The Fellows who make up the University of Chicago Leadership and Society Initiative form one of the world’s most accomplished cohorts. But what truly distinguishes the Fellows is their commitment to harnessing their experiences toward building a better world.  

LSI Fellows are brought together by their shared history of successful leadership and determination to accomplish even more. Fellows form bonds that help to sustain, motivate, and guide them throughout their career encores. They become better acquainted with one another, the campus, and the city through community activities like lunches, campus events, and joining the Quadrangle Club, the historic membership club for faculty, staff, and community members. 

We are thrilled to welcome our 2026-2027 cohort. Over the past year, hundreds of leaders from a diverse array of sectors submitted candidacies for our LSI Imagine and Design Pathways. The selected Fellows are joining a vibrant and expanding community of changemakers who are redefining what it means to lead with purpose and to create meaningful next chapters for themselves and for society.

Meet our 2026-2027 Design Pathway Fellows

Tim Brown

Co-Founder and CEO, Tradewater
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John Carroll

C-Suite Risk Executive and Chief Risk Officer
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Lynne J. Davison

President, Lynne J. Davison LLC; Former Executive Director, 2020 MicroClinic Initiative
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Scott Ehrsam

Former Global Director, Caterpillar Inc.
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Lance Fortnow

Former Founding Dean, College of Computing, Illinois Institute of Technology
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David Heinke

Former Director, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC
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Sundus Kubba

Former Chief of Staff, OneMain Financial
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Ivania Larson

Former Vice President, Kyndryl
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John McManus

Vice Chairman at Cushman & Wakefield
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John Pintozzi

Former SVP & Controller, Allstate
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Sally Pofcher

Former CEO, Shutterfly Inc.
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Sylvia Puente

Former President and CEO, Latino Policy Forum
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Srinath Reddy

Marketing and Strategy Executive
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Szymon Rosenblatt

Former Chairman of Neurological Surgery, Ascension Health; Former Medical Director of the Alexian Brothers Neurosciences Institute
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Katherine Scherer

Managing Partner, Deloitte LLP
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Stephen E. Sellick

Founder and Board Chair, Gnarus Advisors
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Joel Telpner

Former Chief Legal Officer & Chief Policy Officer; Special Counsel and Head of Fintech & Blockchain, Sullivan & Worcester
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Donna Wesley

Chief Financial Officer, Washington Education Association
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Marie C. Winters

Former Senior Vice President, Northern Trust Asset Management
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Meet our 2026 Imagine Pathway Fellows

Folasade Adefisayo

Principal Consultant/CEO, Leading Learning Limited. Former Lagos State Commissioner for Education
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Jorge Blanco

Former Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer, Altus Group
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Penny Brown Rappin

Board Member & Civic Leader
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Vilicia Cade

President, Sankofa Solutions of Love, Inc.
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J. Lyell Clarke

Chairman, The Clarke Group
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Julie Decker

Director/CEO, The Anchorage Museum
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Robert Diaz

Executive Vice President & General Counsel, National CORE
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John Edelman

Managing Director, Global Citizenship and Corporate Responsibility, Edelman
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Silverio Zebral Filho

Head of Academic & Research Affairs, OAS School of Governance
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Patti Fischer

VP, Client Executive, Optum
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Kim Foxx

Former State’s Attorney, Cook County
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Blair Gifford

Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado Denver
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Carole Gins

Former Senior Vice President, GP Strategies Corporation
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Tom Godbold

Executive Vice-President and General Counsel, Twin Eagle Resource Management
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Matt Gresge

Executive Chairman of the Board, The Propelis Group
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Trish Gyorey

Operating Partner – Operational Excellence, H.I.G. Capital
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Jeff Haggray

Executive Director, American Baptist Home Mission Societies
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Brian Hainline

Neurologist, Author, and Public Health Advocate
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Charlie Huebner

Managing Partner, RCP Advisors
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Akbar Hussain

Co-founder and Chief Legal & Compliance Officer, Terrapay
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Kate Isler

CEO and CoFounder, WMarketplace
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Paul Jowell

Professor Emeritus of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center
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Akash Khurana

EVP, Chief Information Officer & Chief Digital Officer, Wesco Distribution
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Gregg Logan

Managing Director, RCLCO
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Michael Lurie

LSI Fellow ’26. Managing Director, Brand Strategy, Constellation Brands
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Kim Schneider Malek

Founder/President, Family Enterprise Alliance
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James W McCament

Chief Digital Transformation Officer, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (СВР)
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Krista McIntyre

Partner, Environmental Land Use & Natural Resources, Stoel Rives, LLP
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Lauren Norwood

Principal/Principal Mentor, Chicago Public Schools
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Carl Rapp

President – Power Systems Group, The Timken Company
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Reggie Simmons

Principal, Hamilton Southeastern High School
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Scott Y. Stuart

Chief Executive Officer, INSOL International
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Jennifer Tescher

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Financial Health Network
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Howard Tomb

Corporate Communications Advisor & Author
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Kelly Tomblin

President & Chief Executive Officer, El Paso Electric Company
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Kevin Tubbs

Retired Vice President, Chief Ethics, Compliance and Sustainability Officer at Oshkosh Corporation
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Meet our 2026-2027 Activate Fellows

The Leadership & Society Initiative (LSI) Activate Pathway is designed to support LSI alumni in continuing to strengthen their Purpose Plans and activate their next chapters for a second year after completing the LSI Fellowship. The Activate Fellowship offers deepened focus and further engagement with University resources as Fellows bring their visions for future leadership from concept to reality.

Headshot of Fellow Alice Davison

Alice Davison

LSI Fellow ’25. Non-profit Board Member and Leader; Former Senior Vice President and Director, Capital Group
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Robert Diaz

Executive Vice President & General Counsel, National CORE
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Buffy Higgins-Beard

Former CEO, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award USA
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Gil Latz

Professor and Board Director, Waseda University; Leadership Fellow, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
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LSI Invites Candidacies for our 2027-2028 Cohort

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