Emerging Leaders Program

Enhance your network by joining the Council’s premier community of visionary leaders from diverse sectors across Chicago, united by their global outlook and commitment to local action.

For one year, 20 of Chicago's best and brightest, ages 35-45, from some of the city’s most prominent organizations, engage in a rigorous program to further their knowledge of US foreign policy and global affairs and strengthen their leadership skills. Grounded in that experience, they join a circle of globally fluent Chicago leaders for a lifetime of connection and impact.

Applications for the class of 2025 are now closed.

Council Emerging Leaders

Chicago's Next Generation of Global Leaders

Emerging Leaders

Council Emerging Leaders are exceptional in their fields and represent some of Chicago’s most prominent organizations. These visionary leaders span industries from finance and law to healthcare and manufacturing, and from government and education to the arts and nonprofits.

After completing the Council’s rigorous yearlong program, Emerging Leaders become part of a premier alumni network, deepening their engagement with the Council, and continuing their commitment to shaping our global future.

Meet Our Emerging Leaders

Alumni Spotlight

Jeanne Gang

Founding Principal and Partner, Studio Gang Architects

Jeanne Gang, a 2011 MacArthur Fellow and member of the 2011 class of the Council's Emerging Leaders Program, is the principal architect of Studio Gang Architects, a Chicago-based firm that has been recognized internationally for its innovation in design. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology and has been a visiting professor at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.

S. Mayumi Grigsby

Chief of Policy, City of Chicago

S. Mayumi "Umi" Grigsby is the chief of policy for the City of Chicago. She's also the chair and a commissioner on the Cook County Human Rights Commission and serves on the board of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. Previously, she was chief of staff at the Chicago Foundation for Women and the chief of policy and advocacy for the Office of the City Clerk of Chicago, under City Clerk Anna Valencia.

Jamia Jowers

Truman National Security Fellow & Executive Director, What's Your Forté Foundation

Jamia Jowers is the executive director of the What's Your Forté Foundation where she designs innovative programming to solve pressing challenges faced by Chicago's South and West side neighborhoods, as well as a security fellow with the Truman National Security Project, a Boren scholar, and president of the Chicago Refugee Coalition.

Raja Krishnamoorthi

United States Congressman for Illinois’ 8th District

Raja Krishnamoorthi represents the 8th District of Illinois, which includes Chicago’s west and northwest suburbs. He is the Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party and is also a member of the Emerging Leaders Class of 2010.

Our Approach

Thinking Global, Leading Local

Our mission is to equip Chicago’s rising leaders to shape our global future. Through the Emerging Leaders Program, participants develop their understanding of global affairs, join a diverse community of committed peers, and gain tools to address global challenges in Chicago. Our yearlong program focuses on active learning, featuring collaborative sessions and special events with world leaders, policymakers, and experts. Participants tackle global challenges in their fields, enhance public speaking and writing skills, and build an elite network of leaders across industries. Learn more about our approach.

Program activities at a glance: