Meet the Class of 2020 Fellows
We are proud to introduce these passionate individuals who now join our ranks of more than 1,150 leaders, thinkers and visionaries.
Ciere Boatright
Vice President of Real Estate and Inclusion, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, Inc.
Ciere Boatright is the Vice President of Real Estate and Inclusion for Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, Inc. Since joining Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives (CNI) in 2013, Ciere has managed the planning & development of new projects, including Pullman Park, the 180-acre mixed use site at 111th Street and I-94, where CNI has coordinated over $300 million of new investment and created nearly 1,500 new jobs. Active in the civic space, Ciere serves as a Commissioner for the Roseland Medical District and a Commissioner for SSA 71. Ciere proudly serves on the executive board of ULI’s Women’s Leadership Initiative and serves as a Link Unlimited volunteer and Sponsor. Ciere was recognized as one of Crain’s 2019 Notable Women in Commercial Real Estate and named one of Chicago Scholars’ 2019 35 under 35 impactful leaders in Chicago. Ciere recently received Link Unlimited’ s Richard T. Smith Alumni Award & UIC CUPPA’s Jim Marek Alumni Appreciation Award.
Tim Bresnahan
Senior Director of Gift Planning, The Chicago Community Trust
Tim Bresnahan is the Senior Director of Gift Planning for The Chicago Community Trust. He is responsible for a broad range of matters including charitable contributions, donor advised funds, supporting organizations, agency endowments and other legal, tax and investment aspects of tax-exempt organizations. Tim joined the Trust in 2016. Prior to joining the Trust, Tim served as the Associate Director of Philanthropic Advisory Services for Northern Trust. He is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, the Chicago Bar Association and the Arts Club of Chicago. Tim serves on the Board of Directors for the Advancement Network, on the Impact Board for Sarah’s Circle, as a mentor for The Point Foundation and is a past President of the Board of Directors for Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Tim earned a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service degree from Georgetown University and a JD degree from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Andrew Broy
President, Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS)
Andrew Broy is the President of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS), a statewide advocacy and charter school support organization serving 145 charter campuses in Illinois that collectively educate more than 64,000 public school students. In 2017, after five years of concerted advocacy and political efforts, INCS helped enact a new funding formula that guarantees equal funding to Illinois charter students. This comes on the heels of two 2016 legislative wins, which extended the permissible charter renewal term to ten years for high-performing charters and tripled the funding available in the state revolving loan program. Prior to joining INCS, Andrew was Georgia’s Associate State Superintendent and helped craft Georgia’s winning Race to the Top application. Andrew also worked as a civil rights litigator and authored several amici briefs in United States Supreme Court cases. Andrew serves on several local and national boards, including Illinois’ Underrepresented Groups in Higher Education Task Force and the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools.
Sarah Burke
Director of Corporate and Foundation Giving, Northwestern Memorial Healthcare
Sarah Burke is currently Director of Corporate and Foundation Giving for Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, where she supports Northwestern Medicine’s Patients First mission by engaging partners to benefit the health system’s philanthropic priorities. Previously, Sarah served as Director of External Affairs at Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, where she combined her legal expertise with a deep knowledge of the City of Chicago and its suburban municipalities to help the growing health system advance its community relationships. Prior to that, she worked in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office, serving as legislative liaison to the Illinois General Assembly while advocating for policies and law that would positively impact residents in Cook County and across the State of Illinois. Sarah is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law and is a member of the Board Special Children’s Charities (commonly known as Special Olympics Chicago).
Dr. Kathleen Caliento
Chief of Learning and Design Officer, The Academy Group
Dr. Kathleen Caliento is the Chief Learning and Design Officer of the Academy Group, an organization that makes long term investments in cross-sector companies and young people from resilient communities to help them build belief, build wealth, and build change. A published author in the field of critical science education, Kathleen has spent two decades committed to urban education and student success. Previously, Kathleen held several leadership positions at Spark, Project Exploration, and The Chicago Public Education Fund, and taught in New York City. She is an alum of the UChicago Civic Leadership Academy. Kathleen proudly serves as Vice Chair of the 826CHI Board, as a steering committee member of the UChicago Consortium on School Research, and is a founding board member of EPIC Academy. Kathleen earned her doctorate and master’s degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University and graduated with a bachelor’s from State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Jason Coleman
Co-Founder/Executive Director, Project SYNCERE
Jason Coleman currently serves as the Co-Founder/Executive Director for Project SYNCERE, an educational not-for-profit organization creating pathways for underrepresented students to pursue careers in STEM. In 2008, he co-founded Project SYNCERE in an effort to bring about a change within the STEM fields. As a product of the Chicago Public Schools, it was important for Jason to ensure access to quality programs was available to inner-city youth. Jason started his career as a mechanical engineer for BAE SYSTEMS where he designed flight control systems for military and commercial aircrafts and later worked for Motorola Mobility, where he designed the mechanical layouts for mobile phones. In addition to his work at Project SYNCERE, Jason currently serves as the co-chair of the Children’s Museum Auxiliary Board, serves a committee member with the National Academy of Engineering to explore Building Teacher Capacity in K-12 Engineering and is a 2019 Eisenhower Fellow.
