Revolving Tables 2023 Mentors - Israel Cancer Research Fund

Diversity & Inclusion Manager
Equity Residential

Monique Hunt, a Chicago resident and Georgia native, is the Diversity & Inclusion manager for Equity Residential. Founded by Sam Zell, Equity’s Chairman, this property management company (and member of NAREIT) proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. 

For nearly 25 years, Monique’s personal and professional work has centered on the care of people. Upon receiving her BA from Georgia State University, her early career endeavors focused on social services with an emphasis on women’s empowerment. Ultimately, her career transitioned into the hospitality industry, where her work in restaurants, hotels, and first-class aviation lounges took her from Atlanta to Chicago to Los Angeles, and back to Chicago.

Her leadership experience began in operations management and segued into human resources, including the functions of training and development, recruiting, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Monique’s commitment to sharing knowledge through mentorship and uplifting rising talent through sponsorship is life-long and inspired by the people who were not able to ascend to the professional heights available to her today.

Michelle Mekky

Founder and President
Mekky Media Relations, Inc.

Michelle Mekky is a veteran, award-winning broadcast journalist and public relations executive who has led high-profile marketing and PR campaigns for some of the nation’s most innovative brands, businesses, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits. She is the founder and president of Mekky Media Relations, Inc., a boutique PR agency that strategically partners with many leaders in their industries, helping them tell their stories to new audiences to fuel their growth. Mekky Media has been widely recognized for its tremendous expansion and success in its first six years.

Michelle got her start in television news, spending over a decade as a senior producer and news writer for Fox-TV in Chicago. She transitioned from journalism to PR and marketing, working at top agencies and using her insider media knowledge and widespread connections to achieve top-tier coverage for clients ranging from startups to global powerhouses. She launched Mekky Media in 2016 to bring her own brand of PR to the market and deliver powerful publicity, with an emphasis on personal attention and creative storytelling. Mekky Media provides PR strategy, media relations, media training, event promotion, social media strategy, and influencer outreach. To meet demand brought on by the pandemic, the agency has added services that include integrated digital and PR programs, personal branding and internal communications.

Michelle is part of the prestigious International Public Relations Network (IPRN), Forbes Agency Council, and Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). She blogs for Forbes and is a motivational speaker, sharing about her journey, entrepreneurship, media training, and more. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, achieving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the renowned Medill School of Journalism.

Alan Lev

Chairman
Belgravia Group, Ltd.

Alan D. Lev is the Chairman of Belgravia Group, Ltd., a Chicago-based and Phoenix-area residential homebuilder specializing in townhome, condominium, and apartment developments. Belgravia has developed over 2,500 homes in Chicago, as well as rental apartments and commercial projects, and has been awarded Developer of the Year three times recently from Chicago Agent Magazine and an Impact Award winner from Lincoln Park Builders of Chicago. He is also in the Homebuilders Association of Greater Chicago Court of Honor and the Merchandise Mart Hall of Fame. Alan joined Belgravia Group in 1989.

Mr. Lev earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in 1982 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He later obtained his J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago in 1985. During law school, he worked in the tax department at Price Waterhouse. Mr. Lev practiced real estate law from 1985–1989 at Greenberger, Kraus, and Jacobs and then Goldberg, Kohn, et al. He has been a CPA since 1982, an attorney since 1985, a licensed real estate broker since 1989, a licensed insurance broker since 2012, a licensed personal trainer since 2017, and a Registered Investment Advisor since 2020. Alan is a proud member of the Chicago Association of Realtors, is Past President of the Homebuilders Association of Greater Chicago, is Past Chairman of the Illinois Division of the American Cancer Society, is a member of the Directors Loan Committee at First Bank Chicago, and is on the Advisory Board of TRO Investment Advisors, Blip Energy, and Equilibrium Ventures. He has a strong attachment to the Chicago area and the University of Illinois and has been involved in many charitable and civic organizations and with the University of Illinois by guest lecturing in the business school, funding a scholarship, participating in the business school job shadow program, and serving on the Business Alumni Board and Dean’s Business Council.

Human Behavior Hacker
Human Behavior Lab

Susan Ibitz mission is to reach, teach, and train others to unlock the science behind human behavior. Being a “Human Behavior Hacker”, and drawing from multiple decades of expertise, Susan Ibitz is an internationally known human behavior expect; both speaking and training with a wealth of real-world knowledge and theory in the U.S., South America, Mexico, Europe, and the Caribbean.

Understanding the nonverbal human behavior-face reading, body language, and microaggression’s gives greater depth and knowledge to how to decode individuals and groups. Trained by the experts in her field; CIA, FBI, U.S. Military, International Military as well as Level III Hostage Negotiator; no job is too small or large for Susan to get results straight away.

