With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
While in her role working for the city, Maggie Cullerton Hooper created the first cohesive, long-term plan for public-private partnerships on a citywide scale. She's responsible for Chicago’s strategic engagement with the philanthropic, corporate, and nonprofit sectors as she builds infrastructure and develops innovative initiatives grounded in the lived experience of impacted populations.
In addition to managing regional staff at the Federal Executive Boards, Edgar Delgado is responsible for uniting top federal executives within the region, providing platforms for leaders to unite under a shared vision of government service that's efficient, collaborative, and community-focused. He's a United States Air Force (USAF) veteran where he deployed numerous times.
Vikas K. Didwania serves as complex litigation counsel at the Illinois Attorney General's Office. He helps lead the state's efforts to protect Illinoisians from federal overreach. Previously, Vikas served as a Senior Policy Adviser for Criminal Justice at the White House, overseeing criminal justice policy development, implementation, and communication on behalf of the president.
Scott Fehlan has served the City of Chicago since 2004, advising on finance and economic development programs. Previously, he worked for Shefsky & Froelich, Universal Access Global Holdings, Kirkland & Ellis, and Sidley Austin Brown & Wood.
Bridget Gainer is a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, where she chairs the pension committee and leads the reform of the county's foreclosure policy and treatment of women and mothers incarcerated at Cook County Jail. She also leads Aon’s public strategy group, directing national policy issues.
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.
Matthew Halek is a public servant and national security leader who served as a Special Advisor for Innovation in the Pentagon. Working at the intersection of defense, technology, and congressional politics, he was the chief legislative strategist for department-wide efforts to catalyze American innovation in support of US national security.
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.
At the Cook County Assessor's Office, Kelwin Harris leads public participation and stakeholder outreach for nearly two million property owners. Previously, he was a senior outreach planner with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) where he led outreach for Chicago's official regional plan, ON TO 2050, and helped communities find more equitable solutions to improve quality of life.
Tony Hayes serves as vice president at IDA Ireland, the Irish Government's inward economic development agency. Based in Chicago, he works across the Midwestern and Southern regions to identify and secure industrial-related foreign direct investment as well as act as a trusted advisor to a wide base of existing clients.
