With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
In her role, Agneis Schultz leads holistic wellness efforts tailored to support each of the diverse communities that the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago serves. Her portfolio includes work in the health equity, food security, and digital equity space where she works with her team to partner with communities and connect them with vital resources.
In her current role, Bria Scudder helps manage more than ten state agencies, including the Department of Corrections, State Police, Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. She also directs and implements the administration’s top policy initiatives, including energy and criminal justice reform.
Michael Scudder Jr. is a Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He earned his BBA as co-valedictorian from Saint Joseph's College and his JD magna cum laude from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. Before law school, Scudder worked as an auditor for Ernst and Young and is a certified public accountant.
Joseph Seliga practices in state and local government law with a focus on major infrastructure public-private partnership transactions. He's advised on the leases of the Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge and the Indiana Toll Road, which received the Project Finance North American Transport Deal of the Year Award, as well as many other projects in the United States and abroad.
Currently at Yale University, Dr. Aisha Sethi also has experience serving on the steering committee as an assistant director of outreach for the Center for Global Health at the University of Chicago. After attending medical school in Pakistan, she completed her post-doctoral fellowship, internship, and residency in dermatology at Yale University, where she also served as chief resident.
Birju Shah teaches and mentors students and executives on how to design, develop, and deploy AI and ML products and platforms. He is also the CEO of Loam, an AI-powered sustainability platform that helps CPG companies transition their supply chains to regenerative agriculture supply chains to accelerate the nation’s longevity plans for sustainable and productive agriculture.
Before joining the CDC, Dr. Nirav Shah was in the global life sciences practice of the law firm Sidley Austin, LLP, and a lecturer in the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago, where he taught courses in global public health and mathematical epidemiology. Shah also served as the chief economist of the Ministry of Health of Cambodia during his tenure as a Henry Luce Scholar.
Tejas Shah serves as primary outside counsel to Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, school districts, and universities, advising them on strategies for hiring top international talent, complying with workplace mandates in a high-risk environment, and ensuring educational opportunities for vulnerable populations.
Sean Shelby was previously a vice president at Isobar, a global digital marketing agency, where he partners with clients to create solutions integrating strategy, design, and technology into digital experiences. As a member of the Isobar US management team, he helps lead an agency powered by over 3,000 people in 63 offices across 37 markets.
Ross Shelleman is the CEO of Aisle Rocket, after previously serving as president and CEO of Target Data, a venture-backed "Big Data" and analytics company focused on the life event of moving. Before founding Target Data, Shelleman held various senior business development positions across a multitude of industries, including technology, healthcare, and managed services.
