With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
Alongside his father and brother, Amer Abdullah launched the Cedars restaurant in 2001. Shortly thereafter, a fast-casual child of Cedars named Mezza Mediterranean Grill was born, where Abdullah heads the marketing strategy. Beyond business, he is a founding member of the Chicago Community Trust's Pillars Fund, a donor-advised fund that targets a better understanding of Muslim-American culture.
Ashley Bromagen develops and implements government relations and public affairs strategies in the U.S. and Mexico for Beam Suntory, a global spirits manufacturer. She also advises company leadership and cross-functional teams about the potential impact of policy and political developments. Before joining the corporate sector, Bromagen was a legislative staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Dion Dawson is the founder and chief dreamer of Dion’s Chicago Dream, a nonprofit social enterprise combating food insecurity through logistics and last-mile delivery in the Midwest. His system has provided millions of pounds of fresh produce annually to food-insecure recipients in the Chicago region, with numerous community jobs created through one powerful movement.
Janice Giddens is a registered dietitian, and at the US Dairy Export Council, she leads collaborations with thought leaders to promote awareness of the link between agriculture, sustainable food systems, and health. Previously, as the nutrition manager at a food bank, she designed and implemented the rollout of a system that assessed the nutritional adequacy of 70 million pounds of food annually.
Kate Maehr has led the Greater Chicago Food Depository in its mission to provide food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community since 2006. In this role, she has guided a number of strategic initiatives and accomplishments to distribute nutritious food across Cook County while addressing the root causes of hunger.
Juan P Rossi (JP) is a vice president for the nutrition division at Archer Daniels Midland, based out of Chicago. He has over 20 years of combined international experience in the agricultural, food, and beverages industries with a relevant background in general management, strategy, commercial, trading, supply chain management, sales, and marketing.
With a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, Christopher Swann's impactful journey at Feeding America began as an intern and ascended to the role of senior program manager. His pivotal work with the MealConnect platform has not only garnered millions in funding but has also been instrumental in rescuing billions of pounds of food for those facing hunger.
