On May 10, I had the privilege of being asked to take part in a panel discussion about crowdfunding at the University of Illinois’s Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

As a member of the Chicago 2012 NATO Hosting Committee, headed by Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s wife, Amy Rule, I was proud to be one of the Chicagoans who greeted heads of state who attended the NATO summit.

I am pleased to announce that the Lyric Opera has selected me to be a member of their Guild Board. I am thrilled to be able to contribute even more to an organization that is such a vital member of the Chicago arts community.

On April 22 and 23, I traveled to the European city of Luxembourg to attend the Global Russia Business Meeting, which was attended by more than 400 people.

I am proud to be part of a committee that will welcome delegates from around the world to the NATO meetings in Chicago in May.

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending an important fundraiser for the American Ballet Theatre right here in Chicago at the Ivy Room.

I was surprised and amazed Friday night when I saw the Lyric Opera’s final opera of the season, 'Rinaldo.'

Last weekend, I had the special pleasure of seeing Russian choreographer Boris Eifman’s world premiere of his new ballet, “Rodin,” at the New York City Center in New York.

Have you ever wanted the chance to go behind the curtain at the opera? As a tour leader, that’s exactly what I had the chance to do on Sunday during the Lyric Opera’s Backstage Tour fundraising event.

This Valentine’s Day weekend, I had the special pleasure of seeing River North Dance Chicago’s performance “Love Is…” at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance.

I recently stayed at the Bamboo Treehouse hotel in Puerto Rico, where I hiked in the rainforest, fell asleep to the sounds of the frogs and slept under the stars!

It was a tremendous honor to receive an invitation recently to tour the Russian Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., which shares my vision of increasing awareness of Russia’s grand cultural heritage.