Aimée Eubanks Davis
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Braven
Aimée Eubanks David is the Founder and CEO of Braven which works to ensure underrepresented college students develop the skills, confidence, experiences and networks to get strong first jobs after graduation. She founded Braven based on her deep belief that our next generation of leaders will emerge from everywhere. Aimée spent the majority of her career at Teach For America. She held various senior leadership roles, including leading the organization’s groundbreaking work around its human capital and diversity efforts. Earlier in her career, Aimée taught sixth grade, led the Breakthrough/Summerbridge New Orleans site, and worked for the national organization. She is a 2019 Obama Foundation Fellow, Pahara-Aspen fellow, a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, a Braddock Scholar, a Draper Richards Foundation Entrepreneur and a Camelback Ventures Fellow. A graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, Aimée resides in Chicago with her husband and three children.
Justin DeJong
Vice President of Enterprise Communications, American Medical Association
Justin DeJong is Vice President for Enterprise Communications at the American Medical Association where he leads strategies to shape the national dialogue on topics important to the health of our nation. Before joining the AMA, DeJong was an appointee in the Obama Administration and served as Director of Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture where he advanced initiatives to improve the health and nutrition of the American people. He previously served as Illinois Director of Communications on the 2008 Obama campaign, led communications at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and served as spokesperson for several Illinois government agencies including the Governor's Office of Management and Budget. DeJong is active in city, state and national politics and currently serves as Board Chair of Equality Illinois, on the Campaign Board for the Victory Fund, as a Board member for Chicago Area Public Affairs Group (CAPAG), and as Finance Chair at Lakeview Presbyterian Church.
Rev. Julian DeShazier
Senior Minister, University Church
As a national speaker, advocate and emcee, Julian “J.Kwest” DeShazier has appeared on ABC, FOX, NPR and Dr. Maya Angelou’s “Oprah & Friends” radio program. J.Kwest is also an Emmy Award-winning musician, featured in the video “Strange Fruit,” a commemoration of the Billie Holiday song and a meditation on racial violence. The Chicago native and graduate of Morehouse College and the University of Chicago is also pastor of University Church – a Sanctuary congregation for immigrants that also worked with Chicago’s Southside community to push for a Level 1 Trauma Center, for which Julian was recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of “40 Under 40” leaders in Chicago. Recognized by the Center for American Progress as one of “10 Faith Leaders to Watch” in 2018, he serves as the inaugural chair of the Community Advisory Council for University of Chicago Medicine; as associate director of the Office of Experiential Education at McCormick Theological Seminary; and is a former adjunct professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Julian is a regular contributor to On Scripture and Sojourners, where he is also a board member.
Beth Gallagher
Director of Community Involvement, Aon
Beth Gallagher is a social impact leader with fourteen years of experience running corporate philanthropy programs and delivering shared value through cross-sector partnerships. As Director of Community Involvement for Aon, a global b2b professional services firm with more than 50,000 colleagues in 120 countries, Beth is responsible for leading initiatives that create social impact for clients, colleagues and communities.Beth oversees the day-to-day operations of the Aon Foundation and the firm’s charitable giving programs and related partnerships. In addition, she supports nonprofit board placement and oversees employee volunteer programs at Aon, including the firm’s annual global service day, which engages colleagues around the world in community service.Currently a fellow in Leadership Greater Chicago’s class of 2020, Beth also serves on the board of the Jazz Institute of Chicago and the advisory board of Cause Strategy Partners, a Certified B Corp. Beth holds a B.A. in English, with honors, from Portland State University and a master’s degree in the Humanities from the University of Chicago.
Rodrigo Garcia
Deputy Treasurer & Chief Investment Officer, Illinois State Treasurer
Rodrigo Garcia is Deputy Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer for Illinois State Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs. In this role, he directs the treasury’s combined $32 billion investment portfolio, $300 billion in related banking operations and financial services, and a ~$4 billion agency budget and financial reporting unit. Rodrigo was previously the Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and a member of the Illinois Cabinet, and has also worked for Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Rodrigo holds an undergraduate degree with a major in finance from Northeastern Illinois University, two post-graduate degrees, one with a focus in finance from the University of Illinois and one with a focus in public policy from Northwestern University, and has also completed a senior executives program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He is a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP®), an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®), and holds SASB’s FSA credential. Rodrigo serves on the executive committee and chairs the investment committee for Northeastern Illinois University Foundation, serves on the investment committee for the Youth Guidance/Becoming a Man endowment, serves on the board of directors for The Thirty Percent Coalition and is the chairman emeritus of Student Veterans of America. He is also a Marshall Memorial Fellow, an ACPYL Fellow, a Chicago Council on Global Affairs Emerging Leader, a U.S./Mexico Leaders Fellow, an Atlantic Council Millennium Leadership Fellow, and an Aspen Institute Finance Leaders Fellow.
