Jamie N. Jones is the Assistant Director of the Social Enterprise at Kellogg (SEEK) Program, where she works with students, alumni and members of the community to apply business principles to affect social change. Jamie firmly believes that the greatest social challenges can be mitigated with innovation and the application of sound business practices. She is in constant search for new opportunities to foster collaboration between Kellogg students and the community toward significant social impact.

Since starting her role at Kellogg, Jamie has launched the International Impact Investing Challenge, conducted research in collaboration with the U.S. Dept. of State, co-hosted the Impact Investing Summit and facilitated the creation of the NUvention Innovate for Impact course.  Jamie’s current research interests are in the design of inclusive business models to create sustainable social impact.  Jamie is also the co-founder of Impact Engine, a Chicago-based impact venture accelerator.

Jamie earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Prior to Kellogg, Jamie was a product development chemist and worked in several areas including medical devices and material science. She earned a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Tennessee. Any free time Jamie has is spent running or biking the trail by Lake Michigan.

Richard Longworth is senior fellow at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and author of Caught in the Middle: America’s Heartland in the Age of Globalism, on the impact of globalization on the American Midwest. He also is a distinguished visiting scholar at DePaul University, an adjunct professor of international relations at Northwestern University, and a mentor at the Harris School at the University of Chicago.

Longworth joined the Council in 2003 as executive director of Global Chicago after a career in journalism. For 20 years, Longworth was a foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and United Press International, and was the Tribune’s chief European correspondent. He has reported from 75 countries on five continents. He also is the author of Global Squeeze and coauthor of Global Chicago.

Longworth was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, has won the Overseas Press Club award twice, and was a finalist two times for the Pulitzer Prize. In addition, he has won every major national award for economic reporting.

Longworth is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, has been a speaker at the Davos conferences and for five years was a mentor to StreetWise, Chicago’s newspaper for the homeless.

Rachel Bronson is the Vice President, Studies at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs where she is helping to create a nationally and internationally recognized foreign policy think tank in Chicago.  Her previous position, Vice President of Programs and Studies included overseeing the more than 150 programs The Chicago Council runs annually. Her shift in responsibilities is a testament to the increasing focus that the organization is placing on its research capacity and policy impact. Prior to that, she served as Senior Fellow and Director, Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Earlier positions include Senior Fellow for International Security Affairs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University. Dr. Bronson’s book Thicker than Oil: America’s Uneasy Partnership with Saudi Arabia (Oxford University Press, 2006), has been translated into Japanese and published in paperback in June 2008.

Her writings have appeared in publications such as Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, The New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Chicago Tribune. She has commented widely on foreign affairs in outlets such as NPR, CNN, The Lehrer News Hour, The Charlie Rose Show, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Dr. Bronson has served as a consultant to NBC News and the Center for Naval Analyses.  She has testified before the Congressional Anti-Terrorist Finance Task Force, Congress’ Joint Economic Committee and the 9/11 Commission.

In 2003, Dr. Bronson was named a Carnegie Corporation Scholar. She was named by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of the 20 women to watch in 2008. She earned a B.A. in history at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University in 1997.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Time:

Reception: 7:30 a.m.
Program: 8:00 a.m.
Adjourn: 9:00 a.m.

Speaker:

Dr. Jamie N. Jones, Assistant Director of the Social Enterprise, Kellogg School of Management,  Northwestern University,  Co-Founder Impact Engine

 Commitment to Values-Based Management in Action

Dr. Jamie N. Jones will expand on the discussion first presented by Professor Timothy J. Feddersen, Director of the Social Enterprise at Kellogg Program (SEEK) about their business education program focused on developing socially responsible business leaders.  That focus developed in response to pressures for values-based corporate management, not only from global, national and local markets and political entities, but also from the students themselves.  She will present a broader discussion of how the corporate sector can work with social enterprises towards greater relevance for corporate responsibility.  According to Dr. Jones, the community of social innovation and impact investing in Chicago and the Midwest is already growing quickly, and Chicago is uniquely positioned for this intersection and mutual leverage of social enterprise and corporate responsibility.

