Cohort, 2016, Industry, Advocacy & International Development, Sector, Non-profit, Emma Belcher is the president of the Ploughshares Fund, a public grantmaking foundation that supports initiatives to prevent the spread and use of nuclear weapons. Before this position, she was the director of nucle...

Cohort, 2020, Industry, Law, Sector, Private Sector, Ed Weaver is a senior manager at Grant Thornton’s international tax group, based in their Chicago office. He has over 13 years of experience advising multinational clients on international and domestic tax issues. Before joining Grant Thornto...

Cohort, 2016, Industry, Business & Consulting, Sector, Private Sector, Steve Babitch’s work lies at the intersection of the social sciences, business strategy, and design. As a consultant who has worked with leading-edge innovation and design consultancies Doblin, now part of Deloitte, and IA C...

Cohort, 2017, Industry, Business & Consulting, Sector, Private Sector, Previously, Mark Fastabend was the general manager for a foodservice equipment division within the Marmon Group. He has spent his career building businesses around innovative solutions that meet the needs of the global market,...

Cohort, 2015, Industry, Food & Agriculture, Sector, Private Sector, Alongside his father and brother, Amer Abdullah launched the Cedars restaurant in 2001. Shortly thereafter, a fast-casual child of Cedars named Mezza Mediterranean Grill was born, where Abdullah heads the marketing strategy. From...

Cohort, 2026, Industry, Law, Sector, Public Sector, Social Media, Vikas K. Didwania serves as complex litigation counsel at the Illinois Attorney General's Office. He helps lead Illinois's efforts to protect Illinoisians from federal overreach. Previously, Vikas served as a Senior Policy Adviser ...

Cohort, 2026, Industry, Government, Policy, & Public Affairs, Sector, Public Sector, Social Media, Sarah Boyle currently serves as the deputy director of strategic planning in the Office of the Superintendent at the Chicago Police Department. She is responsible for managing and implementing hig...

Cohort, 2017, Industry, Law, Sector, Non-profit, Anna Maitland works alongside marginalized communities to support locally-owned and led struggles toward progressive and sustainable change. She has engaged in the Americas and Africa on statelessness, asylum, sexual rights, and social and economic...

Cohort, 2012, Industry, Business & Consulting, Sector, Private Sector, 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 op...

Cohort, 2014, Industry, Business & Consulting, Sector, Private Sector, William Krehbiel is the founder and CEO of Topography Hospitality, LLC, and co-managing partner of Ballyfin Demesne, a luxury hotel in Ireland. He previously founded and led A Better Chicago, a venture philanthropy fund suppor...