I'm running for Mayor because I'm not a politician. I'm a public servant who has spent my entire life putting others first — getting real results for real people.

I know and believe to my core that we can do better as a city. But we're not going to unless we do things differently. Our city is being run by the same kind of politicians for decades who aren't getting the job done for the hardworking, everyday Chicagoans I know. But I know when everyday people are given a chance, they can reach their goals and dreams in our world-class city.

Like too many Chicagoans, I grew up in a house where food on the table and paid bills weren't guaranteed.

My parents worked hard as a lighting technician and a school aide, but their paychecks never seemed to keep up with the rising costs of life for our family. You truly understand stress and fear when you overhear your parents whispering across the kitchen table at night about how they are going to pay the bills.

Despite it all, I was the first in my family to go to and graduate from college, even though I had to sleep in my car to be able to afford tuition.

After I graduated, I wanted to give back to the city that gave me a chance. I started by teaching math at a school on the West Side. By believing in and holding my students to high expectations, they gained three full years of academic achievement in just one year.

Eventually I started a business - right here in Chicago.

Our financial literacy and education company focused on helping tens of thousands of teachers, engineers, coffee baristas, and working families manage budgets, buy homes, and tackle student loans and credit card debt. We hired from the neighborhoods, and thanks to the hard work of our employees, our business grew, pumping not just jobs and dollars back into the city, but a sense of pride and optimism.

I am running for Mayor of Chicago because I have a vision to turn our economic engine back on to encourage and support business growth, keep Chicago affordable by building more housing, balance the city's budget without mortgaging our future, and improve educational outcomes for all students across the city to prepare them for the jobs of the future.