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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.
Results for:
Business & Consulting

Benjamin Hernandez 

Founder, Chief Executive Officer, & Board Member, NuMat Technologies
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Benjamin Hernandez is the founder and CEO of NuMat Technologies, a software-driven chemistry design company focused on solving generational challenges at the atomic level.

Barbara A. Higgins 

Independent Director, EMPLOYERS
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Previous to joining EMPLOYERS, Barbara Higgins was the senior vice president of customer experience and retention at Allstate Insurance Company. Before that, she was vice president of customer experience at United Airlines, where she led the global customer experience function and managed contact center operations in nine countries.

Jamie N. Jones 

Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Duke University Fuqua School of Business
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Jamie Jones works with students, alumni, and members of the community to apply business principles for positive societal and/or environmental impact. Before her time at Duke, she was at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she launched the Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge and co-hosted the Impact Investing Summit.

Seth Kravitz 

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, DayBreak Skincare
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Seth Kravitz is the former co-founder of Technori, a publication that celebrates entrepreneurship, and Bow Truss, a premium coffee roasting company. After falling in love with the Chicago entrepreneur community, Kravitz started mentoring at the Coleman Center at DePaul University, the Knapp Center at IIT, Excelerate Labs, and Code Academy.

Liam Krehbiel 

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Topography
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William Krehbiel is the founder and CEO of Topography Hospitality, LLC, and co-managing partner of Ballyfin Demesne, a luxury hotel in Ireland. He previously founded and led A Better Chicago, a venture philanthropy fund supporting high-impact nonprofits serving low-income communities.

Nathan Laurell 

Principal, New Frontier Holdings
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Nate Laurell is the former CEO of The Fresh Factory and current board chair, advising the company on all aspects related to continued growth and high-level strategic considerations. He has over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, having founded and sold several companies in the finance, energy, and food industries.

Lila Leff 

Educational and Organizational Development Consultant
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Lila Leff cofounded and directed Illinois’ first federally funded School-to-Work Initiative, EDGE/UP, to help high-poverty students succeed in high school and effectively transition to postsecondary training and education. She was a Leadership Greater Chicago fellow and currently serves on the steering committee of the Consortium on Chicago School Research.

Thomas Levinson 

Co-Founder & Principal, LK Advisors
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Tom Levinson has spent much of his professional life working with families and family-owned businesses. In addition to owning a registered investment advisory firm, Levinson is a writer whose work on religion, values, and American life has been featured in national magazines, major newspapers, and on TV and radio.

Eileen McCarthy 

Former Assistant Vice President for Global Initiatives, University of Chicago
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At the University of Chicago, Eileen McCarthy, now retired, facilitated and oversaw global initiatives, including the development and management of university centers in China and India. Before this role, she served as the director of strategic initiatives and planning in the office of the president and directed the Center for Policy Practice at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies.

Lisa McClung 

Lead Director, Chicago Scenic Studios
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Prior to joining Chicago Scenic Studios, Lisa McClung worked at Lismore International, W.M. Wrigley Jr. Company, and has over 15 years of global marketing and product development experience throughout Africa, Europe, and the US. In Chicago, McClung is a member of several boards, including the Women's Board of the Field Museum, among others.