With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
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.
Before joining Vote Solar, MeLena Hessel was associate director of policy at Elevate, a nonprofit organization that designs and implements programs that reduce costs, protect people and the environment, and ensure the benefits of clean and efficient energy use reach those who need them most.
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.
Adam Hitchcock is a managing partner at Great Lakes Global Holdings, and before that, at Guggenheim Partners. Before joining Guggenheim, Hitchcock served as the chief of staff of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. He also served as a special assistant in the White House Office of the Chief of Staff, where he provided support to President Obama’s senior advisors.
In his previous role at engineering consulting firm Sargent & Lundy, Jon Horek advised clients and delivered projects in the electric utility, gas utility, heavy industry, institutional, and commercial building sectors. He broadly focuses his work on three trends transforming global energy infrastructure—efficiency, decarbonization, and resiliency.
Mark Hoyt is Popmenu’s first chief financial officer, bringing over 25 years of experience in leading financial performance for global SaaS companies and startups. He plays a key role in supporting Popmenu’s mission to help restaurants succeed through technology innovation. Before joining Popmenu, Hoyt led international growth at Groupon and served as VP of international finance at CareerBuilder.
Prior to joining Thrivent Mutual Funds—a subsidiary of Thrivent Financial—Michael Hubbard was an analyst covering U.S. small cap financials and real estate at William Blair Investment Management. While in this role, he founded and led the company’s veteran business resource group and served as one of the founding board members of the Alliance Board.
Mariam Huss is the founder of Axxum Consulting, a firm specializing in human capital, value creation, and talent placement. With over 20 years of experience in organizational design, M&A, and process improvement, she has taught global change at Northwestern University and served as the first female president of the French American Chamber of Commerce in Chicago.
Sarah Elizabeth Ippel is the founder and executive director of the Academy for Global Citizenship, a Chicago Public Elementary School on a global mission that serves 96% minority children and families. AGC is developing the next generation of critical thinkers and mindful leaders to positively impact their communities and the world beyond.
A proud native of Chicago’s South Side, Adrienne Irmer has been a passionate champion of social causes for over 16 years. Her professional work has crossed all sectors, including electoral campaign work at all levels of government. Irmer previously served on the legislative staff of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and with the Cook County Bureau of Asset Management.
