‘Powerful Humility’ Drives Ukrainians to Selflessly Defend their Homeland, says DePaul Alumna Who Served as Ukraine Finance Minister

Natalie Jaresko (BUS ’87), an American-Ukrainian investment banker who previously served as Minister of Finance of Ukraine, delivered a speech at the 15th Annual Consular Corps Luncheon, hosted by The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy at DePaul. | Photo by Jackson Junkin

Natalie Jaresko (BUS ’87), former Minister of Finance of Ukraine, delivered a speech at the 15th Annual Consular Corps Luncheon, hosted by The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy at DePaul. | Photo by Jackson Junkin

Driehaus College of Business alumna Natalie Jaresko (BUS ’87), an American-Ukrainian investment banker who served as Minister of Finance of Ukraine from 2014-2016, returned to DePaul this spring to deliver an impassioned address about the war-torn Eastern European nation.

Jaresko was the keynote speaker at the 15th Annual Consular Corps Luncheon, hosted by The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy at DePaul and its director, David Wellman. The event—attended by consuls general representing countries from around the world, faculty and staff—returned to the Lincoln Park Campus April 28 after a two-year hiatus.

Jaresko began her remarks by referencing the graphic news coverage of the war in Ukraine, which has raised worldwide awareness of both the brutality and heroism that are a daily part of Ukrainian life since Russia invaded the country Feb. 24.

“There is a common thread woven through each of these stories you hear, each of these photos that you’ve seen,” she said. “It is a powerful insistence on a right to self-determination. It is a powerful humility exhibited by each person and each act of kindness, selflessness, strength and unity.

“St. Vincent de Paul said ‘the most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility, for he does not know how to employ it and neither does he know how to defend himself from it’,” she continued. “And this is the reason Ukraine must win this war.”

Natalie Jaresko (BUS ’87) was the keynote speaker at the 15th Annual Consular Corps Luncheon, hosted by The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy at DePaul. The event—attended by consuls general representing countries from around the world, faculty and staff—returned to the Lincoln Park Campus April 28 after a two-year hiatus.

The event was attended by consuls general representing countries from around the world, faculty and staff. | Photo by Jackson Junkin

The Ukrainian people, Jaresko observed, “are serving as an example to all of us. They are speaking truth to power. They are putting others first. They are protecting one another and defending their right to self-determination. That right to enjoy their identity, their culture, their history, their language and their nation.”

The determining factor in the war, she said, “will be the will of the people of Ukraine” to defend their democracy.

“Their strength comes from humility…a deep love of their homeland, and from a humble desire to live freely in our own communities, speak whatever language you wish, practice whatever religion you wish, and demanding of ourselves as much as we demand of our leaders,” she said.

The opportunity to speak about Ukraine at DePaul was “a great honor,” Jaresko said, “because this is the school that inspired me to pursue a life of public service.”

Watch Jaresko’s full speech in the video below.

By Robin Florzak

Major Gift Creates Emerging Company Program at DePaul University

Errol R. Halperin and his wife, Libby, support startups launched by students, alumni and others

Coleman Entrepreneurship Center sign

DePaul University alumnus Errol R. Halperin (BUS ’64, JD ’67), and his wife, Libby Halperin, made a major gift to the university at the end of last year to create a new business entrepreneurship program. Mr. Halperin is a retired partner and strategic advisor to the global business law firm DLA Piper. Mr. Halperin has also served as a board member of various public and private companies. He is currently on the board of Elkay Manufacturing Company, Pangea Properties and Elkay Interior Systems.

The Halperin Emerging Company Fund will give DePaul the capital to make equity investments in startups that show potential for growth and job creation. These investments will be available to DePaul students and alumni and, on occasion, other individuals to give them opportunity to form, structure, and grow newly envisioned businesses. Qualified investors may also be given the opportunity to co- invest in these newly formed companies.

“We’re proud to partner with Mr. Halperin to help launch this exciting program,” says Bruce Leech, director of the Driehaus College of Business’ Coleman Entrepreneurship Center (CEC), which oversees the program’s fund created by the gift. “This gift will not only allow for the growth of startup companies, but expands our ability as a university to serve those in our community with innovative and purposeful ideas.”

Although housed in the Driehaus College of Business, the program will serve all of DePaul’s colleges and schools, encouraging entrepreneurial innovation across academic disciplines through collaborative activities and discussion. Since receiving this gift, the CEC has been working to assemble an advisory committee composed of DePaul faculty, graduate students and alumni as well as distinguished advisors from the business community. The committee will be tasked with offering recommendations on equity investments in new businesses and is currently in the process of establishing standards for the application process and review of eligible startups.

