Dixie Adams
LSI Fellow ’26. Former Managing Partner, IBM Consulting Americas
November 2 – 4, 2025
Next Chapter Seminar:
Self, Society & Purpose
An immersive retreat for accomplished leaders exploring purpose, identity, and impact beyond their primary career.
Request Invitation
FAST FACTS
Dates: Nov. 2 – 4, 2025
Location: UChicago Hyde Park Campus
Fee: $4,750
Size: 30-40 participants
The Next Chapter Seminar: Reflecting on Self, Society & Purpose is an immersive two-and-a-half-day retreat for distinguished leaders who are preparing for—or actively navigating—their next chapter of purpose-driven impact. Hosted as a glimpse into the University of Chicago Leadership & Society Initiative, this intimate gathering offers the rare opportunity to step back and reflect on one’s life and what’s next alongside world-class faculty, leading thinkers, and a peer community of accomplished leaders. Through curated seminars, expert panels, and facilitated dialogue, participants will explore timeless frameworks for understanding self and society while exploring how to thrive in life’s second half.
Those invited to participate will be able to enroll a spouse or guest to share in the experience together. The program fee applies for each participant.
Speaker Highlights
David Brooks
Columnist, New York Times, and Senior Advisor, UChicago Leadership & Society Initiative
Matthew Brooks
Founder, Second Echelon Capital; LSI Fellow ’25; Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel
Geoffrey Curtis
LSI Fellow ’24. Former Executive Vice President, Co-founder, Future Voices Collective, Author
Ayelet Fishbach
Eric J. Gleacher Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing, Booth School of Business
Seth Green
Dean, Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies
Anil Kashyap
Stevens Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and Finance
Walter E. Massey
Board Chair, Giant Magellan Telescope Organization & Former Chairman, Bank of America
Carolyn Ou
LSI Founding Instructor & Executive Coach
Diana Petty
Executive Director, Leadership & Society Initiative
Kenneth Polonsky
Richard T. Crane Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine
Jon Powell
LSI Executive Coach
Emily Rogalski
Rosalind Franklin PhD Professor of Neurology
Professor of Neuroscience Institute
Committee on Neurobiology
Elisa Spain
LSI Founding Instructor & Executive Coach
Barbara Stewart
Former Chief Executive Officer, AmeriCorps
Rishad Tobaccowala
Senior Advisor, Publicis Group
Linda Waite
George Herbert Mead Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Sociology
Rebecca Willett
Worah Family Professor in the Wallman Society of Fellows, Computer Science, Statistics, and the College
David Wray
Associate Professor in the Department of Classics, the Department of Comparative Literature, and the College
Reflect and Reimagine a Purposeful Next Chapter
Personal Reflection Through the Liberal Arts
Drawing on ancient and modern thinkers—from Aristotle to Confucius, Stoic philosophers to contemporary psychologists—you’ll prepare for your next adventure in life by reflecting on your past work and core values.
The Search for Purpose and Generativity
Through discerning the intersection of where your strengths meet your purpose, you’ll be better equipped to pursue full next chapters in which you make ongoing contributions to society.
Future planning in a rapidly changing world
Engage with a curriculum that cuts across academic disciplines and methodologies and provides a grounding in the latest research on society’s most pressing challenges and promising solutions.
Connection and Community
Throughout the seminar, you’ll be surrounded by a curated cohort of peers—leaders who, like you, are ready to reflect deeply, engage openly, and are committed to harnessing their experiences toward building a better world.
Who It’s For
This seminar is designed for accomplished professionals—executives, mission-driven founders, and civic leaders—who are:
- Seeking a reflective, intellectually stimulating environment for deep inquiry
- Curious about their evolving identity, values, and contributions to society
- Ready to learn, connect, and be challenged in new ways
- Transitioning out of a primary career or actively planning what’s next
What’s Included
- All sessions and materials for the full two-and-a-half-day seminar with content curated specifically for leaders like you.
- Networking and discussion opportunities to spark connections with leading thought leaders and accomplished professionals in a variety of sectors.
- All meals and receptions beginning with lunch on day 1 and concluding with lunch on day 3.
- Dedicated staff support to guide your experience before, during, and after the seminar.
Travel and lodging are the participants’ responsibility.
A Glimpse into the Leadership and Society Initiative
The Next Chapter Seminar is part of the Leadership and Society Initiative (LSI) at the University of Chicago. LSI supports accomplished leaders in discerning purposeful next chapters, for themselves and society, through a yearlong fellowship in University of Chicago’s distinct environment of open inquiry and field-defining research. For those seeking further engagement, this seminar serves as a preview to a deeper community of inquiry and impact.
Learn more about the Leadership and Society Initiative Fellowship.
Your Hosts
Barbara Stewart and Peter Bowe have served as advisors to the Leadership & Society Initiative since its inception and are proud to serve as co-hosts of the Next Chapter Seminar. Drawing on their leadership experience—including their extensive involvement with the Chief Executives Organization and YPO Gold—they have helped shape this convening into a world-class experience for accomplished executives preparing for purposeful next chapters.
Retired CEO,
Ellicott Dredges
Former CEO, AmeriCorps
the University of Chicago
University of Chicago is an institution with global reach that pushes forward at the frontiers of human inquiry, affiliated with 101 Nobel Prize winners and with scholars who regularly generate transformative research in an enormous variety of disciplines.
Since its founding, UChicago has been staunchly committed to free expression, fostering original thinking in an environment of intellectual freedom, open dialogue, and mutual respect.
Lodging & Transportation
Airport Information
Midway (MDW) and O’Hare (ORD) airports provide two options for travelers visiting Chicago. Midway (MDW) is in closer proximity to the Hyde Park campus. Both airports offer rental cars, public transportation, and taxi/ride share services for your transportation to campus.
Parking Information
Free street parking is an option in both the blocks around the Rubenstein Forum and along the Midway. There is a paid garage behind the Forum at 6021 S. Kimbark Avenue. There is a free parking lot several blocks east at the corner of E. 60th Street and S. Stony Island. There are University-operated lots across campus with paid visitor parking.
Lodging Information
For overnight lodging, we recommend the Study Hotel which is conveniently located at 1227 E 60th Street. If you are accepted and register for the Next Chapter Seminar, we will send on a link to reserve the hotel at a special Leadership & Society Initiative rate.
