With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
Gabriella Kusz is CEO of the Global Digital Asset and Cryptocurrency Association, a global voluntary self-regulatory association. Previously, she served as the principal for strategic initiatives at the International Federation of Accountants. Kusz’s background has included working in the international financial sector and economic growth spanning 50 countries and five continents.
Marc Lacher is a managing director and wealth advisor with William Blair’s private wealth management group. He leads a team that provides bespoke financial planning and investment management services to high-net-worth, multinational, and global-oriented investors. He works to leverage the firm’s resources to implement asset allocation strategies that meet clients’ complex multigenerational needs.
Ashish Lal is a partner at BDT & MSD Partners, where he originates and executes investment and advisory opportunities and serves as Asia Pacific coverage lead. He's worked exclusively with founder-led and family-controlled companies for the past 15 years on matters ranging from direct investing, capital allocation, and M&A to governance, next-gen development, and founder/family transitions.
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.
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.
