Skip to main content

Emerging Leaders Directory

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.

Jason Schmitt 

Former Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Business Initiatives The Jones Group
Cohort
Jason Schmitt, now retired, formerly led strategic planning and acquisition efforts for the Jones Group, a Fortune 500 fashion company with 35 brands in apparel, footwear, and accessories. Previously, he launched and managed a clean technology venture capital fund for ArcelorMittal and was responsible for strategic planning at Mattel.

Mark Schneider 

Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Cohort
Industry
Law
Now with Kirkland & Ellis, Mark Schneider was previously an assistant US attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and served as chief of appeals. A federal prosecutor based in Chicago, he also handled a multi-year national security investigation that resulted in the first successful prosecution for a violation of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act in 27 years.

Bria Scudder 

First Assistant Deputy Governor, Office of the Governor, JB Pritzker
Bria Scudder headshot
In her current role, Bria Scudder helps manage more than ten state agencies, including the Department of Corrections, State Police, Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. She also directs and implements the administration’s top policy initiatives, including energy and criminal justice reform.

Michael Scudder, Jr. 

Circuit Judge, Seventh Circuit, United States Court of Appeals
Cohort
Industry
Law
sector
Michael Scudder Jr. is a Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He earned his BBA as co-valedictorian from Saint Joseph's College and his JD magna cum laude from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. Before law school, Scudder worked as an auditor for Ernst and Young and is a certified public accountant.

Joseph Seliga 

Partner, Co-Head of Projects and Infrastructure Group, Mayer Brown
Joseph Seliga practices in state and local government law with a focus on major infrastructure public-private partnership transactions. He's advised on the leases of the Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge and the Indiana Toll Road, which received the Project Finance North American Transport Deal of the Year Award, as well as many other projects in the United States and abroad.

Aisha Sethi 

Director, Yale Dermatology Global Health Program, Yale University
Cohort
Industry
sector
Currently at Yale University, Dr. Aisha Sethi also has experience serving on the steering committee as an assistant director of outreach for the Center for Global Health at the University of Chicago. After attending medical school in Pakistan, she completed her post-doctoral fellowship, internship, and residency in dermatology at Yale University, where she also served as chief resident.

Nirav Shah 

Principal Deputy Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Nirav Shah headshot
Cohort
Industry
sector
Before joining the CDC, Dr. Nirav Shah was in the global life sciences practice of the law firm Sidley Austin, LLP, and a lecturer in the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago, where he taught courses in global public health and mathematical epidemiology. Shah also served as the chief economist of the Ministry of Health of Cambodia during his tenure as a Henry Luce Scholar.

Tejas Shah 

Partner, Barnes & Thornburg
Headshot of Tejas Shah
Cohort
Industry
Law
Tejas Shah serves as primary outside counsel to Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, school districts, and universities, advising them on strategies for hiring top international talent, complying with workplace mandates in a high-risk environment, and ensuring educational opportunities for vulnerable populations.

Sean Shelby 

Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Fund
Sean Shelby was previously a vice president at Isobar, a global digital marketing agency, where he partners with clients to create solutions integrating strategy, design, and technology into digital experiences. As a member of the Isobar US management team, he helps lead an agency powered by over 3,000 people in 63 offices across 37 markets.

Ross Shelleman 

Group Chief Executive Officer, Aisle Rocket
Cohort
Ross Shelleman is the CEO of Aisle Rocket, after previously serving as president and CEO of Target Data, a venture-backed "Big Data" and analytics company focused on the life event of moving. Before founding Target Data, Shelleman held various senior business development positions across a multitude of industries, including technology, healthcare, and managed services.