With over 30 years of leadership experience, Alice reflects on her journey as a learner in the Leadership and Society Initiative (LSI) fellowship and the insights shaping her continued impact.
Alice Davison spent over three decades at Capital Group, where she built and led global talent initiatives that shaped the firm’s investment leadership and culture. A champion of talent development and diversity, she continues to make a difference through board service, mentorship, and advocacy for future leaders. Through the LSI fellowship, Alice has embraced the opportunity to be a learner again—engaging in thought-provoking discussions, immersive experiences, and a transformative travel study.
It was an honor to speak with Alice as she shared insights from her experience in the 2024-2025 LSI cohort so far.
Alice: After retiring from Capital in the summer of 2023, I committed to exploring new ways of learning. I knew I didn’t need or want another degree, which led me to seek out learning communities that weren’t necessarily degree-focused. Initially, I was uncertain about applying to LSI. However, as I went through the application process, my interest grew, and by the time I submitted my application, I found myself truly hoping to be accepted. I knew I wanted to be part of this experience.
Alice: The experience feels like learning in an entirely new dimension. One of the biggest highlights for me has been the intellectual community. What makes it especially compelling is not just the opportunity to learn and live in this vibrant community, but also the university’s deep connections with the city of Chicago and Hyde Park.
The intellectual environment is both remarkable and very tangible. LSI excels at leveraging the university’s vast resources. Our access to diverse perspectives from different disciplines, faculty members, and teachers – it truly enriches the way we think and learn. Our audit classes can provide opportunities for intergenerational learning, which I have found very meaningful.
Alice: Our LSI cohort is incredible. The diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and insights has been truly enriching. Bringing together a group like this feels like a work of art and in my opinion it’s a masterpiece!
I also deeply value the opportunity to be a beginner again. There’s something powerful about stepping into an environment where I can turn the page and start fresh. On day one, everyone brings their unique experiences and professional accomplishments, yet we all share the challenge of embracing newness and leaving egos behind. It’s a rare opportunity to reconnect with what it feels like to be a true beginner, something many of us in LSI haven’t experienced in a long time. That has been a gift.
Alice: After a long career, being a beginner again has been an eye-opening experience, it’s been fascinating to lead with curiosity, open-mindedness, and a willingness to ask for help, along with the acceptance that sometimes things won’t work out as planned.
On a practical level, it took me nine weeks to figure out how to get from class to class! It’s okay not to have all the answers right away. It’s a shift in mindset, and I’ve found embracing that process incredibly valuable.
Alice: A former colleague of mine used to say, “It’s simple, but not easy,” and that resonates with me. Understanding yourself is crucial, yet we often take it for granted. It’s fascinating and valuable to have the space to reflect on your values, interests, how you show up for others, and how you learn. Sometimes, we overlook this self-reflection, but over the course of my time in LSI, I’ve had the opportunity to deepen and expand that understanding – that’s been a real “Aha!” moment for me.
I’m reminded that we have more in common with other people than we think and it’s never too late to build meaningful connections. Additionally, I’ve come to realize the importance of making and maintaining our deep connections with others. We often go through life thinking we have our core group of people established. Whether from college, our first job, or a recent role, but it’s been an “Aha” to recognize that you can meet and build meaningful relationships with truly interesting people in unexpected places and ways. The reciprocal joy that comes from doing so is a real gift.
Alice: I’m in awe of my 21 incredible colleagues. I learn alongside people who have taught others, led organizations, saved lives in hospitals, tackled some of society’s most intractable problems, flown military operations, worked on farms, and much more. Their diverse backgrounds and perspectives enrich our class discussions and often allow for real world examples to complement our instruction. The professors, both in our core classes and audits, have been equally amazing, offering not just knowledge within their disciplines but making themselves available outside of class which has been a huge benefit.
This deep, cross-disciplinary learning was an important component of our Spring Immersion Week spent in Paris. We heard from economists, demographers and social scientists in ways that really let me see the challenges and nuances of longevity in new ways that opened up an entirely new set of possible solutions.
Alice: The focus of my purpose plan was a surprise to me. I didn’t come in with a concrete idea or a specific goal. I had a few threads from my past experiences, both professional and non-profit, that felt worth exploring. LSI gave me the space and structure to be open to something new. I had the time, the resources, and most importantly, the support to really lean into that exploration.
So, as I started pulling on those threads, I discovered what seemed like it could be an altogether new area of interest: the role social connections play in healthy aging. It’s fascinating and important and I’m excited to pursue the topic more deeply. The demographics are compelling and there are real benefits to health to improving connectedness and mitigating loneliness.
In my remaining time here I want to focus on better understanding existing interventions and to connect with related non-profits to explore board roles.
Alice: I see real potential to partner with others, build something meaningful, and bring a fresh perspective to work I’ve already been doing, particularly in the nonprofit world. One of the things I’ve appreciated most about LSI is the way it frames purpose. It’s not just about individual goals, it’s about who we are, the role we want to play in the world, and the people and environments that shape that journey.
As I leave, I’m carrying forward two areas of focus: pursuing novel interventions around social connection and healthy aging and growing my impact in that area through board involvement. I feel fortunate to be leaving with a strong network of support, resources, and connections from the program, and from its place within the broader university, that will help me move confidently in those directions.
Alice:
1. One of the most powerful things about LSI is the invitation to step outside your comfort zone. And that can be transformative.
2. The talent in the program is truly incredible. It’s a reminder of just how much potential exists within our demographic. There’s something uniquely powerful about aligning that potential with the significant needs in the world.
3.What I’d encourage most is: let yourself begin again. That’s a core part of the experience here, and it’s something we often forget we’re allowed to do. LSI gives you the space and the encouragement to do just that.
4. Let yourself be surprised. You get to a certain stage in life and think, “Nothing really surprises me anymore.” But this program will. It’s full of moments that are joyful, meaningful, challenging, and fun. Be open to that.
It’s hard work, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. And I truly believe it prepares us to step into our next chapters with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Alice: One of the things LSI does well is build real partnerships. I’ve found the academic faculty across the university to be remarkably accessible, deeply knowledgeable, and genuinely fun to learn with. I’ve read Aristotle, and learned about the Blues, my brain, hedonic adaptation and the concept of sociological milieus. Each experience has added depth and richness to my time here.
And I want to thank my partner, Howard, who embraced this adventure even before I did. He was the one saying, “Do it, do it, do it.” I’m immensely grateful that we’ve been able to spend this year here together.
The University of Chicago Leadership and Society Initiative supports accomplished leaders in successfully transitioning from their longstanding careers toward purposeful next chapters. LSI Fellows immerse themselves in UChicago’s unparalleled environment of big ideas and multigenerational dialogue, gaining frameworks for learning from their past and planning for their futures.
Through LSI’s rigorous and customizable curriculum, Fellows engage with eminent faculty and expert practitioners to explore how their next chapter can be meaningful for them and for society. This fellowship is a commitment to personal growth, enduring wellness, and dynamic engagement with pressing societal issues.
Contact us to learn more about LSI.
The Leadership and Society Initiative welcomes two new team members, Michelle Argento and Kelly Morgan, who will strengthen recruitment and program operations as the Initiative continues to grow and expand opportunities for leaders pursuing purpose-driven next chapters.
For Bob Oros, an experienced CEO and thought leader in the financial services industry, becoming an LSI Fellow meant entering a new life chapter with a sense of discovery instead of an ironclad plan.
Accomplished Leaders Share Insights through Designing New Courses.