The program’s emphasis on linking academia and industry reflects the nationally esteemed Coleman Entrepreneurship Center’s experiential-learning initiatives, such as its industry-expert mentorship program and a recently launched incubator program for social-impact startups. The latter may provide a beneficial pipeline of business candidates for program-funding consideration. With this recent gift, Halperin helps bolster DePaul’s commitment to growing an entrepreneurial ecosystem strengthened by academic innovation and community investment.

“My own DePaul education provided the ideal foundation for a career in which I’ve counseled countless clients in general business, manufacturing and the real estate industry,” says Mr. Halperin. “I’m honored to be able to help students, fellow alumni and other DePaul partners to learn those same, invaluable skills while developing businesses that create employment and build community.”

From Inspiration to Innovation: A Q&A with Serial Entrepreneur Russ Gottesman (MBA ’11)

Alumnus Russ Gottesman (MBA ’11)

Alumnus Russ Gottesman (MBA ’11)

Entrepreneur Russ Gottesman’s first venture, CommuterAds, began as a business idea he pitched to win the 2008 New Venture Challenge, an annual student competition for aspiring business founders sponsored by DePaul’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center.

Today, Gottesman (MBA ’11) is CEO of CommuterAds, a Dayton, Ohio-based business that has placed more than $25 million in audio and digital advertising on public transit vehicles using a patented GPS-enabled system. Always seeking new ideas to turn into businesses, he also recently launched Cocktail Claw, a franchise that brings arcade claw machine fun to a wide range of celebrations.

In this Q&A, Gottesman talks about his entrepreneurial inspirations and how he’s giving back to the next generation of student and alumni innovators through his continuing involvement with the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center.

Tell us about your most recent venture, Cocktail Claw.

This is my favorite part of entrepreneurship, starting new ventures and seeing them take root. In July 2019, I bought a claw machine from a laundromat in Louisville to surprise my daughter, Avery, for her sixth birthday, as she an avid claw machine advocate AND winner!

Cocktail Claw

Cocktail Claw is a franchise that brings arcade claw machine fun to a wide range of celebrations.

I went to the CommuterAds office to tell my team about Avery’s birthday present and said, “Hey, let’s fill that machine with miniature bottles of booze and cigars and I’ll invite the whole team over!” Boom, what a great idea for weddings, charities and other parties, I thought! Cocktail Claw was born.

We are now one of a small number of companies that have successfully franchised their business model, having sold franchises in Ohio and Michigan. Just last month we were approved to sell franchises for Cocktail Claw in Illinois, too, and are actively looking for partners to join our family. In addition, and taking a lesson from CommuterAds, Cocktail Claw successfully secured a service mark and has several patents filed for both new tech and design patents.

The greatest part about our newest venture is that we work with partners on their brightest days. Weddings, backyard parties, corporate parties are a core market, and charities also utilize Cocktail Claw. That has been so rewarding.

Why did you choose to attend DePaul and how has being a Blue Demon impacted your career?

Choosing DePaul for my graduate studies was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made. I applied to exactly one graduate school program – DePaul – because it’s consistently well-ranked for entrepreneurship. In the summer of 2007, I decided to pursue my Master of Business Administration with a dual concentration in entrepreneurship and in strategy, execution and valuation.

DePaul’s entrepreneurship ecosystem added to my career trajectory in immeasurable ways. The Coleman Entrepreneurship Center’s mentor system and in-depth workshops are designed to build base platforms for emerging business—such as developing your company’s financial models, go-to market strategies, marketing concepts, pricing, social media and all things needed to launch a business. These resources are incredible. But it’s the Blue Demon connections that make the most impact, where we are always one phone call away from finding the best person to help solve a complex start-up or business challenge.

A major influence on my small business experience also came from DePaul superstar lecturer Dr. (Mark) Frigo. He wrote a book titled “Driven,” which utilizes the return driven strategy framework that really is a blueprint for what comes next after your business gets to market.

As a Coleman Entrepreneurship Center board member, how are you helping the next generation of DePaul entrepreneurs?

One of the most satisfying parts of achieving some form of long-term small business success is being able to shape the next generation of DePaul entrepreneurs who are some of the most talented, diverse and creative groups of students you could ask for.

