With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
Harley Jones is a mission-driven leader with 21 years of experience in non-profit and emergency management. As the director of domestic programs at Project HOPE, a global health NGO, he leads strategic partnerships and health initiatives with community health centers, free clinics, and public health departments across the country.
In her previous position, Abigayil Joseph leveraged over a decade of experience as a senior leader at Chicago Public Schools to advise on strategic, policy, and operational priorities. She served as a liaison for the board with the mayor’s office and the CEO of CPS. She's guided by a deep commitment to equity and access to quality education for all children, in every school and neighborhood.
Jamia Jowers is the executive director of the What's Your Forté Foundation where she designs innovative programming to solve pressing challenges faced by Chicago's South and West side neighborhoods, as well as a security fellow with the Truman National Security Project, a Boren scholar, and president of the Chicago Refugee Coalition.
Sam Kendall is an accomplished strategic relationships officer at Rotary International, where he skillfully cultivates partnerships with institutions such as the German government, the United Nations Environment Programme, and UNICEF. His efforts focus on aligning the interests of various organizations to foster impactful collaborations that support Rotary International's mission and its members.
Abin Kuriakose is the first-ever chief strategy and innovation officer for World Business Chicago (WBC), the city's economic development organization, chaired by the mayor. In this role, Kuriakose and his team manage a portfolio of high-impact economic development programs to grow the region’s tech, innovation, and startup economy.
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.
Working with the Big Shoulders Fund, Rebecca Lindsay-Ryan uses her education background and nonprofit management experience to help improve communities and prepare students for lifelong success. For over a decade, she has overseen significant growth of the fund’s academic programs in order to increase access to high-quality education.
John Lucas has two decades of experience in higher education and student mobility. He has served as provost of the School for International Training and associate vice president of IES Abroad. He also spent 12 years working in Spain, directing international programs for IES, CIEE, and the Institute for Social and International Studies at Portland State University.
Kate Maehr has led the Greater Chicago Food Depository in its mission to provide food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community since 2006. In this role, she has guided a number of strategic initiatives and accomplishments to distribute nutritious food across Cook County while addressing the root causes of hunger.
Amy Maglio is the founder and executive director of Women’s Global Education Project (WGEP), an organization recognized for its innovative women's empowerment approach by the Obama Foundation, IBM, and the UN Girls Education Initiative.
