With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
Josh Gordon-Blake was a founding member of Pangea Money Transfer and currently serves as the company's chief operating officer. In that capacity, he is responsible for setting corporate strategy and managing business operations, including finance, law, compliance, corporate development, and customer experience.
Christopher Graves is the principal at Jordan Elementary and was previously the principal of LaSalle Language Academy, a K-8th-grade magnet lottery school in Chicago Public Schools. After seeing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on his entire community, Graves adapted his leadership style to be responsive to the needs of teachers and staff who are fatigued from constant pivoting.
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.
Nicholas Gross is the senior vice president for government programs at AAR Corp, a leading provider of aviation services to the worldwide commercial aerospace and government/defense industries. He oversees a diversified portfolio of capabilities, including aviation supply chain and contractor logistics support, focusing on government agencies and commercial customers.
Adam Gypalo is a vice president at Resolute Public Affairs, a national public affairs and strategic advisory firm in Chicago. Recognized for his ability to navigate difficult legislative, policy, and political engagements on behalf of public and private sector organizations, Gypalo has worked across nearly every sector, including civic, transportation, infrastructure, and economic development.
Christian Hagen has over two decades of consulting experience, specializing in leveraging digital technologies and analytics to optimize supply chains, revolutionize operations, and secure competitive advantages for clients. He's advised many of the world’s largest organizations across multiple industries – including retail, consumer products, high-tech, financial services, and government.
Stephen Haggerty is currently a principal and founder at Bare Hill, an advisory platform focused on hospitality and wellness-related assets. He previously held roles at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Devotio Capital Management, and Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management, among others.
Before founding Kountable, Chris Hale was a partner in the Chicago office of Sidley Austin LLP. At Sidley, his legal practice focused on representing companies in corporate law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, finance, and governance issues. He's gained considerable cross-border experience, including working with organizations in the UK, Switzerland, China, and Brazil.
Joshua Hale is the executive director of Big Shoulders, which is an organization providing scholarships and programmatic support for ninety-three inner-city Catholic schools and more than 25,000 children. Previously, he worked at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School as a management consultant with The Hale Group, Ltd.
Alaina Hampton is a Democratic political consultant and strategist with more than a decade of experience working in political and advocacy campaigns. Hampton’s career focuses on government reform in Cook County–supporting reform-minded and ethical leaders. Her job responsibilities include building and leading campaign strategies and oversight of operations.
