Wendy Onofre-Shah

Wendy is a Chicago native—born and raised on the South Side. She was born in Pilsen, and raised in West Lawn. She is a first generation Mexican-American. Her family is from a small pueblo in Guerrero and instilled in her a deep commitment to community and a love for the Spanish language. (So much so that Spanglish and English were banned in her house!)

After graduating from the Latin School of Chicago, she majored in Political Science at the University of Dayton in Ohio. There she had the opportunity to work on local and national political campaigns - something she absolutely loved. Prior to enrolling at Chicago-Kent College of Law she held roles in marketing, advertising, and had a brief stint as a paralegal. 

At Chicago-Kent she honed her legal drafting and research skills, earning a CALI Award (highest grade) for Excellence in Legal Writing. Upon graduation she started her career as a Commercial Real Estate and Finance attorney working both borrower and lender side of complex real estate transactions. During her time in private practice she was consistently recognized as a top performer and nominated to serve as a Pathfinder on the national Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. 

Since 2023 Wendy pivoted to the public sector, currently serving as Senior Counsel for the Chicago Park District where she works on all revenue generating contracts for the District’s managed assets as well as a diverse array of public contracts. 

Most recently Wendy opened LVL UP COFFEE in Bronzeville. The coffee shop is focused on serving specialty coffee and high quality pastries. The shop is community focused and Wendy has intentionally created a training ground for baristas living within the Bronzeville neighborhood in effort to make coffee and the coffee industry more reflective of the world we live in. 

Outside of work Wendy enjoys reading, yoga, long walks and rating pizza spots to add to her favorites list (new favorite: Obbie’s in Garfield Ridge).