The Creators

It was my love for words that inspired me to become a journalist. My parents, brothers and I are first-generation Chinese-Americans from Hong Kong and I spoke only Cantonese until I discovered American television shows and started kindergarten. My grandfather had come to America during the California Gold Rush and my great-grandfather had helped to build the Trans-Continental Railroad.

For decades, my parents owned and operated a Chinese restaurant in Northern California and that’s where I grew up. My desire to improve my vocabulary paid off at school in our weekly Spelling Bee. By the time I earned a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Oregon, my word quest had gone beyond Chinese and English to include German and American Sign Language.

My television career has taken me around the world. I’ve lived and worked in Oregon, Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York City. My husband and I met while covering a coup attempt in the Philippines. Now I’m blessed to call Chicago home.

I love anchoring and reporting here in the Windy City.  But I also love working with aspiring journalists which is why I’m thrilled to serve as Managing Editor for Young Chicagonista.  This website allows girls to delve into writing and technology while exploring the great city we all adore.

When I’m not parenting my own children, working on television or advising the girls of Young Chicagonista, I indulge my love for writing with my personal blog, www.nancyloo.net.  Thanks for spending time at this site.  We welcome your thoughts and suggestions!

I‘m a little bit of a techno-geek. Ok, a lot. In 1985 when my parents first bought my older brother his very own Commodore C64 desktop computer, I was fascinated by it. I remember learning how to code and build my first digital diary complete with a password entry. That Diary was short lived since my brother easily hacked it, so I was back to writing in an actual diary that I first started in 5th grade.

Fast-forward to 1999 when I was a journal-ing first time expectant mom and wanting to keep progressive with the tech times, I secretly started searching the net on “online journal-ing” and that’s when I found “blogging”. In 2000 I started blogging in SugarMyBowl.com and I was easily addicted. My tech-y mind had to learn the servers and programs from inside and out. Little did I know then that this was going to be a career I have come to love!

Fast –forwarding again now to 2008, Inspired by my 3 kids I created Chicagonista.com – movers, shakers, and baby makers, an online magazine for Chicago families. I then built City Connect Media, Inc. that owns and operates Chicagonista.com, NYMetropolista.com and the upcoming city sites San Franista, Miaminista.

And now here today expanding Chicagonista and giving voices to the social, smart, and savvy 20-somethings at the upcoming NextGen Chicagonista and even joined forces with Nancy Loo to launch this girl inspired and girl powered site Young Chicagonista.

Thank you for visiting our site!