Meet the
2026 LEAD Interns
The newest cohort of 2026 LEAD interns at The CAFE Group, Cleveland Avenue, and EDLI are building the skills and relationships they will carry into the future.
LEAD Interns doing real work,
advancing real missions.
LEAD introduces young people to love-centered philanthropy in practice. Participants are placed in paid internships at philanthropic, nonprofit, and mission-driven organizations across the Chicago region. Through weekly programming and their hands-on roles, they gain real skills alongside professionals who model what values-centered work looks like from the inside.
Brooke Whitt
The CAFE Group
Jackson Harper
EDLI
Kristin Brown
The CAFE Group
Nyloni Naylor
The CAFE Group
Seanna Mercado
Cleveland Avenue
Colin Faulkner
Cleveland Avenue
Kendall Bly
Cleveland Avenue
Meley Berhane
Cleveland Avenue
Oluwatosin Oni
Cleveland Avenue
Sophia Young
Cleveland Avenue
Ellyss Davis
The CAFE Group
Kennedy Johnson
Cleveland Avenue
Myles Cobb
The CAFE Group
Omari Kamal
Cleveland Avenue
Isaiah Irvin
Cleveland Avenue
Khera Lanier
The CAFE Group
Nyla Newell
The CAFE Group
Sajid Imam
Cleveland Avenue
More Than a Summer Job
LEAD is The CAFE Group's investment in the people who will shape how resources flow in the future. Interns leave with a deepened understanding of how change happens, a cohort of peers who share their commitment, and a sense of accountability to use what they carry.