Decade long relationships getting companies, governments, and individuals to a deeper understanding of both self and company makes Susan Ibitz tick. Utilizing these skills to increase sales, team productivity, employee engagement, team building, strategy, effective communication, marketing, and growth. Trained by the CIA, FBI, U.S Military, International Military, as well a Level III Hostage Negotiator; Susan is dedicated to assisting governments, companies, and individuals not only understand, but recognize individuals hidden emotions, intentions, and potential behaviors.

By decoding nonverbal human behavior, Susan’s Ibitz interrogation consulting work has added to numerous police departments resolve of past and on-going criminal cases, train teams, as well as assist on legal. Susan also serves as a frequent guest lecture, speaker, keynote presenter and across academic and government field’s.

Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, English and most importantly, body language, micro expressions, linguistic forensic analysis, and face reading with a mask or without, Susan Ibitz can tailor knowledge, networks and background to suit one’s needs. Previous clients include, State, local, and national government’s, PayPal, Target, S.C. Johnson, Kashi, Polaroid, and Hospitality Groups. For obvious reasons, not all can be listed as confidentially is another specialty.

Bess Cades

Director of US Customer Engagement Strategy and Lifetime Value
McDonald’s

Bess Cades is the Director of US Customer Engagement Strategy and Lifetime Value at McDonald’s. In her current role, her goal is to drive seamless and memorable interactions that go beyond transactional value and result in deeper, emotional connections between customers and McDonald’s. Prior to her current role, she was the Director of Global Loyalty, where she was the driving force behind MyMcDonald’s Rewards, McDonald’s global loyalty program, which continues to fuel growth and exceed expectations in over 50 countries around the world.

Prior to joining McDonald’s, Bess was the Director of Global Member Growth at Nike, where she was responsible for accelerating unbreakable member relationships in a way that provided a positive business case for the company. Prior to Nike, she was at United Airlines, where her last role with the company was leading finance for the MileagePlus program.

Bess is based out of the Chicago area with her husband and two children, where she enjoys redeeming her MyMcDonald’s Rewards points for free Happy Meals.

Susie Spigelman

Co-Founder and COO
Beacon

Susie Spigelman is the Co-Founder and COO of Beacon, a smart technology designed to disinfect air and surfaces without any chemical-based cleaning products. She has more than a decade of experience working in and around startups, including in the climate tech and cannabis industries. Her range of expertise includes operations, early-stage strategy, marketing and communications, and partnership development. Prior to joining Beacon, Susie ran corporate partnerships at hybrid nonprofit/venture capital organization Evergreen Climate Innovations. She also served as Vice President of Operations at then-startup Green Thumb Industries, helping to scale the now publicly traded company from 4 to 100+ corporate team members, as well as Chief of Staff at renewable energy startup SoCore Energy, which was acquired by a Fortune 500 utility holding company. Susie holds an MA in teaching from National-Louis University and a BA in communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Aaron Gerber

Senior Advisor and Co-Founder
Reimagine Care, Inc.

Aaron is a visionary, strategic, catalytic, and action-oriented leader with an ability to close the gap between “what is” and “what is possible.” Using his humanity, intuition, creativity, powers of persuasion, and 25+ years of experience working with a broad set of health care organizations as a senior executive, management consultant, private equity investor, and clinician, Aaron has been successful in inspiring and mobilizing diverse constituents to work together in order to create significant economic and social value.

Prior to co-founding Reimagine Care and serving as the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Aaron was President of Sg2, Advisory Solutions, and Member Connections for Vizient, Inc., where he had responsibility for a portfolio of five businesses representing 800+ individuals and $110 million in contribution margin. In this role, Aaron provided overall leadership and strategic direction to businesses in the areas of strategic analytics, operational and strategic consulting, member networks, and group purchasing.

Prior to Vizient, Aaron was a partner in the health and life sciences practice at Oliver Wyman. In that role, he was responsible for selling and delivering strategic consulting engagements to leading health care providers. Aaron was focused on the design of business and clinical models to effectively meet the demands of consumer-centric, value-based care.

Prior to his work with Oliver Wyman, Aaron was the SVP of strategy and business development for Vanguard Health Chicago, a $700 million for-profit health system with four acute care hospitals and a wide variety of ambulatory assets. As SVP, he was responsible for strategy, business development, marketing, physician alignment, and service line development for the organization.

Earlier in his career, Aaron was the cofounder and chief executive officer of a company in the executive health and wellness services space that was sold to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Aaron started his postgraduate business career at McKinsey & Company after receiving his medical degree and a master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University.

