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.
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.
Scott Stern, now a senior manager at Meta, was previously the director of innovation and insights at the American Marketing Association (AMA). He led an interdisciplinary team responsible for AMA's national analytics program and for converting customer insights into innovative experiences for AMA's 30,000 members and 250,000 non-member customers worldwide.
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.
Stephanie Sutton is currently the chief of staff at the Office of the Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy & Public Affairs. Previously, she was chief of staff in the Chicago office of Edelman, a leading global communications and marketing firm. She also served in the Obama administration as chief of staff of the Bureau of International Information Programs at the US Department of State.
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."
During his consulting career, Yves Thill has had the opportunity to work with numerous leading companies across various industries on a range of issues. More recently, he has been focused on supply management in the consumer goods and retail industry, particularly in the food and beverage sector. Before joining A.T. Kearney, Thill worked in international banking in Europe.
Chad H. Thomas’s work as a principal and leader within the Chicago Public Schools has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades. His nearly decade-long tenure at Sullivan High School was captured in the highly acclaimed book Refugee High: Coming of Age in America, and his work as assistant principal at Harper High School was documented via National Public Radio’s This American Life.
Lisa G. Thomas has extensive experience in venture capital and private equity investing, governance, and operations in emerging markets. She is the founder and managing director of Samata Capital, a fund management company dedicated to making private sector investments in small and growing businesses in sub-Saharan Africa that advance opportunities for women and promote gender diversity.
