Leadership Greater Chicago

Leadership Greater Chicago Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) creates lifelong partnerships and develops community awareness among leaders in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Leadership Greater Chicago is more than a network, it's a community of change agents. Through the 10-month LGC Fellows Program, Chicago's business, public and civic leaders have the opportunity to examine complex issues up close, using a series of retreats, seminars and community visits to bring our Fellows face-to-face with the people directly affected by the toughest issues that impact the regio

n. LGC removes any filters, providing an honest look at what is happening in our communities. Those who participate in the program never view the world in quite the same way again. Each month the Fellows focus on one challenge. Past topics have included:

• Community Awareness
• Global Chicago
• Education
• Race and Ethnic Relations
• Healthcare
• Housing
• Crime and Violence
• Philanthropy and Volunteerism

This experiential program gives Chicago's leaders the tools they need to emerge ready to help shape policies and build the future of the Chicago region.

⏳ The final session of our 2025–26 LGC Leadership Series | Meeting the Moment is just around the corner! Join us Wednesd...
04/22/2026

⏳ The final session of our 2025–26 LGC Leadership Series | Meeting the Moment is just around the corner! Join us Wednesday, May 13, from 8AM to 10AM for Power Unleashed: Civic Imagination and Collective Activation, in person at mHUB, 1623 W. Fulton St.

This session spotlights a leader who understands what it means to navigate division, inspire broad coalitions, and leverage networks and cross-sector collaboration to drive meaningful change and scale impact. This fireside chat features:

♦ Moderator Marty Nesbitt (LGC Fellow since 1994) - Founding Partner & Co-CEO, The Vistria Group
♦ Penny Pritzker - Founder & Chairman, PSP Partners

Register now: https://bit.ly/4sqfPQP

SESSION REGISTRATION DETAILS

Leadership Series is exclusively open to ALL Fellows and Leadership Series Sponsor Participants ONLY. Due to limited seating and high demand, we kindly ask that you register only if you are certain you can attend. Tickets for this event are exclusively for Fellows. (The LGC Signature Fellows Class of 2026 and Sponsor Participants are preregistered; no ticket required).

✨ Oh, what a night! Last Wednesday, more than 600 Fellows and friends gathered at The Geraghty to celebrate leadership, ...
04/22/2026

✨ Oh, what a night! Last Wednesday, more than 600 Fellows and friends gathered at The Geraghty to celebrate leadership, connection, and the collective impact of our network. From a powerful opening performance by Dr. Walt Whitman Jr. and the Soul Children of Chicago to inspiring stories and heartfelt remarks from our honorees, the evening was a true reflection of what it means to meet the moment through cross-sector civic leadership.

Congratulations to our incredible honorees — Jenner & Block, represented by Melissa Root and Wade Thomson; Darrel Hackett; Sylvia Puente; and the Greater Chicago Food Depository, represented by Kate Maehr. They embody what it means to meet the moment, and their collective work is shaping our region in transformational ways.

Regardless of whether you celebrated with us in person or were there in spirit, please enjoy our inspiring Celebrate Leaders honoree videos and photos:

🎥 https://bit.ly/4tza5Ws

📸 https://bit.ly/4tza5FW

Thank you to our Corporate Chair BCG and Michelle Sohlmeyer Russell, our dedicated sponsors, the LGC Executive Board and LFA Board, S. Mayumi “Umi Grigsby, Esq., PJH and each and every person who supported LGC by investing in the future of civic leadership in our region.

For more than 40 years, LGC has advanced our critical mission to cultivate a pipeline of cross-sector civic leaders –– passionate change agents ever-ready to step up to reimagine and create a better and stronger Greater Chicago Region.

If you want to contribute to this important work—there’s still time to make an impact. Make a gift today here: https://bit.ly/42mWRzT

Let’s continue to come together, build together, and lead together to propel Chicago forward.

We’re just ONE MONTH away from the final session of our 2025–26 LGC Leadership Series | Meeting the Moment! Join us Wedn...
04/15/2026

We’re just ONE MONTH away from the final session of our 2025–26 LGC Leadership Series | Meeting the Moment! Join us Wednesday, May 13, from 8AM to 10AM for Power Unleashed: Civic Imagination and Collective Activation, in person at mHUB, 1623 W. Fulton St.

