Stuart School of Business Community Assembly

Join new and returning students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends to celebrate 125 years of business education at Illinois Tech and today’s exciting developments at Stuart School of Business.

Thursday, August 17, at 6-8 p.m.
Conviser Law Center, 565 West Adams Street, Chicago
Doors open for guest check-in and registration at 5:30 p.m.
Reception immediately following the program at 6:45–8 p.m.

Special thanks to Secured Alliance Ventures for sponsoring this event.

Program

6–6:45 p.m. in the Auditorium

Welcome
Joseph Orgel
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Master of Ceremonies
Mike Palumbo
Chair, Stuart School of Business Board of Advisors

Alumni Speaker
Shruti Mahajan (M.S. Marketing Analytics, ’22)
Data Analyst, Zacks Investment Management

Keynote Speaker
Ellen Jordan
Chief Executive Officer, Global Grounds, LLC
President and Founder, America’s Food Technologies, Inc.

Dean’s Address
Liad Wagman
Professor of Economics and John and Mae Calamos Dean Endowed Chair

Reception

6:45–8 p.m. in the Lobby and on the 4th Floor

Guest Speaker Bios

Keynote Speaker

Ellen Jordan (PSYC ’79, M.B.A. ’81)
Founder and CEO, Global Grounds

Ellen Jordan is the founder and CEO of Global Grounds which specializes in lab testing and sensory evaluation of custom and private label beverages. Jordan was president and founder of America’s Food Technologies, Inc. (AMFOTEK®), a manufacturing operation specializing in the blending and packaging of private label beverages, which she owned and operated from 1998–2019.

After graduating from Illinois Institute of Technology, she spent 17 years with the country’s largest privately-held coffee roaster, holding numerous positions including president of their specialty coffee division, and vice president of operations overseeing the company’s three roasting facilities and quality assurance initiatives.

Jordan holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees from Illinois Tech and is a past president of the university’s Alumni Association. Jordan is Illinois Tech’s first female university regent, is co-vice chair of its Board of Trustees, a member of the Executive Committee, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH). She served for many years on the Stuart School of Business Board of Advisors, as well as on the Knapp Entrepreneurship Center Board. She was the 2015 recipient of Illinois Tech’s Alumni Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon alumni.

Jordan has held various offices as a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). She is a member of the Board of directors of The Chicago Network, where she chaired the organization’s entrepreneur committee. She is also a member of The Economic Club of Chicago. Jordan serves on numerous industry boards, including past chair of the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to improving the quality of coffee and the lives of the people who produce it. She proudly assisted in founding CQI’s Partnership for Gender Equity to help address these important issues around the globe. She is a past director of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and is a recipient of the SCA’s Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award. She is also a member of the National Coffee Association’s Science Advisory Council.

Jordan lives in Chicago and has three daughters, two of whom have received master’s degrees from Illinois Tech’s Stuart School of Business!

Alumni Speaker

Shruti Mahajan (M.S. Marketing Analytics ’22)  
Data Analyst, Zacks Investment Management

Shruti Mahajan is a data analyst at Zacks Investment Management in Chicago, using tools such as Excel, SQL, and Salesforce to work with multiple clients. A creative, results-driven professional, she has experience working across the technology, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, media, and entertainment fields, including in positions at IBM, Evnzee Technologies, and Silly Monks Entertainment.

As Mahajan completed her Bachelor of Technology in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, her curiosity and interest in business grew. Having worked in diverse industries, she realized how important an understanding of analytics is for success in business. She pursued a Master of Science in Marketing Analytics, with a data specialization, at Illinois Tech’s Stuart School of Business and graduated in December 2022. She is currently learning the Indian classical dance form Kuchipudi and likes to cook and garden in her free time.