As co-founder of Impact Engine, an example of the SEEK Program’s ideas being put into action, Jamie will explain how Impact Engine will function as a business accelerator aimed at growing companies with a social mission.  It is the first center in the Midwest designed to accelerate the most promising social impact ventures from concept to execution by helping budding social entrepreneurs seeking to address issues that include education, healthy food systems, urban economic development and environmental sustainability through business ventures navigate the complex balance of market opportunities and social impact.  “Impact Engine provides a home base in the Midwest for these entrepreneurs and investors to join forces to address the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges through dynamic market-based business ventures.”  Larry Levy, Chicago entrepreneur and founding participant in Impact Engine.

 Host:

Northwestern Memorial Hospital
2nd Floor – Room K
250 E. Superior
Prentice Women’s Hospital
Chicago, IL 60611

REMINDER

For CR Group members only: we will hold a planning session immediately following the regular meeting to discuss ideas for future programs and ways to improve CRG to better meet its members needs.

RSVP to Colleen Coughlin by Monday, March 26 at colleen@crgroup.org, or by calling 312-666-2776.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Time:

Reception: 7:30 a.m.
Program: 8:00 a.m.
Adjourn: 9:00 a.m.

Speakers:

Rachel Bronson, Vice President, Studies, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Richard C. Longworth, Senior Fellow, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs

G8 and NATO Summits: The World Turns Its Attention on the United States

The May G8 and NATO Summits will center the world’s attention on the United States and Chicago.  We’ve invited The Chicago Council on Global Affairs to share their ideas about how these international meetings positively contribute to Chicago’s growing stature as a global city.  We’ll address the history and importance of the Summits, the agenda items and issues the heads of state and their ministers will discuss.  The discussion will help you go beyond the press coverage of protestors and learn about the substantive aims of these Summits.  Join Rachel Bronson, Vice President, Studies and Richard Longworth, Senior Fellow at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs for this timely discussion leading up to the May G8 and NATO Summits. For more information on The Chicago Council’s NATO and G8 activities, please visit 2012summits.org.

Host:

Quarles & Brady LLP
300 N. LaSalle Street
Suite 4000
Chicago, IL 606054

RSVP to Colleen Coughlin by Friday, April 13 at colleen@crgroup.org, or by calling 312-666-2776.

Janis Robinson served as the Director Diversity and Strategic Collaborations at the Alzheimer’s Association National Office in Chicago from 2009 to 2012.  In that position she provided leadership and strategic direction to the diversity and inclusiveness program to advance the Association’s mission. Working with thought leaders in all areas of the Association, they implemented diversity events, activities and new/modified programs to integrate diversity outreach in the Association’s public image and market strategies.  She also identified, developed, and stewarded strategic collaborations and initiatives to create opportunities to heighten the Association’s visibility and goals in new organizations and diverse populations.  Janis also provided leadership and coordination for the Association-wide Diversity Team, the Diversity and Inclusiveness Council, and the Diversity Interest Group.

Janis was the Director Corporate Initiatives at the Alzheimer’s Association from 2008 – 2009.  In that position, she developed the Alzheimer’s Early Detection Alliance, (AEDA) and conducted several National kick-off meetings which led to success in recruiting over 300 companies and organizations to the AEDA.  She also developed and executed Eldercare Workplace Strategy which included establishing the Alzheimer’s Association’s Eldercare Workplace Advisory Council, (EWAC), comprised of representatives from Fortune 1000 companies.

Janis held the position of Director of Diversity at Aon Corporation from 2001 – 2004 where she established Aon’s Diversity initiative which included establishing Aon’s first Diversity Council, training program and supplier diversity fair.  Prior to that, she was Director of Diversity Affairs at the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business where she also served as first Director of LEAD/SBI Program.

She has over 10 years of combined experience in marketing, business consulting, sales, corporate human resources, recruiting/staffing and project management.

Janis received her MBA in marketing from the Krannert Graduate School of Business/Purdue University, Exxon Fellowship and her BA in Urban Studies/Economics from Barnard College/Columbia University, Sachs Foundation Scholarship

She currently is a member of Chicago Chapter of Links and has served on the boards of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, the Breast Cancer Network of Strength and Marwen.

