NOMAD is the vision of Lara Moynihan - a woman, wife, mother of four, corporate attorney and philanthropist. Amidst a successful professional career, Lara found that her passion and focus was shifting more toward creating employment opportunities in her community.

As she contemplated how to directly provide opportunity, she discovered a retail space that she fell in love with, located in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Around the same time, Lara and her friend, Erika Nolan, connected with a woman in Oaxaca, Mexico, who worked with local Mexican artisans to create and sell beautifully handcrafted items as a way to support their families.

Lara decided that with Erika, a seasoned retail executive, as her creative director, she could create a space that would offer Chicago something unique.

Knowing that in today’s changing retail environment, retail alone was not enough to bring customers to NOMAD, Lara and Erika wanted to create an experiential destination. In thinking about their own favorite experiences, they decided that NOMAD would offer a place where people could escape from the everyday. From unique, globally sourced products, to delicious food and coffee, to a private space for meetings, NOMAD would offer a sanctuary.

NOMAD hopes that by offering unique goods, delicious coffee and treats, and meeting and event space, it will be on everyone’s list of places to discover in Chicago.