Beuloria and Juelle are urban archeologists, well…not really. Just a couple quirky gals looking to showcase their tribe and to share dynamic and interesting Chicagoans with the world.
The Big Dig is a whimsical journey of discovery of unique and extraordinary Chicagoans hidden from view who are busy being, doing, creating, building, choosing to live outside the box and practicing the personal motto, “I’m not an anomaly, I’m just doing me.”
Join us for conversations with artists, musicians, chefs, makers, creators and doers who reside in our city’s 77 neighborhoods and beyond. We are convinced that there are folks out there toiling away at their respective passions in original and dope ways. We find them and share their stories with you.
Beuloria, a west side Chicago native turned global explorer, launched her media career hosting music shows from alternative rock to jazz at stations like WDGC and WDCB. She's co-hosted an op-ed podcast, led a multicultural Meetup group in Chicago, and brings her passion for culture to life through food, music, and dance. Her career in international trade and food manufacturing has taken her across five continents—blending global insight with local flavor.
Juelle is an unapologetic chaser of beauty and the sublime with an insatiable appetite for all things arts and culture. She's a practitioner of bravery, a life-long learner and always hip to embark on new creative adventures fueled by her consistent optimism.
Living overseas has widened her worldview, she is a French trained urban planner/designer, filmmaker, a cinephile with a penchant for independent and international cinema, an independent curator and a producer of arts-related public events and programming.
Costume designer, author, and storyteller Bryant McLemore Smith has spent over two decades in film and stage, bringing artistry, resilience, and bold storytelling to every project. His recent credits include Bronzeville: The Musical at the Apollo Theater and three post-COVID film productions: Long Division, Love on Air, and the upcoming romantic comedy Stand By. A career highlight was traveling the globe as wardrobe lead for Mary J. Blige’s No More Drama Tour. Beyond entertainment, Bryant transforms personal experience into powerful narrative. Surviving childhood sexual abuse led him to write Love Blood Rhinestones, a gripping novel that follows Elijah Furgerson through trauma, beauty, and love in the SGL (same-gender loving) community.
Bryant’s work is unapologetic, layered, and rooted in lived truth—inviting audiences to honor their past and embrace love’s power to heal.
Stivers Coffee sets itself apart from the competition with single-origin coffees, creative blends, varietal degrees of roasting, and custom flavoring. The Picasso approach to medium-batch roasting makes it difficult to replicate. You network, we roast. No dated stock. Unlike larger coffee firms with less passion for perfection, Stivers Coffee is so fresh, local customers are astonished by the coffee's warmth upon delivery. As roast- master, since 1985, Greg Stivers has acquired an unrivaled passion for roasting and flavoring. Stivers Coffee excels in both. Quite simply, "You call, we roast." Maximum freshness, quality and emotional connectivity to the coffee beans are traits successful in the transition of coffee from "the crop to the cup." Learn more at Stivers Coffee.
Shane-Jahi Jackson was born in Denver, Colorado in 1987. He is a self-taught artist and has exhibited in the Midwest at various venues including the University of Chicago, Reva & David Logan Arts Center, Fine Arts Factory, Paintbox Gallery, McLean County Art Center with a recent exhibition at Saint Kate’s Arts Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has two upcoming 2025 solo exhibitions at the Alliance Francaise de Chicago and Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago. He lives and works in Morris, Illinois.
Third Coast Comics is a Black-owned comic book shop in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, founded and run by Chicago native Terry Gant. Since opening its doors in 2008—and relocating to Loyola University’s Lakeshore Campus in 2016—the shop has become a staple for everyone from comic book lifers to the graphic novel curious. Known for its inclusive vibe, sharp curation, and commitment to community, Third Coast Comics has been nominated three times for the Will Eisner “Spirit of Comic Book Retailing” award. All are welcome—whether you're a barista, biker, or bookworm—as long as you love a good story.