Ask Aunt V – Veronica Porter, Owner of Ask Aunt V, was born and raised in Naperville, Illinois when it was still considered a small farm town.  She caught the end of an era when you grew, gathered, and prepared your own food.  It was a time that you learned from your elders, explored with your friends, and followed in the footsteps of time worn traditions. 

Veronica brings these values to modern times and shares her experiences by educating and strategizing for healthy, organic, heirloom gardening, farm to table food integrity, cooking, preservation and living life in a responsible, regenerative manner.  She is a third-generation organic farmer, chef, culinary instructor, and food educator for home and garden.  Veronica is a Licensed Chef, she holds a Master of Organic Farming, Master of Urban Farming, and she is a Master Gardener. She is a Certified Compost Ambassador and holds a Certificate for Food and Nutrition. She is a published author and a sought-after public speaker.

Veronica Porter is the recent President of the State of Illinois Farmer Veterans Coalition and a member of Homegrown by Heroes Illinois.

"My passion is to create community in all I do, from growing a garden, to preparing a meal, to educating, gathering and enjoying life's harvest."  Veronica Porter, Ask Aunt V 2014

Innovation DuPage is a non-profit venture that unites startup founders and small business owners with the people, resources and programs that help them grow. 

As a full-time Naperville Realtor, a large part of my job is promoting this city to incoming and current residents who rely on me to be a local expert. In this role, I focus on knowing and learning everything I can about Naperville - local events, the businesses, and the people that make this community so unique.

For the past 28 years, I have lived and raised my family in Naperville. Through the years, I have come to know and appreciate this town in so many ways - as a newlywed, a mom of 5 children, and now an almost empty nester. I love sharing my knowledge and enthusiasm about living in this community with others.

Before my career in real estate, I spent time in education. Having this background, my approach to real estate is with the heart of a teacher. My natural strengths from teaching have been a great crossover to my real estate career. My clients benefit from this because they thoroughly understand the process and can therefore make confident decisions.

I am proud to work with the #1 producing office for the Baird & Warner Company. Baird & Warner has over 35 offices in the Chicagoland area, including Naperville. We buy and sell more real estate than any company in the surrounding suburbs. I continue to outperform the average agent in both # of homes sold and volume year after year. The best part of my job is the people I get to meet, helping them get to where they want to go and being a part of their home ownership dreams.

Dave Scriven-Young is a trial lawyer for companies and professionals and the Environmental Practice Leader of Peckar & Abramson, P.C., a Chambers & Partners USA-recognized law firm.  Businesses and executives turn to Dave to help them tell their stories at trial with confidence and combat anti-corporate biases that juries commonly have.  He develops creative strategies for motion practice, discovery, and trial that are aligned with the goals and budgets of his clients.  He handles civil litigation and appeals, business and commercial disputes including breach of contract and fraud cases, employment law, trust litigation, professional liability, legal malpractice, ARDC claims, environmental law, and construction law.

Since he began practicing law 20 years ago, Dave has been building a large network of trusted attorneys through his leadership in national organizations such as the American Bar Association's Litigation Section, Forum on Construction Law, and Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources. This network has allowed Dave to litigate cases around the country, utilizing local counsel who understand the idiosyncrasies of judges and juries in jurisdictions outside of Illinois. Clients often come to Dave with cases and other legal matters outside of his expertise; Dave's network allows him to refer these matters to attorneys who are experts in those fields. You can come to Dave with any legal matter, and he will find the right attorney for you.

He often partners with small or solo law firms that do not have the resources to litigate large or document-intensive cases.  Dave and his law firm will provide research, writing, and trial support, while your firm can retain overall management of the case.  

Dave is also called by attorneys around the country to act as local counsel because he understands that role and works well with lawyers at other law firms.

In addition to his busy practice, Dave takes on pro bono cases and shares his knowledge about trial tactics, legal news, and law firm best practices through his social media channels. He also hosts the "Litigation Radio" podcast, sharing tips for litigators on how to develop their careers, win cases, get more clients, and build a sustainable practice. He is also a sought-after writer and public speaker on legal issues.

Dave can be contacted by phone at (312) 881-6309 (office) or (305) 495-9782 (cell phone) or by email at dscriven-young@pecklaw.com.

Steven P. Eschbach, CBI, CFA, CFC, is the President of Tranworld Business Advisors of Naperville (www.tworld.com/naperville), one of over 250 global offices of the largest and fastest growing business brokerage in the world with its roots dating back to 1979.

Mr. Eschbach is also a Commercial Broker with Caton Commercial Real Estate Group (www.catoncommercial.com), a family-owned Naperville brokerage and property management business established in 1987.

Mr. Eschbach has over 40 years of mergers and acquisitions experience in various financial executive roles with Fortune 1000 companies as well his current roles with Transworld and Caton

He has been involved in dozens of transactions ranging in size from less than $100,000 to over $20 billion, and his expertise spans many industries, including but not limited to energy, healthcare, technology, retail, entertainment, manufacturing, and construction, as well as franchise sales and franchise development.

Steve has been involved in a number of national industry and nonprofit organizations and is currently Board President of the Career & Networking Center based in Naperville. He is also an active member of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce since 2016, currently on the Ambassadors Committee and Small Business Owners Roundtable.

A frequently requested speaker on subjects such as executive job transition, business development networking, optimizing corporate value and effective communications with investors, Steve is also written and published two books, one of them an Amazon Best Seller - .

Steve and his wife, Kathy, have lived in Naperville since 2007, and have three adult children as well as seven grandchildren.

Mr. Escbach holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Connecticut and an MBA in Investment Finance from the University of Hartford.

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In just a few years, I pivoted from an entrepreneur that started my own commercial property management company to using my skills and expertise full-time to find business owners a new location.  

I began my journey by starting a commercial property management company in 2019.  Armed with a keen eye for detail (I'm sure from my teaching background), a passion for efficient operations, and a knack for fostering strong tenant relationships, I successfully built a reputation for excellence in the property management area.  I worked closely with landlords to growth their buildings occupancy while maximizing returns for the property owners, and creating inviting spaces for tenants.  

As my property management company grew, I began to dive deeper in the realm of commercial real estate.  Recognizing the potential for growth and the desire to expand my horizons, I made the decision to transition full-time into serving business owners to find their ideal location.  With the solid foundation in property management, I bring a unique perspective to their new endeavor.  My desire and determination for knowledge to help my clients find the right location is my ultimate goal.