Category Archives: Connections

College graduates who, as students, were encouraged by mentors to pursue their hopes and dreams are twice as likely to feel engaged in their careers and fulfilled in their lives, according to a national Gallup-Purdue University survey.

That’s certainly the case for students, alumni and business professionals who participate in mentorships across the Driehaus College of Business. Business Exchange profiles three of these mentorships and how they have inspired both mentees and mentors.

• Jake Glover and Kim Kozeny
• Mary Hendrickson and Greg Warsek
• Rana Irfan Zaid and John Economos

Stories by Andrew Zamorski

Greg Warsek, group senior vice president at Associated Bank, and real estate major Mary Hendrickson.

Everyone should get a mentor. It makes the world smaller, it gives you connections to the industry and it helps you find your direction.”

Real estate major Mary Hendrickson is no stranger to working with mentors. She was assigned to a commercial banker mentor in her real estate career management course for a short-term classroom project. Seeking even more advice about careers outside of the classroom, she jumped at the opportunity offered by Professor Stephen Bell, associate director of The Real Estate Center, to be paired with a second mentor.

“I was hoping to get more knowledge about the industry since I was just starting my first internship,” says Hendrickson. Since she was interning in the capital markets group at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a global commercial real estate services firm, Hendrickson was paired with Greg Warsek, group senior vice president at Associated Bank, who manages a commercial real estate loan portfolio.

“Greg helped me figure out the grand scheme of what I was doing in my internship. He also helped explain his role in the banking industry, which made my job easier,” Hendrickson says.

Warsek serves on three university advisory boards, including DePaul’s Real Estate Center board. In the last 30 years, he estimates, he has mentored between 50 and 75 students, focusing on young professionals who are trying to make the right decisions as they go back to school or make job moves.

“When I first started looking for a job, I was helped by a friend of a friend who didn’t need to help me, but did it anyway,” says Warsek. “Now I am at the point in my career where I can make phone calls and introductions and get students’ résumés moved to the top of the pile.

“Being a mentor gives me a really important perspective (about working) with young people because I have three different generations of employees to manage,” says Warsek. “I learn a lot from them. They teach me how they view the world and what is important to them, and it makes me a better leader for Associated Bank.”

Hendrickson is now in her second year working at JLL and continues to meet with Warsek regularly by phone or in person to talk about business school, future plans and industry topics. Networking is a huge part of their relationship. While selling raffle tickets at a gala to raise money for stomach cancer research, Hendrickson ran into Warsek, and he immediately introduced her to his friends, colleagues and other contacts

Making contacts can be intimidating, but Hendrickson says that she feels comfortable asking Warsek for help. “Everyone should get a mentor,” says Hendrickson. “You have no reason not to. It makes the world smaller, it gives you connections to the industry and it helps you find your direction.”

Learn more about business mentorship programs.

By Andrew Zamorski | Photo by Kathy Hillegonds

Kim Kozeny (BUS ’09) and Jake Glover (BUS ’17)

Last spring, Jake Glover (BUS ’17) was a senior marketing major quickly approaching graduation when he went to see MaryAnn Gibney, who was the manager of student and alumni engagement at the Center for Sales Leadership at DePaul.

Glover was interested in working for Jellyvision, an interactive employee communication software company, and sought Gibney’s help in finding a connection at the Chicago-based company. Serendipitously, Gibney had just returned from lunch with Kim Kozeny (BUS ’09), who expressed an interest in becoming a mentor and was working at that time as a Jellyvision account executive.

“Really good mentors genuinely want to help mentees,” says Glover. “(They) take them under their wing and rise up with them.”

That is what Kozeny did for Glover. During casual conversations that spanned a range of topics, Glover asked Kozeny what it is like to work at Jellyvision, how to get a job there and what he could do to stand out as a job candidate. Kozeny knew how much Glover wanted to join Jellyvision, so she introduced him to her sales leadership team. Glover made a great first impression and was invited to return the following week for an interview.

“As a mentor, it’s important to understand what your mentee wants out of your relationship,” says Kozeny.

It is my job to help them find out what they are passionate about and to help fulfill that passion.”

