Cohort, 2021, Industry, Education, Sector, Academia, Meredith Stricker is also a senior fellow at The Soufan Center, a think tank focused on global security and emerging threats. She previously served as the founding executive director and led the organization’s research team and speaker series...

Cohort, 2020, Industry, Advocacy & International Development, Sector, Private Sector, Appreccia D. Faulkner is the founder and CEO of Global Strategists Association, an international nonprofit striving to increase global engagement among the African Diaspora. The organization promotes diversity, ...

Cohort, 2015, Industry, Education, Sector, Academia, Brian T. Edwards is currently the dean of Tulane University's School of Liberal Arts, the largest of the university's nine schools, encompassing 35 departments and programs in the social sciences, humanities, fine and performing arts. Previousl...

Cohort, 2018, Industry, Environment & Sustainability, Sector, Private Sector, Social Media, Josh Ellis is the co-founder and executive director of SUM, a company that creates restorative outdoor experiences for groups throughout Chicagoland—from staff retreats and wellness outings to community ...

Cohort, 2023, Industry, Banking & Finance, Sector, Private Sector, Andrew Harrison is the head of US digital partnerships at BMO Financial Group and leader of WMNfintech, a national accelerator program run in collaboration with 1871. He has spent 15 years in finance and banking focusing on commer...

Cohort, 2010, Industry, Healthcare, Sector, Academia, Reza Yassari directs the spinal oncology unit at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, in addition to being a professor of neurosurgery and the director of the residency program. He earned his MD from the University of Vienna and his...

Cohort, 2017, Industry, Law, Sector, Academia, While at Northern Illinois University's College of Law, Morse Tan directed the international law certificate program. A US Supreme Court Fellowship finalist and a member of the US Supreme Court Bar, he previously worked at the University of Texas Law...

Cohort, 2012, Industry, Law, Sector, Public Sector, 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. He i...

Cohort, 2026, Industry, Housing & Transportation, Sector, Public Sector, Social Media, Kemena Brooks serves as Chief of Staff at the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA). In this role, she supports executive leadership in advancing agency-wide priorities and managing cross-departmental initiatives. Sh...

Cohort, 2024, Industry, Science, Technology, & Innovation, Sector, Academia, Julia Lane is responsible for developing and executing growth strategies across the University of Chicago’s science, engineering, and innovation landscape. This includes developing new institutes, building global and d...