Who We Are
Amy Lynne Ratnow
Founder & Owner
Amy Ratnow has always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit with a knack for connecting people. She is passionate about empowering women, especially parents, and supporting small local businesses. Her path to founding ALR Connections began with a brief stint in the corporate recruiting space, where she recognized a gap in the workforce for women re-entering their careers. With three young children of her own, she pivoted herself, leaning into her need for creativity and connection to launch an online corporate gifting company, and later worked in event planning, marketing and customer service roles. Beyond these professional endeavors, Amy remained dedicated to building authentic relationships and creating meaningful opportunities for others and in 2017 she introduced ALR Connections to bridge the divide between women seeking work-life balance and growing companies in need of good people.
When she’s not connecting people, she enjoys yoga, spinning, pickleball, and traveling. Amy treasures time with her husband, three kids, and two dogs, often enjoying music, live entertainment, and sporting events.
Ruth Joseph
Staffing Consultant
Ruth is a caring and passionate individual dedicated to helping others. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she made her mark in the public relations field, coordinating media tours for Edelman Public Relations and working with various firms in Chicago to achieve impressive media results. Her talent for connecting people has always contributed to her success, personally and professionally, and eventually led her to pursue matching candidates with opportunities. Now, alongside Amy and Carly, she is passionate about using her power of connection to make a difference in people's lives. Outside of work, Ruth enjoys pilates, yoga, and traveling. She resides in Deerfield with her husband and their two daughters.
Carly Ubersox
Staffing Consultant
Carly is a communicator at heart. At the start of her career she spent more than a decade in the entertainment public relations industry, which culminated with several years working for Oprah Winfrey and Harpo Productions. Her relationships with clients, writers, reporters and colleagues depended heavily on trusted communications. Later when social media started to change the PR and journalism landscape, Carly began exploring ways to pivot into a more balanced lifestyle, one that allowed her to flex unique workplace strengths while also enjoying personal growth (which included a growing family!). She understands how it feels to devote oneself to a career and then change it later in life, and she joins Amy and Ruth in helping other women navigate their own professional paths with new focus. She is passionate about great fiction, vinyasa yoga, dance fitness, and creative food. A lifelong Chicagoan, she currently lives in Evanston with her husband and two daughters.
Ellen Tombaugh
Staffing Consultant
Ellen is a former attorney and management consultant with experience at leading international professional services firms in NYC and Chicago. Born and raised in New Orleans, she has called the western suburbs of Chicago home for over 20 years. Ellen's superpower is connecting people, which perfectly aligns with her passion for helping others. Whether she's introducing you to her sister's friend's single cousin or assisting in your job search, Ellen is there to help you make your next right move. Ellen is a community volunteer, certified personal trainer, beauty and wellness enthusiast, and a devoted fan of the LSU Tigers and New Orleans Saints. Ellen and her husband are proud parents of a college undergrad.