Venu V. Talanki

Shareholder; Vice-Chair, Finance & Transactions Group; Member, Board of Directors; Chair, Associate Hiring Committee
Vedder Price

Venu V. Talanki is a shareholder at Vedder Price and a vice chair of the Finance & Transactions group. He is also a member of the firm’s board of directors.

Mr. Talanki focuses his practice in the areas of finance, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law. He advises financial institutions, private equity funds, and corporate borrowers in a broad array of finance transactions, including leveraged, asset-based, cash flow, mezzanine, second lien, acquisition and bankruptcy-related lending transactions. He also counsels lenders and borrowers in complex restructurings and workouts of distressed companies.

Mr. Talanki is chair of the firm’s Associate Hiring Committee and also serves on the firm’s Diversity Committee.

Mr. Talanki has served as a member of the board of directors of the North American South Asian Bar Association and is co-founder of the South Asian Bar Association of Michigan.

Mr. Talanki was named a Notable Minority Lawyer by Crains Chicago in 2020. In 2013, he was honored by the M&A Advisor in the legal advisor category of the 4th Annual 40 Under 40 Recognition Awards.

Kevin McTigue

Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing
Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management

Kevin McTigue is a Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management teaching multiple classes for the MBA and executive education programs. His career spans more than twenty-five years in teaching, consulting, brand management, and advertising.

Kevin is currently the academic director for Kellogg’s Chief Digital Officer program and co-director of Kellogg’s Advertising and Marketing Communication Strategy program. He co-authored The Creative Brief Blueprint and contributed to Kellogg on Branding and Kellogg on Marketing. He conducts executive training and consulting for a variety of firms on the topics of marketing and advertising strategy.

Before his full-time appointment at Kellogg, Kevin led a strategy consulting practice for global digital agency SapientRazorfish. Prior to consulting, he spent seven years in brand management with Tyson Foods, leading businesses including Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, and Hillshire Farm. Early in his career, Kevin spent significant time working in digital and traditional advertising.

Nicole Gerber

Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Lakeshore Psychology Group

Dr. Nicole Gerber is the co-founder of Lakeshore Psychology Group. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and has been in private practice since 1998. She has extensive experience working with adolescents, adults, couples, and families. Dr. Gerber received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology with a specialty in marriage and family therapy. Dr. Gerber earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Emory University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors and distinction. She completed her diagnostic practicum at Family, Adolescent, Child Treatment Center. Dr. Gerber completed her therapy practicum at Catholic Charities: Holbrook Center. Her clinical internship training was at Family Care Network/Childhood Trauma Treatment Center/Christ Hospital. Dr. Gerber completed her post-doctoral University of Chicago Fellowship in Family Systems and Health Psychology at MacNeal Hospital and the Chicago Center for Family Health.

Clinical Specialties: adolescents, adults, couples, and families with social, emotional, school, and work-related difficulties, life stressors and transitions, family conflict, parenting challenges, relationship issues, marital conflict, divorce, infidelity, lack of intimacy, sexual issues, infertility, postpartum depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, self harm, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, grief, loss, trauma, abuse, and chronic and acute physical illness.

Dr. Nicole Gerber has Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) in PSYPACT participating states.

Robert Coulton

Head of Central Region
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Rob Coulton is the national director of practice management and team executive in Chicago, with over 15 years of industry experience. In these roles, Rob leads a Chicago-based team of relationship managers and works closely with Chicago leaders and other executives to implement firm and industry best practices. He is also a member of the firm’s Chicago Advisory Council.

Rob previously served as a principal and head of Private Client Distribution for Geneva Advisors. Prior to that, Rob was a managing director at Zacks Investment Management, where he oversaw the marketing, distribution, and client service efforts of the firm’s wealth management group. Earlier in his career, Rob served as an investment consultant, advising individual clients and implementing investment management solutions for their personal wealth.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Michigan and the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification.

The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the U.S.

Wendy Berger

CEO and Founder
WBS Equities, LLC

Wendy is CEO and Founder of WBS Equities, LLC, a company she founded in 2004. WBS Equities specializes in ground-up construction, renovation, development, sale lease back transactions, and acquisition of industrial buildings for food and beverage manufacturers and distributors. She has grown the business into a nationally recognized leader in this niche area within industrial real estate development and acquisitions. In addition to the firm’s focus on real estate development for food and beverage manufacturers and distributors, Wendy has over 30 years’ experience in real estate brokerage, real estate finance, and structuring complex real estate transactions.