Corliss Garner
Vice President and Senior Advisor, Office of Inclusion, BMO Harris Bank
Corliss Garner is Vice President and Senior Advisor in the Office of Inclusion at BMO Harris Bank. Corliss leads the organization’s employee resource group and drives the bank’s diversity and inclusion, and employee engagement strategies by supporting over 6,000 employees across the globe. Her diverse career at BMO Harris Bank has span more than two decades, holding positions in several areas including operations, wealth management, commercial lending and corporate philanthropy. Corliss is a graduate of DePaul University and has earned the Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) and the Certified Financial Planner (CFPTM) designations. She is a Chicago native and world enthusiast who is deeply passionate about creating healthy and thriving communities through servant leadership, volunteerism, community engagement and paying it forward. She is a contributing financial columnist to the Chicago Defender, a former Trustee on the board of Chicago State University and the Immediate Past Chair of the advisory board of The African American Legacy at The Chicago Community Trust. Corliss has previously held board positions with the DePaul Coleman Entrepreneurship Center and the Executive Service Corps of Chicago.
Nevin Gewertz
Partner, Bartlit Beck LLP
Nevin Gewertz is a Partner in the Chicago office of Bartlit Beck LLP. Nevin’s practice focuses on intellectual property and complex litigation in areas requiring scientific or technological expertise. His representative clients include, Bayer, Gilead, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Stryker, DuPont, and Citadel. Nevin has a B.S., with honors, in Biochemistry and a B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University, where he was a Presidential Scholar (full merit); he has a J.D. with High Honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was a Kirkland & Ellis Scholar (top of the class) and the Hinton Moot Court Champion. Nevin also has been recognized on the Benchmark Litigation “40 & Under Hot List,” by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star, and by Leading Lawyer as an Emerging Lawyer.
Kevin Goldsmith
Executive Director, JPMorgan Chase
Kevin Goldsmith is the Executive Director of JPMorgan Chase and the former Program Manager for Community Development Tax Credits (CDTC) and Intermediaries Lending at Chase, which invests in New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC), Historic Tax Credits (HTC) and lending for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). Kevin joined the Chase CDTC team in 2006 and has grown the team to become an important line of business for the bank. He oversees a national team that originates and structures NMTC and HTC investments to support commercial projects in low-income communities. Prior to joining Chase, Kevin spent six years with the National Development Council where he provided small business financing and technical assistance services to promote economic development in disadvantaged areas throughout the US and Puerto Rico. Kevin received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa and MBA degree from DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business in Chicago.
Verneé Green
Chief Program Officer, Mikva Challenge
Verneé Green joined Mikva Challenge as the Chief Program Officer in April 2018 and oversees all of Mikva's school-based and direct service youth programs. Verneé brings to this position over 20 years of experience in the education and nonprofit sectors. She’s excited to be in this role to support youth advocacy and help to include youth voice in the policy process. Verneé holds a Bachelor’s degree from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master’s Degree from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. At the University of Chicago, she was a recipient of the McCormick-Tribune Fellowship in Urban and Community Leadership. She sits on the board of the nonprofit organization, My Block, My Hood, My City and is on the Council for IWU Women. Most recently, she was in the Allstate Foundation Nonprofit Leadership Center’s Executive Leadership Program’s Class of 2019.
Chaula Gupta
Vice President of Program & Engagement, The Chicago Public Education Fund
As Vice President of Program and Engagement at The Chicago Public Education Fund, Chaula Gupta she oversees a team dedicated to identifying, investing in, and scaling programs that grow the number of high-performing public schools in Chicago. Chaula brings more than a decade of experience in social innovation, from founding Teach For America’s Social Entrepreneurship Initiative to support alumni launching new ventures to finding and selecting social entrepreneurs for Ashoka Innovators for the Public. Chaula serves on the board of GirlTrek, a national health movement that powers Black women to be changemakers. She was selected to the Allstate Foundation’s Greater Good Fellowship for nonprofit leaders in 2017. Chaula speaks on social innovation, runs design-thinking workshops, and has served as a selector for Ashoka and Echoing Green fellowships. She graduated from Mumbai University with a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications engineering and received a master’s degree in international relations from Syracuse University.
Dylan Hall
Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Safe Rate Inc.
Dylan Hall is the CEO and Co-Founder of Safe Rate, a socially responsible home financing company providing homebuyers with a new mortgage product that reduces payments during housing market downturns and reduces defaults for investors. Safe Rate recently received seed funding from the University of Chicago and participated in BMO Harris Banks’s Innovation Program. Dylan is also Managing Partner at Persee Ventures, a technology-focused consulting firm that provides advisory services in cloud automation, predictive analytics and new product development for clients ranging from startups to multi-billion dollar asset managers. He is a Lecturer at the University of Chicago, teaching Entrepreneurship in Technology. From 2008 to 2010, Dylan was a high school mathematics teacher and basketball coach in West Garfield Park as part of Teach for America. He received his BS in Computer Science from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Christa Hamilton
Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director, Centers for New Horizons, Inc.