The CEC allows our entire group to collaborate on constant innovation for our students. This, in short, means that we are collaborating to create new in-person programs and chart the overall path for both the short and long terms. (CEC Executive Director) Bruce (Leech) has done an incredible job assembling the most talented group of individuals that I have seen serve on any board I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of. That adds up to sustained success for all students at DePaul who may touch entrepreneurship in some form or fashion.

What connections have you made among other alumni?

The Coleman Center is the heartbeat for the program and a main benefit of joining up with DePaul’s entrepreneurship program is for the community.

For example, through this community I connected with Fern Visutvattanasak (BUS MS ’18), who is now marketing and operations account director for Commuter Ads and also is helping to market Cocktail Claw.

I met Fern through the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center when she was an MS in Marketing Analysis student. She is a supremely talented marketing pro originally from Thailand and as part of her student visa work program, Bruce and I were looking for possible positions for her to apply this talent. Fern has been with our companies ever since and recently started her fourth year overseeing marketing and brand management, building various social media platforms and overseeing a dozen interns to make CommuterAds and Cocktail Claw stand out.

What’s the best thing about being an entrepreneur?

It’s one thing to have an idea and it’s another to have the organizational skill set required to be successful in business and in life. It’s quite another to pull these two things together and see a business concept you had simply in your mind explode onto the scene. For example, the sheer joy that Cocktail Claw brings to the people who rent the machines and their guests who use them is just awesome! Same goes for helping public transit agencies create new revenue streams utilizing our patent at CommuterAds.

Second is developing new tech to create credible genuine assets. For CommuterAds we secured a patent, a major milestone achieved, and first filed when I was a student at DePaul. We are the sole company in the country to offer our GPS messaging platform onboard public transit vehicles and would like to significantly expand our partnership base post pandemic.

Next, we knew that we had to innovate our offerings for Cocktail Claw. We had listened to our customers who were early adopters of Cocktail Claw, which launched months before the pandemic closed down much of the country. Brides were saying, “Should we rent a photo booth or a Cocktail Claw?” The innovator in me decided it was time to develop new tech that would wire the claw machine to a photo booth that snapped pictures of happy guests playing Cocktail Claw! We recently launched this new product at the Las Vegas Wedding MBA convention to wild success.

Being able to control your destiny through new market innovation is an incredible feeling.

By Robin Florzak | Photos courtesy of Russ Gottesman

Alumnus Helps Students Learn the Power of Social Media Marketing

DePaul business alumnus Marshall Hamilton

DePaul business alumnus Marshall Hamilton

DePaul business alumnus Marshall Hamilton may have graduated eight years ago, but he’s still making an impact in the classroom.

“Marshall has been a kind of silent hero in bringing Sprout to students,” says Chris Hjorth, a marketing instructor at the Driehaus College of Business. “This is a unique opportunity students are getting, to be able to walk away from a class with hands-on experience in a tool like Sprout that is used in companies all over the country.

Hamilton (BA ’12) is director of sales strategy at Sprout Social, a Chicago-based software media company that helps brands reach and engage their audiences, manage their social media accounts, and capture and measure digital marketing data.

It’s been a couple of years since Hjorth and Hamilton first teamed up to develop ways to integrate Sprout’s software into Hjorth’s popular social media marketing course for undergraduate and graduate business students, a course that often sees long waitlists when she teaches it every quarter.

Hamilton didn’t know Hjorth back when he was a student at DePaul, but he did know Jacqueline Kuehl, director of the business college’s Digital Marketing Program. It was she who had initially reached out to him inquiring about opportunities to utilize Sprout as an educational tool in the classroom. Kuehl soon introduced Hamilton and Hjorth so they could work together, and the partnership continues to this day.

“DePaul more than a lot of other universities does this well. It recognizes that classroom experience needs to be combined with real-world experience,” Hamilton says. “I feel passionate about helping DePaul bridge that gap and felt this was the perfect two-fold opportunity. I could give back to a community I care about while also help us at Sprout learn more about how we can operate in the educational space, as it’s an area we’re interested in exploring.”

Mining Social Media Data

Senior Instructor of Marketing Christine Hjorth

Senior Instructor of Marketing Christine Hjorth

With Hamilton’s help, Sprout became a part of Hjorth’s marketing course in two important ways. First through its publishing tool, which students use to create, manage and publish social media posts, and second through its listening studies, which, Hjorth says, are critical to effective social media marketing.

