Juan Teague is an entrepreneur, an activist, and a connector of people. Her natural interpersonal skills and business savvy have made her an effective social and civic leader throughout Chicagoland and beyond.

With more than 20 years’ experience in the hotel and hospitality industry, Juan built her career from the ground up—without a college degree—to become director of entertainment and special events and, ultimately, director of sales and catering at the Hard Rock Hotel...particularly noteworthy, as Blacks represent only 2% of directors in this industry.

Since 2009, Juan has operated her own Chicago-based production and events company—Juan & Only, LLC—producing and co-producing large-scale festivals in the Chicago area, such as Aahh! Fest by Common, Spring Awakening, and Mamby on the Beach. With the goal of changing the narrative created by media and redlining, Juan has specifically worked to bring festivals and entertainment to predominantly Black communities in Chicago.

With premiere clients such as Kanye West, Donovan McNabb, Def Jam, Dwyane Wade, Columbia Records, Atlantic Records, Jack Daniels, Heineken, and President Bill Clinton, Juan and Only has diverse experience serving corporations, nonprofit organizations, and high-profile sports, entertainment, and political figures at events throughout the U.S.

Juan is a member of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE), and during the pandemic, she became a fierce advocate for financial assistance and mitigations for small venues and entertainment-related gig workers. In addition, as a creative and innovative civic leader, Juan serves on the City of Chicago’s subcommittee for tourism and culture and as co-chair for Year of Chicago Music. She is also a mentor for students in the Grammy U® program at NYU and Columbia College.

Committed to investing in Chicago’s Black and Brown communities and providing job training and opportunities for local youth, Juan recently purchased property in the West Side’s Austin neighborhood, where she will be opening a venue called The Bruce, named after her late father. Batter & Berries will serve breakfast and lunch in the shared facility during the day—and at night, The Bruce will host events and entertainment programming.

Ever passionate about helping people, Juan launched yet another business in 2020—Washington West—through which she partners and consults with small Black and Brown businesses, connecting them with financial investors and other capital resources.

After growing up on Chicago’s West Side, Juan now resides in Washington Park on the South Side, where she is proud to live in the former home of Jesse Binga, Chicago’s first Black millionaire. With her wealth of real-world experience and her host of influential contacts all across the country, Juan Teague is an inexhaustible force of positive energy and contagious enthusiasm for helping others and making a difference in the world.