Christa Hamilton is the Chief Executive Officer of Centers for New Horizons, and she is the second individual—and first woman—to serve in this capacity since founded in 1971. She is responsible for directing the overall performance and operation strategy to improve outcomes for over 5,000 at-risk Chicagoans per year, ages 6 weeks to 100 years old. Under her leadership, the agency has grown by 50 employees, and increased the budget by nearly $1 million each year. Prior to working in the public sector, she managed multi-state procurement at Walgreens. Most recently, Christa is an active Board Member at Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition, appointed by Secretary of the IDHS, to serve on the Social Services Advisory Committee and selected as a member of the University of Chicago’s Medical Community Advisory Council, until 2021. Christa holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Florida A&M University and an MBA from National Louis University.
Emily Heath
Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer, United Airlines
Emily Heath leads global CISO for Fortune 100 company United Airlines. Emily is an experienced and dynamic thought leader and builder of highly motivated and diverse teams, known for integrity, partnership, and a leader who adds real value and expertise to an organization through strong business and technology acumen, logical rationale, relentless focus on people and a desire to drive things forward and get things done. Emily is a Board Member for Aviation ISAC, National Technology Security Coalition, and Security Advisors Alliance. She serves on the Advisory Board for Member Cyberstarts Venture Capital Fund, Symantec, and IBM Security. She is Co-Chair for Evanta Global CISO Community and for Evanta Chicago CISO Chapter.
Taneka Jennings
Deputy Director, The HANA Center
Taneka Jennings is the Deputy Director of The HANA Center, a Chicago-area non-profit that empowers Korean American and multiethnic immigrant communities through social services, community organizing, education and culture to advance human rights. In her role, Taneka provides strategic leadership for the development of cohesive programming that integrates impactful services with powerful organizing to drive transformative change for individuals, communities, policies and systems. She is the Campaign Manager for Adoptees for Justice and serves on advisory committees for IL Partners for Human Services and Northwestern University's Alliance for Community-Centered Research in Chicagoland Communities. Taneka volunteers actively in the international transracial adoptee community, serving as a Board member of the International Korean Adoptee Associations, mentor with Connect-A-Kid, and former President of Korean Adoptees of Chicago. She is also a Grantmaking Committee member for the Chicago Community Trust's Asian Giving Circle.
Brian Johnson
Chief Executive Officer, Equality Illinois
Brian Johnson serves as the CEO of Equality Illinois, the statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. Brian’s passion for fighting for equity was catalyzed by having served as a first-grade teacher, and Teach For America corps member, in Baton Rouge, LA. Since that transformative experience, he has served in a variety of leadership roles in public education justice. He has worked as the Vice President of Regional Impact for Leadership For Educational Equity (LEE), the Executive Director of the Larchmont Schools in Los Angeles, and the Executive Director of Teach For America – Los Angeles. Brian earned his AB, magna cum laude, from Princeton University, his JD from Stanford Law School, and his MBA, as an Arjay Miller Scholar, from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He lives with his husband Toby and their daughter Josephine in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago.
Miguel Keberlein Gutiérrez
Executive Director, Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services
Miguel Keberlein Gutiérrez is the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services. The Legal Aid Society provides free civil legal services to Chicago’s most vulnerable families and communities and is the second oldest legal aid organization in the country. Miguel has advocated throughout his entire career for those facing poverty and speaks frequently on issues of social justice, immigration, human trafficking, and migrant farmworker rights. Before taking the helm of the Legal Aid Society, he served as the Director of the Immigrants and Workers’ Rights (IWR) Practice Group and the Client Support Services Group at the Legal Assistance Foundation. Miguel was formerly an adjunct professor at Northern Illinois University College of Law, and currently chairs the Illinois Statewide Task Force on Human Trafficking. He has served on several Migrant Head Start boards across Illinois, the board of the Migrant and Immigrant Community Project, and the school and athletic committees at St. Luke’s School in River Forest.
Tomoko Kizawa
Partner, Deloitte
Tomoko Kizawa is a Partner at Deloitte, where she has assisted clients with strategic assessments, risk management, corporate governance, financial and operational process reviews, process efficiency, internal audit, internal controls and external audit. She is also the Inclusion Leader of Deloitte’s Chicago office, comprised of 5,500 professionals across Audit, Tax, Consulting and Risk & Financial Advisory. She serves on the boards of The Japan America Society of Chicago, the Garden of the Phoenix Foundation and the U.S.-Japan Council, of which she serves the Vice Chair of the Board and the Audit Committee Chair. She received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Chicago, a Masters of Science in Accountancy from DePaul University, and is a certified public accountant licensed in Illinois.
Dr. Tara Leweling
Vice President of Stakeholder Relations and Corporate Thought Leadership, Allstate
Dr. Tara Leweling is a collaborative, innovative, and entrepreneurial leader with over 25 years of diverse experience, including the private sector, the White House, and military service. Currently, Corporate Relations executive responsible for stakeholder relations and corporate thought leadership at Fortune 100 firm. Passionate about strengthening communities, leading change, mentorship, organizational design and global affairs. At Allstate, she is responsible for leading the corporate and CEO thought leadership agenda across internal andexternal stakeholders.