Kozeny prepared Glover for the Jellyvision job interview, giving him feedback on his sales pitch, suggesting resources to read about the company and going over the interview process.

“I’ve been very lucky with the people who have mentored me in the past,” says Kozeny. “They gave me confidence to follow my own career aspirations. To do that for someone else is extremely fulfilling.”

Glover landed a job at Jellyvision as a business development representative and has been working there for more than a year. He now hopes to move up into an account executive role and continues meeting with Kozeny for career advice.

One of Glover’s former classmates has recently expressed interest in working for Jellyvision, so he has reached out to her in what he calls a “mini-mentor” role. Glover says it is his chance to pay it forward.

Learn more about business mentorship programs.

By Andrew Zamorski | Photo by Kathy Hillegonds

Hospitality major Rana Irfan Zaid and John Economos

Rana Irfan Zaid moved to the United States from Pakistan during his sophomore year of high school and got a part-time job working at a local hotel. He enjoyed working in the hospitality industry, and his manager recommended that he pursue it as a career.

Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Zaid decided to study at DePaul’s School of Hospitality Leadership. The senior loves all facets of the hospitality industry but is currently interested in food and beverage.

Having the best guidance in the industry was really important for me to find success within a niche industry,” says Zaid.

“I wanted to pair up with a mentor in hospitality who could help me navigate through challenges and guide me toward my goals.”

Through the hospitality school’s mentorship program, Zaid was connected to John Economos, a partner at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE), the Chicago-based, family-owned restaurant group that manages and licenses more than 120 restaurants.

“I like being a point person for someone looking for guidance in the industry,” says Economos. “If I had a mentor in college, I probably would’ve started my career much earlier and with more confidence.” Economos, the general manager at Beatrix in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood, studied communication management in college and had no hospitality experience. Through LEYE’s internal management training program, he worked his way from carryout clerk at Di Pescara restaurant into management through a series of positions with various LEYE restaurants.

“I come from a family of teachers, but I have never been a great teacher until I started mentoring students,” says Economos. “I am in a role where it’s not about me, but how I help develop others. I enjoy when Rana asks me for advice.”

Economos and Zaid met frequently at LEYE restaurants to talk about the industry, the interviewing process and opportunities throughout the company. Economos also let Zaid shadow him at Beatrix to see how to manage a restaurant. He then helped Zaid land a hosting job at LEYE’s upscale RPM Italian restaurant, as well as a spot in LEYE’s management intern program this summer.

“I was really lucky to find a mentor who I aspire to be like,” says Zaid. “John has helped expose me to different parts of the industry and become more informed. He has helped complete me.”

Learn more about business mentorship programs.

By Andrew Zamorski | Photo by Kathy Hillegonds

Dimitri Eliopoulos (BUS ’01), managing director of Central Midwest, left, and Benjamin J. Albrecht, CFP, Vice President, Wealth Advisor at RMB Capital, right.

When Dimitri Eliopoulos (BUS ’01) began attending DePaul University to study finance, he knew he wanted to work with money and people. So, at the start of his senior year at the Driehaus College of Business, Eliopoulos began applying for internships in the wealth management industry through the DePaul Career Center. He soon scored a summer internship in Chicago working with a small team at a large financial services firm.

Now, more than a decade later, Eliopoulos is working with the same team of people who founded RMB Capital, an independent firm that specializes in wealth and investment planning for organizations and individuals. Previously a senior wealth manager, Eliopoulos was promoted to managing director of Central Midwest at RMB Capital, overseeing the firm’s wealth management business in the Central Midwest region.

Eliopoulos credits his success to getting his foot in the door through an internship. “My internship was very hands-on,” he says. “The individuals who led the team that I joined years ago are mentors to me and they’re my partners today. I was able to do everything from job shadowing to helping prepare investment and financial planning recommendations for clients or prospective clients. I had the ability to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes.”

Fostering Career Success

According to a report released by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 63 percent of college graduates who completed a paid internship received a job offer, compared to 35 percent who never interned.

