Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership | Illinois

Ann Abbott
Faculty Fellow, Spanish, Italian & Portuguese
Develops and teaches Spanish in the Commmunity and Spanish and Entrepreneurship

Heather Acton
Alumnus, Engineering
Founder of Envision Lake County, Freelance web designer

Daniel Adler
Alumnus, Law
Founder of Law Offices of Daniel J. Adler, LLC

Irfan S. Ahamad
Executive Director at the University of Illinois Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology
Founder and President of Avicenna Community Health Center

Bruce Artwick
Alumnus, Electrical Engineering
Founder of SubLOGIC

John Bardeen
Faculty, Electrical Engineering
Inventor of transistor

Sarah Beardsley
Alumnus, Business Administration
President of Venus Holding, LLC and Venus Zine

Sue Becker
Alumnus, Accounting
Founder of From Piles to Smiles

Eric Benson
Faculty Fellow, Art + Design
Founder of Re-nourish

Christine Betsill and Johannah Wininsky
Alumni, Dance
Founders of Thread Meddle Outfit

Donald Bitzer
Alumnus, Electrical Engineering
Inventor of plasma display

Amanda Bleatman
Alumnus, Painting
Founder of A.M.B. Jewelry

Edward Boon
Alumnus, Mathematics & Computer
Creator of Mortal Kombat

Samrerng Boonruangruatana
Alumnus, Education
Founder of Her Royal Highness Princess Mahachakri Sirindhorn Hospital of Srinakarinwirot

Bill Boulanger
Alumnus, Chemistry
Founder of Obiter Research, LLC

Liora Bresler
Faculty Fellow, Curriculum & Instruction
Designs and teaches Social Entrepreneurship of Academia

Channing Brown
Alumnus, Computer Science
Founder of Greencourt Software

Carlton Bruett
Alumnus, Graphic Design
Founder of CarltonBruettDesign

Michael Callahan
Alumnus, Systems & Entrepreneurial Engineering
Founder of Ambient Corporation

Rui Cai
Student, Technology and Management
Participant, Illinois Launch
Founder of Effimax Solar

Cassie Carroll
Alumnus, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
Founder of Illinois Green Business Association

Jocelyn Carter-Miller
Alumnus, Accountancy
Founder of TechEdVentures

Kevin Chang
Faculty Fellow, Computer Science
Founder of Cazoodle

Kapil Chaudhary
Illinois Launch Speaker
Co-Founder and Managing Partner of I2A Fund

Matt Cheney and Zack Rosen
Alumnus, Information Science
Co-founder of Chapter Three and Mission Bicycle

Rik Chomko
Alumnus, English
Founder of InRule Technology, Inc.

Doris K. Christopher
Alumnus, Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Founder and Chairman of The Pampered Chef

John Cioffi
Alumnus, Electrical Engineering
Founder of Amati Communications and ASSIA, Inc

Ashton Clark and Ryan Clark
Alumni, Accountancy
Participants, Illinois Launch
Founders of UTicketIt.com

Jerry Colangelo
Alumnus, Applied Health Sciences
Owner of Phoenix Suns NBA franchise

Margi Cole
Alumnus, Dance
Founder of The Dance COLEctive

Andrew Czarnik
Alumnus, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry
Co-founder of Illumina

Scott Daigleand Marissa Siebel
Students, Mechanical Engineering and Kinesiology
Participants, Illinois Launch
Founders of IntelliWheels

Jack W. Davis
Alumnus, Graphic Design
Founder of Jack W. Davis Graphics

Doug Dawson
Alumnus, Kinesiology
Founder of Professional Pediatric Home Care

Paul Debevec
Alumnus, University Laboratory High
Founder of the Light Stage

Anthony DiTommaso
Alumnus, Finance
President and CEO of Innerpac, Inc.

Marty Dubin
Alumnus, Acting
Member of Ensemble 113

Stacey Edgar
Alumnus, Social Work
Founder of Global Girlfriend

Bruce Erickson
Faculty, English
Teaching Principles of Business Communications

Jesse Evans
Alumnus, Journalism
Founder of Lucky hand Brewing Company

Blaine Fahey
Alumnus, Information Systems and Information Technology
Participant, Illinois Launch
Founder of Illini Crime

Alissa Fields Versten
Alumnus, Agriculture
Founder of Eye Spy Optical

Helene R. Foellinger
Alumnus
Founder of Foellinger Foundation and News Publishing Co.

Tracy and Brian Frizzell
Alumni, Human Resources and Family Studies & Electrical Engineering
Founders of Economic Awareness Council

Ping Fu
Alumnus, Computer Science
Co-founder of Geomagic, Inventor of Digital Shape Sampling and Processing (DSSP) Software

Gale Fulton
Faculty Fellow, Landscape Architecture
Leads the East St. Louis Action Research Projec

Mark Hogan
Alumnus, Business Administration and Finance
Director, President and CEO of The Vehicle Production Group LLC

Robert Holland
Participant, Illinois Launch
Founder of Travel-Perks.com

Nick Holonyak
Alumnus and Faculty, Electrical Engineering
Inventor of light-emitting diode (LED)

Kilton Hopkins and Jeb Ory
Participants, Illinois Launch
Founders of 5Degrees (formerly GitBax)

Chantelle Hougland
Participant, Illinois Launch
Co-Founder of ZingZag

Lori Iwan
Alumnus, Law
Founder of Iwan Law Firm, LLC

Franklin Jacobs
Chairman and CEO of Falcon Products, Inc.

Mannie Jackson
Alumnus
Owner and Chairman of Harlem Globetrotters

Robert Johnson
Alumnus, History
Founder of Black Entertainment Television

Zach Kaplan
Alumnus, Mechnical Engineering
Founder of Inventables, Inc.

