With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
Prior to Embark Strategies, Sonya Anderson supported the development of early childhood education programs and policies for the Ounce of Prevention Fund. She previously worked for the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, overseeing their domestic and international work in education.
Paul Bauerschmidt serves as the head of technology for digital assets at Millennium Management, a global multi-strategy investment firm. Previously, he led new growth initiatives in OTC markets as executive director of OTC products at the CME Group, owner of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and also held leadership positions in corporate development and technology.
Craig Bennett, now retired, was one of eight executive committee members responsible for managing the strategic direction of Recycled Energy Development, LLC, an independent power producer that acquires, develops, owns, and operates industrial cogeneration and waste heat/gas recovery projects. They worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the cost of steam and electricity for host companies.
Daniel Bryant is the former founder and chief executive officer of Sheridan Road Financial, an investment consulting and management company that services middle-market companies and their executives. Before founding Sheridan Road, he was a senior investment banker at several investment banks, including Robertson Stephens in San Francisco and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette in Chicago.
In his previous role at Novartis Consumer Health, Jason Carter was a strategic advisor to the consumer health division, guiding various domestic and international issues. His work covered corporate governance, business development, compliance in sales and marketing, and government affairs. He also represented the company before federal regulatory agencies.
Joyce Coffee is the founder and president of Climate Resilience Consulting, a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) that helps clients develop practical strategies to strengthen markets and communities through climate change adaptation. In her former role at the public relations firm Edelman, Coffee provided strategic sustainability counsel to Midwest companies.
As founder and CEO of Roads United, Eliot Dam offers a wealth of global product management, business development, and leadership experience in numerous technology markets, including connected vehicles, smart infrastructure, wireless telecommunications, mobile application development, and geospatial analytics.
Gillian Darlow is the CEO of the Polk Bros. Foundation, which focuses its grantmaking on reducing the impact of poverty and expanding access to quality education, the arts, preventive health care, and essential human services for Chicago-area residents. She previously worked at the Civic Consulting Alliance, where she led numerous economic growth initiatives for the city, among other initiatives.
Joshua (J.P.) Fairbank is a co-founder of Nymirum and has sat at the intersection of entrepreneurship and investments for two decades. He's an adjunct assistant professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he also received his MBA.
Scott Fehlan has served the City of Chicago since 2004, advising on finance and economic development programs. Previously, he worked for Shefsky & Froelich, Universal Access Global Holdings, Kirkland & Ellis, and Sidley Austin Brown & Wood.
