Alumna Named to Crain’s 40 Under 40 List
Northwestern University alumna Izzy Dobbel (BS20), deputy chief of staff for Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, was named to the Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 Class of 2025.
The average age of this year’s honorees was 36. Dobbel, 27, was the only Gen Z-er selected and the youngest on the list. She studied social policy at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy (SESP).
“Despite her young age, Dobbel relies on deep relationships within the House Democratic Caucus to advance legislation,” Crain’s reporter Justin Laurence wrote. “As political director for the Chicago Federation of Labor before joining Welch’s team, she helped get elected many of the reps she now whips for votes.”
Dobbel was born in Venezuela and immigrated to the U.S. with her family as a child. She attended Sycamore High School in Illinois, where she served as vice president of the student body for four years. When it came time for college, she chose Northwestern and SESP to further her passion for policy work.
“I remember applying and reading that SESP students want to change the world, and I still feel that,” Dobbel said in 2020. “My social policy education has literally crafted the way I think about everything.”
At Northwestern, Dobbel quickly got involved in student government, joining two committees and earning appointment to a third. She later served as a senator, finance vice president, and ultimately Associated Student Government president. In that role, she overhauled the funding system, digitized the process by introducing Venmo, and made it more equitable.
“We flipped a system that had been used for 20 years on its back and had great results,” she said. “Huge organizations are receiving money they need while smaller organizations are growing exponentially. I’ll always hold that proud.”
Dobbel received the 2018 Wildcat Impact Award for Integrity for her work building a more sustainable student funding process.
Favorite Classes and Mentors
Dobbel credited Terri Sabol, associate professor of human development and social policy, with helping her write concise policy papers and conduct research. As a senior, she presented early childhood policy recommendations to the Office of the Illinois Governor through Sabol’s Crafting Child Policy class.
She also cited Nancy Rotering’s course, Women and American Political Leadership, as a major influence. Guest speakers such as Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza made a lasting impact.
“When Mendoza said she wanted to make people’s lives easier, I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do,’” Dobbel recalled. “I want to make rules that help people get through the day, the week, the month. And I think the policy level is the most effective way to do that.”
In a full-circle moment, Dobbel returned to Rotering’s class this year as a guest lecturer.
Career and Community Impact
Before joining Welch’s office, Dobbel served as political director for the Chicago Federation of Labor and as national committeewoman and policy director for the Young Democrats of Illinois.
She was named an Emerging Power Builder Honoree by Women Employed in May 2025, was a Chicago Latino Caucus Leadership Fellow in 2023, and received a Labor Council for Latin American Advancement Fellowship in 2022.
Dobbel told Crain’s that the current political climate has added “weight and responsibility” to her work. In her spare time, she helps relatives and others navigate the U.S. immigration system.
“Growing up, my mom was always really open with our house, and any immigrant who needed help with paperwork or anything, we would welcome them in,” she said. “I want to be in politics because not everyone has an opportunity to start a new life. It’s our responsibility to pay it forward.”
Her supporters are cheering her on.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with this bright and talented leader,” State Rep. Ann Williams wrote on LinkedIn. “Congratulations, Izzy Dobbel, and keep shining!”