Dear alumni and friends of DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business:
Welcome to the spring 2025 issue of the Business Exchange!
This year has been full of exciting news at Driehaus.
Our students and faculty are partnering with the CTA to imagine how entrepreneurs can revitalize communities.
They’re working with the sixth largest privately held company in America to find the insights hidden in data.
And they’re charting the hidden landscape of affordable housing in Chicago, g
iving communities valuable tools to advocate for their needs.
There are a few principles that unify these projects.
- A Driehaus education has a purpose: Guided by expert faculty, our students are jumping straight into the real world. They’re wading through complications and complexity. And they’re getting to see their ideas and insights make a real difference.
- A Driehaus education has an impact: Our students and researchers bring a fresh perspective to the challenges, large and small, that businesses face today. Our partnerships are win/win opportunities for the organizations we partner with and our students alike.
- A Driehaus education couldn’t happen anywhere else: Each of these projects originated with one of the many personal connections that knit Driehaus and Chicago together. At a time when so much about education is changing, these stories attest to the enduring value of the personal, place-based connections that make Driehaus Chicago’s business school.
In this issue, you’ll also read the stories of two alumni who are leaders in their respective fields.
- On April 10, I sat down with alumnus and CEO Julian Francis (MBA ’96) for our second Executive Speaker Series. Our conversation provided a unique window into what it’s like to lead a Fortune 500 company in a uniquely fast-paced industry – and how managing people is critical to success.
- Last fall, I was proud to hear that Jenny Ciszewski (BUS ’02) — a partner at Deloitte and the first female president of our accounting donor society Ledger & Quill — was named among the Most Influential Bay Area Women in Business. In this issue, you’ll hear how her philosophies of leadership and giving back intersect.
Both Julian and Jenny attest to the enduring impact of DePaul’s Vincentian mission. Our alumni lead not just with skill but with compassion. And they – you – are more effective leaders for it.
Sincerely,
Sulin Ba, PhD
Dean, Driehaus College of Business
DePaul University
