publisher before going on to co-found Forefront. Anthony resides in the Wicker Park neighborhood in Chicago.
Caitlin Cunningham
Editorial DirectorCaitlin Cunningham is proud to oversee Forefront's editorial content on a freelance basis. A graduate of Loyola University Chicago, she earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism with minors in Psychology and the Psychology of Crime & Justice. Caitlin spent the first five years of her full-time professional career in B2B publishing, acting as the Managing Editor and Editor of major trade publications serving the water industry. While she has since transitioned into a new career as a recruiter, Caitlin greatly enjoys continuing to pursue editorial endeavors.
Gerald Mathews loves a good story. Using the “profile” as a vehicle for telling them, he brings one-of-a-kind successes to life for his readers. With a flair for the creative, Gerald is constantly finding new ways to communicate ideas and engage his audience. His talent for listening, understanding, creating a story, and conveying it to others is a key foundation of his success. Publishing is the perfect venue for turning his talents into successful business ventures.
Currently, Gerald is Director of Research and Business Development at Forefront Magazine, an online leadership publication that showcases exciting and talent leaders in profile-driven articles. In this role, he identifies and engages senior executives for profiles in the magazine. Gerald unearths those with unique stories and exceptional accomplishments that provide readers with motivation and insight for furthering their own careers.
Previously, Gerald was Director of Sales and Research for Bowen Enterprises, a spin-off of Guerrero Howe Custom Media where he served in Sales and Account Management. At Bowen, he led the re-launch of the print editions of Luxury Home Quarterly Magazine and its sister publication Luxury Home Canada. He created innovative ways to feature homes along with their builders, architects, and designers, including adding regional focus and themes to each issue. He was instrumental in increasing exposure for the publication and growing advertising revenues.
Gerald holds a BA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor where he majored English Literature. He also completed a program of Pre-Med coursework and began his career working in physical therapy.
Jaclyn Crawford is the Assignment Editor at Forefront. Jaclyn is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago with her degree in marketing. In the past, she has worked for various non-profits such as Venture Expeditions and MissionLab. She enjoys writing and has been published on ChicagoTalks, Enjoy Illinois, and other various media outlets.
Jaclyn currently resides in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. You can find Jaclyn typically roaming around instagramming whatever she sees. In her free time, she likes to travel with her husband, play badminton, and find new coffee shops around the city.
Kate Bauer
Creative DirectorKate Bauer is the Creative Director at Forefront Magazine. She oversees design for all aspects of the magazine, including the website and tablet editions. Kate loves good type, learning new printing techniques, and working with awesome people. She's an eternal optimist and a problem-solver who loves to get her hands dirty.
Kate resides in Chicago with her lovely tuxedo cat.
Samantha Adler is the Editorial Developer at Forefront Magazine. Samantha is a graduate from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in sociology. She has always had a passion for publishing, writing and the media. She was able to gain a lot of experience throughout her college years, including work with a digital publication. Samantha is new to Chicago and resides in Lincoln Park.
Grant Casleton is the Marketing and Media Associate at Forefront Magazine. Grant graduated from North Park University in Chicago, Illinois with a degree in Communications in Media Studies. In working with other magazines in Chicago to gain experience, he has landed here and is excited to take on new challenges.
Grant currently lives in Logan Square and is probably watching Star Wars or riding his bike around Chicago.
Siqi Liu
Editorial InternSiqi Liu is the editorial intern at Forefront Magazine. Siqi attends Naperville Central High School in the western suburbs of Chicago, where she will graduate in 2015. She is an avid writer and enjoys working for various local and national magazines for young people. Her writing has appeared in The Mash, Polyphony H.S., and Imagine Magazine, among other publications.
In her free time, Siqi can be found jogging, updating her social media accounts, or eating crazy combinations of ethnic foods. She is willing try anything once.