Listening studies involve scraping conversations between consumers on social media, primarily off of Twitter since the conversations need to be public. Then Sprout organizes those conversations into metrics from which companies can pull insights for their brand. “It’s like the world’s biggest focus group because you’re listening to conversations that allow you to pick up trends that can give you ideas about content and strategy,” Hjorth says.

Using Sprout, students in Hjorth’s course have been able to conduct listening studies as part of class assignments. “I can tell them: do a listening study on something general like coffee, or I can be more specific and ask them to do a study on how Dunkin Donuts’ new marketing campaign is doing. Either way, students get this great first-hand experience in listening studies and also in data analytics,” Hjorth says. “There’s so much data out there, and its huge for students to have access to it and learn how to develop insights that are actionable.”

Students see the value in it, too. “I definitely enjoyed the Sprout Social listening work,” says Lauren Morten, a Kellstadt Graduate School of Business student who took Hjorth’s class in fall 2020. “It was so valuable to practice my social listening skills in real-time and on a real-life dashboard that I will likely use in my future career.”

The second element of Sprout’s platform that students are using is its publishing tool. Learning how to create content calendars and craft social media marketing content, students have been able to take it a step further and learn how to publish their posts using Sprout’s platform.

“It’s practical hands-on experience, but it’s also more than that,” says Hjorth, “Knowing that this type of software exists in the first place and understanding its power and potential is just as valuable.”

Hamilton agrees: “Social media used to be an afterthought within businesses, but now its role is more complex because it’s tied directly to revenue. Helping students understand that is important because your experience with social media as a regular user is different from your experience with social media within a professional business context.”

“I could have talked about listening studies or explained how publishing works on a social media management platform,” continues Hjorth. “But I could have never shown students how it works, or had them practice it themselves, without Hamilton’s help. I’m grateful DePaul has such a large and active alumni network we can tap into to open these doors for students.”

DePaul, Business Leaders and Alumni Host Diversity Discussions

The Driehaus College of Business hosted several thought-provoking virtual events in 2021 that brought together business leaders, alumni and the DePaul community to explore issues involving diversity, equity and inclusion in business.

DePaul President A. Gabriel Esteban, PhD, and Malik Murray (BUS ’96, MBA ’04) hosted a fireside chat with Ariel Investments founder, Chairman, Co-CEO & Chief Investment Officer John Rogers, Jr. on Feb. 26. The discussion covered topics that included Ariel Alternatives’ “Project Black” initiative, the first Black-owned mutual fund with a mission to invest and scale minority-owned businesses.

The college’s Faculty and Staff Committee on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity sponsored “Conversations on Race in the Workplace” Jan. 21. This virtual panel discussion featured chief diversity officers sharing how to cultivate anti-racist organizations. The event was moderated by Stephanie Shipp, (DBA’19), Director of Strategy, Operations and Planning, Dell Technologists. Panelists were:

  • Florida Starks, PhD, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, ConAgra Brands
  • Eric Fulbright, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Best Buy
  • David Romero (MSHR ’18), Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Wipfli LLP
  • Shanis Windland, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, VMware

On March 3, the Department of Marketing hosted a virtual panel discussion, “Bringing Diversity to the Workplace,” during which business professionals and DePaul marketing students reflected on this topic.

Alumna Alex White Bridges the Music-Business Gap

Francis White and Alex White (BUS ’07)

Using the skills she learned as an undergraduate DePaul student, Miss Alex White has turned her band, White Mystery, into a sustainable music business through which she and her brother, Francis White (left), produce outdoor festivals, consult for artists and mentor music business students.

 

As industry leaders, it’s our responsibility to learn all of the Vincentian, ethical lessons that I feel DePaul does a really good job at emphasizing in the MBA program—that people in money decisions aren’t just data.”

— Miss Alex White (BUS ’07)

In 2008, Miss Alex White (BUS ’07) made a pact with her brother, Francis White, to commit full-time to their newly formed punk band, White Mystery, for the next 10 years.

Throughout the next decade, the sibling rock duo fulfilled that pact by living and breathing music 24 hours a day. To date, White Mystery has played more than 1,000 shows on three continents with music icons including Iggy Pop, Garbage, Mavis Staples, Patti Smith and even Sir Richard Branson; appeared in a national Levi’s Jeans ad campaign; performed live on the NBC late night TV show, “Last Call with Carson Daly”; and self-released 10 records – all without a manager or publicist. White partly credits her band’s success to lessons she learned in the DePaul class, Effective Business Communications, that she took as an undergraduate business student with Associate Professor of Marketing Joel Whalen — lessons that include how to properly introduce yourself and market your business to others.