Jared Karim
Alumnus, Computer Science
Co-founder of YouTube

Carol Keiser-Long
Alumnus, Animal Science
Founder of C-ARC Enterprises

Daniel Klein and Patrick Tannous
Alumnus, Finance
Participants, Illinois Launch
Founders of Tiesta Tea

August Knecht, Adam Steele, and Will Leinweber
Alumni
Participants, Illinois Launch
Founders of Merge.fm

Michael Krasny
Alumnus, Finance
Chairman Emeritus of CDW Computer Centers, Inc.

Robert Layton
Alumnus, Mechanical Engineering
Founder of Bicycle Illinois

Kim Leistner
Alumnus, Broadcast Journalism
Founder of SpringfieldMoms.org

Jimmy John Liautaud
Founder and Chairman of Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich Shops

Brian Lilly
Alumnus and Faculty, General Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering
Founder of Smart Solutions, Inc.

Bruce Elliott-Litchfield
Faculty Fellow, Engineering
Re-defines creativity in the Engineering curriculum

Robert Long
Alumnus, Education
Vice President for Programs, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Tarun Malik
Participant, Illinois Launch
Founder of Bzula

Jeffrey Margolis
Alumnus, Business Administration
Chairman, CEO and President of The TriZetto Group

Rainer Martens
Alumnus, Kinesiology
Founder of Human Kinetics Publishers

H. Richard McFarland
Alumnus, Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Founder of McFarland Food Corporation

Cirilo McSween
Alumnus
The first African American entrepreneur, McDonald’s franchisor

Steven Miller
Alumnus
Founder of Origin Ventures

Jonathan Naber
Alumnus, Materials Science and Engineering
Participant, Illinois Launch
Founder of Illini Prosthetics Team

Gordon Nameni
Alumnus, Materials Science and Engineering
Founder of Jangee

Joshua Norris
Participant, Illinois Launch
Founder of IsoMax

Michael Olesen
Alumnus, Economics
Founder of Geneva investment Group and Stockholm's Pub and Brewery

Zeba Parkar and Nihal Parkar
Student, Materials Science and Engineering
Participants, Illinois Launch
Founders of Silver Screen

Eboo Patel
Alumnus, Sociology
Founder of Interfaith Youth Core

Janet Powaga
Alumnus, Law
Illinois Launch Mentor
Vice President and Director of Research of DN Partners

Jordan Prince
Participant, Illinois Launch
Founder of BattleHard Games

Gabriella Risatti
Alumnus, Industrial Distribution Management
Founder of Gabriella New York Bridal Salon

John Rogers
Faculty, Material Science and Engineering
Co-Founder and Director of the Device Companies MC10 Inc. and Semprius Inc.

Steven Rosenberg
Participant, Illinois Launch
Founder of Green Purpose LLC

Bryce Rutter
Alumnus, Industrial Design, Kinesiology
Founder of Metaphase Design Group

Suraj Samaranayake
Alumnus, Computer Science
Co-founder of Scheedule.com

Anthony Santarelli
Alumnus, Environmental Economics and Policy
Participant, Illinois Launch
Co-Founder of Illinois Green Business Association

Lise Schleicher
Alumnus, Busines Administration, Labor and Industrial Relations
Founder of Basketworks

Larry Schook
Faculty Fellow, Animal Sciences
Founder of Pyxis Genomics, Inc.

Arpan Shah and Tom Patterson
Students, Computer Science
Participants, Illinois Launch
Founders of PrintEco

Donald Shannon
Alumnus, Finance
Founder of Interior Investments, LLC

Islam Sharabash
Student, Computer Science
Participant, Illinois Launch
Founder of EvenBacker

Bob Shopes
Alumnus, Biophysics
Founder of Favrille, Inc.

Dan Shunk
Alumnus, Agricultural Engineering
Franchise owner of Two Men and a Truck

Jodee Stanley
Faculty Fellow, English/Creative Writing
Editor of the Ninth Letter

Bill Tai
Alumnus, Electrical Engineering
Serial entrepreneur and Partner at Charles River Ventures

Zachary Tratar
Student, Computer Engineering
Participant, Illinois Launch
Co-Founder of Contendable

Peter Trenchard
Alumnus, Finance
Founder of National Golf Course Association

Hatim Tyabji
Alumnus, Electrical Engineering
Executive Chairman/Chairman of Bytemobile/DataCard Group

Joseph Tykociner
Faculty, Electrical Engineering
Creator of modern television

Madhu Viswanathan
Faculty Fellow, Business Administration
Developed course Product and Market Development for Subsistence Marketplaces

Beverly Washington
Alumnus, Dance Education
Founder of Image Factor, Inc.

Peggy Wainscott
Alumnus, Computer Science Engineering
Founder of Peg's Purses

Patrick Walsh
Alumnus, Physics and Economics
Co-founder of Greenlight Planet, Inc.

Stephen West
Alumnus, Dance
Founder of Westknits

Bruce Wicks
Faculty Fellow, Recreation, Sport & Tourism
Leads the East St. Louis Action Research Project

Dirk and Jennifer Williams
Alumnus, Business Administration
Owners of Beverly's Best Bakery

Marcia Wolter
Alumnus, Art Education
Founder of Dundore Dolls

George Wood
Alumnus, Education
Founder of the Institute for Democracy and Education

Collett Woolman
Alumnus, Agricultural Engineering
Founder of Delta Airlines

Kevin Yun
Student, Finance
Cofounder Fitoodle

Sam Zell
Illinois Launch Speaker
Chairman of Equity Group Investments and Co-Founder of Equity International

Hanna Zhong
Participant, Illinois Launch
Co-Founder of Aptello

Ryan Zotti
Participant, Illinois Launch
Co-Founder of Instarta