Wendy is also a serial entrepreneur. Outside of WBS Equities, LLC, Wendy brings decades of experience in strategic planning, execution, and exits for rapid growth start-ups. She loves being a part of the explosive growth phase of companies and working alongside founders to provide strategic leadership and guidance to help create dynamic and forward-thinking organizations.

Wendy serves on the Board of Directors and is Chair of the Compensation Committee, and previously chaired the Executive Committee of Green Thumb Industries, Inc. Green Thumb, a national cannabis consumer packaged goods company and retailer, is dedicated to providing dignified access to cannabis while giving back to the communities in which they serve.

In 2000, Wendy was employee number 11 at Orbitz, the travel web site founded by Continental, American, Northwest, Delta, and United Airlines. Wendy was Director of the Enterprise Planning at Orbitz and focused on strategic planning.

Wendy earned her MBA in Finance and Real Estate from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. She received a B.S., cum laude, in Finance and Marketing from Syracuse University. During her career, Wendy has served on many philanthropic and industry boards.

Wendy is an avid triathlete, having completed 40 Olympic-distance triathlons and 13 half marathons. Wendy actively mentors young women, helping to guide them through the challenges of leadership and development. Wendy is a frequent speaker on cannabis-related real estate, industrial real estate, the cannabis industry, and women’s leadership roles.

Anita Cohen

Partner
Bain & Company

Anita Cohen is a member of Bain & Company’s Private Equity, Retail and Consumer Products practices.

 Anita has worked extensively with the firm’s private equity clients, evaluating assets across the retail, consumer products, consumer services, technology, and media & entertainment sectors. She has significant depth in conducting strategic and operational due diligence of consumer-facing companies as well as developing post-acquisition value creation plans.

In addition to leading diligence teams, Anita also works directly with Bain’s retail corporate clients on a variety of strategic issues, including growth strategy and M&A.

Outside of her client work, Anita serves as Bain’s Global Head of BGLAD (LGBTQ+ affinity group) and is active in the firm’s recruiting efforts in North America. She also leads the Private Equity Group in Bain’s Chicago office and serves on the Chicago office’s Senior Manager Promotion Committee.

Anita holds a Bachelor of Arts from Binghamton University and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Mark Gross

Co-founder and Co-Chief Creative Officer
Highdive Advertising

Mark Gross is Co-founder and Co-Chief Creative Officer at Highdive Advertising, leading a team of over 90 employees. Together, they pursue the development of insightful and strategically driven creative that ignites positive business growth and leaves an indelible mark on our cultural landscape. Highdive Advertising boasts a prestigious clientele comprising renowned brands such as Jeep, Jersey Mike’s, the NHL, Beam Suntory, Lay’s, Perfetti Van Melle, Rocket Mortgage, and Boost Mobile.

Before founding Highdive, Mark served as Executive Creative Director/Executive Vice President of DDB Chicago, where he served as creative lead on Bud Light, Mars Wrigley, Barilla, Capital One, Busch Gardens, Cars.com, and other iconic brands. His most notable work is Bud Light’s “Real Men of Genius,” now the most-awarded radio campaign in history.

Mark’s work has been featured in AdAge, Adweek, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, and more. He has judged and received dozens of top awards at every major creative competition in the industry, including the Grand Clio, Grand Prix Lion, Grand Andy, One Show, London Internationals, Communication Arts, and D&AD. Super Bowl is his forte, placing first seven times on USA Today’s Super Bowl AdMeter. Mark was named one of Business Insider’s Top 25 Most Creative People in Advertising and Adweek’s Creative Top 100. Currently, he serves on the Radio Mercury Awards Advisory Council and the Syracuse University Creative Council.

Amy Kaplan

Consultant, Radio/Music Industry

Amy Kaplan’s three-decade career in the music business shaping artist strategy, with a focus on radio promotion, began in 1991 as an assistant at A&M Records, followed by Midwest regional promotion gigs at Elektra Records, Imago Recordings, American Recordings, eleven years at RCA Records, and finally Capitol Records.

With file sharing upending the absolute command of the major label system, Kaplan had the foresight in 2000 to launch her own promotion and marketing venture, Black Dog Promotion, specializing in Adult and Alternative Radio, and servicing all manner of record labels, from former clients at majors to bootstrapped independents. In 2003, Kaplan began consulting for artist management companies, establishing a more direct connection between artists, managers, and radio stations. She currently consults for Mick Management, 7S Management, and Good Harbor Management.

Kaplan has deep relationships across terrestrial radio, satellite outlets such as Sirius XM, and digital service providers including Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, and Pandora. Of late, she has been instrumental in amplifying the careers of Ray LaMontagne, Leon Bridges, Maggie Rogers, The Backseat Lovers, The Moss, Sharon Van Etten, and more.