Dr. Ignacio López
President, Harold Washington College
Dr. Ignacio López is President of Harold Washington College, one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago, where he has helped to lead the expansion of relevant programming, online learning and early college. Prior to his presidency he served as the Vice Provost of Academic and Student Affairs at National Louis University, and prior to that he was a teacher with the Chicago Public Schools. Dr. López’s leadership and research has focused on access to education, equity, and community engagement. He proudly serves on the board of the Puerto Rican Art Alliance, The Chicago Loop Alliance, and the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center. Dr. López has an earned Doctor of Education degree in Educational Psychology and an MA in teaching, from NLU. Dr. López is author and coauthor of books and online articles. His latest book is titled: Keeping it Real and Relevant: Building Authentic Relationships in Diverse Classrooms.
Dr. A. Kyle Mack
Attending Physician, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago/Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine
A. Kyle Mack is an attending physician at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and an assistant professor at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. He has experience taking care of children with all blood disorders, with particular expertise in sickle cell disease, thalassemia and anemias. Kyle is also a Public Voices Fellow at TheOpEd project through Northwestern University and has written pieces on the importance of blood donation and fatherhood. Kyle is on the board of directors of the local chapter of the American Red Cross and he is also a trustee of the Erikson Institute, a child advocacy organization and graduate school for early childhood development. Kyle graduated from Stanford University and earned his MD from the University of Miami and completed his fellowship in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Hina Mahmood
Assistant For Special Projects and Deputy Chief of Staff, Illinois Deparment of Human Services
Prior to her role as Assistant For Special Projects and Deputy Chief of Staff at the Illinois Deparment of Human Services, Hina Mahmood was interim president at Woods Fund Chicago, a bold grant making foundation that finds-and-funds projects that draw on the power of communities to fight the brutality of structural racism and economic injustice. Hina’s professional roots are in community organizing and public service. Prior to joining Woods Fund in 2012, she served as an education organizer and coordinated infrastructure and social service for a north side Chicago alderman, among other roles in the nonprofit and public sectors. She received a master’s degree from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration and undergraduate degree from Loyola University. Hina serves on the board of directors of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago and Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy.
Marissa Martin
Vice President of Executive Search, Koya Leadership Partners
Marissa Martin is Vice President of Executive Search at Koya Leadership Partners. Previously, she served as a Managing Director with Koya Leadership Partners, a retained executive search firm in the mission-driven space. She leads a portfolio of executive-level searches with deep expertise in social and human services, organizations with global reach and with health-related nonprofits. Prior to Koya, Marissa was also responsible for overall management of DHR International’s global search execution and was instrumental in the expansion of the firm in Asia, Europe and South America. Deeply committed to client service, Marissa was awarded the Chairman’s Award for Excellence at DHR multiple times. Marissa proudly serves on the Board for the Instituto del Progreso Latino and the Planning Committee with P.E.A.K. (Partnership to Educate and Advance Kids). Marissa earned her B.A. from Marquette University, where she now serves on the Alumni Association National Board of Directors
Manas Mehandru
Chief Operating Officer, mHUB
Manas Mehandru is the Chief Operating Officer at mHUB, an innovation center creating the conditions for product development and manufacturing to thrive. Through access to curriculum, mentors, equipment and more, mHUB has supported over 250 commercially focused startups creating more than 750 new jobs in the region. Under Manas’ leadership, mHUB has developed partnerships with dozens of local non-profits and has supported over one hundred events focused on STEM, diversity and socioeconomic opportunities. Prior to officially joining mHUB, he was a Fellow at World Business Chicago where he played a critical role in defining its strategy and business plan. Manas spent more than a decade with UL (formerly Underwriter’s Laboratories) across various functions of engineering, management, business development and strategy to support manufacturers focused on improving the safety, quality and performance of their products. Manas holds a Master’s in Business Administration with concentrations in strategic management, economics and organizational behavior from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University.
Martín Montes
Vice President of Large Customer Services, Exelon/ComEd
Martín Montes is currently Vice President of Large Customer Services (“LCS”) for Exelon/ComEd. He oversees ComEd’s day-to-day strategic outreach to, and interactions with, over 5000 large customers covering 11,000 square miles in the Northern Illinois territory. He leads a department of over 80 team members. Prior to his LCS role, Martín worked in various legal and regulatory roles, both in private and corporate settings. Martín is a board member to various non-profit organizations. He has also served on the national board for the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (“MALDEF”). Martín is an active alum of Indiana University Maurer School of Law, serving as a member of the Maurer School of Law Alumni Board. Martín speaks regularly on the topics of regulatory strategy, legal department management, anti-corruption, and diversity in the legal field.
