CHICAGO, May 7, 2019 – P33, a private sector led initiative established to drive global technology leadership for Chicago, has named Brad Henderson Chief Executive Officer. As the founding CEO, Henderson will lead the newly established 501c3 nonprofit organization charged to transform Chicago into a tier one tech innovation hub and promote inclusive economic growth.
Henderson, who has been involved with the P33 initiative since its early stages through Boston Consulting Group’s pro-bono support, will leverage his combined twenty-plus years of professional experience, academic involvement, and community connections to advance P33’s mission to strengthen a diverse, inclusive, and flourishing technology community in Chicago.
“Brad has made significant contributions to the P33 effort to date. His engagement in the research and analysis stages of our work has given him a deep understanding of the challenges as well as opportunities ahead,” said P33 co-chair Penny Pritzker, Chairman of PSP Partners and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. “Beyond his intellectual horsepower, Brad’s strong Chicago roots and passion for his home town, combined with his global experience of working with businesses, cities and universities to solve problems at scale, make him the right leader to drive P33 and our city’s future forward.”
Pritzker co-chairs P33 with Chris Gladwin, co-founder and CEO of Ocient, and Kelly Welsh, president of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. Henderson’s immediate focus will be on continuing to develop P33’s implementation plan, designing an operational and organizational structure for the effort, and helping to tell Chicago’s technology story in a bigger, bolder way.
“P33 is our moment to make sure the next generation has access to greater opportunities and growth in the most inclusive way in our city’s history,” said Henderson. “From the moment I arrived in Chicago more than 20 years ago, I recognized that our city’s biggest strength is the character of its people. We will be relying on the authenticity of that collective strength to drive the P33 effort and our city’s global technology leadership forward, to create inclusive and lasting growth for people across all communities.”
Henderson brings a deep understanding of how to unlock economic opportunities that benefit businesses and individuals to P33’s efforts. He joins from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he is senior partner and managing director in the Chicago office. Originally from a small town in southern Ohio, Henderson received a scholarship to attend the University of Chicago, which he credits to changing his life. He joined BCG as a summer associate in 2000, and quickly rose through the ranks to spend 2006 in the Mumbai, India office as part of the BCG Ambassador Program and later lead BCG’s North American Operations Practice.
Henderson has been an active leader in the Chicago community, serving on the board of trustees for the Chicago History Museum, the Association House in Humboldt Park and Interfaith Youth Core. He also serves on the board of ACCION US Network, which provides capital and business support to business owners of color and female business owners, and an investor in Impact Engine, a socially-responsible investment firm. He was a BCG Bruce Henderson Institute (BHI) Fellow focused on impact and socially-responsible investing and is a member of the World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders program.
A Rhodes Scholar, Henderson has earned multiple degrees with distinction, including a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with Honors (1997-2001) and Master of Arts in Social Science from the University of Chicago (2000-2001), a Master of Science in Economic and Social History from University of Oxford Balliol College (2001-2002) and a Master of Business Administration from University of Oxford Saïd Business School (2002-2003). Henderson lives in Chicago with his wife and two children.
ABOUT P33
P33 is committed to reclaiming Chicago's position as the World's Brightest Spot for technological discovery and development. We are a team of thinkers and doers – business and community leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, technology experts and policymakers – who represent today's establishment and tomorrow's vanguard. Our work is focused on the key areas that will drive the future of Chicago's technology leadership: Talent & Education, Capital & Finance, Business, Community & Culture, and Government & Infrastructure. Together, we're harnessing the spirit of technological innovation that lives in Chicago to drive momentum for businesses, both emerging and established, as well as for all people of Chicago. For more information: www.p33chicago.com.
This release was originally published by P33 on May 7, 2019. [Original Source] mHUB co-founder and CEO, Haven Allen, sits on the Business, Community & Culture committee of P33.