Journeys in Leadership

Chris Singleton

Former Professional Athlete, Inspirational Speaker, Best-Selling Author

Sept. 2

Chris Singleton is a former professional athlete drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2017. Following the loss of his mother in a racially motivated mass shooting, Chris has now become a nationally renowned inspirational speaker and best-selling author.

He has shared his message of unity and racial reconciliation with MLB, NFL, and NBA teams we well as multiple Fortune 500 companies across the country.

One his his children’s books, Different – A Story About Loving Your Neighbor, was a best seller in its category and has been featured by numerous outlets, including The Obama Foundation.

Annually, he shares with more than 100 organizations and more than 50,000 students. When Chris is not on the road inspiring audiences, he resides with his high school sweetheart Mariana, and their three children in Charleston, South Carolina.

Chris’ overall mission when speaking is to inspire his audiences with his story of resilience and to unite millions of people with his believe that, “Love is Stronger Than Hate.”

Kelly Carlson

Managing Director, Head of Talent with STF

Oct. 1

Kelly Carlson, ’91, MBA, is Managing Director, Head of Talent with STG, where she is leading the firm’s talent efforts, working across the portfolio to attract CEOs and executive leadership teams to drive results. Kelly’s mandate includes the curation of a CEO and senior leaders network aligned with the firm’s investment priorities. Driving innovations of assessment and human capital best practices to the portfolio companies are key tenants of STG’s talent strategy.

Kelly joined STG in 2019 from TillmanCarlson, a retained executive search boutique, recruiting CEOs, CFOs, CTOs and GTM leaders, where she served as one of the co-founders of the firm before being appointed President & CEO. Prior to launching her firm in 2003, Kelly spent eight years at Russell Reynolds Associates as one of the early members of the firm’s technology practice, working predominantly in software and services. Kelly started her career with AT&T and MCI in sales and account management.

Kelly received her Bachelor’s from Benedictine University and her Master’s from DePaul University.

Seth Darling

Chief Science & Technology & Senior Scientist, Fellow of the AVS Science & Technology Society

Nov. 12 | Noon–1:30 P.M.

Seth B. Darling, PhD, is the Chief Science & Technology Officer of the Advanced Energy Technologies Directorate and a Senior Scientist in the Chemical Sciences & Engineering Division at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, where he has worked for over 20 years. He also serves as the Director of the Advanced Materials for Energy-Water Systems Energy Frontier Research Center and is a Senior Scientist with the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Darling received his undergraduate degree from Haverford College, majoring in chemistry and astronomy and his PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Chicago. He began his independent research career as the Glenn Seaborg Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow at Argonne in 2002.

Today, his group’s research centers around molecular engineering with a current emphasis on advanced materials for cleaning and recovering critical resources from water, having made previous contributions in fields ranging from self-assembly to advanced lithography to solar energy.

Dr. Darling is a fellow of the AVS Science & Technology Society, has published over 150 scientific articles, holds more than 20 patents, and lectures widely on topics related to energy and water.