With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
Ed Weaver is an international tax partner at Grant Thornton, based in their Chicago office. He has over 13 years of experience advising multinational clients on international and domestic tax issues. He also serves as an associate board member at Ladder Up, a nonprofit organization that provides free tax return preparation for low-income individuals.
In his current role, Eric Weinheimer offers tailored consulting and advisory services to the boards of directors and senior leaders of nonprofit clients. His expertise spans strategic planning, board governance, revenue diversification, and social enterprise. He also has significant experience working with high-net-worth individuals to identify and achieve their philanthropic goals.
Maggie Westdale is the business chief financial officer for Aon, where she is responsible for managing the financial results across functions, regions, and solution lines. Previously, she served as chief financial officer for Aon’s reinsurance and retirement solutions. She also held roles at CNA Insurance and Price Waterhouse.
Charles Wheelan is a senior lecturer and policy fellow at the Rockefeller Center at Dartmouth College. He's the author of "Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science," a monthly columnist on Yahoo! Finance, and a correspondent for WBEZ Radio. Previously, he worked for Chicago Metropolis 2020 and The Economist.
Nina Wieda leads the Chicago Field Studies program at Northwestern University, guiding undergraduates as they explore career paths in fields such as law, business, and public service, while developing as professionals and responsible citizens. Her research focuses on experiential learning and adapting teaching methods to the challenges and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence.
Kuliva Wilburn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from Drexel University, a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is currently a doctoral candidate in the DrPH division at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. She's a 2021 Eisenhower Fellow and serves on the board of several Chicago institutions.
Jamie Wildman became one of the youngest managing directors at William Blair, where he now leads business development efforts with private equity and venture capital firms. His earlier experience includes investment banking roles at Bear Stearns and Cowen and Company in New York. He is also actively involved with the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, serving on multiple committees.
Kevin Willer is a partner at Chicago Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital fund. He oversees all aspects of Chicago Ventures, including fund management, deal sourcing, investments, and working directly with portfolio companies. He's also a minority owner and vice chair of the board of the Chicago Red Stars, the city's professional women's soccer club.
Diane D. Williams is completing her Ph.D. in social work focused on productive aging in older adult populations, specifically focusing on social integration and retirement. Most recently, Williams worked on the AARP Disrupt Disparities IL Report which focuses on racial disparities among older adults across topic areas of economic security, health equity, and connectivity.
Mark Williams is the CEO of Magna Legal Services, a nationally operating provider of legal support services and technology backed by private equity. He previously served as president and COO of PPL Group and Big Shoulders Capital, and before that, as president and CEO of Kroll Ontrack, a global legal technology company with over 1,200 employees in 35 offices across 20 countries.