“I use the lessons from Dr. Joel Whalen’s class every day,” White says. “So many times you’ll receive an email from somebody and it’s just a too-long-to-read autobiography about the person’s experience and the reality is that a lot of business people in music and beyond receive dozens and dozens of emails every day.”

Using these skills, White has turned White Mystery into a sustainable music business through which she and her brother produce outdoor festivals, consult for artists and mentor music business students.

Now, White has returned to DePaul to earn her MBA with a concentration in Real Estate Finance & Investment. She juggles school with a full-time job as the senior market and experience manager for Do312, a virtual Chicago network that helps people discover happenings in Chicago, and side gigs that consist of spinning records for clubs and parties, writing a column for High Times magazine and working on freelance consulting projects that have been featured in Forbes magazine.

Hitting the High Notes On and Off the Stage

Francis White and Alex White

Miss Alex White (right) made a pact with her brother, Francis White (left), to commit full-time to their band for 10 years.

Born and raised in Chicago, White and her brother grew up listening to rock ‘n roll classics on her parents’ vinyl collection – The Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin and The Who. She and her brother began playing musical instruments around 5 and 3 year’s old, respectively, and began jamming together at 13 and 11 year’s old.

As a high school student at Northside College Prep, White played in a number of bands. She also held a part-time job at Laurie’s Planet of Sound, a music store in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, where she developed an appreciation for vinyl records. She discovered she could manufacture seven-inch vinyl records – also known as 45s – from a record-pressing plant in Nashville. Under the name Missile X Records, White began producing 45 records and selling and releasing music through a one-page website.

“We took the punk approach where we Xeroxed black and white covers for these 45s and got a bunch of friends together, folded the covers and then we mail-ordered them all around the world,” she says.

Although White thought she might study art, she was exposed to the idea of being self-employed from a Chicago Tribune article that highlighted the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul. “Jumping into entrepreneurship opened up a whole new world to me and a method of uniting my love of the arts with actually creating a career,” she says.

She enrolled in the Driehaus College of Business where she studied business management, sales leadership and entrepreneurship, later graduating with a bachelor’s in business cum laude. On the day of commencement, White was busy touring Europe under with her band, Miss Alex White & the Red Orchestra.

A year later, White, who added “Miss” to her given name to create her stage persona, and her brother started performing as White Mystery and playing up to 250 shows in one year. My brother Francis and I started White Mystery as an all-encompassing band and brand, where it started as just a sibling rock duo and transformed into what it is today, where we produce outdoor festivals, and help brainstorm solutions to challenges in the entertainment industry,” she says.

Shaping the Future of Music Business

Miss Alex White and Francis White

Miss Alex White (left) enrolled into the Driehaus College of Business to study entrepreneurship and later returned to DePaul to pursue an MBA.

I hope that in going through the DePaul MBA program that I become a better leader and help shape the culture of music and the arts to be a more diverse place for entrepreneurs to thrive.”

Today, White Mystery performs fewer shows while White continues to focus on her MBA. She served on the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center’s advisory board and helped form an alumni association, called eMerge, for emerging entrepreneurs. In the last 10 years, she’s mentored more than 30 college and high school students as well as the DePaul Blue Demons Men’s basketball team interested in entrepreneurship through guest-teaching, networking programs and consulting projects.

“Now that I am so overwhelmed by my workload from morning until night, I now am seeking mentorship,” she says. “Just because you mentor other people, it doesn’t mean you have it all figured out. It’s nice to actually have leadership from someone who is maybe a phase ahead of you but they can help you with the obstacles that you face.”

White also served as vice president of the Chicago Chapter of the Recording Academy, the organization responsible for the annual Grammy Awards. One of her proudest achievements while serving on the board of governors was successfully advocating for online streaming artists to be considered for nominations. The rule led to Chicago native Chance the Rapper winning multiple Grammy awards in 2017.

Following years of professional growth and experience, White says getting her MBA at this point in her career felt right, especially as the pandemic has impacted the music industry. She ultimately hopes to use her MBA to work in an executive leadership role and open doors for other musicians.

“I hope that in going through the DePaul MBA program that I become a better leader and help shape the culture of music and the arts to be a more diverse place for entrepreneurs to thrive and a place where women and people of color can also achieve leadership goals in creating environments that are more progressive,” she says.

