With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
After nearly 20 years in leadership roles at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), Benjamin Bader now leads the global workplace function for HERE Technologies, managing real estate across nearly 40 countries. Bader shapes and executes HERE's real estate strategy, working closely with key stakeholders to align business needs with financial goals, mitigate risks, and deliver data-driven solutions.
Now at Rivian, Rebecca Delaney was the youngest engineering team leader for the design firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill’s (SOM) sustainable engineering studio. She led multidisciplinary sustainable-engineering teams for projects including the design competition for the world's tallest office tower, a LEED Gold high school for CPS, and a boutique high-rise art museum in New York.
Joshua (J.P.) Fairbank is a co-founder of Nymirum and has sat at the intersection of entrepreneurship and investments for two decades. He's an adjunct assistant professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he also received his MBA.
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.
Julia Lane develops and executes growth strategies across the University of Chicago’s science, engineering, and innovation landscape. This includes developing new institutes, building global and domestic partnerships, and working with stakeholders to translate discoveries into impact. She works across sectors including quantum engineering, artificial intelligence, and energy technologies.
Before joining Brooks, Chris Lyons was a vice president and general manager at Prince Castle, a foodservice equipment business within the Marmon Retail Technologies Company. In this role, he led a business focused on developing proprietary technologies for some of the largest global brands in the restaurant industry with an emphasis on automation and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity.
Before William Blair, Jim O'Connor worked at MVC Capital as managing director after nine years with Motorola, Inc. He was also a White House Fellow for the US Treasury Department, worked for the Committee on Ways and Means at the US House of Representatives, and was a volunteer teacher in South Africa. He was named one of American Ventures Magazine’s “40 under 40."
Shima Rayej is the co-founder and chief product officer at Safe Rate, an AI-native mortgage technology firm that helps borrowers navigate the complex process of shopping for a mortgage loan. Before Safe Rate, Rayej was the co-founder and managing partner at Persee Ventures, a fintech development firm helping banks, asset managers, and high-growth early-stage companies launch new products.
Birju Shah teaches and mentors students and executives on how to design, develop, and deploy AI and ML products and platforms. He is also the CEO of Loam, an AI-powered sustainability platform that helps CPG companies transition their supply chains to regenerative agriculture supply chains to accelerate the nation’s longevity plans for sustainable and productive agriculture.
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.
