Emerging Leaders Program

Enhance your network by joining the Council’s premier community of visionary leaders from diverse sectors across Chicago, united by their global outlook and commitment to local action.

For one year, 23 of Chicago's best and brightest, typically ages 30-45, from some of the city’s most prominent organizations, engage in a rigorous program to further their knowledge of US foreign policy and global affairs and strengthen their leadership skills. Grounded in that experience, they join a circle of globally fluent Chicago leaders for a lifetime of connection and impact.

Council Emerging Leaders

Chicago's Next Generation of Global Leaders

Emerging Leaders

Council Emerging Leaders are exceptional in their fields and represent some of Chicago’s most prominent organizations. These visionary leaders span industries from finance and law to healthcare and manufacturing, and from government and education to the arts and nonprofits.

After completing the Council’s rigorous yearlong program, Emerging Leaders become part of a premier alumni network, deepening their engagement with the Council, and continuing their commitment to shaping our global future.

Meet All Emerging Leaders

Alumni Spotlight

Jeanne Gang

Founding Principal and Partner, Studio Gang Architects

Jeanne Gang, a 2011 MacArthur Fellow and member of the 2011 class of the Council's Emerging Leaders Program, is the principal architect of Studio Gang Architects, a Chicago-based firm that has been recognized internationally for its innovation in design. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology and has been a visiting professor at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.

Jamia Jowers

Truman National Security Fellow & Executive Director, What's Your Forté Foundation

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.

Kelwin Harris

Chief Civic Engagement Officer, Deputy Assessor, Cook County Assessor's Office

At the Cook County Assessor's Office, Kelwin Harris leads public participation and stakeholder outreach for nearly two million property owners. Previously, he was a senior outreach planner with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) where he led outreach for Chicago's official regional plan, ON TO 2050, and helped communities find more equitable solutions to improve quality of life.

Meet the Current Class Explore this year's cohort of rising leaders.

See the class of 2026 roster

Our Approach

Thinking Global, Leading Local

Our mission is to equip Chicago’s rising leaders to shape our global future. Through the Emerging Leaders Program, participants develop their understanding of global affairs, join a diverse community of committed peers, and gain tools to address global challenges in Chicago. Our yearlong program focuses on active learning, featuring collaborative sessions and special events with world leaders, policymakers, and experts. Participants tackle global challenges in their fields, enhance public speaking and writing skills, and build an elite network of leaders across industries. Learn more about our approach.

Program activities at a glance:

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Bimonthly Learning Sessions

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Cohort Trip to Washington, DC

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Local Field Trips & Independent Projects

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Off-the-Record Meetings & Events

Attend an Upcoming Information Session

A group of Emerging Leaders pose for a selfie photo at a Council event.

Emerging Leaders Program Information Session May 2026

Virtual EVENT

Globally minded Chicago-area professionals, ages 30 to 45, are invited to learn more about the Emerging Leaders Program and the benefits to their professional and personal growth. Register Now

Attendees at an Emerging Leaders reception event pose for a photo.

Emerging Leaders Program Information Session June 2026

Virtual EVENT

Globally minded Chicago-area professionals, ages 30 to 45, are invited to learn more about the Emerging Leaders Program and the benefits to their professional and personal growth. Register Now

Emerging Leaders listen in at a Council roundtable.

Emerging Leaders Program Information Session July 2026

Virtual EVENT

Globally minded Chicago-area professionals, ages 30 to 45, are invited to learn more about the Emerging Leaders Program and the benefits to their professional and personal growth. Register Now

Explore Alumni Impact Stories

Euler Bropleh smiling at someone not visible in the photo.

How One Leader Is Changing the Investment Landscape in Africa

Video Series EL Alumni Impact

Council Emerging Leaders Program alum Euler Bropleh shares how the program helped shape his global perspective and why early-stage capital is key to Africa’s future.

Aida Flores sits with her hand on her chin and stares attentively into the distance.

Education for a Global Mindset: One Leader's Story

Video Series EL Alumni Impact

We spoke with Aida Flores, a member of the 2025 cohort of the Council’s Emerging Leaders Program, about preparing students for a complex, connected world.