Board of directors

Marc J. Lane, a nationally recognized business and tax attorney and financial adviser, practices law at The Law Offices of Marc J. Lane, P.C. in Chicago (www.MarcJLane.com). An innovator in helping social enterprises, foundations, corporations, investors, lenders, and philanthropists leverage capital to maximize financial results while driving positive social change, he is the author of 35 books including Social Enterprise: Empowering Mission-Driven Entrepreneurs (American Bar Association) and The Mission-Driven Venture: Business Solutions to the World’s Most Vexing Social Problems (John Wiley and Sons).

A 25-year career in banking with a major U.S. bank with a focus on global financial issues, country risk analysis, and currency and emerging markets advisory. Banking career followed by 10 years in academia in the fields of economics and finance, with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Published research in the fields of banking and international finance. A 10-year career in economic consulting on the United States and global economy and markets. Academic background includes a Master's degree from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago.

Mark Mulroe is Vice President of A Safe Haven LLC. Mark holds positions on several industry and professional associations and committees and is an active member of several committees that address the needs of the homeless, including veterans and correctional populations.

Mike is a senior principal consultant, artist and strategic leader with demonstrated success in product management, design, business development, data intelligence, marketing, and organizational design. Mike started out in the non-profit sector, writing grants and acting as a business analyst.  He went on to develop two social enterprises, work as an international product manager, and is currently a product development and management consultant.

He drives new and existing product development through research, innovation workshops, prototyping, emerging trends in engineering, and strategic planning. Mike also works with companies to develop an organizational strategy through design thinking and change enablement. Mike has utilized his experience in media to work with marketing teams to create captivating stories around product releases and organizational advancements.

Joel Cox is a marketing specialist and an emerging thought leader in the conscious capitalism movement–a passion that stems from his studies as a political science major. Following graduation, he co-founded a coding bootcamp under the guidance of a 100-day business accelerator program. Since moving to Chicago, Joel has acquired five years of digital marketing experience at several of the city’s most cutting-edge agencies. He recently completed a UIC course on social entrepreneurship and aspires to one day start a social impact consulting agency.

David Feinberg joined CCLF in 2021 as the Director of Coaching and Knowledge Transfer. In this role, David is responsible for the strategic implementation of CCLF’s technical expertise and special programs to build community development capacity and support Chicagoland’s thriving communities. He brings a deep knowledge of nonprofit real estate development and consulting with a specialty in educational facilities, community centers and social enterprises.  Over the course of his career, David has led the development of more than $250M and 1,000,000 sq. ft. of  non-profit and community centered real estate projects with a specialization in educational facilities, community centers and social enterprises. He offers familiarity and expertise with a variety of financing structures, including tax-credit programs, tax-exempt bonds, PRIs and TIFs. 

Adam Engle is the Director of the Fund for Equitable Business Growth, a multi-funder collaborative housed at the Chicago Community Trust that invests in a marketplace of services and products to support the ecosystem of Black and Latinx entrepreneurs in Chicago. His career began in financial services and consulting at Arthur Andersen & Co. and Salomon Bros. Prior to joining the Trust, Adam was a consultant to non-profit organizations across the country focusing on board development. In addition, he serves as a mentor to entrepreneurs of color throughout the Chicagoland area. Adam holds an MBA in Finance from Hofstra University and a Masters in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Gordon is a B2B digital marketing consultant and copywriter working with small to medium-sized businesses, including social enterprises and nonprofits, around audience engagement, lead generation, and driving revenues. Gordon has assisted various organizations in social media strategy, engagement, and analytics with a specific focus on healthcare, technology, and mission-driven ventures. He is also a fiction writer who has written for various independent publishers and contributes semimonthly to the National Institute for Social Media blog. 

Calvin Watkins holds a BA in Theology and Business from Moody Bible Institute. He is currently working as an Operations Manager, Developer, and Pastor. Calvin's passion is helping others, such as running a food giveaway that served over 2000 people during the 2020 pandemic. Calvin believes in empowering and uplifting people, letting compassion guide him. Calvin works with various faith-based organizations and serves on the St. John Community Church board.

Alberto Rincon, a native of Chicago’s south side, works to solve problems that have a long lasting positive social impact. He is a policy and business consultant with diverse experience in local government, small business, clean energy, real estate, nonprofit finance, community organizing, and engineering. He is currently the Principal Consultant for Rincon Consulting Group and the Vice President of Community Impact for The Invert Chicago. Alberto holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a Master of Public Policy from Harvard, a Master of Business Administration from MIT, and is a licensed realtor in the State of Illinois.

The Male Mogul Initiative was founded and established by the visionary leader, Walter Mendenhall. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Mendenhall has always felt a sense of obligation and responsibility to empower and strengthen his community. Through personal circumstances, Walter would learn as a young adolescent, the substantial and overwhelming burden of defeating and conquering adversity. At the tender age of 5, Walter would be diagnosed with a learning disability. Through mere determination and tenacity, Walter would
eventually graduate from the University of Illinois with a 3.2 GPA, where he earned academic All-Big Ten honors, while also balancing the demanding responsibilities of being a student-athlete on the University of Illinois football team. While finishing his collegiate career at Illinois State University, Walter secured the amazing opportunity of playing in the National Football League, (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals.