More than 50 resident and nonresident fellows offer research, analysis, and commentary on US foreign policy and public opinion, global food security, and global cities.
Before his role at the Chicago Job Council, Jacob Sitati cofounded Maurice + Fischer, an international advocacy firm focused on public affairs, public policy, and market entry strategy. He directed the overall business for the firm and led the counsel on policy and advocacy work.
Juliet Sorensen is a clinical professor of law and the director of Loyola's Rule of Law Institute and Program in Rule of Law for Development. She was previously on the faculty of Northwestern and served as the executive director of Injustice Watch, a nonprofit investigative journalism organization focused on systemic inequities in the courts.
Ted Souder is a former Google insider, former vice chair of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and current board director at 1871, one of the top-rated technology incubators in the world. Today, Souder speaks at events worldwide on the topic of digital transformation and its positive impact on business, community, and life.
Working at the intersection of business, government, and public interests, Jordan Stark counsels clients on communications, coalition building, and crisis management. He formerly served as communications director for Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel during his time in the US Senate. Stark worked on a wide range of issues associated with Hagel’s activities as a senior member of various committees.
Based in Chicago, Julie Steffen-Layda leads the Midwest hub for the international desk for JLL. In this role, she is responsible for expanding the growth of the company's international business across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific regions. Before her move to Chicago, Steffen-Layda was part of the Palo Alto hub of the international desk.
Linhard Stepf, a 10-plus-year veteran in foreign direct investments and economic development marketing, is currently the vice president of VISTRA. Previously, he was president of FrankfurtRhineMain Corp., where his responsibilities included promoting the Frankfurt region (Germany) in North America and Brazil to recruit and attract companies for relocation or expansion.
Previously, while at the American Jewish Committee, Amy Stoken managed their largest regional office, which included overseeing advocacy efforts with diplomats and faith-based leaders visiting or stationed in Chicago. She was also responsible for all Chicago-based programming and for the coordination of lay leader participation and activism.
While at Northern Illinois University's College of Law, Morse Tan directed the international law certificate program. A US Supreme Court Fellowship finalist and a member of the US Supreme Court Bar, he previously worked at the University of Texas Law School as a visiting scholar and Senior Research Fellow.
Before joining Invenergy, Robert Taylor led initiatives and advised senior Exelon leadership on broad energy issues, including electricity generation, efficiency, finance, markets, transmission, regulatory affairs, strategy, and policy development. Previously, he was an energy policy and programs manager with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and also has a background in radiation health physics.
Nik Theodore teaches, writes, lectures, and consults on urban planning and labor markets in the United States and Britain. He was an Atlantic Fellow in Public Policy at Manchester University in England and was recognized by Crain's "40 Under 40."