“I feel that we, as industry leaders, have a responsibility to learn all of the Vincentian, ethical lessons that I feel DePaul does a really good job at emphasizing in the MBA program—(such as) that people in money decisions aren’t just data. There’s a very real human element that needs to be considered in decision-making and, as Blue Demons, we need to make sure we are the voice in the room that really emphasizes that.”

By Jaclyn Lansbery | Photos by Diane Alexander White 

DePaul Business Student Launches Face Mask Company During COVID-19

DePaul business student Lauren Pingad launched Fashion Masks, a high-quality protective mask venture, in April 2018 with her mother Hui Nye, a draper technician at DePaul’s Theatre School, to help people during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Pingad, who is studying management and entrepreneurship at the Driehaus College of Business, oversees the operations and marketing while Nye takes the lead on production.

Pingad credits DePaul’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center Executive Director Bruce Leech with providing guidance for starting her business.  The center also hosted a “hackathon” competition over the summer that challenged other DePaul students to create marketing ideas for Fashion Masks.

The business focuses on producing masks with premium cotton fabric, adjustability and fit, and has partnered with at least 15 different real estate businesses, apartment complexes, hotels and medical clinics throughout Chicago to provide masks.

Watch the full video to learn more about this startup:

DePaul MBA Alumnus and Professor Collaborate to Release Jazz CD

Dario Napoli

DePaul MBA alumnus Dario Napoli

Nov. 18 marks the U.S. release date for “Bella Vita,” a gypsy jazz CD that is the culmination of a unique musical collaboration between Dario Napoli, an Italian musician and DePaul MBA alumnus, and Steven Briggs, DePaul business professor emeritus and founder of Blue Night Records, a jazz/Americana music label.

In this Q&A, Napoli and Briggs talk about the origins and results of their musical partnership, which began 15 years ago when Napoli was a student at DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.

How did you first meet?

Napoli: So, in 2005 I began my MBA at DePaul and Steven taught a negotiations class that I took. I noticed right away that his approach to teaching was unconventional and creative and it truly was my favorite class even before I knew anything about Steven’s involvement in music. One of the assignments in the class was discussing our passions and our desires in life, and of course, that’s when Steven found out that music had been my No. 1 passion, ever since childhood. That prompted Steven to inquire more about me and so one day after class we chatted a bit and he invited me to bring my guitar so we could jam.

When did you start playing as musicians together?

Briggs: At my suggestion during our after-class discussion the first week, Dario brought his guitar to the second class session. Mine was in my office. We found a spot in the lobby after class and the notes began to fly. I was shocked at his musical knowledge and improvisational skills. We started jamming every Friday night until we got a few duet gigs here and there, sometimes on Chicago’s North Shore, and sometimes in my neck of the woods—Galena, Ill.  My wife, Barbara, is a great singer, so she joined us for the Galena gigs. Collectively, we were called “Swing Shift” and we had a blast playing in various Galena venues.

Napoli: After that first post-class jam, we got a lot closer and the jams became more frequent. Then Steven invited me to his beautiful house in Galena and there was more jamming. Since we had so much fun, we then started playing regular shows at a beautiful local restaurant in Galena, One Eleven Main.

Dario, why did you decide to focus on music as a career?

Napoli: On and off, I had always been involved in music since my high school days, at times more seriously (like in college in Louisiana), at times more as a hobby. Nonetheless, I basically never took time off from music since about the age of 12. After I met Steven, the idea of dedicating my life entirely to music grew stronger and stronger in me, as a result of the activities in his class and then as our friendship developed. He was a huge reason I made the leap in that direction and don’t regret it to this day. Steven helped me realize that life is so much better when you’re truly spending time doing what you love. Everything in life requires a tremendous amount of work, sacrifice and dedication; it might as well be toward something you genuinely enjoy doing.

A huge aspect of music is also the business side of it. The MBA at DePaul helped me greatly in always looking at things not only with the musician hat on but also with the management, booking, promoting and marketing hats on as well, (which are) vital in sustaining a career.

Steven, how did you found Blue Night Records?

Briggs: In 1996 I was the “arrangements chair” for the National Academy of Arbitrators’ 50th Anniversary Conference in Chicago. Part of my job was to hire musicians for several events. Among the cats I hired was Don Stiernberg, a Chicago jazz mandolinist and guitarist. He and I became friends and I offered to finance/produce a CD that featured him. The result was “About Time,” Blue Night Records’ first release, in 1998. “Bella Vita” by Dario and his trio, Modern Manouche Project, is our 16th CD release.

