A Pathway for Emerging Black Leaders

When Johnni Rodgers, ’12, started IMPACT in 2019, she was contemplating a career shift—from a brand manager at the world’s third-largest cheese company to a role in private equity. “It was something I’d been thinking about for a long time,” Rodgers says. 

She’d previously been through other professional development programs and courses, but nothing was tailored to her needs as a Black professional looking to move up the corporate ladder. “My biggest goal was to develop a support system with people who were navigating experiences similar to mine,” she says. “I’ve never been in a program like IMPACT that was so catered to my unique experiences.” 

For Rodgers, it was the personal stories of success and resilience from fellow program participants that stood out and boosted her confidence. “It was energizing to see so many people in the room who identified with me,” she says. “I was inspired by my peers and got that second wind I very much needed. Their resilience rubbed off on me.” 

After IMPACT, Rodgers took a role as CEO of a private equity portfolio company before returning to her marketing roots and joining Sara Lee Frozen Bakery as vice president of marketing, innovation, insights, and R&D. She continues to call on her IMPACT cohort for advice and guidance. “We’ve become a very tight-knit community,” she says.  

Tim Turner ’20, was working as the director of pharmacy insights at Walgreens when he joined IMPACT’s ninth cohort last year. The program provided space to talk freely with other Black professionals about stereotypes, microaggressions, and expectations for how Black men and women show up in the workplace, a rare opportunity that was restorative, he says. Presentations on the social and political history of Black Chicago, meanwhile, helped him better understand how Black leaders can best contribute to the city moving forward.  

He also learned valuable lessons from his fellow participants, who shared their own stories about navigating difficult situations and recharging themselves. “I really appreciated people speaking transparently on the challenges of being a highly visible Black leader,” he says.  

Earlier this year, Turner was named vice president of business intelligence and data analytics at Thresholds, which provides wraparound services for people with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders.  

“When I decided to make a career change, one of the first things I did was connect with my IMPACT class,” Turner says. Through them, he’s forged key connections with consultants that have helped him further Thresholds’ mission.  

This support inspired him to become president of the IMPACT Alumni Association, which offers resources and programs for  nearly 400 alumni. He meets regularly with many of them for social, civic, and professional events, where they continue to champion one another’s success.  

Jennifer Polk, ’08, a longtime marketing executive, was new to the C-suite when she arrived at her IMPACT cohort’s welcome reception in fall 2022. Polk had recently been appointed chief marketing and digital experience officer of the hunger relief organization Feeding America. 

Many traditional leadership programs focus on the professional self only, she says. IMPACT, however, linked peoples’ professional selves to their personal lives in important ways. Participants shared stories not only about their careers but also about their families, ancestry, and past traumas, which, as Polk notes, can affect who we are as leaders. 

“You can bring your full self to work,” she says. “But in order to do so in a way that’s meaningful, you have to take time to reflect on how these personal and professional pieces are connected. IMPACT developed my confidence to better connect the different parts of myself.” 

During the program, Polk was searching for an executive coach who could help her navigate the challenges she faced as a Black female leader. Her IMPACT mentor connected her with the perfect coach, with whom Polk worked for the next year and a half. “I attribute a lot of my growth to that coach,” she says.  

Her mentor also helped her better understand the expectations of executive teams and to navigate those relationships on the job.  

“She called it ‘learning to read the air,” says Polk. “It’s what’s not said but shows up in nonverbal communications and in the moments in which people choose to remain silent.” 

Moragne-Patterson notes that these professional connections and mentoring relationships are some of the most powerful outcomes of IMPACT. The involvement of local senior Black leaders—many of whom are at the pinnacle of their careers—has contributed to the breadth and strength of the community. 

“As the program evolves, we’re also exploring allyship with other leadership programs in our collective pursuit of making Chicago a better place,” she says. “It’s been exciting to partner with other communities that share our goals and think about how to scale the program for the future so even more Black professionals can benefit.”