Meet Lindsay Saewitz
Lindsay Saewitz grew up in Deerfield, IL, with a Reform Jewish background, engaging mainly in holiday celebrations and Hebrew school. Linsday was bat mitzvahed at Temple Jeremiah and sang in The Shining Lights, a Jewish show choir. In college at the University of Michigan, she joined a Jewish sorority and became more involved in Jewish activities through Hillel. Lindsay’s career journey has been diverse, primarily in marketing and sales roles at tech startups. Almost ten years after launching and running CitySwarm, an events company, she opened Logan Commons, an event space in Chicago, as a departure from the tech startup world. The space is designed for gatherings of up to 50 people, ideal for various private and corporate events. Learn all about Lindsay!
My career has been a long & winding road, and probably will forever be! Most of my years have been spent in marketing and sales/sales-adjacent roles at tech startups. But every few years I get the itch to start a business.
Lindsay Saewitz
Where did you grow up?
Deerfield, IL
Where did you go to school?
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
What did you do Jewish growing up?
I grew up Reform and our Jewish activities were mostly limited to celebrating all of the holidays. As an individual, I went to Hebrew school and ultimately was Bat Mizvah’ed at Temple Jeremiah. Then I went on to become Confirmed. Oh! I also sang in The Shining Lights, a Jewish show choir that performed throughout the North Shore. I do recall volunteering at my temple to help run Purim festivals and various other events. I joined a predominantly-Jewish sorority in college that happened to be right next to Hillel, so I definitely became more active at that point.
What do you do Jewish now?
I’ve participated in different events and programs over the years, including LEADS and Chi Tribe’s virtual Shabbat series during the pandemic. It’s been fun to meet more members of the Jewish community. Being a close friend of Leslie Finkel, the most involved Jewish person I know (and wife to Chi Tribe Co-Founder Sam Sheftel-Getz), I am always hearing about the latest Jewish events and participate as often as I can. I am hoping to build some sort of Hanukkah package at Logan Commons so that we can host celebrations for the community.
What was the best song from your Bar / Bat Mitzvah days?
Oh wow. My Bat Mitzvah was in 1995 so there are literally hundreds of amazing jams from this time period. I’d have to go with This is How We Do It by Montell Jordan, for its sheer longevity! Still a banger!
What is your favorite way to spend Shabbat?
At Leslie’s house! Leslie (my friend mentioned above) and her friends often host Shabbat dinners, and I’ve made so many new friends through them. I’m lucky to have a friend that also loves connecting people as much as I do and is so involved in the community. I also love getting a Facetime call from my 4-year old nephew who lives in DC; my brother and his family have started the tradition of celebrating Shabbat at home and will sometimes call me to join in on the blessings.
What do you do for work?
Throughout my career, I’ve held several marketing and sales roles at tech startups, occasionally venturing into entrepreneurial pursuits. Among these ventures was CitySwarm in the early 2010s, and more recently, Logan Commons—a modern event space I established in Logan Square after having trouble finding a venue for my 40th birthday. I’ve always been curious about operating a brick & mortar business, and I thought this was an excellent opportunity because the concept aligned so well with my skill set and cross-functional experience in marketing, events, operations, and sales.
A former Cricket Wireless at California & Armitage, the revamped space features an open-concept interior, ADA restrooms, and a kitchenette. There’s also an on-site parking lot and outdoor space. Ideal for intimate gatherings, whether corporate or personal, its capacity suits events of 50 attendees or fewer, with popular bookings like kids’ birthday parties, baby showers, and corporate meetings. Additionally, its prime location offers potential for retail pop-ups or brand marketing events. As I steer Logan Commons, my goal is to build a sustainable business and hopefully add in our own community event programming at some point. Check it out at www.logancommons.com and subscribe for future updates!
Check it out at www.logancommons.com and subscribe for future updates!
Top 3 things on your Chicago bucket list?
I still haven’t been to Alinea. I’m kind of obsessed with WGN morning news so getting to be on the show or meet the news crew in the studio would be awesome. I’ve always wanted to go to the Magic bar!
What do you do for fun?
I’m very into bocce right now; I’ve been playing in a league since 2021 and play every week for most of the year. I look forward to it every week because it’s fun, competitive but not too competitive, and gives me an excuse to hang out with some of my best friends! I also love karaoke, which I don’t do nearly enough of, and I enjoy checking out different bars and restaurants. I started a dinner club and a beer club in 2016, and both are still going strong! I love hanging out with kids, and there are plenty of them around these days which makes it easy. I also love animals and try to foster as often as I can.
What’s your go-to self-care?
I’m big on self-care and am really trying to make it a priority in my life. I meditate every morning for ten minutes, journal at night, and try to do yoga once a week. I also love getting monthly massages though with the business budget I’ve had to cut back a little. I view spending time with friends and family as self care because it brings me joy, so I try to make concrete plans a few times a week.
What is the best piece of wisdom you’ve received from your (or any) Jewish Mother?
I look up to my Mom a ton. I don’t know if there are specific “words of wisdom” she’s told me, but I think she’s tried to instill (and lead by example) the ideas of 1) doing what makes you happy and 2) not caring what people think.
If you could get a meal with any famous Jewish person (living or not), who would it be and why?
I would go with Larry David, to see if my Dad’s actually as much like him as our whole family thinks (and because he’s funny), or Jason Segal, who’s my Jewish celebrity crush and apparently single at the moment.
