Marquette has a long history of educating innovators and entrepreneurs. With spaces like the 707 Hub and the resources provided by the Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship and the Social Innovation Initiative, more students and young alumni are developing an entrepreneurial mindset that’s helping them get a head start on their own path. Come hear from some of our talented young alumni and students forging ahead with fresh ideas and seeing opportunities to make a difference through their work.
Scott Kitun is an entrepreneur focused on building and investing in early stage growth companies that leverage media as a core competency.
As CEO of Technori, he played an integral role shaping Chicago into one of the largest and most inclusive tech ecosystems in the world by creating the first-ever national radio show and event series that enabled startups to fundraise directly from an audience of both accredited and retail investors; resulting in more than $350 million invested via equity crowdfunding, angel groups and traditional venture capital.
Scott's also an early investor in the nation’s leading equity crowdfunding platform, Republic, and writes a weekly newsletter breaking down startup pitches.
Olivia Menzia is a freelance graphic designer, everyday artist and ice cream explorer. She has her own company, Liv a Little Vegan Ice Cream, which is essentially an excuse to have ice cream for every meal of the day... Liv a Little Vegan Ice Cream is a coconut and oat milk based ice cream. Based in Milwaukee, the brand strives to become the nostalgic childlike ice cream in the vegan frozen dessert industry. As a sweet tooth, creative and entrepreneur, Olivia's Liv a Little Vegan Ice Cream is the perfect mix of all three of her passions.
Erin Nugent is a rising junior in the College of Business Administration at Marquette, pursuing a double major in supply chain and entrepreneurship. Originally from Long Island, NY, Erin has always been passionate about entrepreneurship. In high school she started a college sports apparel business where she would flip thrifted college shirts and other items and sell them to friends and family and on Etsy. This past year Erin participated in the Brewed Ideas Challenge and won second place for general business for her sustainable modular shoe business focusing on upgrading Chelsea boots and improving the footwear industry.
Kelsey Otero is the Associate Director of Social Innovation at Marquette University. In this role, she leads the 707 Hub, Marquette’s new innovation space, runs business bootcamps and works to build the social innovation ecosystem in Wisconsin. In addition, Kelsey is passionate about economic and business development in Milwaukee, serving as Co-Chair of the Near West Side Commercial Corridor Working Team, volunteering on the Fund Milwaukee board, and running the popular Rev-Up MKE business pitch competition. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and earned her MBA from Marquette University. In 2019 she was recognized as one of Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 winners.
Wendy Perez is a rising sophomore from Mundelein, Ill. She is majoring in entrepreneurship and marketing. She is a first-generation Mexican American student and co-founder of Community. Books. YOU. She is a passionate advocate for equitable education.
Dev Turner is a former aerospace engineer and current technology entrepreneur. After getting his pilot license at age 18, Dev worked as a structural dynamics engineer at NASA, Gulfstream, Sikorsky and United Technologies travelling the country and working directly on programs including the Space Shuttle, F-35 Joint Strike fighter and Blackhawk helicopters. After working in aerospace Dev started a software company for online document creation, relocating to St. Louis to raise capital and grow the business. He is currently working on new technology using AI facial recognition for focus groups and market research