Joel is........someone who embodies the joy of running. After first jogging with his mom in the cornfields of Indiana, he found his passion for racing and started working at a run shop in high school. After walking on to the IU Cross Country Team, he eventually graduated with a degree in marketing, and became a brand ambassador for Cliff Bar. Always heeding the call to adventure, he bought the Universal Soles Running shop from his buddy in 2008, and proceeded to create a loyal community around fun run events. With online shopping and Amazon starting to eat into his profit margins, he eventually closed the shop in 2017 and turned Universal Soles into an event based organization. The annual Burgers and Beer Fun Run was so loved by locals that it gradually took over Soldier Field, and this year has pivoted to a Twilight Trail Run edition that will take place on August 7th on the Palos Trails outside of Chicago, with big grills & partnership with craft beer company Solemn Oath. As someone who has run 5 Chicago Marathons, helped bring charity Back on my Feet to Chicago, and has served roles with the running organization CARA and the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce, Joel is someone who truly champions the sport of running, for solely the joy and fun of it all. Catch him at one of our Wednesday 6:30 runs (https://www.universalsole.com/) (https://www.meetup.com/local-voices-chicago/) and experience the cathartic effect of gathering with running friends.