Yuri Brown-Cruzat is the CEO and Founder of EPIC Consulting Group, LLC.  EPIC is a full service workforce and business consulting firm that serves Fortune 50, 100 and 500 corporations.  EPIC is uniquely positioned with alliance partners to deliver products and services that are fueled by solid methodology, research and measures of success.  EPIC has a client list which includes (but not limited to) General Dynamics, United Health Group, Gulfstream Aerospace, A&E Television Networks and Monster.  The breath of work ranges from global diversity/inclusion strategy development, human capital planning, emerging market consumer development and supplier strategic sourcing.

Yuri was the former National Director of Strategic Diversity & Inclusion for U.S. Cellular Corporation.  She designed and developed the strategic inclusion plan for U.S. Cellular with the intent of defining the business imperative, measures and customer experience.   She is an expert speaker on trends, processes and strategies for the diversity & inclusion industry domestically and abroad.  One of her featured speaking engagements was at the World Diversity Leadership Summit in Prague, Czech Republic.

She has over 20 years of combined experience in business consulting, sales, corporate recruiting/staffing and project management. She was Director of Consulting Services for Hudson Inclusion Solutions a division of Hudson Highland Group, a 4,000 person global executive search and human capital consulting firm where she was responsible for the leadership, design and development of Hudson’s Global Diversity Consulting Services Practice.  Yuri led and managed consulting engagements with sales targets ranging from 200K to $4M each.

While at Abbot Laboratories and Merck Pharmaceuticals, Yuri managed client relationships and business development goals upwards of $3M in annual sales.  As a HR professional she was Regional Recruiting Manager across multiple locations for both Blue Cross of California (now WellPoint) and Ernst & Young Consulting.  Yuri and her team were responsible for the design, implementation, metrics development and competitive analysis. Additionally, as a Director of Finance, she implemented Six Sigma driven, multi-million dollar finance process redesign projects, supplier diversity and organizational restructuring initiatives for CNA Insurance. She is a certified Black Belt in Six Sigma.

Yuri received her B.S. Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley with contributing certifications from Oxford University, Education Abroad Program.  Yuri has served on several professional and nonprofit boards. She is a previous board member for Lawrence Hall Services, a child/family protective agency; a previous advisor for Women on Boards which works to prep and position executive women to obtain Board of Director positions for Corporate Boards; a previous advisor for the League of Black Women, a national research and professional networking organization focused on the advancement and empowerment of Women of Color.

Carolyn Nopar is the Director of Development for Family Focus, a local area nonprofit dedicated to nurturing children and strengthening families.  Carolyn oversees all marketing, branding and private fundraising efforts for the organization’s eight centers.  Carolyn’s early sales and marketing career included positions as a Key Account Manager for Del Laboratories, Senior Account Manager for AT&T and Chicago Commercial Sales Manager for Cort Furniture Rental.  After taking a break to raise her two daughters, Carolyn returned to the workforce to pursue a second career in the nonprofit sector.  Her philanthropic experience includes launching a social enterprise for Habitat for Humanity, Associate Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations for the Greater Illinois Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, Chief Development Officer at the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and as the Executive Director of the Enterprising Kitchen.

Carolyn Nopar received a Master of Management from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan.

Cat Sue Turner-Anderson has been with Bank One/Chase for 38 years. Cat Sue has had various responsibilities at Bank One/Chase as Corporate HR:
HR Staffing
Leadership/Diversity / Change Manager
Bookkeeper, NEO Deposit OPS
Manager, Sr Fraud Analyst, Risk Manager,
Manager for Chase UNCF Scholar Program,
Manager INROADS Intern Program
Manage Harper Englewood Project

Cat Sue is currently in a Consumer Banking Staffing Role JPMC. She has been in this role since April 2008. Cat Sue is Co-Chair of JPMC Chicago UJIMA & Women of Color Network and very involved as a Consultant to All Employee Networking Groups at JPMC.
Manages UNCF Intern National Placement
Manages Harper Englewood Intern Project
CAPS (Career Advancement Programs For ENG`s)
Partner with LOB`s for Diverse Hire Job Openings
Partner with Chase Medical and The American Heart Assoc. on Chase involvement in Current Events and Health Issues for Diverse Employees

External involvement includes
UNCF Planning Committee
UNCF Leadership Council
Salvation Army Angel Tree Projects and Toys for Tots Program.
Clerk of The Circuit Court Women`s Advisory Committee
2oo8 Planning Committee for Child Link Women Initiative Luncheon