With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
Shermin Kruse is also a TEDx speaker; an accomplished negotiator, facilitator, and mediator; the author of the critically acclaimed, best-selling novel Butterfly Stitching; a contributor to the Huffington Post; a director of the ACLU of Illinois; cofounder and director of Pasfarda Arts and Culture Exchange; a director of Heshima Kenya; and a mother of four.
Daniel Levin is the CEO of Cain Millwork Inc, a manufacturer of custom architectural millwork. Cain Millwork is a privately held, family-owned company with over 75 employees and an annual turnover greater than $20 million. Cain works regularly with 11 of the top 15 general contractors in Chicago and has a portfolio of high-profile work nationwide.
At Mount Sinai Hospital Benjamin Levy serves as the head of gastroenterology education for residents and medical students from several international medical schools. He founded a gastroenterology clinic for refugees resettling in Chicago, and also serves on the American College of Gastroenterology's Patient Care Committee where he is organizing a colon cancer screening campaign.
Previously, Rebecca Neale Hampson was a senior advisor to the Paulson Institute’s chairman, former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, on his efforts to strengthen the US-China relationship. She also oversaw Paulson’s strategic priorities and special projects and served as a chief advisor on his initiatives to tackle US economic challenges and global environmental protection.
A former federal prosecutor, Shoba Pillay is a partner at Jenner & Block where she leverages her technical skills and depth of understanding on global issues and risk to provide guidance to clients across a range of sizes and sectors.
Rebekah Raleigh leads creative and content for BioLife Plasma Centers, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda. Before that, she was the creative director at Rotary International, where she led creative development for video, stills, interactive graphics, events, and social media. Her team created content that was picked up by major international media, such as The Guardian and National Geographic.
Lisa Reijula designs and implements strategic programs to help businesses overcome barriers to export, such as grants to offset financial risk, an intensive strategic plan development cohort, and pitch competitions for small businesses.
Stephanie Sutton is currently the chief of staff at the Office of the Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy & Public Affairs. Previously, she was chief of staff in the Chicago office of Edelman, a leading global communications and marketing firm. She also served in the Obama administration as chief of staff of the Bureau of International Information Programs at the US Department of State.
Chad H. Thomas’s work as a principal and leader within the Chicago Public Schools has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades. His nearly decade-long tenure at Sullivan High School was captured in the highly acclaimed book Refugee High: Coming of Age in America, and his work as assistant principal at Harper High School was documented via National Public Radio’s This American Life.
Nitida Wongthipkongka is a social impact strategist and believes there is a significant role for the private sector to play in improving the quality of lives around the world. She works in the field of social enterprise, which is the utilization of market-based principles while creating social impact.