This fireside chat will explore leading change at both the local and national levels, offering insights on collaboration, integrity, civic innovation, and how to activate to meet the moment. This intimate conversation will feature:

♦ Moderator Marty Nesbitt (LGC Fellow since 1994) - Founding Partner & Co-CEO, The Vistria Group
♦ Penny Pritzker - Founder & Chairman, PSP Partners

Register now: https://bit.ly/4sqfPQP

SESSION REGISTRATION DETAILS

Leadership Series is exclusively open to ALL Fellows and Leadership Series Sponsor Participants ONLY. Due to limited seating and high demand, we kindly ask that you register only if you are certain you can attend. Tickets for this event are exclusively for Fellows. (The LGC Signature Fellows Class of 2026 and Sponsor Participants are preregistered; no ticket required).

Crain's Chicago Business has announced its 2026 Notable Leaders in Health Care list, and we are thrilled to see six LGC ...
04/14/2026

Crain's Chicago Business has announced its 2026 Notable Leaders in Health Care list, and we are thrilled to see six LGC Fellows and two Daniel Burnham Fellows among those recognized. Together, these honorees illustrate how Chicago-area institutions are adapting, partnering and investing to improve outcomes for patients and communities.

Please join us in congratulating the following individuals for being named 2026 Crain's Notable Leaders in Health Care:

🔸 Pat Basu (Daniel Burnham Fellow) - Co-Founder & CEO, Lincoln Liberty Capital

🔹 Jay Bhatt (LGC Fellow since 2025) - Managing Director, Deloitte

🔹 Steven Collens (LGC Fellow since 2015) - CEO, Matter

🔹 Ngozi Ezike (LGC Fellow since 2011) - President & CEO, Sinai Chicago

🔹 Lee Francis (LGC Fellow since 2000) - President & CEO, Erie Family Health Centers

🔹 Derek Lindblom (LGC Fellow since 2016) - COO, CareBridge Health

🔹 Jamal Malone (LGC Fellow since 2018) - CEO, Ada S. McKinley Community Services

🔸 Rolla T. Sweis (Daniel Burnham Fellow) - President & CEO, La Rabida Children’s Hospital

View the full list here: https://bit.ly/4tGz09X

📢 Join us Wednesday, May 13 from 8AM to 10AM, for the finale of our 2025-26 LGC Leadership Series | Meeting the Moment i...
04/09/2026

📢 Join us Wednesday, May 13 from 8AM to 10AM, for the finale of our 2025-26 LGC Leadership Series | Meeting the Moment in person at mHUB, 1623 W. Fulton St.

This fireside chat will explore leading change at both the local and national levels, offering insights on collaboration, integrity, civic innovation, and how to activate to meet the moment.

This intimate conversation will feature:

♦ Moderator Marty Nesbitt (LGC Fellow since 1994) - Founding Partner & Co-CEO, The Vistria Group
♦ Penny Pritzker - Founder & Chairman, PSP Partners

Register now: https://bit.ly/4sqfPQP

SESSION REGISTRATION DETAILS

Leadership Series is exclusively open to ALL Fellows and Leadership Series Sponsor Participants ONLY. Due to limited seating and high demand, we kindly ask that you register only if you are certain you can attend. Tickets for this event are exclusively for Fellows. (The LGC Signature Fellows Class of 2026 and Sponsor Participants are preregistered, no ticket required).

04/08/2026

✨ LAST CHANCE to celebrate with Fellows and friends! Ticket sales will close at 5PM on Friday.

Reserve your spot now: https://bit.ly/46x6KgR

Celebrate Leaders is less than a month away!Join us on Wednesday, April 15, at 6:00 PM at The Geraghty, as we gather wit...
03/18/2026

Celebrate Leaders is less than a month away!

Join us on Wednesday, April 15, at 6:00 PM at The Geraghty, as we gather with Fellows and friends for a memorable evening honoring our shared commitment to strengthening the Greater Chicago Region.: https://bit.ly/3KtvfhE

We are proud to recognize our 2026 honorees:

✨ Distinguished Fellow Award – Darrel Hackett Hackett (LGC Fellow since 2007) CEO, BMO U.S.
✨ Corporate Civic Leadership Award – Jenner & Block ; accepted by Melissa Root (LGC Fellow since 2015 and Daniel Burnham Fellow), Managing Parter – Chicago, Jenner & Block, and Wade Thomson (LGC Fellow since 2017), Partner, Jenner & Block.
✨ Distinguished Service Award – Sylvia Puente (LGC Fellow since 1997), Former President & CEO, Latino Policy Forum
✨ Civic Catalyst Award – Greater Chicago Food Depository ; accepted by Kate Maehr (LGC Fellow since 2005), Executive Director & CEO, Greater Chicago Food Depository

Our annual event proudly honors exceptional Fellows and organizations as a testament to the power of our community to activate to meet the moment and propel Chicago forward.

Last week, LGC’s eight Cohorts of Daniel Burnham Fellows gathered at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry for an e...
03/13/2026

Last week, LGC’s eight Cohorts of Daniel Burnham Fellows gathered at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry for an exclusive opportunity to network, deepen connections, and explore this iconic Chicago cultural institution.

View photos from the event here: https://bit.ly/3P6gTeI

🔶 The Daniel Burnham Fellowship is an accelerated civic onboarding experience that brings together senior executive leaders and immerses them in the fabric of the city to quickly activate civic engagement and forge relationships that will impact Chicago’s workforce and the region’s economic progress. Since its launch, the fellowship has welcomed more than 200 influential leaders and resulted in collaborations to support communities and enhance the region’s economic resilience.

✨ Join us for Celebrate Leaders on Wednesday, April 15 at 6:00 PM at The Geraghty as we gather with Fellows and friends ...
03/11/2026

✨ Join us for Celebrate Leaders on Wednesday, April 15 at 6:00 PM at The Geraghty as we gather with Fellows and friends for a memorable evening honoring our shared commitment to strengthen the Greater Chicago Region: https://bit.ly/3KtvfhE

Our annual event proudly honors exceptional Fellows and organizations as a testament to the power of our community to activate to meet the moment and propel Chicago forward.

📢 Don’t miss the Leadership Series next week! Join us on Tuesday, March 17, from 8-10AM for Safe & Resilient Communities...
03/10/2026

📢 Don’t miss the Leadership Series next week! Join us on Tuesday, March 17, from 8-10AM for Safe & Resilient Communities: Cross-Sector Collaboration in Action, the fifth session of the 2025–26 LGC Leadership Series.

Hear firsthand from cross-sector leaders including:

• Moderator Matt DeMateo (LGC Fellow since 2021), CEO, New Life Centers
• Roseanna Ander, Founding Executive Director, UChicago Crime Lab & Education Lab
• Garien Gatewood (LGC Fellow since 2022), Deputy Mayor of Community Safety, City of Chicago
• Eric S. Smith (Daniel Burnham Fellow), Vice Chair, BMO Harris Bank

This in person session will be held at United Airlines Headquarters, 233 S. Wacker Dr. and is exclusively open to ALL Fellows and Leadership Series Sponsor Participants ONLY. Due to limited seating and high demand, we kindly ask that you register only if you are certain you can attend. Tickets for this event are exclusively for Fellows. (The LGC Signature Fellows Class of 2026 and sponsor participants are preregistered, no ticket required).

Register now: https://bit.ly/4aUFlYU

Through the LGC Fellows Network portal, Fellows are invited to host in-person small group gatherings that deepen connect...
03/07/2026

Through the LGC Fellows Network portal, Fellows are invited to host in-person small group gatherings that deepen connections and strengthen our community. These Fellow Convenings, led by Fellows, create space to discuss important issues, share insights and opportunities for collaboration, and explore common interests that help activate and propel Chicago forward.

This week, Jim Dower (LGC Fellow since 2014), hosted a Fellow Convening at the Cubs Executive Office: The Most Serious Conversation About Play You’ll Ever Have. Alongside fellow Class of 2014 classmates Jessica Droste Yagan, Michael McGrew, Brooke Skinner Ricketts, and Jesse Ruiz, the group engaged in an actionable conversation about harnessing the power of sports to help students activate and succeed in sports, school, and life.

A huge thank you to Jim for convening Fellows for this important discussion on sports-based youth development and its potential to strengthen our communities.

Interested in hosting the next gathering? Activate your Fellows Network profile, sign in, and submit your idea for a Fellow Convening today.

Address

Chicago, IL

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13125650300

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