Letter from the President

John Anderson

“If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.” —Benjamin Franklin

Passion is central to the entrepreneurship equation—a characteristic that can be fostered and honed but is more innate and aligned with commitment. For many years IIT has attracted students and faculty whose passions for entrepreneurship have reflected the university’s mission to support innovation.

Our cover features stories about three alumni who are helping to drive new businesses. Each of these alumni has a different role within their organization and took a distinct path to achieve their success. But each has similarly tapped his or her passion and technical expertise—the latter being the “reason”—to take on a new venture. Their stories are inspiring and illustrate IIT’s strengths in a breadth of innovative fields.

Today, entrepreneurship is thriving at IIT. The university continues to attract talented and creative students with an entrepreneurial mindset, and we offer robust programs and tools to help them build the academic and personal skills they need to achieve success. These skills provide young entrepreneurs the experience and flexibility to pursue their passions with confidence.

Our students are learning how to commercialize concepts in the Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program and the expanded IPRO 2.0, and the Idea Shop is providing them the equipment and space to test their ideas. Other initiatives such as TechAdvantage@IIT, Knapp Entrepreneurship Center, and University Technology Park are extending IIT’s expertise in entrepreneurship for the benefit of community members and small-business startups.

It takes both passion and relevant skills to be a successful entrepreneur. IIT is educating students, small-business owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs within the community to tap both of these qualities in order to find entrepreneurial success. In the coming years, we look forward to being a catalyst that turns more reasoned passions into reality.

John L. Anderson
President