Leslie Hindman is one of the country's foremost authorities on the buying and selling of antiques, fine art, and collectibles.

In 1982, Leslie founded Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago, Illinois. Within a few years it grew to be the largest auction house in the Midwest and the fifth largest in the country. The company conducted many significant and highly publicized auctions, including memorabilia from the historic Comisky Park, the Chicago Stadium, the Schwinn Family Bicycle Collection, as well as the personal property from such renowned estates as Arthur Rubloff, Mrs. Robert R. McCormick, the Potter Palmer families, and Dole heiress Elizabeth F. Cheney. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers was acquired by Sotheby's in 1997.

For eight years, Leslie was the host of two popular television shows on the Home & Garden Television Network (HGTV), At the Auction with Leslie Hindman and The Appraisal Fair, which were viewed in more than 80 million homes across the United States. Leslie also wrote a weekly syndicated column for the Chicago Tribune called "What’s It Worth?" In February 2001, her critically acclaimed book, Adventures at the Auction, was published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House.

Leslie reopened her auction business in July 2003. The auction house is located at 1338 West Lake Street. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers holds regularly scheduled auctions specializing in furniture and decorative arts, jewelry, 19th and 20th century paintings, print, drawings, rugs, Asian works of art, and collectibles.

Among regularly scheduled auctions, the company has conducted many specialized and significant sales including; modern and contemporary art from the Estate of Leo S. Guthman, property from the estate of Rose Movius Palmer, books, manuscripts, and photographs from the collection of Kenan Heise, the Ernie Harwell collection of sports memorabilia, the Kemper Insurance Companies collection of 20th century paintings and prints and drawings, and the Oriental and European rugs and carpets sale sold by order of LaSalle Bank National Association.

In December 2004, Leslie served as Chairperson of the Great Chicago Fire Sale, the first-ever citywide eBay auction led by Commissioner Lois Weisberg and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. The auction grossed over $240,000 which was used to support free programs at the Chicago Cultural Center, Gallery 37, the city's cultural grants and the Clarke House Museum.

Leslie serves on the Boards of the Chicago Public Library Foundation, the Goodman Theatre, Children's Memorial Foundation, the Arts Club of Chicago, and the Woman's Board of the Joffrey Ballet.

Leslie attended Pine Manor College, the University of Paris-Sorbonne, and Indiana University, and has received an honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois. She is the recipient of many awards, including the YWCA Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the National Association of Women Business Owners Woman of Achievement Award.