The Chicago Urban League Announces 2021 Fellows for its IMPACT Leadership Development Program
Photo Caption: The University of Chicago Booth School of Business Gleacher Center where the Fellows primarily meet.
The Chicago Urban League has selected 38 emerging leaders for the 2021 cohort of its IMPACT Leadership Development Program, an intensive, nine-month program that helps African-American professionals advance in their careers while building a more diverse pipeline of leaders across Chicago.
The cohort, which includes talented individuals from the corporate, government and nonprofit sectors, is the program’s seventh since IMPACT began in 2014. Fellows are nominated by their employers and are selected through a competitive application process. More than 100 organizations in the Chicagoland area have sponsored IMPACT Fellows.
“As in year’s past, we had far more qualified applicants for the program than the number of spots available. That made for an incredibly competitive process, even amid uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Karen Freeman-Wilson, President and CEO of the Chicago Urban League. “We believe this underscores the strength of the IMPACT program as well as the strong pipeline of emerging Black leaders who are eager to contribute to shaping the future of our city. We’re looking forward to an exciting program year.”
In partnership with the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, one of the world’s leading business schools, the League invites prominent academics, subject matter experts, and industry leaders to share their knowledge and insights with Fellows through day-long classroom experiences and supplemental sessions. IMPACT Fellows will also receive leadership assessments and mentoring. This past year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IMPACT shifted its efforts to a fully virtual experience.
“This year, we welcome 38 new Fellows into IMPACT. Each new cohort of individual achievers develops into a dynamic, connected group of African-American leaders,” said Mavis Laing, Vice President and Executive Director of IMPACT. “We are appreciative of the continued support from our academic, business and civic partners who help to make IMPACT one of the most sought-after leadership development programs in Chicago.”
Other program partners include the Field Foundation of Illinois, the Chicago Community Trust, and the MacArthur Foundation.
Sessions for the 2021 IMPACT class will begin in September. Applications for the 2022 class will be available in March 2021. For more information visit the IMPACT program page on our website.
The 2021 IMPACT Fellows are:
| Olusola “Shala” Akintunde | Chief Creative Officer, The Movement Worldwide, Inc. |
| Kristopher Anderson | Director of Government & External Affairs, Chicago Association of REALTORS |
| Oluwaseyi Arokoyo | Director of Supplier Operations, Ulta Beauty |
| Christina Boisseau | Associate Professor, Northwestern University |
| Khara Bolton | Resource Development Manager, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois |
| Maya-Camille Broussard | Owner + Creative Director, Justice of the Pies |
| Charles Calloway | Associate, Chapman and Cutler LLP |
| Lincoln Chandler | President, Chandler Decision Services |
| Azurii Collier | Management Consultant Manager, Accenture |
| Tiffany Davis | Department Chairperson, Chicago State University |
| Raven DeVaughn | Director, Community Development Initiatives, University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagment |
| Kristen Evans | Accounts Director/Director of Insights & Strategy, RLM Media |
| Shawn Evelyn | Priest, St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church |
| Carlton Gordon Jr. | Regional Managing Director, Catalyte |
| Annette Guzman | Budget Director, Cook County |
| Danisha Hall | Director, Corporate Communications, Peoples Gas |
| Aaron Harris | First Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff For Legislative Affairs, Illinois Office of the governor- JB Pritizker |
| Tytannie Harris | Owner/CEO, TMH Behavioral Services P.C. |
| Antoine Jennings | Global ISV Manager, Salesforce |
| Chardai Johnson | Assistant Vice President, Commercial Banking, BMO Harris Bank |
| Tenisha Jones | Senior Director of Strategy and Operations, West Side United |
| Jamie Jones Ezefili | Vice President, Senior Project Manager, The Northern Trust Company |
| Rodney Jordan | Senior Director, Strategic Planning & Operations, Global Communications, McDonald’s |
| Erica King | President, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives Micro Finance Group |
| Brittany Lanier | Senior Marketing Manager-Innovations, Molson Coors |
| Renee McIntosh | Senior Credit Product Manager-Vice President, BMO Harris Bank |
| Jasmine Neal | Lead Program Specialist (Team Lead), United States Department of Agriculture- Food and Nutrition Services |
| Danielle O’Neal | Associate, Kirkland & Ellis |
| Stacey Pitts Caldwell | Center Director, IL Small Business Development Center | Director, Small BusinessWorld Business Chicago |
| Brian Riddick | Principal, Butler College Prep, The Noble Network |
| Christopher Rudd | Instructor and Community Design Lead, IIT- Institute of Design |
| Joseph Rutherford | Solutions Architect, UltraCommerce |
| Ida Samuel-Clay | Clinical Program Supervisor, Metropolitan Family Services |
| Jasmin Searcy | Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Near North Health Service Corporation |
| Ulric Shannon | Director of Partner Engagement, Academy for Urban School Leadership |
| Sean G. Veal | Information Security Specialist, Cook County Government |
| Erin Washington | Network Operations Manager, Chicago Public Schools |
| Dinai Yelverton | Founder and Lead Event Planner, unDINAIable Events |