Matthew Muench
Director of Workforce Innovation, City of Chicago-Office of the Mayor
Matthew Muench is the City of Chicago’s Director of Workforce Innovation, now based in the Office of Mayor Lori Lightfoot. He spent the prior seven years in philanthropy, most recently in Seattle as Portfolio Manager for Ballmer Group, where he directed national grantmaking related to post-secondary education, workforce training and employment, and managed their impact investments. Before that, Matthew was Director of the Joyce Foundation's Employment Program, where he oversaw strategy, grantmaking and partnerships focused on policy reform, tech innovation, and business practice change to help more individuals get good jobs and thrive in them. He began his career as an advisor to aerospace and defense companies, with especial focus on market entry and growth strategies, opportunity identification, and M&A. He holds degrees from The University of Michigan (MBA), London School of Economics (MSc), and Tulane University (BA). And he serves on the Chicago Cook Workforce Innovation Board.
Tyler Murray
Chief of Financial Crimes Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois
Tyler Murray is the Chief of the Financial Crimes Section at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. He has spent most of his government service career at the Office, including in various management positions. In his current role, Tyler oversees the Office’s investigation and prosecution of complex federal economic offenses, including bank fraud, mortgage fraud, health care fraud, tax fraud, bankruptcy fraud, international bribery, money laundering, and embezzlement. He works closely with the leadership of multiple federal agencies to develop and implement strategies to combat white collar crime, and co-chairs the Illinois Fraud Working Group. Tyler is also an adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, an instructor at the Department of Justice National Advocacy Center, and a periodic speaker on topics related to federal criminal law. Tyler has been actively involved in non-profit organizations that facilitate enhanced education opportunities for economically disadvantaged youth, including LINK Unlimited Scholars and Big Shoulders Fund.
Kellie O’Connell
Chief Executive Officer, Lakeview Pantry
Kellie O’Connell is the CEO at Lakeview Pantry (LVP), an organization working to end hunger and poverty in Chicago by providing emergency food, social services and mental health counseling. Annually, LVP provides nutritious food to 9,000 people and works with 2,500 clients through social services and counseling. Kellie has led the organization through a period of dramatic growth and innovation, working to expand services to meet more of Chicago’s need. With 20+ years in the nonprofit, government, and corporate sectors, Kellie spent the majority of her career in service to the residents of Chicago. Prior to LVP, Kellie served eight years at the Chicago Housing Authority, the nation’s third largest public housing authority, as the SVP for Strategic Planning and Public Affairs. She held various leadership roles with Operation Hope, Illinois Action for Children, and Northwestern Settlement House. Kellie holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Northern Illinois University and a master’s degree in Sociology from Loyola University Chicago.
Keyonn Pope
Partner, Reed Smith LLP
Keyonn Pope is a Partner in the Chicago Office of the firm Reed Smith LLP and a member of the Intellectual Property, Tech, and Data Group. He focuses his practice on intellectual property (IP) litigation and counseling. He represents clients in matters involving utility patent, design patent, trademark, trade secret, trade dress, unfair competition, copyright infringement, from both plaintiffs' and defendants' perspectives. A former student-athlete and musician, Keyonn devotes a substantial portion of his practice to media and entertainment related matters. In addition to IP matters, Keyonn routinely assembles and manages teams in connection with matters involving: commercial litigation, corporate transactions, labor and employment, regulatory and compliance, marketing and advertising, among others. Prior to his career in the law, Keyonn worked as an electrical engineer for Caterpillar, Inc. He serves on the Boards of the Jazz Institute of Chicago and The Shriver Center on Poverty Law. In his spare time, Keyonn enjoys cooking, music, trivia, and playing bid whist.
Krishna Ramachandran
Vice President, BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) of Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
Krishna Ramachandran has been a leader in health care for more than 16 years. He currently serves as Vice President, Enterprise Network Solutions at Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) of Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma & Texas. In this role, he is responsible for initiatives such as Health Data Exchange, Provider Reporting and Value Based Care to improve health outcomes and care affordability across five states and 16 million members. Before joining BCBS, he served as Chief Administrative Officer of DuPage Medical Group and its subsidiary Boncura Health Solutions. Prior to DuPage, he held leadership roles at Epic Systems Corporation. Krishna teaches in The University of Chicago’s Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics program and is actively involved in various healthcare associations and local nonprofits. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Center on Halsted and Mercy Housing Lakefront. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (India); a Master of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago; and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Vaishali Rao
Partner, Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP
Vaishali Rao is a Partner at the law firm Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP, leading the Consumer Financial Services Regulatory & Compliance practice. Vaishali focuses her practice in two primary areas: First, defending companies in regulatory investigations and litigations brought by governmental bodies. Second, compliance counseling related to statutes intended to protect consumers. Prior to joining Hinshaw, Vaishali spent almost a decade in public service as an Assistant Attorney General in Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan's Consumer Protection Division. During her tenure at the Attorney General's office, Vaishali led many cases and policy initiatives related to combatting the financial crisis. Vaishali also served as Assistant Counsel to Speaker Michael J. Madigan, and assisted in the impeachment trial of former Illinois Governor, Rod R. Blagojevich.
