Brian Hieggelke

About

Brian Hieggelke is a writer, publisher and film producer based in Chicago. Described as a “civic treasure” by Robert Feder, Chicago Tribune columnist, and “one of the most respected media minds in town” by Politico, Brian Hieggelke is the founder and president/CEO of Newcity, a Chicago-based company operating in print, digital and social media environments. He also serves as editor and co-publisher. 

Newcity, which Hieggelke also edits, is an award-winning print and digital publication—”The Publication of Record for Chicago Culture,” founded in 1986. Newcity’s most recent initiative, the film production company Chicago Film Project produced and distributed SIGNATURE MOVE which premiered at SXSW, won the Grand Jury Prize at Outfest for Best U.S.Narrative Feature, and was the Closing Night Film at BFI Flare. Chicago Film Project is in pre-production of two new films to shoot next year. Newcity also operates in the custom publishing business in the cultural space, and has created publications on the behalf of Expo Chicago art fair, Music Box Theatre, University of Chicago Arts, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events for Chicago Artists Month. In 2015, Newcity launched NewcityBrazil.com, covering the visual art culture of São Paulo and beyond. Since 1996, Hieggelke has served on the Board of Directors of the Alternative Weekly Network, a sales organization that aggregates the audiences of more than 100 cultural weeklies for national advertisers. For most of that time, he’s also served as president of that organization. 

Hieggelke, who has written about media, politics, running, books, film, art, music, food, fashion, theater and dance, was awarded the Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism from the Society of Professional Journalists for a weekly media column, Press Relief, and has been a finalist for the award three additional times. As an internet pioneer, Hieggelke launched Newcity Network in the mid-nineties—a print and digital network of alternative weekly newspapers and independent web publications across the country and opened additional offices in New York and San Francisco. Newcity Network handled more than 40 percent of all national print advertising placed in alt weeklies, and its online network grew to more than seventy content and city partners with more than a million users each month. 

He was named to the Crain’s Chicago Business list of “40 under 40” honoring business achievement before the age of 40. From 1984 to 1988, Hieggelke worked in the equity department at Goldman, Sachs & Co., Chicago. A June 1983 graduate of The University of Chicago (AB-Economics), Hieggelke earned an MBA in Finance in June 1984 from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business (Booth). He lives in Chicago, is married and has three children.