Gwen grew up on the South Side of Chicago with working class parents who deeply valued education. After graduating from Butler University in Indianapolis, Gwen worked in development at Marquette University and the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. In 2011, she joined the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago as a deputy director. As COO since 2020, she has worked to increase access to art for people of color and other underrepresented groups and played a key role in remaking the 60-person MCA board to be one of the most diverse in the U.S. Gwen joined the JOURNEY board in 2023.