Chicago leads the nation in poverty and crime rates, and most recently experienced an eighteen percent increase in violent crimes. In order to steer Chicago youth in a more positive direction, an innovative leadership program for teens titled “Urban Future Leaders of the World” (uFLOW) was formed in late 2008. The project was created by a diverse group of Chicago professionals and students from a variety of fields. The project is also being supported by the University of Illinois-Chicago College of Medicine's Urban Medicine Program, a special curriculum within the College of Medicine which focuses on public health and medical issues unique to urban communities.

The mission of uFLOW is to recruit and inspire adolescents from underserved neighborhoods to solve problems in their own communities. The ultimate goals include implementing successful community service projects in the short term, and in the long term, to inspire urban youth to develop strong leadership skills, improved self-esteem, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Most importantly, uFLOW aims to instill a sense of pride in one's own community and a lifelong commitment to learning and philanthropy.