“Internships are a crucial component for business students, especially for those who are looking to start their career or make a transition,” says Enrique Guerrero, assistant director at the Kellstadt Career Management Center. “At face value, internships provide beneficial, real-world experience. With that experience comes the chance to get a feel for an industry that may be new for you. It isn’t uncommon for students to complete an internship knowing that it wasn’t something they see themselves doing long-term, and that is okay.”

To prepare graduate students for post-graduation employment, the Career Management Center hosts career strategy sessions and recruiting and networking events, and connects students to Kellstadt’s extensive employer and alumni network. The DePaul Career Center helps undergraduate students by providing similar career coaching services.

Courtney Hubbard’s (MBA ’17) transfer pricing internship at Ernst & Young led to a full-time job.

For Courtney Hubbard (MBA ’17), taking advantage of Kellstadt’s resources played a large role in determining her career goals. Hubbard enrolled in Kellstadt’s full-time MBA program after working in public affairs in Washington, D.C., for more than six years. The Career Management Center connected Hubbard to an alumnus working in transfer pricing at a large accounting firm through DePaul’s Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) alumni mentor program. The connections eventually confirmed Hubbard’s interest in transfer pricing and led to a summer internship in transfer pricing with EY, one of the Big Four accounting firms. Following her internship, Hubbard landed a full-time position with EY.

“The good thing about transfer pricing is that people come from a lot of different backgrounds,” says Hubbard. “It was a great place for me to use my experience in an area that was open to someone with a unique set of skills.

“Utilizing the Kellstadt Career Management Center and using the DePaul ASK network were crucial for me,” she continues. “I would not have gotten this job if the Career Management Center had not had my back (when) I came in and asked for help.”

Persistence, Communication and Networking

Eliopoulos, who is the first in his family to graduate from college, says, “One of the skills that I think is critical and necessary, in addition to learning a trade and getting a degree in a specific field, is to learn how to be a great communicator. You could be the smartest person and have the greatest idea, but if you can’t communicate or articulate it, you’re not going to be as successful.”

Being intentional about expanding your network and utilizing professional development events and workshops are keys to securing an internship and full-time employment. Hubbard advises students to use Handshake, DePaul’s job portal, research connections on LinkedIn and be persistent.

“It’s a commitment to get an internship. You have to be hungry, do what it takes and do the work yourself,” she says. “No one is going to come to you offering you an internship. You have to go look for them.”

Get connected

Looking to hire DePaul student interns?

Undergraduates:
DePaul Career Center
career_center@depaul.edu

Graduate students:
Kellstadt Career Management Center
cmc@depaul.edu

Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) volunteer mentor network:
ask@depaul.edu

By Jaclyn Lansbery

Cohort MBA Program Students Forge Enduring Alumni Bond

Colleen Ekas (MBA ’13)

The power of alumni networks has been well documented. One Harvard study even found that alumni networks fueled improved stock market performance.

Although many people turn to alumni networks when seeking jobs or clients, alumni from DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business say they’ve gained something much more valuable from their former classmates: honest advice. This is especially true of graduates who have studied in the school’s growing number of cohort MBA programs, where students take all of their classes together and get to know each other well.

Take Colleen Ekas (MBA ’13). After graduating from DePaul’s Weekend MBA Cohort program, Ekas faced a difficult decision. Her company, AT&T, offered her a promotion, but it would mean moving from Chicago to Atlanta. Knowing she couldn’t discuss her concerns with her co-workers, she called fellow DePaul alumna Kristen Justus (MBA ’13), a bank product manager in Los Angeles, to weigh her options.

Whenever I call and talk to a member of my cohort, I’m talking to someone who knows me,” says Ekas

Ekas studied with a tight-knit group that included Justus, Justin Sorto (MBA ’13) and Jeff Balsavich (MBA ’13). “Co-workers may give you advice, but it often benefits them. But I can go to Justin or Jeff or Kristen and I know they will be honest with me. They’re giving me impartial advice. They provide an honest voice in business from someone I trust, and that’s completely rare.”

Beyond normal alumni networking, graduates say cohort programs guide them to develop deep relationships that extend beyond graduation and allow them to traverse varying career challenges. They say their strong alumni network ties help them in their professional lives and careers.

