Alan Kay, the pioneering computer scientist, once said that “the best way to predict the future is to create it.”

This advice is being embraced by a growing number of business school alumni worldwide. More than one in ten graduates from the classes of 1959 through 2013 are creating their own futures through entrepreneurship, according to a recent global survey of 21,000 business school alumni by the Graduate Management Admission Council. In addition, the longer they’ve been out of business school, the more likely they are to pursue this path. More than 23 percent of business school graduates who earned diplomas before 1990 are now business owners.

This trend applies to the Driehaus College of Business, where our robust and well-ranked entrepreneurship program has a rich history of preparing students for entrepreneurial opportunities. In our most recent career outcomes report, 11 percent of the Class of 2013 chose entrepreneurship/self-employment as their career path, up from 8 percent for the previous class. What’s more, an increasing number of DePaul alumni who don’t choose to start their own businesses are being recruited by startups.

In our Business Exchange Fall/Winter 2014 feature story, we explore these phenomena through the stories of DePaul business alumni who have used their entrepreneurship education to forge different paths to success. The coverage continues in our Connections section, where you’ll read about new initiatives at DePaul’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center designed to help strengthen the links between students, alumni and the entrepreneur community in Chicago and beyond.

Our plans for new academic programs at the college embody the entrepreneurial spirit as well. This fall, we launched an Evening Cohort MBA program that develops individuals for senior positions in business, consulting and nonprofits through a curriculum that focuses on strategy, leadership and change management. This innovative program combines the best features of full-time and part-time MBA programs by allowing working professionals to experience the camaraderie and network-building benefits of taking all of their MBA classes together as a group, but in a convenient, accelerated after-work schedule.

As part of the Evening Cohort MBA program, we plan to launch a new biannual Charles H. Kellstadt Forum. This series of one-day events will bring together students, alumni and distinguished executives to discuss trends in leadership and management. At the forums, we will showcase current faculty research in conjunction with practical views on leadership and management from executives in Chicago and abroad. We look forward to sharing more about these plans as they unfold and hope you’ll gather ideas for your own future entrepreneurial endeavors at one of the forums.

Ray Whittington

Dean, Driehaus College of Business

How big is big data? Consider this: before you finish reading this column, Google will process more than 2 million searches, Web shoppers will spend more than $272,000 online, Facebook users will share more than 684,000 posts, brands will attract at least 34,000 Facebook “likes” and Twitter will host 100,000 tweets.

This deluge of digital activity happens every minute of every day. It’s part of the exponential growth of data stored in public and private—data that can now be measured in exabytes, or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000- byte increments.

Hidden in this sea of data is a treasure trove of competitive intelligence for businesses. For organizations able to analyze and interpret it effectively, big data can yield deep insights about customers, suppliers, employees and market trends that have the potential to drive innovation, boost productivity and fuel growth.

However, big data also comes with big responsibilities for organizations to ensure the privacy and security of the people behind the numbers. In our cover story and online coverage, we explore these issues through the lenses of alumni, faculty members and experts who are at the forefront of the big data revolution. The rise of big data also is having a big impact on the job market. A recent IBM survey of 900 executives worldwide revealed that a key challenge facing business is finding enough talent skilled in analyzing and interpreting big data.

To help our students take advantage of these opportunities, Kellstadt will soon introduce new, specialized master’s degrees focusing on business data analytics in several disciplines. These degrees will equip our students with the tools and knowledge needed to distill large-scale data into valuable insights that drive business strategy.

Meanwhile, our plans to launch the college’s first doctoral degree also center on creating a distinctive program for executives that emphasizes analytical skills. Our Executive Doctorate in Business Administration degree is designed for business leaders who want to master applied research methods for tackling complex, big-picture business issues.

Finally, the redesign of this publication was guided primarily by data gathered from you, our alumni. In response to your interests, we have expanded Business Exchange (formerly Commerce Exchange) by adding new features that will help you stay engaged with DePaul’s business school and its robust alumni network. The new publication explores major business trends through the thought leadership of alumni, faculty and industry experts. We’ll spotlight advice, resources and connections that promote professional growth among our alumni. We’ll keep you updated on faculty achievements and research that under-score the quality of the business school you attended. And we’ll share the most recent accomplishments of your fellow graduates.

Ray Whittington
Dean, Driehaus College of Business