Francie Schnipke Richards
CPS Head of External Affiars, and CFF Executive Director, Children First Fund (CFF): The Chicago Public Schools Foundation
Francie Schnipke Richards is the Head of External Affairs, and CFF Executive Director for Children First Fund (CFF): The Chicago Public Schools Foundation, where she brokers partnerships and secures funds to advance CPS’s vision. Previously, Francie was the founding Central U.S. Director of WE Charity, an international organization that empowers youth to serve. Francie supported investments in principal talent at the Chicago Public Education Fund and served on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s education team, supporting the implementation of the full school day, expansion of early childhood education, the introduction Early College STEM schools, computer science and IB expansion, and CCC's “College to Careers” initiative. Francie’s dedication to Chicago’s students began through Teach For America. She has a Bachelor's in Social Work from Eastern Michigan University, a Master's in Social and Economic Development from Washington University in St. Louis and an Executive Scholar Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Carina Sánchez
Executive Director, Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC)
Carina Sánchez serves as the Executive Director of the Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC), where she oversees the planning, designing and construction of municipal buildings. Under Carina’s leadership, over $700 million worth of work has gone through the PBC and for the first ever appointed a slate of M/WBE Architect firms to PBC projects. Carina is the first Latina to serve in this role, and prior to her appointment, served as the Deputy Clerk for the Office of the Chicago City Clerk where she managed a $10 million operating budget and oversaw the historic transition from seasonal sales of Chicago Vehicle Stickers to a year-round sales program. As a native Chicagoan and eldest daughter of Mexican immigrants, Carina is proud to call herself a public servant. She sits on the Board of Teatro Vista, Metropolitan Family Services North Center, the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership Training Academy and is an elected Member of the Local School Council at Blaine Elementary School. Carina earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Chicago and a Master’s in Business Administration from National Louis University.
Kristen Saranteas
Head of Treasury Management, First Midwest Bank
Kristen Saranteas serves as the Head of Treasury Management at First Midwest Bank. In this role she is responsible for the overall treasury management client experience from proposal to implementation to ongoing day-to-day service. She has over 25 years in sales and management experience in the Treasury Management industry with various corporations specifically to their teams up. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University, and is quite involved in the community. Kristen has served on the City Year Chicago Executive Board for over 13 years, where she is the Vice Chair. Kristen also serves her alma mater on the Miami University Alumni Association Board. Past experiences include: Treasurer for Foundations of Music; Chicago Cares, Working In The Schools, and The Goulden Touch, among a few. Kristen speaks frequently at industry conferences and events, most notably at the Windy City Summit and the Association of Financial Professionals Annual Conference.
Jeff Skender
Director, Cushman & Wakefield
Jeff Skender is a Director in the Chicago office of Cushman & Wakefield. He is a partner on a team of tenant representation brokers focusing on the downtown Chicago office market. Jeff has developed expertise in the advisory of technology companies, professional services firms, and financial institutions to set and implement their individual corporate real estate strategies. Further, Jeff is entrusted by several clients to manage their multimarket real estate portfolios by leveraging the global platform of C&W to provide best-in-class service in each of their domestic and international markets. Jeff graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Finance concentrating in Real Estate and Corporate Finance. Jeff serves as Director on the Skender Foundation. He lives in East Ukrainian Village with his wife and two young sons.
Elizabeth Spenko
Senior Vice President, Director of Digital Experience Solutions, Northern Trust
Elizabeth Spenko is Senior Vice President, Director of Digital Experience Solutions at Northern Trust, where she leads a multidisciplinary development, design, and research team dedicated to delivering innovative and exceptional experiences to clients and employees. Elizabeth joined Northern Trust in early 2015 to co-create the Northern Lab, a team of designers and researchers that uses human-centered design to develop new services and digital experiences. Prior to joining Northern Trust, Elizabeth led the service design practice at the IDEO Chicago studio where she worked across various industries and won two Silver International Design Excellence Awards for digital and retail experiences in financial services. Prior to IDEO, Elizabeth launched new ventures as a Vice President at Sandbox Industries and worked at a management consulting firm called Norbridge. She serves as a Regional Board Member of Northwestern University. Elizabeth has a BA in Economics from Northwestern University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Bryan Stokes
Vice President of Early Learning, Illinois Action for Children
Bryan Stokes is the Vice President of Early Learning at Illinois Action for Children, a state and national leader in the early care and education community. In this role he leads comprehensive early learning and family support programs serving over 1,100 children and their families annually. Prior to joining Illinois Action for Children, he served as Preschool Expansion Policy Director in the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development. Bryan is a board member of the HighScope Educational Research Foundation, a national research organization that advances best practices in early education and served on Illinois' Kindergarten Transition Advisory Committee. Originally from Detroit, he received an MA in English Literature from Penn State University and a BA from Kenyon College.
