Mike Simmons earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Amherst College in 2006. Simmons' career experience includes working as the deputy director of My Brother's Keeper Alliance; the CEO and founder of Blue Sky Strategies & Co.; a fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago; the deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development; the policy director for former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer; a legislative correspondent, staff assistant, and advance lead with U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin; an intern and policy assistant with Aon Corp.; an intern with Barack Obama's U.S. Senate campaign; and an intern with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.