What was the inspiration behind "Lois" (Hint: it was Lois Weisberg)

Lois was named after Lois Weisberg, who was the prototypical super connector in Chicago. Before Malcolm Gladwell was a famous author, he had met Lois and wrote a six-page article in The New Yorker about her. This article was so remarkably successful that it secured him the book deal that ultimately became The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.

It is in Lois Weisberg's honor that we name our company and this product after her—carrying on her spirit of radical generosity, connecting, and being genuinely helpful to everyone around her.

Who Was Lois Weisberg?

Lois Weisberg (May 6, 1925 – January 13, 2016) was the first Commissioner of Cultural Affairs for the City of Chicago, serving from 1989 until January 2011. But her official title only hints at the profound impact she had on her city and everyone she met.

In his 1999 New Yorker essay, "Six Degrees of Lois Weisberg," Malcolm Gladwell called Weisberg a "connector" for her extraordinary ability to connect people from different communities. He asked: "She's a grandmother, she lives in a big house in Chicago, and you've never heard of her. Does she run the world?"

A Legacy of Connection and Culture

Weisberg was appointed by Mayor Harold Washington to head the city's Office of Event Planning in 1983. Her impact on Chicago's cultural landscape was transformative:

• She helped establish the Gallery 37 program, which brought Chicago youths to a vacant block in downtown Chicago to create art
• She created the Chicago Blues Festival and the Chicago Gospel Festival
• She launched multiple citywide neighborhood festivals and the Chicago Holiday Sharing It Program
• She brought Cows on Parade to Chicago—the first such exhibit in the United States
• Before her government appointment, she helped found the Chicago Cultural Center and Friends of the Park

The Power of Weak Ties

What made Lois truly special wasn't just that she knew many people—it was how she connected them. Gladwell's essay explored how Lois belonged to numerous different worlds: actors, writers, doctors, lawyers, park lovers, politicians, railroad buffs, and flea-market aficionados. She moved effortlessly between these disparate communities, creating connections that would never have existed otherwise.

As Gladwell wrote: "Lois knows lots of people because she likes lots of people. And all those people Lois knows and likes invariably like her, too, because there is nothing more irresistible to a human being than to be unqualifiedly liked by another."

Recognition and Awards

Lois received numerous civic and arts awards throughout her life, including:

• League of Women Voters Civic Contribution Award
• Governing Magazine's Public Official of the Year Award
• Harold Washington History Maker Award
• An honorary Doctorate from Chicago's Spertus Institute of Jewish Learning and Leadership
• Chicago Tribune "Chicagoan of the Year" award

So why did we choose the name "Lois"?

Just as Lois Weisberg connected people across Chicago's diverse communities, HeyLois helps you leverage your professional network by understanding the relationships between the people you know. We aspire to embody her spirit of radical generosity and genuine helpfulness.

Lois showed us that the most powerful networks aren't built on transactional relationships, but on authentic connection and a genuine desire to help others succeed. That's the foundation of everything we do.