Hope Clinic COO on Chicago's Role in Abortion Access
Louisa Richardson-Deppe, at just 31, is the chief operating officer at Hope Clinic in Chicago, where they specialize in providing abortion services in the second and third trimesters. Before stepping into this role, she spent five years volunteering as a case manager with the Chicago Abortion Fund, followed by another five years at BallotReady. Hope Clinic started seeing patients in June 2025. Notably, Illinois has become the state where the most out-of-state individuals seek abortions, with about one in four traveling for these services. Richardson-Deppe emphasizes the importance of advocacy—lobbying, fundraising, and supporting marginalized communities. She quotes Mariame Kaba: “Hope is a discipline.” This profile is part of CULTURED's 2026 Young Activists list, nominated by Julie Burkhart.
Key facts
- Louisa Richardson-Deppe is COO of Chicago's Hope Clinic, focusing on second and third trimester abortion care.
- She previously volunteered for five years as a case manager with the Chicago Abortion Fund.
- She also spent five years at BallotReady, a nonpartisan election information source.
- Hope Clinic Chicago began seeing patients in June 2025.
- Illinois receives the highest number of out-of-state abortion seekers in the U.S., about one in four.
- Richardson-Deppe was nominated by Julie Burkhart, president of Wellspring Health Access and co-owner of Hope Clinic.
- The feature is part of CULTURED's 2026 Young Activists list.
- Richardson-Deppe quotes Mariame Kaba: 'Hope is a discipline.'
Entities
Artists
- Mariame Kaba
Institutions
- Hope Clinic
- Chicago Abortion Fund
- BallotReady
- Wellspring Health Access
- CULTURED
Locations
- Chicago
- Illinois
- United States