Adrian Talbott
Assistant Dean for Civic Engagement, the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration
Adrian Talbott serves as the Assistant Dean for Civic Engagement at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. In this role, he develops strategic partnerships with elected officials, community organizations, and other civic leaders that leverage the University’s strengths in research and teaching to collaboratively address pressing social issues impacting communities across Chicago. Adrian previously served as a director in the University's Office of Civic Engagement. Prior to joining the University, he co-founded and ran Generation Engage, a nonpartisan youth civic engagement initiative and directed CGI Lead, the Clinton Global Initiative's program for emerging global leaders. Adrian serves on several municipal taskforces, including the Fines, Fees, and Access Collaborative and the City Clerk’s Civic Engagement Advisory Council. He also chairs the board of Sunshine Enterprises, a Woodlawn-based nonprofit that develops community entrepreneurs. Adrian earned a B.A. from Amherst College and an M.A. from the University of Chicago Divinity School.
Linda Tortolero
President and Chief Executive Officer, Mujeres Latinas en Accion
Linda Tortolero is President and CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Accion, the nation’s longest standing Latina organization. Linda builds strategic relationships with stakeholders and carries out Mujeres’ strategic plan to address effectively the immediate needs facing Latinas and their families. Under Linda’s leadership, Mujeres is a fierce advocate on key issues such as gender-based violence, women’s health and economic security, immigration, and reproductive justice. Additionally, Linda brings a philanthropic and policy background to her role. She is a member on Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights’ Action Council and has recently served as a member of Mayor Lightfoot’s Health and Human Services Transition Committee and the Steering Committee of the City Clerk’s Chicago Status of Women and Girls Working Group. Previously, Linda practiced litigation in various areas and was awarded the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Distinguished Service Award. Linda received a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University in Political Science and History of Modern Latin America and a Juris Doctor from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
Drew Vail
Partner, Jenner & Block
Andrew (Drew) Vail is a first-chair litigator who has significant experience in both federal and state courts. Drew has practiced at Jenner & Block his entire professional career, coming to the firm after graduating from law school with honors in 2003. Drew is the Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Strategic Planning and Civil Practice Committees and served on the CBA's Board of Managers for the 2016-2017 term. He currently serves as the Chair of the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago's Board and is a member of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at NU Law School's Board. Drew chairs Jenner's Pro Bono Committee in Chicago and has been recognized for his commitment to the Chicago community, pro bono legal representation and the organized bar. Drew attended UNC-Chapel Hill for undergraduate and University of Illinois School of Law.
Andria Winters
Senior Director of Business Services, CBRE
Andria Winters heads operations and new business development for a team of real estate consultants changing Chicago’s landscape and serving clients from startups to Fortune 100’s. Prior to joining CBRE, Andria helped spearhead the State of Illinois’ economic development efforts as Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Co-Founder/COO of Intersect Illinois. Before that, she worked at Motorola/Google/Lenovo as Policy Director and co-led the corporate foundation. Andria began her career serving in the U.S. Congress. She worked for Congressman Kirk for several years before running the field operation for his successful U.S. Senate bid, then returning to D.C. to serve as his policy advisor for technology, judicial, commerce, science, human rights, women’s health and other issues. In this role, she worked across the aisle on a variety of legislative initiatives. She currently serves on the board of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Meghan Woltman
Vice President of Government and Community Relations, Advocate Aurora Health
Meghan Woltman is the Vice President of Government and Community Relations for Advocate Aurora Health, which is among the top 10 largest integrated not-for-profit health systems in the nation and a leading employer in Chicago and the Midwest. She leads Advocate Aurora’s legislative and regulatory programs and represents the organization in local, state and federal government. Meghan works with hospital-based teams and clinical experts to build local partnerships with elected officials and community stakeholders to address critical health care challenges. Meghan also serves as Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce; serves on the Board of Chicago Women in Government Relations and is a member of the Illinois Government Affairs Group. Meghan earned her bachelor’s degree from St. Louis University in Communication and Marketing and completed her master’s degree at St. Louis University through a research fellowship focused on political rhetoric and journalism.
Marny Zimmer
Director of Policy, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
Marny Zimmer is the Director of Policy at the Cook County State's Attorney's Office where she oversees a team of policy advisors focused on criminal justice reform, Legislative Affairs, and the Grants and Programs Unit. Prior to heading the Policy Department, Marny was the Supervisor of the Gun Crimes Strategies Unit (GCSU), a newly created unit using an Intelligence Driven Prosecution Model to target the people and places involved in violence in Chicago's most crime ridden neighborhoods. Marny worked with the Department of Justice at the United States London Embassy assisting U.S. and U.K. law enforcement in obtaining evidence in order to advance investigations and researched evidence based policing strategies for the London Mayor's Office on Policing and Crime and the United Kingdom House of Lords. Marny began her prosecutorial career as an Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago focused on drug trafficking and gang cases. Marny earned a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2014, a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 2002, and a B.S. from the University of Notre Dame in 1994. She currently serves on the boards of Growing Home, Inc. and the National Public Radio Foundation.
