Now, after a very successful career in tech, Amico finds herself in a position to not only reconnect with an early passion for nature — Jane Goodall was her childhood hero, after all — but to help inspire others.

Stepping into her new role as president and CEO of Chicago’s oldest museum, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and as the first African American to lead the 165-year-old museum, this native Chicagoan is focused on its future. She plans to expand the museum’s connections with the community, whether that be parents in Chicagoland, nature enthusiasts, kids of all ages through its excellent education programs or working with corporations on sustainability efforts.

The mom of 9-year-old Olivia and 7-year-old Alana joins Notebaert just as it is set to unveil the most significant renovation in its history: the $4 million Nature’s PlaySpace, which will inspire the youngest visitors to explore the area’s natural history through play and all of their senses.

She took some time out to talk about Notebaert and its bright future and, along with husband Augustine Wegscheider, raising her daughters in Chicago.

Advice for raising kids who love nature:

“Champion and promote their instinctive curiosity. Explore your backyard, explore nature in whatever way you can. What I love is on a nature walk, encouraging them to think with their five senses, to use all senses to explore and to fuel that natural curiosity that children have. The more they wonder, the more they are curious, the more they’ll want to engage.”

On being a mom:

“I love being a mom, but what I realized, being a working mom is tough.” She says finding a peer set of other working moms has really helped. “The realization I’ve come to, this notion of balance, is less about 50-50. When you think about balancing and parenting, there are moments where sometimes work might have to be the priority and sometimes family is the priority. It’s a constantly teetering to get the scales to give both due attention. I think there’s a lot of myths that need to be busted and a lot of parents have this unrealistic vision of what a perfect mom is and we hold ourselves to high standards.”

Lessons you have learned as a parent:

“Be kind to yourself. Being a mom is one of the hardest jobs on earth and it’s one of the most important jobs on earth so just give yourself grace and be kind with yourself. Allowing a little bit of space for grace is really important.”