Emerging Leaders Class of 2013
The Emerging Leaders Class of 2013 spent two years examining key issues that affect the world and impact the global city of Chicago.
They heard from experts on issues such as the global economy, international diplomacy, energy, and the environment. In addition to meeting regularly as a class, they worked on individual projects with Council experts to examine key global challenges.
This cohort of leaders from around Chicago was chosen by an independent selection committee from a highly competitive pool of applicants.
Class of 2013
Program Manager, Global Health Program, Boston Children's Hospital
Carolyn Baer is a global health specialist with over 20 years of experience leading programs focused on reproductive health for women and girls in humanitarian settings, as well as infectious disease surveillance and response. She played a key role in launching the Center for Global Health and currently oversees global medical research and educational initiatives.
Board Member, Ms. Foundation for Women
Kaberi Banerjee Murthy is a philanthropic leader committed to transforming philanthropy by shifting power to historically underserved communities. Her experience includes leading the education, arts & culture, and civic affairs work at Crown Family Philanthropies. She's also worked with the Picower Foundation, the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, and Hemenway & Barnes.
Senior Partner & Co-Founder, Victory Park Capital Advisors
Brendan Carroll is a senior partner at Victory Park Capital Advisors (VPC), which he co-founded in 2007, where he's responsible for strategic initiatives and firm operations. He's a frequent speaker at industry conferences, serves on the board of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, and was named a 2023 Notable Leader in Finance by Crain’s Chicago Business.
Chairman, DT Global
John P. DeBlasio is chairman of DT Global and DT Institute, founder of the Global Peace and Development (GPD) Charitable Trust, and managing director of Bootstrap Capital. He also founded Sallyport Global Holdings to support reconstruction efforts in Iraq, later expanding its operations across the Middle East and Africa.
President & Founder, DSF Strategies
Deb Fiddelke has led strategic communications and government relations for some of the world’s most influential organizations. She served in the White House under President George W. Bush as a legislative liaison to the US Senate, focusing on the Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees.
Managing General Partner & Co-Founder, Buoyant Ventures
Amy Francetic's career spans over 20 years of high-technology entrepreneurship, private equity, and research. She previously founded and led Energize Ventures, a $165 million venture fund that invests in digital energy technologies. She also held roles at the Stanford Research Institute, where she worked on an early version of the voice recognition technology that became Siri.
Commissioner, Cook County Board of Commissioners
Bridget Gainer is a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, where she chairs the pension committee and leads the reform of the county's foreclosure policy and treatment of women and mothers incarcerated at Cook County Jail. She also leads Aon’s public strategy group, directing national policy issues.
Partner, Ernst & Young
Christian Hagen has over two decades of consulting experience, specializing in leveraging digital technologies and analytics to optimize supply chains, revolutionize operations, and secure competitive advantages for clients. He's advised many of the world’s largest organizations across multiple industries – including retail, consumer products, high-tech, financial services, and government.
Assistant Director, Industry Partnerships, Chicago Quantum Exchange
Before her role at the Chicago Quantum Exchange, Andrea Jett Fletcher managed the civic engagement, participatory democracy, and public policy initiatives of the McCormick Foundation. Previously, she worked with the University of Chicago Cultural Policy Center, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Brookings Institution, and the African Development Bank.
Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, Exponential Exchange
Murali Kanakasabai is a leader in the derivatives industry, having designed and launched exchange-traded products in several industries. Before Exponential, he was a member of the founding team at the Chicago Climate Exchange, which pioneered environmental derivatives, and the American Financial Exchange/Ameribor, a market-based LIBOR alternative.
Head, Ganglion Healthcare
Seema Kumbhat's experience includes directing medical device innovation, in addition to performing due diligence for strategic alliances and risk management activities, for the global pharmaceutical and medical device company Hospira. She's licensed to practice medicine and surgery in the state of Illinois and has traveled the world to examine healthcare disparities in other countries.
Principal European Economist, VISA
Adolfo Laurenti has extensive experience analyzing global financial markets and economic trends for a variety of industries and is a frequent speaker to diverse audiences in the United States and abroad. Before working at VISA, he was the global economist for a private bank in Zurich, Switzerland, and chief international economist and managing director for Mesirow Financial in Chicago.
President & Chief Executive Officer, Institute for the International Education of Students (IES Abroad)
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.
Head of Asset Management, Capri Capital Partners
L. Heather Mitchell has over a decade of leadership experience in operations, investor relations, fundraising, asset management, and investment strategy. At Capri, she manages pension fund client relationships for US commercial real estate and leads marketing for the firm’s emerging market platform in Africa, India, and the Middle East.
President, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Airspace Data
Justin P. Oberman is a recognized expert and industry leader in aviation/aerospace, homeland security, and identity management. His 27-year career includes service in government, founding a tech company, and advising investors and management teams. After 9/11, he helped set up the TSA and later served as an assistant administrator and senior executive at the Department of Homeland Security.
Chief Executive Officer, Cognite
Girish Rishi is the former CEO of Blue Yonder, where he launched a cloud-based portfolio powered by machine learning and edge intelligence to help companies better forecast supply and demand. Before that, he led Tyco International’s global retail solutions and North American building automation businesses.
Chief Operating Officer of Government, Education, Infrastructure and Life Sciences, JLL
Christopher Roth directs a nationwide federal real estate team representing the US General Services Administration (GSA) and has testified about the GSA’s national broker contracts before the US Congress. He's also a registered architect, having studied vernacular housing in Guatemala and urban design in Italy.
Partner, Co-Head of Projects and Infrastructure Group, Mayer Brown
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.
Provost, Calvin University
Noah J. Toly is currently the Provost at Calvin University. Previously, he was a professor of urban studies and politics and international relations at Wheaton College. He has previous experience as a senior fellow at the University of Chicago's Martin Marty Center for the Advanced Study of Religion and as a lecturer at the Free University of Berlin’s Center for Global Politics.
Partner, Merchant Banking, William Blair
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.