How did “Bella Vita” come about?

Briggs: Dario has been living in Italy for at least 10 years, and we’ve kept in touch the whole time. While he has a strong following across Europe and beyond, he had never released a record (yes, we still call them that) for the U.S. market. He sent me a nine-track demo he had recorded with Modern Manouche Project, and after some additional mastering and revised packaging it became “Bella Vita.”

Napoli: In January 2020 I recorded the demo with “Modern Manouche Project,” a trio I sometimes lead. As with all my previous recordings, one is always automatically reserved for Steven. A few weeks after I sent him a copy, Steven reached out and to let me know he was impressed with the work and wanted to release it as a CD, releasing it in the U.S. under the Blue Night Records mantle. The rest is history!

What’s next for each of you?

Briggs: Dario and I have already begun discussions about the next Blue Night Records’ release. I want to feature him again, but this time all of the tracks will be his original compositions.

Napoli: Before March and the advent of the coronavirus, we (Modern Manouche Project) had just completed a northern European tour. Things were really looking promising as we had a schedule full of exciting tours and concerts. That came to a bit of a halt, but we are still optimistic about being able to tour and present “Bella Vita” both here in Europe and in the U.S. I’m also writing new music and will look to record the new Blue Night Records album sometime in the next year, if the world returns to some semblance of normalcy.

Anything you would like to add?

Napoli: I suppose life grants you a certain number of crucial encounters, mentors or significant people that somehow inspire you and guide you toward a path you were likely bound to take. Steven was one of those people for me, someone whose integrity and personality just stood out for me. I’m honored to this day to have met him and more than once, listened to his advice and followed his example. And none of it would have likely happened without my experience at DePaul University.


Q&A conducted by Robin Florzak | Photos courtesy of Dario Napoli and Steven Briggs

Business Students Spread Financial Literacy in the Community

James Valentine, a clinical professor of finance in the Driehaus College of Business and executive director of the Driehaus Center for Behavioral Finance, created this course two years ago to help underprivileged communities in Chicago.

James Valentine, a clinical professor of finance in the Driehaus College of Business and executive director of the Driehaus Center for Behavioral Finance, created a financial literacy course two years ago to help underprivileged communities in Chicago.

Students in James Valentine’s “Exploring and Sharing Financial Literacy” course aren’t just learning the fundamentals of financial literacy, they’re teaching it to community-based organizations in Chicago who want to share these skills with their communities.

A visit to one of Valentine’s fall class sessions revealed students and community leaders gathered in groups around the classroom, engaging in topics that ranged from how to create a budget to managing personal finances to techniques for improving individual credit scores. During the quarter students also met with leaders at their organizations to facilitate the lessons, deepening the hands-on learning experience for the students, who were all undergraduate finance majors.

Valentine, a clinical professor of finance in the Driehaus College of Business and executive director of the Driehaus Center for Behavioral Finance, created the course two years ago. “I wanted to utilize my finance teaching skills to help underprivileged communities in Chicago,” he says. “I’m happy I found a way to do that through DePaul, to provide this opportunity to our students.”

The coursework is heavily based on the University of Illinois’ All My Money: Change for the Better extension program, a train-the-trainer financial management program that is also offered through the State of Illinois.

Students spend the first four weeks of the course learning the foundational elements of financial literacy and principles of small group facilitation, and the remaining weeks teaching financial literacy content to the community leaders. In the process, students get to learn, apply and teach theories from behavioral finance, personal finance and adult learning.

“The DePaul University Steans Center [which supports community-based service learning] connects me with community-based organizations who are interested in receiving financial literacy training,” explains Valentine. “So far, we’ve had anywhere from five to nine CBOs participate in each course.”

The financial literacy kits that community-based organizations (CBOs) receive as part of their training, including handouts and facilitator guides, are funded by the Steans Center and the Driehaus Center for Behavioral Finance.

I wanted to utilize my finance teaching skills to help underprivileged communities in Chicago. I’m happy I found a way to do that through DePaul, to provide this opportunity to our students.”
— Clinical Professor of Finance James Valentine

Cody Cotton, co-founder of A Greater Good Foundation, was one of the CBO leaders who participated in the fall 2019 course.

“We’re a youth mentoring non-for-profit that provides social and emotional learning skills to high school and college-aged kids throughout the West and South Sides of Chicago,” shares Cotton. “It’s been extremely valuable to my organization and the youth we serve to receive this training from DePaul. And it’s helped me on a personal level, too. This class brought me a lot of self-awareness about my own habits and behaviors when it comes to finances.”