“We talk about our career paths a lot,” says Justus. “We’re always consulting with each other about career challenges we face. For example, I rely on Colleen a lot for just understanding the challenges of being a woman within the corporate arena and how to manage my career.”

Alumni connections remain strong for this group of MBA classmates, shown in a picture taken in a photo booth during a DePaul MBA Association event. Back row: Jeff Balsavich, Tim Cote and Justin Sorto. Front row: Trista Solomon, Kristen Justus and Colleen Ekas.

Scott Young, chair of DePaul’s Department of Management, says there are classes within DePaul’s cohort programs that teach more than just MBA business skills. They’re designed to help students learn to trust each other and create bonds.

“In one course, I spend a lot of time just focusing on creating connections,” says Young. “It’s not only a course on organizational behavior—ultimately the intention is to bond them at the same time.”

Sorto says connections he made with his MBA cohort were invaluable once he graduated and sought a job that fit his skill set and personality. Later, when Sorto wanted to switch industries, Balsavich connected him with a relative who worked in the field he was exploring.

Ultimately, Sorto decided on another position. But he emphasizes that the alumni connections play a much more meaningful part in his life than just the traditional job search. “It’s not always about having some- one to pass around your resume, which Colleen and Jeff actually did do for me,” says Sorto, who works as a commodities trader in New Jersey. “It’s about giving me advice on whether I’d like a job or whether it was a good fit for me. You can only get that kind of advice from people who actually know you.”

Through engagements, children’s birthdays, marriages and even trips abroad, Sorto, Balsavich, Ekas and Justus remain close. “Over time the cohort helped us all get through some tough times,” says Balsavich, a marketing program manager at BP in Chicago. “You have that bond that just won’t break. And after graduation it’s like we never missed a beat.”

Want to reconnect with your former classmates? Visit alumni.depaul.edu to access the Alumni Directory and other alumni community links.

By Ovetta Sampson

Years ago, when Maureen Meyer (BUS ’90) was an undergraduate at DePaul, she struggled with self-confidence. She wasn’t sure of herself and her abilities as a young person trying to make it in the world.

It’s that same feeling of uncertainty expressed by current business students that Meyer sought to alleviate during a dinner at DePaul’s Loop Campus last spring. The meal was part of the Dinners on DePaul program, which pairs successful alumni with university students eager to learn the realities of career, life and family balance from mentors like Meyer.

“I remember being in their shoes,” says Meyer, the former financial director at Baxter Credit Union, now retired. “I didn’t have a lot of confidence, and I needed a little extra encouragement. That’s what I tapped into when I spoke to students at the Dinner on DePaul event. I wanted to empower them.”

Maureen Meyer (BUS ’90) provides career advice at a Dinner on DePaul event for finance students.

Organized by DePaul’s Office of Alumni Relations, Dinners on DePaul is a series of events where alumni gather to share a dinner with students on campus. The free meal is a bonus for students who get the opportunity to talk personally with professionals working in their chosen field of study. The dinners typically last about an hour.

Terrence Mullen (MBA ’85) (left) answers a student’s career questions.

Held in the winter and spring quarters, the dinners feature a diverse set of alumni spanning different disciplines. Two dinners with alumni from the Driehaus College of Business were held during the 2014-15 academic year. One focused on entrepreneurism and the other on the finance industry. Joining Meyer at the finance dinner in May were Rich Mackey (BUS ’87) executive vice president of strategic initiatives at Rosenthal Collins Group, and Terrence Mullen (MBA ’85), managing director of global research and strategy at Allstate Investments.

Organizers say the dinners are a great way for students to get one-on-one attention from mentors. The group is kept purposely cozy; at the finance dinner, there were three alumni and just eight students.

The setting allowed students to delve deeply into career issues not discussed in a textbook or classroom. At the finance dinner, alumni talked about ways to build relationships in the workplace, how to manage one’s career, how to pick the perfect entry-level job and other career-related issues. They also talked about what it was like to be a new professional in their chosen career.

Students said they could relate to alumni whose experiences as young professionals mirrored their own. “It was great to just listen,” said Gina Yost, an undergraduate studying finance and management at DePaul.

