Program Overview

Each year, IMPACT selects a cohort of around 30 Black professionals between the ages of 30-45 years old who hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and have at least seven years of increasingly responsible professional experience. Moreover, successful candidates have a strong, demonstrated track record of civic leadership. Selection to IMPACT is competitive and requires submitting letters of recommendation and engaging in a formal interview process. Prospective fellows are assessed based on personal and professional accomplishments, leadership potential, and commitment to civic engagement.

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

The intensive, nine-month program begins in September and provides our Fellows with the broad knowledge base, keen insight, and sharpened perspective that will augment their effectiveness as leaders

Our Fellows

Since its launch in 2014, the IMPACT Leadership Development Program has assembled ten extraordinary cohorts, each consisting of some of the brightest, most talented Black professionals in Chicago. These high-achieving leaders have gravitated toward IMPACT because of the professional advancement and networking opportunities that the program affords them.

Our cohorts are exceptionally diverse in terms of professional experience, educational background, and personal interests. We strongly believe that this diversity of thought and experience is crucial to our Fellows’ learning and development, and we openly welcome the different viewpoints and perspectives that each of our Fellows brings to the table.

IMPACT Fellows share the Chicago Urban League’s vision of racial and economic equity for Black Chicago and are unified in their commitment to affecting positive change as their generation’s most influential leaders. Our hope is that this mutual commitment permeates the very fabric of our communities and inspires long-term social transformation.

Program Structure and Curriculum

Monthly modules form the “backbone” of the IMPACT Leadership Development Program. The Chicago Urban League, in partnership with University of Chicago Booth School of Business, invites prominent academics, subject matter experts, and industry leaders to impart their knowledge and insights on our Fellows over the course of a day-long session. Learning material is presented in a variety of ways – via lectures, panel discussions, and breakout group reflections, to name a few. Our Fellows grapple with ideas and challenge themselves and each other on an intellectual level, but more than that, they develop a practical understanding of how they are situated in present-day Chicago as emerging Black leaders. Please consult our Class of 2025 Program Schedule to learn more about our modules.

In addition to our monthly modules, which serve as the program’s classroom learning component, Fellows participate in supplementary events and activities each month. These program elements are designed to provide a robust platform for inter-generational exchange and professional networking.

IMPACT hosts a “Lessons in Leadership” speaker series, which features senior leaders from the Chicago area who share their stories of challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned in their careers.  These stories capture our Fellows’ imaginations and inspire them to pursue their passions.

View a list of past “Lessons in Leadership” speakers. 

By the end of the program, Fellows develop a leadership action plan that is geared toward guiding them through the next steps of their professional advancement and helping them map out strategies for effective community engagement. Our expectation is that Fellows integrate lessons from each program area into a dynamic leadership style that best suits them, their organizations, and their communities.

The efficacy of our curriculum is reflected in qualitative feedback from our Class of 2021. 100% of IMPACT Fellows increased their understanding of their leadership characteristics and styles and 92% become more confident in their leadership abilities.