Ryan McCormick (far right) is a senior who took the class “Exploring and Sharing Financial Literacy” in fall 2019.

 

Ryan McCormick, a senior who took the class in which Cotton participated, says “it felt rewarding to be a part of a class that benefits the community.”

“It was an enlightening experience to realize how so many people don’t have the knowledge or skills they need when it comes to financial planning,” Ryan says.

Another positive outcome of the course was a translation project Valentine initiated with the help of the Department of Modern Languages at DePaul. “Many CBO leaders expressed the need to have the financial literacy handouts translated into Spanish since many of the under-resourced communities that need this information are Spanish-speaking,” explains Valentine. “We just wrapped up the process of translating these handouts during winter quarter, so they are available for those communities that need a Spanish version.”

“Exploring and Sharing Financial Literacy” is typically scheduled twice a year for finance majors at the Driehaus College of Business, but Valentine hopes to eventually make it available to all students at the college, especially since it meets DePaul’s experiential learning requirement. “For students who can’t afford to study abroad or aren’t fortunate enough to obtain an internship, this course provides a perfect opportunity for them to engage in experiential learning, meet that requirement, and all through a course offered in their college.”

By Nadia Alfadel Coloma | Photos by Kathy Hillegonds

What Census Data Means for DePaul Economists, Housing Researchers and Students

Census stock photoThis year the U.S. Census Bureau began the monumental effort of counting the population of the country, starting in January with a remote village in Alaska. This undertaking takes place every 10 years, but the Bureau is active every year, collecting an enormous body of data via monthly surveys to get an ongoing pulse on various issues, including employment and unemployment, healthcare, household size and incomes, to name a few. So why is this data collection important, from an economist’s perspective?

Professors in the Driehaus College of Business shed some light on how they use census data in their research and teaching.

“As a macroeconomist, I use census data all the time for the analysis of unemployment,” shares Mike Miller, associate dean and economics professor in the college. “Analyzing the number of people in and out of work helps us measure production and the size of the economy. The census is so important because it’s what we economists use to figure out this information.”

William Sanders, emeritus professor who taught in the Department of Economics for more than three decades before retiring in 2019, is an expert on urban economic development and education economics. He used census data extensively in his research to study the correlation between household location and educational attainment in Chicago metropolitan areas, including how private school options in Chicago affect academic achievement for various demographic groups.

“The census provides a large sample of households that enables us researchers to statistically estimate the effects of numerous factors like education and demographic characteristics on a large number of outcomes like employment, wages and income,” says Sanders.

The college’s Institute for Housing Studies, meanwhile, regularly engages in research around housing affordability, housing finance, homeownership, sustainable neighborhood redevelopment and other emerging trends—all of which rely heavily on census data.

As part of their work, the institute produces an annual report called the State of Rental Housing in Cook County that tracks changing rental demand, the supply of rental housing, and how these dynamics affect access to affordable rental housing for Cook County’s lowest income households.

“The census is really the only publicly available data source that allows us to understand current and changing economic and demographic conditions at the neighborhood level,” explains Geoff Smith, executive director of the Institute for Housing Studies. “This type of information is critical for understanding the changing nature of housing demand. We even used it in our work supporting the development of Chicago’s most recent Five-Year Housing Plan.”

Census data also finds its way into DePaul business classrooms—and not just economics courses. Associate Professor Suzanne Fogel, who teaches in the Department of Marketing, has created census assignments in her Precision Marketing course. “One of the assignments is to have students compare two zip codes, write consumer profiles of each, and recommend five products for each area that would be a good fit, but wouldn’t be right for the other area, and five products that would be a good fit for both,” explains Fogel.

Fogel’s assignments teach students how to pull data from the census at very detailed levels and how to put together a coherent profile from disparate data. “Students also learn the limitations of relying on demographic data for marketing, instead of things like product purchase data, market research data and other sources,” she says.

The 2020 Census operations will continue through the remainder of the calendar year, and it has never been easier to respond; individuals can complete the census either online, over the phone or by mail. And what about the April, 1, 2020 Census Day? It’s not a deadline, it’s merely a reference date to inform the U.S. Census Bureau of where you live as of April 1. So if you haven’t filled out the census yet, you can still do so. Just visit 2020census.gov.

By Nadia Alfadel Coloma