Greg Carlin

CEO
G2 Gaming

Greg Carlin has over 25 years of casino development, management, and investment experience. He has expertise in development, operations, and online gaming, with an emphasis on community integration, team member culture, operational excellence, player experience, and financial performance. Currently, Greg is CEO of G2 Gaming.

Carlin was a co-founder and the longtime CEO of Rush Street Gaming. During his tenure at Rush Street, Carlin oversaw the ground-up development of seven land-based mixed-use casino developments in the U.S. and Canada, including four Rivers Casino properties in Des Plaines, IL; Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, PA; and Schenectady, NY. Each Rush Street casino became a market leader, and each was repeatedly voted by team members as a top workplace.

In addition to Rush Street Gaming, Carlin was a co-founder and CEO of Rush Street Interactive, which was formed in 2012 and went public in 2020. Rush Street Interactive is a leading online casino and sports betting company in the U.S. and Latin American markets.

Carlin is a long-standing board member of the American Gaming Association. He earned his bachelor’s in economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He currently resides in Chicago with his wife, Marcy.

Doug Shabelman

CEO
Burns Entertainment

Doug Shabelman is CEO of Burns Entertainment and has led the corporate and agency divisions for over 25 years as the main liaison for clients including Unilever, Nissan, Coca-Cola, Constellation Brands, Crocs, and many others. Doug has negotiated for endorsement, sponsorship, and licensing rights campaigns with talent including Anne Hathaway, John Legend, Priyanka Chopra, Steph Curry, Scarlett Johannsson, Pierce Brosnan, Brie Larson, and hundreds of others.

A magna cum laude graduate of Syracuse University’s SI Newhouse School of Communications, Doug received his Juris Doctorate from Chicago-Kent College of Law and is fully licensed to practice law in Illinois. Doug lives in Chicago with his wife and two daughters, ages 18 and 21.

Erik Selz

Agent/Partner
Arrival Artists

Amy Kaplan and Erik Selz will mentor a table together.

Erik Selz’s 25+ year career began with an extended run at redryder entertainment, founded in Chicago in the 1990s, which counted The Magnetic Fields, Andrew Bird, Carbon Leaf, and Squirrel Nut Zippers as part of its roster, the latter two of which also became management clients.

On the heels of two Pollstar “Boutique Agency of Year” nominations, Selz folded redryder into The Windish Agency in 2014, with Erik quarterbacking international campaigns for theater and arena-level acts including alt-J and M83. Landing at Paradigm in 2016 as part of the Windish acquisition, he continued to bolster his roster with groundbreaking artists such as BADBADNOTGOOD, Nilüfer Yanya, and Altin Gün.

In October 2020, Selz and five partners, all long-time friends and colleagues, launched Arrival Artists, representing success stories across nearly every genre with a roster of 200+ artists performing all the way up the chain from small underground clubs to large halls, theaters, and arenas. Arrival has since grown to a team of 30+, with offices in NY, Chicago, and LA, and a global partnership with The ATC Group, with whom they co-funded companyX, a full-service brand partnerships and strategy agency.

Melissa Widen

Co-Founder, Chief Administrative Officer, and General Counsel
First Women’s Bank

Melissa Widen is Co-Founder, Chief Administrative Officer, and General Counsel at First Women’s Bank. Melissa is an attorney, entrepreneur, and executive with more than 25 years of business and legal experience.

She was a founder and Managing Partner of Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum LLP, a trial and litigation boutique law firm based in Chicago. Functioning as the CEO for seven years, Melissa led the firm from a six-partner start-up to a top-tier, nationally recognized law firm with 25 professionals and a roster of Fortune 500 clients. She served as senior litigation counsel for Arthur Andersen LLP, where she counseled senior firm management on legal, regulatory, and risk issues and advised on practice matters involving assurance, consulting, and tax services. Melissa was also a litigation associate at Jenner & Block.

Ms. Widen is involved in many civic and community activities. She is a long-time board member and former board Chair of Personal PAC, a leading Illinois PAC focused on advancing reproductive rights, and she is a founding board member of Project50, a federal PAC formed to support reproductive rights in states across the country. She was a volunteer attorney with the ACLU’s Judicial Bypass Coordination Project and served as Vice Chair for Domestic Affairs at the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Chicago. Currently, Melissa is a Trustee of the Jewish Women’s Foundation and a member of the Chicago Club and Economic Club. Melissa is a graduate of Duke University and the University of Maryland School of Law.

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