Chicago Tech Visionary Amanda Lannert, CEO of Jellyvision, Joins Illinois Tech Board of Trustees
CHICAGO—Amanda Lannert, CEO of Jellyvision and 2021 inductee into the Chicago Innovation Hall of Fame, has been elected to the Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) Board of Trustees.
“Illinois Tech is a place where students are encouraged to maximize their global impact by developing an entrepreneurial mindset through interdisciplinary, hands-on learning,” says Lannert. “As a lifelong learner, I know that these qualities embodied by the students at Illinois Tech are what will make them the next generation of business and tech leaders in Chicago and beyond.”
Since Lannert was named CEO of Jellyvision in 2011, she’s transformed the service agency into a multi-million dollar software-as-a-service company and grew its employee count from 100 to 400 in only five years. Under her leadership, Jellyvision has been recognized as the Best Software Company and Best Culture by the Moxies, a winner of the Lighthouse award presented by the Illinois Technology Association (ITA), a top 10 best place to work in Chicago by the Chicago Tribune, and the #1 place for millennials to work in Chicago according to Crain’s Chicago Business.
“Amanda’s tremendous success at Jellyvision exemplifies the quality of future leaders we aspire to develop at Illinois Tech,” says Raj Echambadi, Illinois Tech’s president. “Her election to the board will help to further our ability to fuel Chicago’s talent pipeline with a steady stream of workforce-ready innovators.”
Lannert was named CEO of the Year at the BuiltIn Moxie Awards in 2014 and 2015, Moxie’s Top Woman in Tech in 2016, Woman of the Year for the Chicago Rotary Club in 2018, and was recognized as 2016’s Industry Champion by ITA. Her affinity for entrepreneurship and community involvement has carried over to Chicago’s startup ecosystem, where she currently serves as a board member of SpotHero, KnowledgeHound, Popular Pays, and Equilibria. Additionally, she is both an investor and board member at Hyde Park Angels, and also serves as “super mentor” for Chicago incubators Impact Engine and TechStars, where she was also named Mentor of the Year.
“Electing Amanda to our university’s board is a signal that Illinois Tech is further elevating its position with the Chicago business community as a key driver of Chicago’s tech ecosystem and that our culture of philanthropy is growing,” says Ernie Iseminger, vice president of advancement at Illinois Tech. “Her proven track record and business acumen shows her commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and to the tech community, and will undoubtedly make a transformative impact on the lives—and success—of our students.”
Prior to joining Jellyvision, Lannert managed global brands for Kellogg’s while at Leo Burnett, where she developed strategies and implemented campaigns for Pop-Tarts® and Nutri-Grain® bars. She also spent two years in a new business and new brand development think tank.
Lannert holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Haverford College in Pennsylvania and also studied Augustan to Romantic literature at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. She currently lives in Hinsdale, Illinois, with her husband of 23 years and many and only daughters.
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ABOUT ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Illinois Institute of Technology, also known as Illinois Tech, is a private, technology-focused research university. Illinois Tech is the only university of its kind in Chicago, and its Chicago location offers students access to the world-class resources of a great global metropolis. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, computing, architecture, business, design, science and human sciences, and law. One of 22 institutions that comprise the Association of Independent Technological Universities, Illinois Tech provides an exceptional education centered on active learning, and its graduates lead the state and much of the nation in economic prosperity. Illinois Tech uniquely prepares students to succeed in professions that require technological sophistication, an innovative mindset, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Visit www.iit.edu.
