A Leader In All Arenas: Shantel Franklin

Hailing from the Westside, Shantel Franklin wears many hats. She is a legislative liaison, real estate agent, athlete, block club president, landlord and advisor. 

“I refuse to be boxed into one thing and recognize that I can be all things,” she said. 

Raised all over the Westside – in Austin, Humboldt Park, North Lawndale – she embodies the multifaceted potential of Westsiders. 

“I can be all-encompassing… I can be anything I want to be,” she said. 

Shantel is a legislative liaison for the Illinois Attorney General's Office, calling on legislators to push forward laws that advocate for the general public. 

Through her work, she advocated to change a state law that will go into effect starting in January 2025 to expand the Crime Victims Compensation Program. The program provides financial support to victims of violent crime and their families, covering expenses such as medical bills, funeral costs, relocation expenses, and lost wages. She has also advocated for measures against consumer fraud and other proposals. 

She is also a certified real estate agent. Since obtaining her license in 2020, she has been a multi-million dollar producer, helping clients on the Westside and the Chicagoland area sell, buy or rent properties. 

She also goes above and beyond for her clients, offering “a top-tier” experience to help them navigate major life decisions and celebrate investing in their futures, a step taken when purchasing a home or investment property, she said. 

“It just feels full circle in terms of my life story, because, now, I own real estate and I'm providing housing to other people when I grew up facing unstable housing,” she said. 

A property owner herself, she has invested in real estate while helping provide housing. “I love everything about it, not just being able to invest in the community, but actually being a part of my community, it means a lot,” she said. 

Simultaneously, she leads efforts to improve her community as a proud block leader bringing change starting with the street she calls home.

A 2023 Chicago Coalition for the Homeless report found that 32 percent of Chicago’s homeless population lives on the Westside. 

The lack of stable housing affects people in more than one way. Shantel went to four different grammar schools and four different high schools, yet her experiences only fueled her to push herself more. 

“It ignited a fire in me that wanted to work hard and do things that were going to set my future up for success, as opposed to being a victim of my circumstances,” she said. 

After high school, Shantel attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where she obtained a B.A. in political science. Later, she went to Indiana University to complete a master’s degree in public affairs. 

“College was more of a reinvention of myself and really showing or getting to know myself,” she said. 

At that time, she realized she could achieve everything she wanted by becoming a homecoming queen, sorority member, school government member, and honors student.

“Anything you can name, I did it. It was a way of proving to myself that I can do things no matter my background or what I've been through,” she said. 

Success has followed in her governmental and realtor career, Shantel has found new challenges and achieved major milestones in fitness. 

In recent years, she became a hybrid athlete, combining running and powerlifting regimes that test her limits and provide an outlet, she said. 

“Fitness provides me with a safe space; it’s my version of self-love,” she said. 

Like everything she does, Shantel’s drive and determination have fueled her while being with and in a community of like-minded people striving for change. 

She is part of Peace Runners 773, a Westside running club started by CLF alum Jackie Hoffman, who aims to bridge the Westside life expectancy gap by promoting exercise and healthy habits. 

At The Garage gym, she started powerlifting as she always envisioned herself as a strong athlete. 

If her ability to impact in many arenas – from Springfield to Westside streets– is not enough proof, her contagious energy and drive sure are. 

She is part of the Peace Runners 773 advisory committee, where she brings her energy to pour back into the community and expand fitness opportunities to Westsiders. 

“They dubbed me, and I may have dubbed myself, the vibe director,” she said. 

In the foreseeable future, Shantel will continue to wear many hats, expand housing opportunities, improve health outcomes, advocate for impactful laws and protections and transform her community. 

Through it all, Shantel leads with a heart of service and the purpose of pouring back into her community, she said. 

“I really think that the best is yet to come, I’m just gonna continue to push forward with a heart of service.”