With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
Johannes Favi is a committed community and human rights advocate. As deputy director of the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants (ICDI), he oversees strategic planning, fundraising, and development efforts. Favi has played a key role in advocacy for immigrant rights, including efforts that led to the Illinois Way Forward Act abolishing immigrant detention centers in Illinois.
Janice Giddens is a registered dietitian, and at the US Dairy Export Council, she leads collaborations with thought leaders to promote awareness of the link between agriculture, sustainable food systems, and health. Previously, as the nutrition manager at a food bank, she designed and implemented the rollout of a system that assessed the nutritional adequacy of 70 million pounds of food annually.
At the Cook County Land Bank Authority, Kenneth Gilkes Jr. spearheads strategic planning and policy execution to enhance operational efficiency in asset management. Previously, he managed economic development funds for the City of Chicago and oversaw a $1.8 million budget for the U.S. House of Representatives 2nd Congressional District of Illinois.
Brian Gill oversees government relations, legislative, and policy agenda at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. Through developing and maintaining key relationships with stakeholders, elected officials, and government agencies, Gill works to influence conservation, operations, funding, economic impact, sustainability, tourism, and other priorities on the local, state, and federal levels.
Nicholas Gross is the senior vice president for government programs at AAR Corp, a leading provider of aviation services to the worldwide commercial aerospace and government/defense industries. He oversees a diversified portfolio of capabilities, including aviation supply chain and contractor logistics support, focusing on government agencies and commercial customers.
Joshua Hale is the executive director of Big Shoulders, which is an organization providing scholarships and programmatic support for ninety-three inner-city Catholic schools and more than 25,000 children. Previously, he worked at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School as a management consultant with The Hale Group, Ltd.
As the executive director of Project C.U.R.E. Chicago, Katie Hanlon is working to make Project C.U.R.E. the world's largest distributor of donated medical supplies and equipment to under-resourced countries. Hanlon is passionate about empowering and equipping communities, specifically women and children, with the tools needed to build a healthier community, and ultimately, a healthier world.
Sarah Herda is the executive director of the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. Founded in 1956, Graham Foundation is the only private foundation in the United States committed to providing project-based grants to individuals and institutions working to address issues related to architecture and the built environment.
Rachel Hermes manages programs of scale at Rotary International. Rotary is a worldwide organization comprised of 1.2 million business and professional leaders that promote local community initiatives with global action. In her role, she leads Rotary’s five-year global grant model evaluation to understand the effectiveness of the estimated $80 million of grants awarded annually.
Emanuel “Manny” Johnson joined the Robert R. McCormick Foundation in 2016, where he serves as the program officer for the Veterans Program, managing a $3 million portfolio of 35 grantees. Additionally, he serves on the foundation’s Racial Equity Committee, a group that works to pave the way forward to more equitable grant-making.