Find out more about Dinners on DePaul at alumni.depaul.edu.

By Ovetta Sampson

Gustavo Marquez (BUS ’14), a financial analyst with Morgan Stanley in New York, learned about trading industry opportunities from Corporate Connectors volunteers.

When it comes to your career, with a little hard work and perhaps some help from DePaul, you just might land your dream job. DePaul’s Corporate Connectors program, a part of Alumni Career Services, offers a great way to get your foot in the door at a company that interests you, and best of all, it is a free resource for all DePaul students and alumni.

The Corporate Connectors program provides professional alumni contacts at hundreds of organizations nationwide, from Amazon to Zurich North America. Through the program, DePaul alumni offer to meet or correspond with fellow alumni and students who are applying to their companies or who want to find out more about a particular industry. The program is also useful for employees to meet fellow alumni (and new co-workers) to transition smoothly into their new job.

The program began in 2009, when the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., DePaul’s president, was interested in identifying alumni who could greet DePaul graduates on their first day of work. What started as a “meet and greet” evolved into a program where Corporate Connectors volunteers answer questions about their companies, help prepare fellow alumni for interviews and facilitate networking within the ranks. Many alumni volunteers have filled internships and jobs through this program.

“Since the inception of the Corporate Connectors program, there have been over 4,300 requests to connect, and many of these requests have led to informational interviews or networking opportunities within the companies,” says Colleen Fashing, associate director of alumni relations. “Many people don’t hear back from potential employers when they apply for a job—so this is a great way to get that direct connection. These volunteers can’t necessarily get you the job, but they can get you directly connected with the company.”

Gustavo Marquez (BUS ’14), a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley in New York City, used the Corporate Connectors program to great benefit.

“I first found out about the Corporate Connectors program while taking classes at DePaul,” says Marquez, who majored in finance. “I knew that I was interested in the financial industry specific to trading, so the Corporate Connectors program connected me with a chief operation officer of a trading firm who gave me industry insight and great career networking advice.”

Colleen Fashing, associate director of alumni relations, advises a student about the Corporate Connectors program.

The Corporate Connectors program helped Marquez get a better understanding of the financial industry and the jobs available. Marquez was able to network with DePaul alumni and other key contacts in the financial industry and eventually landed an internship the summer of his junior year in the sales and trading division of Morgan Stanley. He continued to network throughout his internship and was offered a full-time position as an analyst as soon as he graduated from DePaul.

“I recommend the program to all students and alumni who take their careers seriously,” says Marquez. “It is extremely useful for anyone who wants to find out about a company or industry and go after what they want.

Marquez is so pleased with the program that he is interested in giving back to DePaul by becoming a volunteer to help alumni and students connect with his company.

The Office of Alumni Relations facilitates all initial connections made through the program, but it is up to participants to decide how to use it to their benefit. “It is important to be ready to talk to the Corporate Connectors volunteers,” Fashing advises participants. “They are performing this service on their free time, so do your research on their company ahead of time and be ready to use this benefit to your advantage.”

By Andrew Zamorski

DePaul’s New Startup Lab Will Link Students and Alumni Entrepreneurs

Terri Lonier, executive director of the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center

Imagine a space where business ideas meet execution and entrepreneur novices convene with seasoned business owners. The space would be dynamic, with tables and chairs on wheels that could be workstations one minute and audience seating for workshops and guest speakers the next.

The venue would be located in downtown Chicago, a city that has become a hotbed of entrepreneurship. For DePaul students and alumni entrepreneurs, such a space would be the place where dreams are made real.

Well, imagine no more.

DePaul, in collaboration with the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at the
Driehaus College of Business, is launching a new entrepreneurial startup lab and co-working space in the DePaul Center on the Loop Campus. Set to open in 2015, the startup lab will provide a place for students to work on their new business ventures, alumni to connect, and members of the Chicago business community to network, says Terri Lonier, executive director of the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center.

