With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
Seema Kumbhat's experience includes directing medical device innovation, in addition to performing due diligence for strategic alliances and risk management activities, for the global pharmaceutical and medical device company Hospira. She's licensed to practice medicine and surgery in the state of Illinois and has traveled the world to examine healthcare disparities in other countries.
Ashish Lal is a vice president at BDT & Company, a Chicago-based merchant bank that combines a $3 billion investment fund with advisory services to address the strategic and financing needs of companies. He was involved in establishing BDT’s strategic joint venture with one of India’s most highly regarded conglomerates and continues to establish relationships with business owners outside of the US.
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.
Adolfo Laurenti has extensive experience analyzing global financial markets and economic trends for a variety of industries and is a frequent speaker to diverse audiences in the United States and abroad. Before working at VISA, he was the global economist for a private bank in Zurich, Switzerland, and chief international economist and managing director for Mesirow Financial in Chicago.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mike Lombardo is principal, managing broker, and attorney for Blue Star Properties, which owns over one million square feet of office, entertainment, retail, and industrial properties in Chicago. Notable projects include The National, a historic 600,000-square-foot property in the Loop, the recently transformed Salt Shed, Thalia Hall, as well as multiple office properties and restaurants.
Emilia Lopez is the former vice president in the strategy group at CapitalOne, based in the McLean office. She worked to support CapitalOne's lines of business in critical strategic efforts. Before joining CapitalOne, Lopez was a principal with The Boston Consulting Group in Chicago.
