Rebecca Sive has been an advocate for women's rights since her college years as a writer, speaker, thinker, strategist, government official, foundation executive, and organizational consultant. Rebecca is listed in Feminists Who Changed America: 1963-1975, published by the University of Illinois Press, and has received distinguished achievement awards from her alma maters, Carleton College and the University of Illinois. In 1977, she co-founded the Midwest Women's Center, one of the nation’s first independent human service agencies run by and for women. From 1981 to 1986, she was executive director of The Playboy Foundation, and later served as Playboy's vice president for public affairs, where she steered the corporation's advocacy efforts in freedom of speech, equal rights, and opposition to the death penalty. In late 2008, she was part of a national summit of women leaders gathered to develop a unified issue agenda for consideration by President Obama. She was part of a similar gathering at the outset of President Clinton's administration and among the founders of the National Women's Agenda, which presented a similar agenda to President Jimmy Carter. She was a Commissioner, Finance Committee Chair, and General Operations Committee Chair of the Chicago Park District, and a founding Commissioner of the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Rebecca has also served on many boards of directors. Also, she has been a contributor to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Rebecca is a member of The Economic Club of Chicago and has received the Outstanding Community Leadership Award from the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago and the Chicago Urban League Woman of Distinction Award.