“We are frequently contacted by alumni asking how they can get involved,” Lonier says. “This new startup lab will provide a physical space that will help them become more involved with entrepreneurial-minded students, network with other DePaul alumni, and connect with the Chicago entrepreneurial community. Even though they may have been out of school for a few years or even several decades, we want our alumni to be a part of the vibrant DePaul entrepreneurial family.”

The lab will differ from other co-working spaces that nurture startups downtown, Lonier says, because it will be student-focused and serve diverse business interests in the heart of the Loop. “Our startup lab will bring together a broad cross-section of individuals and ideas,” she says. “It is designed to be an entrepreneurial hub for the entire university.”

Preliminary startup lab rendering

Bridging the Gap

The lab is just one of many ways DePaul and its Coleman Entrepreneurship Center connect students and alumni with the resources they need to turn their business dreams into reality. Founded in 2003 with a grant from the Coleman Foundation, a Chicago-based organization that supports entrepreneurial education, the center partners with the university’s nationally ranked academic entrepreneurship program to provide a holistic environment for new venture development.

“We are the place where theory meets action,” says Lonier. “Our students learn valuable concepts in the classroom, and at the center it all comes together through application and practice.”

Lonier said the center’s purpose is to advise, inspire and connect students and alumni, helping them bridge the gap between an idea and a viable business venture. In addition, the center serves as a conduit for DePaul alumni to mentor, empower and encourage students to become leaders of business ventures.

“We host visiting entrepreneurs at workshops and informal sessions so that students can see what the entrepreneurship lifestyle is like,” Lonier says. “We also connect students with each other across the university, and with alumni, through either mentorships or work at startups. In addition, we connect alumni with each other and the wider Chicago business community by providing learning and networking opportunities.”

Among the alumni who have benefited from these connections is Ramzey Nassar (BUS ’13), founder of ThreadMeUp, a web platform used to design, order, crowd-fund or sell custom apparel. “The Coleman Entrepreneurship Center was a home away from home for me,” Nassar says, recalling his undergraduate years at DePaul studying entrepreneurship and developing business ideas. “Being a student and running a company can be tough, but finding that balance and having a place with mentors gave me the comfort to know I am not alone.”

Through DePaul, Nassar connected with several other alumni who now work with him at ThreadMeUp. This past summer, Nassar’s company worked with the center to provide an internship at ThreadMeUp for a DePaul undergraduate interested in entrepreneurship.

Many Ways to Connect

The Coleman Entrepreneurship Center produces or hosts a wide range of programs, events and networking opportunities.

These initiatives include:

Launch DePaul: An annual new venture competition where DePaul students and recent alumni present their business plans to a panel of professional investors and established entrepreneurs for the opportunity to win cash, awards and in-kind professional services. Alumni frequently are contest judges and help sponsor and support the competition.

Startup internship program: A summer internship program for students who want to work for Chicago-based startup companies. The program was launched this year with a grant from the John E. and Jeanne T. Hughes Foundation.

Student Innovation Awards: An annual student business idea competition that awards scholarships. The contest is sponsored by the entrepreneurship center’s advisory board members and co-hosted by DePaul’s Center for Creativity and Innovation.

Workshops and speaker events: These programs allow students to learn lessons from entrepreneurial DePaul alumni and Chicago startup founders.

The Launch DePaul competition, in particular, is a key way for alumni to engage with DePaul’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Participants say the insights provided by the involvement of established entrepreneurs, many of them DePaul alumni, are priceless. “I’ve been on the other side and I know what it’s like to want that feedback,” says Launch DePaul judge

Greg Jaros (CDM ’86), a founder and CEO of Spare to Share, an online goods exchange. “That’s why I became a judge. I wanted to help other students get the feedback they need
to be successful.”

Such feedback is much appreciated by students like marketing major Bianca Perry. Her company, BBands, created with business partner and fellow DePaul student Jessica Weaver to market colorful headbands, was one of six finalists in the 2014 Launch DePaul competition. Perry says: “To send out your business pitch and have it critiqued by professionals and investors and to have them offer you suggestions and guidance on how to make your business better—it’s an invaluable experience.”

Want to learn more about entrepreneurship at DePaul? Visit the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center.

By Ovetta Sampson