World Business Chicago continues to interview the city's business leaders on why they chose Chicago and what they love about the city. This month the CEO Spotlight is on Vikram Sharma, CEO of ShopLocal.

How long have you lived in Chicago?
I have lived in Chicago most of my adult life, moving here for graduate school after completing an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in 1980. Ever since receiving my MBA and Masters in Computer Science from the University of Illinois/Chicago, I have worked in downtown Chicago.

Much of my early career was spent working with a group of entrepreneurs building an information business at IRI, and we were fortunate in the early 1990's to be the number one market research firm in the United States.

Today, I am CEO of ShopLocal, the leader in multi-channel advertising and shopping services for retailers and consumers. ShopLocal is located in the Illinois Center near Michigan Ave. and Lake St.

What is your favorite place to visit in Chicago?
Chicago is such a great city, with extraordinary diversity and so many choices in music, theatre, museums, sporting events, restaurants or shopping that choosing a favorite place is a challenge. However, if I were to select just one, it would have to be Chicago's lakefront. The park and lake, particularly in the summer, are absolutely fabulous. 

What area do you live in and why did you choose it?
We specifically chose to live in the Lincoln Park/Lakeview East area to take advantage of the park, bike paths, public tennis courts, golf course and lake. Living in this location affords us a connection with the outdoors as well as easy access to all the great resources of downtown Chicago.

When entertaining important clients or business associates, where do you go and what do you do?
ShopLocal holds a Client-Partner Summit each summer in Chicago where we entertain some of the biggest retailers and media publishers in the U.S. Our clients and partners particularly enjoy staying at first-class hotels in Chicago -- this year the event will be held at the Trump International Hotel and Tower. We treat them to a host of great "Chicago" activities such as attending a Cubs game in the privacy of the Batter's Eye club at Wrigley Field and enjoying the nighttime fireworks from a chartered boat on Lake Michigan.

What is the best thing about running a business in Chicago? 
Chicago is a leading commerce hub and it provides outstanding infrastructure to run a business -- talent, universities, transportation, experts in financial and legal services and affordable real estate. All of this is supplemented by strong support from the city for both early stage companies and multi-national conglomerates. In the technology sector in particular, there has been tremendous progress in recent years and strong support from the city.

Do you follow any pro sports teams?
As a Northsider, my allegiance is with the Cubs all the way. This could be the year!

Are you personally involved in any recreational activities?
I enjoy riding my bike along the lake, but my favorite activity is playing nine holes of golf on early summer mornings at Chicago's own "Pebble Beach," the Sydney R. Marovitz public golf course off Addison and Lake Shore.

If you were to describe Chicago to a friend or family member that has not visited, what would you say? The unique combination of Chicago's world class offerings in culture, education, business, entertainment, dining and shopping coupled with sound Midwestern values make it both fun to visit and also the most livable big city in the U.S.

Chicago Transit Authority riders can now plan their trips using the Google Transit™ Web site.  A new partnership between CTA and Google allows users to find mapping and directions for CTA bus and rail services in 11 languages on the Google Transit Web site or through a link from CTA's site.

"The ease with which people can access information via Google demonstrates the true value of technology -- it makes the world a global community," Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley said at a news conference held recently at CTA headquarters.

"Regardless of whether you want to travel three miles or 3,000 miles from home, the tools to plan the most convenient and easiest way to reach your destination is captured all in one space. The CTA is now a part of that global community and offers people the opportunity to choose a more environmentally friendly way to get where they want to go," he said.

Daley announced the new technology alongside CTA president Ron Huberman and Google central region managing director Jim Lecinski. The initiative expands on Google's popular mapping features and driving instructions to provide useful information for transit riders. Chicago is now the largest U.S. city to offer this service to transit riders, joining Seattle, San Francisco, Portland and others.

"Having CTA service information on the universally familiar Google Web site allows CTA to reach a broader audience and introduce them to the convenience of public transit at no cost to the agency," said Huberman.

"With Google Transit, travelers can find both driving and public transit information in the same location without visiting multiple web sites. Even existing CTA customers will find the site useful as it complements the RTA trip planner on CTA's home page by providing maps and stop location information," Huberman added.

"We are happy to welcome the second largest transit agency in the country to Google Transit. The CTA is one of the most recognizable transit systems in the country with the 'L' trains traveling throughout the Loop and across the city," said Jim Lecinski. "Google Maps seeks to provide users with tools to help them explore the world around them -- not just virtually, but by equipping them with information that will serve their daily lives, and providing public transit information is an important piece of that."

To access travel information, customers enter an originating address and a destination address. Tabs will allow customers to obtain public transit directions, and provide the ability to customize the date and time of the transit trip.

When accessing the public transit data, step-by-step written directions will appear with fare information included. The mapped out route will include a schedule for the departure of the next train or bus. The Google Transit page will also link to CTA's web site for additional CTA information.

The CTA provided Google with scheduling data, bus stop and rail station locations. CTA is not incurring any costs for the partnership with Google; the partnership provides Google users with more transportation options and integrates valuable local information into Google Maps. The initiative creates opportunities for the CTA to reach out to potential riders who may not have realized the availability, cost-effectiveness, and convenience of public transit.

Google Transit has information on public transit options for nine countries available in 11 languages. In addition, the Google Transit site is accessible for visually impaired users.

"In February, after the transportation funding crisis had been averted, we held a news conference to talk about next steps the CTA would take to provide better quality services to riders of the system," Daley said. 

"One of the things I said was that customers need a better way to get information about the entire system -- its schedules, its routes and its problems. I said the CTA needs to enhance its online information capability.

"The partnership we're announcing today is a good step in that direction. We have a good transit system here and it's getting better. This is exactly the kind of creative thinking and partnering with the private sector we must employ to make sure Chicago has a transit system that provides quality, safe and reliable service into the future," the Mayor said.