Chicago Urban League Announces 2027 Class of IMPACT Leadership Development Program
37 Fellows bring expertise spanning quantum computing, AI governance, veterinary science, finance, medicine, education, law and civic leadership
CHICAGO, August 21, 2026 — Earlier this week, the Chicago Urban League announced the 2027 class of its IMPACT Leadership Development Program, welcoming 37 accomplished professionals whose work reaches across some of the most consequential institutions, industries and issues shaping Chicago.
The 13th IMPACT cohort represents 36 organizations across the corporate, nonprofit, philanthropic, government, education and entrepreneurial sectors. Only one organization is represented by more than one Fellow, giving this year’s class an especially broad range of institutional perspectives.
The Chicago Urban League also extends its deep appreciation to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust for their continued investment in and sponsorship of IMPACT. Their longstanding support has helped sustain a leadership development platform that brings accomplished professionals across sectors into deeper relationship with Chicago, with one another and with the responsibility of leading the city forward.
The Fellows are already leading work in fields as varied as renter protections, city budgeting, banking and investment, quantum computing, artificial intelligence governance, education philanthropy, medicine, animal welfare, workforce development, law, aviation, design and higher education.
“Every IMPACT class offers a glimpse into where leadership is happening across Chicago, and this class reminds us that leadership is not concentrated in any single sector or institution,” said Karen Freeman-Wilson, President and CEO of the Chicago Urban League. “These 37 Fellows are already influencing how people learn, work, invest, build, govern and access opportunity. We are excited to bring them together, deepen their leadership capacity and connect them to a network that will amplify what they can accomplish for their organizations and for Chicago.”
Other Fellows work directly inside systems central to life in Chicago, including renter protections, municipal budgeting, state government, workforce development, K through 12 education, higher education, banking, philanthropy and medicine.
“What excites me about this class is the range of problems they are close enough to actually solve,” said Kafi Moragne-Patterson, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Leadership Programming and Philanthropy and Executive Director of IMPACT. “We have Fellows working on renter protections and public budgets, quantum computing and responsible technology, animal welfare and medicine, banking and workforce development. These are people who would not ordinarily spend nine months learning alongside one another, and that is precisely the point. IMPACT is at its best when expertise that rarely occupies the same room gets to challenge, inform and sharpen one another. I cannot wait to see what these 37 leaders build together.”
Education continues to be a significant thread within IMPACT, with Fellows working across elementary and secondary education, university administration, medical education, college access and completion, and education philanthropy. The cohort also includes a strong group of entrepreneurs, founders, owners, principals and managing partners whose work spans design, law, strategy, investment and community development.
Among them is Jasmine Knowles, Director of The 1954 Project at The CAFE Group, an initiative that makes significant unrestricted investments in nonprofit education leaders. The class also includes leaders from JPMorganChase, BMO, Wintrust Bank, United Airlines, Salesforce, the MacArthur Foundation, Chicago Public Schools, the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Chicago State University, the University of Illinois System and multiple City and State of Illinois agencies.
Since its launch in 2014, IMPACT has developed a network of 500 leaders working throughout Chicago’s corporate, civic and nonprofit landscape. The nine-month leadership development experience combines intensive learning, executive mentorship, leadership assessment, civic engagement and relationship building designed to strengthen how Fellows lead both within their institutions and across Chicago.
The 2027 IMPACT Fellows are:
Adam Smith, Assistant Director of Admissions, University of Chicago, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice
Amber O’Donoghue, Vice President, Strategy, JPMorganChase
Andrew Berdin, Director, BMO
Brian James, Program Director, Renter Protections, City of Chicago, Department of Housing
Camille Richardson, Senior Director, People and Operations, City Year Inc.
Cynthia Johnson, Deputy Director, Illinois Office of Communication and Information, Illinois Department of Central Management Services
Danielle Berry, EdD, Assistant Principal, Murray Language Academy, Chicago Public Schools
Danielle Wallace, Executive Director, Kingdom Avenue Inc.
Dennis Barrett, Director of Policy and Intergovernmental Affairs, City of Chicago Office of Budget and Management
Ebone White, Senior Assistant Director, Project Delivery, System Office of Capital, Utilities & Real Estate, University of Illinois System
Erica Frazier, Vice President, Relationship Manager, BMO
Erica Normand, Branch Manager, Wintrust Bank
Fredrick “TJ” Joshua, Principal Attorney, Joshua Law Group
Jaclyn Jackson, Chief Administrative Officer, National Equity Fund
Jasmine Knowles, Director, The 1954 Project, The CAFE Group
Jason Carter, Vice President of Legal Affairs, Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel, Chicago State University
Jennifer Ollie, Executive Director, America Needs You
JoeAnna Hargrove, DVM, Shelter Veterinarian, Anti Cruelty Society
Juatise Gathings, Managing Partner, Just Act Partners
Justeen Robinson, Program Officer, Workforce Development, Steans Family Foundation
Kia A. Sutton, PharmD, Vice President, Business Development, Infrastructure Engineering Inc.
Kia Benion, Senior Manager, Engagement Delivery, Salesforce
Lauryn Scott, Director, Operations and Strategic Initiatives, University of Illinois System
Leah N. Fulton, PhD, Vice President, Programs, Chicago Scholars
Leah Y. Castleberry, Program Officer, Technology in the Public Interest, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Maurice “Mo” Green IV, Head of Market Development, Government, and Community Affairs, PsiQuantum
Myles Brady Davis, Director of Communications, Equality Illinois
Nathan Miller, Founder and Steward, TABLES Project LLC
Nikisha Ramsey, Director, Early Careers and Talent Partnerships, United Airlines
Patricia Jjemba, Esq., General Counsel, Illinois Prisoner Review Board
Paviella Foster, EdD, Senior Vice President, Prevention and Empowerment, UCAN
Peter Bamikole, MD, Assistant Professor, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Shavon Francis, Founder and Principal Designer, Fleurish Chicago
Tiffany Newbern Johnson, Principal and Owner, TNJ Strategies, LLC
Toney Howell, Assistant Head of School, The Ancona School
Xavier Mann, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives, One Million Degrees
Zachary Addy, Managing Partner, Clover Ventures
About the IMPACT Leadership Development Program
Founded in 2014, the Chicago Urban League’s IMPACT Leadership Development Program prepares accomplished mid to senior career professionals to expand their leadership capacity, deepen their understanding of Chicago and strengthen the relationships necessary to lead across sectors. Fellows participate in an intensive nine-month experience that includes executive mentorship, executive leadership development with elite academic institutions, a civic action capstone, and opportunities to build lasting relationships with leaders throughout Chicago.
