Steven Dyme

Steven Dyme, Co-Founder & CEO of Flowers for Dreams, leads the first B Corporation florist in North America. Their locally crafted bouquets benefit small charities, resulting in over $1.4 million donated to 220 nonprofits. Dyme is a prominent voice on social enterprise, serving on the Illinois Governor's Task Force, teaching at Northwestern University, and writing op-eds on ethical business.

Coffee Break

Brian Almalvez

Brian Almalvez: CEO/ Co-Founder of Pogi Studios - an award-winning Film/TV production studio, and Executive Producer of Triple 7 – a creative marketing studio living on the pulse of today’s media landscape, crafting work intended to cut through the noise.

Kelsey Brown

As the Founder and CEO of KAB Collective, Kelsey Brown built her company out of pure grit, determination, and a love for all things social. Kelsey has worked in the field for over 10 years and earned a dual-concentration degree in Digital Marketing and Honor's Marketing (IME) from DePaul University in 2019. Her business was founded in 2020, and she brings an intuitive and modern marketing approach to small businesses nationwide.

Kice Akkawi

DJ, producer, and CEO. In 2015, Kice combined his decade of business acumen and music experiences to found Treblemonsters, a sonic branding agency that has reached nationwide acclaim. Kice and his team consult and operate with leading nightlife and hospitality brands by programming hundreds of weekly custom elements including audio/visual, DJs, live music, playlists, speciality acts, and more. As an artist, Kice has performed at some of the top venues worldwide. He has further distinguished himself by teaming up with elite instrumentalists in his popular DJ featuring live music shows. Kice was also recognized as a leader during the COVID-19 pandemic with his movement that lobbied legislatures and supported unemployed artists.

Stu Schisgall

Stu is an award-winning digital marketing leader and entrepreneur focusing on search engine optimization (SEO) and consulting. A former writer and sales professional, Stu has been helping Fortune 500 companies develop digital marketing strategies since 2012. Seeing the need for a trusted SEO partner, Stu founded Searics to help companies incorporate SEO to hit their sales goals.

LUNCH BREAK

Join "Lunch Table Discussions with Lynn Hazan", President of LH&A, a stalwart in the recruitment industry with a rich experience spanning 39 years. Honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from DePaul University's Driehaus College of Business, Lynn embodies the pursuit of excellence in hiring. Engage in enlightening discussions about jobs and recruitment as she shares her invaluable insights and commitment to sourcing top-tier talent. Come, partake in this unique opportunity to tap into the wisdom of a past MAC President and absorb her innovative hiring strategies.

Hauk Nelson

Hauk Nelson is the Director of Business Development at NRG and Full Squad Gaming. A lifelong gamer, Nelson has been an avid consumer of esports content since 2010, and has worked professionally in the esports and gaming media space since 2019. Having both managed the execution of gaming media programs, as well as designed and sold them, Hauk has operated on both ends of the spectrum. Nelson has worked with major brands such as Samsung, McDonald's, Levi's, T-Mobile, Coinbase and Nestle.

Jon Zasiebida

With an international background in the corporate world, Jon has leveraged extensive experience in brand marketing, product innovations, digital & IoT, and business development to not only excel in high-stakes environments but also to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship. Co-founding Smaller Things alongside his wife, he has applied his corporate acumen to the operations, marketing, and growth strategies of their business, helping to deliver a sustainable and ethically driven brand for millennial parents. In just three years, their commitment to high quality plus fun and stylish designs has resulted in nearly 50,000 pajama sets sold and a customer base approaching 20,000, with their products proudly featured in airports, museums, and gift shops across the US. Proud DePaul IME Alum 2008.

Jim Phillips

Jim is the Co-Founder and CEO of Graymatter Labs. Graymatter partners with PhD Molecular Biologists to make plant-based alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs. Jim grew up in the city of Chicago and has spent his entire career in start-ups as a Co-Founder of Fooda.com, Charm.io, and 1st US Employee at Ritual.co.

Jennifer Kregor

Jennifer Kregor, VP of Product at Brightfield Group, leverages over a decade of experience in data science and product management to drive growth. Her expertise spans data, technology, and business, crafting impactful AI solutions that bridge industry gaps.

Kate Floyd Stevenson

Kate Floyd (Stevenson) leads Client Strategy for Brightfield Group, a leading consumer insights and social listening firm for emerging industries.

Coffee Break

Tania Marx

Tania Marx currently serves as Senior Category Manager for hair color, beauty tools and deodorant at Revlon, where she develops transformative retail solutions based on market trends, consumer insights, demographics, and category dynamics. For the past 13 years, she has held roles in Category Management, Marketing and Market Research across the beauty and natural food industry.

Kudzai Mutasa

Kudzai B. Mutasa has 15+ years brand management experience in major and niche CPG companies across multiple industries, with an emphasis in Beauty (Hair Care, Skin Care, Body Care and Color Cosmetics). She is an innovative leader who possesses entrepreneurial instincts and the ability to translate consumer insights into products and great consumer experiences. A graduate of DePaul University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing and a MBA from Kellogg School of Management.

Eric Acevedo

With a strong background in digital product management and entrepreneurship, Eric has a proven track record of bringing new products to market and driving revenue. Over the past decade, He has held roles at Ulta Beauty, Bosch, and Walgreens, where he led cross-functional teams, conducted user research, and developed product roadmaps. He excels at building relationships, solving problems, and communicating effectively. His expertise in product marketing and e-commerce has enabled him to successfully launch products and drive growth.

Raul Miranda

Boutique Director overseeing day-to-day operations at the luxury boutique SVRN in Chicago’s West Loop

Coffee Break

Steven Silverman

Steven is a distinguished marketing strategist and branding expert with over 30 years of impactful experience in consulting, management, and academia. Renowned for pioneering a revolutionary brand-building model and leading product and marketing research efforts for giants like Microsoft and Amazon, Steven's innovative strategies and practical insights elevate brands to unprecedented success.

Happy Hour Networking

Description