Nashville Emerging Leaders Announces 2021 Class

Nashville Emerging Leaders, an annual leadership program that brings together Middle Tennessee’s most promising young professionals with the region’s top community and business leaders to cultivate Nashville’s leaders of tomorrow, has named members of the class of 2021.

This year’s class consists of 30 Middle Tennessee emerging leaders who represent a range of industries and backgrounds. Class members will participate in an 11-week program, during which they will learn from and interact with some of Nashville’s most influential business and civic leaders, discuss critical issues facing our city, and learn more about their own leadership styles and capacities in the process.

The class includes:

  • Amy Merritt Campbell, Elevate Consulting

  • Adrianna Janelle Carter, Oasis Center

  • Ariel Safdie, Conexión Américas

  • Ben Baden, Gresham Smith

  • Brittany Macon, Maynard Cooper & Gale, P.C.

  • Dr. Candace Warner, people3, Inc.

  • Carolyn Adkerson, 227Advantage LLC

  • Crystalline Jones, STEM Prep Academy

  • Devin Lintzenich, Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

  • Dove Buppert, Implement Now

  • Emily You, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development

  • I'Ashea Myles, Bone McAllester Norton, PLLC

  • Jaz Boon, Bridgestone Americas, Inc.

  • Joseph Gutierrez, Maddox Fund

  • Lacey Hunter, Premise Health

  • Lindsay Gilmore, US Small Business Administration

  • Lisa Swinson, MP&F Strategic Communications

  • Marisa Sharp, Certified Victim Advocate

  • Matt Cooper, TenantBase, Inc.

  • Minh Le, DVL Seigenthaler, a Finn Partners Company

  • Nadira Freeman, Axis Strategies

  • Nicole Keefe, Burr & Forman LLP

  • Nikki York, Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network/VUMC

  • Oklicia René Dillard, United Way of Greater Nashville

  • Paige Reese, Leven Works

  • Sonja Wilson, TMPartners, PLLC

  • Todd Hartley, Bridgestone Americas, Inc.

  • Virginia Ezell Briley, Jigsaw

  • Britney Gannon, Asurion

  • Libby Moore, UBS Financial Services

About Nashville Emerging Leaders

Founded in 2002, Nashville Emerging Leaders has been instrumental in supporting the growth of the next generation of Nashville's leaders. This 11-week leadership training program is designed to support young professionals by connecting them with other leaders in the community, deep self-exploration, and intentional team-building. Each year, approximately 30 individuals are chosen through a rigorous selection process to participate in a series of weekly sessions led and moderated by the team at Strategy and Leadership.

Minh Le