Social Impact and Business

Sara Chamberlain, Managing Director at Energy Foundry, has more than 15 years of focused experience in the energy and environment sector, with a core focus on helping energy startups develop commercialization strategies. She currently leads Energy Foundry’s investment activity and maintains an active role with each of the firm’s portfolio companies. Prior to joining Energy Foundry, Sara co-managed the government advisory practice for clean technology startups at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, and held roles with GE Energy and with GaiaTech.

Todd Connor, '07, is the founder of Bunker Labs, a national entrepreneurship organization dedicated to helping the military-connected community start and grow businesses with chapters in over 40 chapters across the United States. He is the founder of The Collective Academy, a leadership development consulting firm, as well as Emerson House, a luxe retreat venue in La Porte, Indiana. He is currently CEO of Veterans for Political Innovation, an organization he co-founded to fight political polarization and advocate for more political competition and choice for voters. Todd also serves as the lead facilitator for the President George W. Bush Veteran Leadership Program in Dallas, Texas.

Derek Douglas is the President of the Civic Committee and the Commercial Club of Chicago. As President, Douglas works with the most senior executives from the business, education, cultural, philanthropic and nonprofit sectors to address the key issues facing the Chicago region, in an effort to make our region a better place for everyone to live, work and do business. Douglas served as Vice President for Civic Engagement and External Affairs with the University of Chicago where he led the University’s efforts with respect to civic engagement, corporate partnerships, and urban development. From 2009 through 2012, Douglas served on the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) as Special Assistant to President Barack Obama for Urban Affairs, where he led the White House’s work on urban and metropolitan policy issues. Prior to his White House service, Douglas worked as Washington Counsel to New York Governor David A. Paterson and Director of New York State’s Washington, D.C. Office.

David Ellis is cofounder and CEO of portfolio businesses at Flow Equity, a US-based venture development business focused on the rural poultry sector in sub-Saharan Africa. Its flagship enterprise, EthioChicken, is the market leader in Ethiopia, and Flow Equity is replicating that model in Rwanda and Uganda.

Prior to joining DNS Capital as phunhousian in chief, Sonny Garg spent 25 years as a senior executive in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. He led the energy division at Uptake Technologies, was a member of the executive committee at Exelon Corporation, and worked in the administrations of Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley and US president Bill Clinton. Garg serves on the boards of the Invisible Institute and the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago.

Brittany Henry, '17, is on the investments team at Impact America Fund, a venture capital firm investing in tech-driven businesses that provide economic opportunities to communities of color in the US. Brittany focuses on investing in fintech solutions such as personal finance tools as well as technology to support the growth of small to medium businesses. Prior to joining IAF, she worked as a management consultant in the strategy practice at KPMG, focusing on mergers and acquisitions for large corporate clients, and on financial process improvement for clients at Accenture.

Dorri McWhorter is president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. Most recently, McWhorter was CEO of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, leading the 140-year-old social service agency's expansion of digital services and helped develop an exchange-traded fund (ETF) for women’s empowerment. A winner of innovation awards and a 20-year veteran in large-scale change management consulting, McWhorter was a partner at Crowe Horwath LLP and a senior leader at Snap-on Incorporated and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Liz Michaels is co-head of Aperio (part of BlackRock), where she also led Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts. Before that, Michaels led the $11 billion defined contribution managed accounts business at Ibbotson Associates, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. Previously, she was Chief Operating Officer of Morningstar, president of Jellyvision, Inc., an interactive firm known for its game You Don't Know Jack™, and associate dean/director of the Career Advising and Planning Services office at the University of Chicago.

Priya Parrish is adjunct assistant professor of strategy at Chicago Booth and managing partner at Impact Engine, a venture capital and private equity firm investing in companies driving impact in economic empowerment, education, environmental sustainability, and health. She advises investment firms and asset owners developing and managing impact investment strategies and previously was chief investment officer at Schwartz Capital Group and a senior investor at Aurora Investment Management.

Julia Stasch is the immediate past president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, one of the nation’s largest philanthropies. She is board chair of Lever for Change, a distinguished nonresident senior fellow in the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, a founder of the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities philanthropic collaborative, and a board member of P33, which aims to drive inclusive, global tech and innovation leadership in Chicagoland.