Urban League Welcomes 47 New Fellows to its IMPACT Leadership Development Program

The Chicago Urban League (Chicago, IL) has chosen 47 of the city’s emerging leaders for the 2025 class of its IMPACT Leadership Development Program The intensive nine-month program works with the University of Chicago Booth School of Business to provide Black professionals with the tools and skills needed to take on greater leadership roles in their workplaces and within Chicago’s civic community.

Since its inception in 2014, IMPACT has drawn fellows from across corporate, government and nonprofit sectors. The Class of 2025 boasts a record number of individuals working with diverse populations across the field of education, in addition to a growing representation of entrepreneurs and founding executive directors. IMPACT applicants are nominated by their employer, and Fellows are selected through a rigorous application process.

“IMPACT was created 11 years ago to address what was then a shortage of leadership development opportunities for Black professionals, and each year the application process has grown more competitive,” said Karen Freeman-Wilson, President and CEO of the Chicago Urban League. “We are excited to welcome this new group of Fellows who have already made impressive progress in their careers and are poised to make even greater professional and civic contributions to Chicago.”

The new cohort is the first under the program’s new leader, Kafi Moragne-Patterson, Ph.D., who joined the Chicago Urban League as Executive Director of IMPACT and Senior Vice President of Leadership Programming and Philanthropy in May 2024.

The new cohort will begin classes at Chicago Booth School in September. One of the world’s leading business schools, Booth is a long-standing partner of the program. IMPACT enlists the expertise of respected academics, subject matter experts, and industry leaders to share their knowledge and insights with Fellows through day-long classroom experiences as well as supplemental sessions. IMPACT Fellows also receive leadership assessments and mentoring.

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