Revolving Tables 2024 Mentors - Israel Cancer Research Fund

Josh Silvers

Co-Founder & CEO
Xcel Group

A serial entrepreneur and long-time business leader, Josh Silvers has successfully founded, built and sold multiple companies over the past 25 years. He has spent the majority of his career as a Founder/CEO in the healthcare, medical supply and HCM markets as well as an investor in a number of other businesses and industries.

In 1997, Josh founded Xcel to bring a competitive and customer centric distribution model to the Chicagoland market, providing medical supplies and equipment to nursing homes, hospitals, physician practices and other healthcare institutions. Over a 15 year period of time, he grew and expanded the company’s presence nationally by focusing on excellent customer service and diversifying beyond medical supplies. This included a complementary enterprise in Ohio in 2000, which was ultimately sold to McKesson (NYSE: MCK) in 2004. In early 2012, he decided to sell Xcel after being approached by PSS World Medical (NASDAQ: PSSI). Some of his other successful healthcare business ventures include a medical billing/equipment company, a home health agency and a pharmacy.

In 2012, Josh co-founded Xcel Staffing Solutions LLC (The Xcel Group), a transformative, full service staffing agency servicing the manufacturing and distribution sectors in the greater Chicagoland market. Over 10 years later, Xcel continues to be a market leader and has expanded its presence throughout the Midwest.

A 1991 graduate of Tulane University, Josh Silvers is currently an active investor in good people with great ideas and very supportive of numerous community organizations and charities.

Kristin Kroeger

Managing Director & Head of US Change Initiatives & Corporate Communications
CIBC US

Kristin Kroeger is MD, Head of US Change Initiatives & Corporate Communications for CIBC US. She oversees the delivery of Strategic Initiatives, Regulatory Remediation programs, the US Business PMO, Frontline Tools & Sales Enablement, as well as Corporate Communications & Events for the US Region. Kristin serves on the CIBC US Region Operating Committee.

Working in the financial services industry for over 30 years, Kristin has provided strategic leadership and innovative thinking to lead and support organizations during company-wide transformations, including significant merger and acquisition integrations, cultural change, business reorganizations, efficient process changes and technology implementations impacting tens of thousands of employees and hundreds of thousands of clients. She is a steadfast advocate for the client and employee experience and drives towards lasting organizational effectiveness. Kristin began her career in banking as part of the Commercial Bank training program at JPMorgan Chase.

Kristin is a 2023 Daniel Burnham Fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago and is an avid supporter of public education and women in leadership. Kristin has previously served two terms as an elected trustee for her local school board and as an executive committee member of her local education foundation and hometown improvement programs. Kristin is a graduate of Miami University’s Farmer School of Business and holds a B.S. in Finance.

Jill Rorem

Executive Vice President
Legalpeople

Jill Rorem embarked on her professional journey in 1999 as a Labor & Employment attorney, laying the foundation for her expertise in legal realms. Following a two-year tenure in legal practice and a brief interlude in Hollywood undergoing an “agent training program,” she redirected her path towards the dynamic spheres of legal staffing and eDiscovery, setting forth on a trajectory marked by dedication and leadership.

In 2017, Jill found her professional home at Legalpeople, where she currently serves as the Head of Managed Review and eDiscovery. Prior to this, she had steered the legal staffing department as a Partner at Plante Moran ProjecTemps for over 12 years, demonstrating her leadership, depth of knowledge, and unwavering enthusiasm for all facets of document review and eDiscovery.

At Legalpeople, Jill assumes a pivotal role in driving business development both locally in Chicago and on a national scale. Drawing upon her extensive legal background and staffing acumen, she adeptly matches clients with the requisite talent, fostering streamlined processes and delivering impactful outcomes. Recognizing the criticality and urgency inherent in the discovery process, Jill prioritizes her clients’ needs, ensuring that her team’s efforts are aligned with achieving optimal results. Central to her approach is the strategic alignment of subject matter expertise with the unique demands of each case, a testament to her commitment to client success and satisfaction.

Jill is a member of The Mind-Budget Connection (“MBC”), a coalition of dedicated eDiscovery professionals—ranging from in-house counsel to law-firm attorneys and vendors who believe that improved mental health also leads to better business outcomes. Additionally, Jill holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Iowa and a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law. She lives in Andersonville with her husband and two kids.

Jack Lieb

CEO & Founder
Fraction

Jack Lieb Founded Fraction in 2022, and currently holds the designation as a CEO and oversees all client relationships. Fraction is full-service agency serving athletes and third-parties, and is involved in NCAA/NIL, FIBA, NBA representation.

Prior to Fraction, Jack worked as a Graduate Assistant for Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball for 2 years. Jack was a student athlete at Lehigh University, where he was a Captain of the men’s basketball team. Jack earned a BS in finance from Lehigh University. Jack was elected the Head Coach of the 3×3 Maccabi USA men’s basketball team in 2021. He also was the Founder & Head Coach of the Ex-Pats, competing in the TBT (The Basketball Tournament) for 2 years. Jack resides in Chicago, IL and enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling, and music in his free time. Jack has started 3 successful companies and has years of experience working with marquee athletes and solving complex problems.

Zach Hirschfeld

Vice President, Operations
240 Logistics

Zach Hirschfeld, currently serving as the Vice President of Operations at 240 Logistics, a Peregrade Ventures PE Investment, is a distinguished leader boasting over 20 years of experience in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. With a proven track record, Zach’s strategic insights and industry acumen have played a pivotal role in driving company growth within the complexities of a highly regulated supply chain environment.

A product of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and DePaul University Graduate School of Business, Zach’s educational background encompasses a diverse array of disciplines including finance, sales, and change management. After earning his MBA, Zach’s commitment to academia continued as he assumed the role of Adjunct Professor at DePaul University, where he curated the curriculum for the MS in Supply Chain Management program, effectively molding the next generation of industry leaders.

Driven by a transparent and ambitious vision, Zach is dedicated to instilling operational excellence in every organization he serves while fostering an environment conducive to the advancement and success of his peers. His servant style of leadership creates a positive work environment while allowing for collaborative and sustainable growth.

Ellie Forman

SVP, Corporate Responsibility, Formerly at Mesirow

Ellie Forman spent the last 12 years as the head of corporate responsibility for global financial services firm Mesirow, headquartered in Chicago. In her role – most recently SVP, corporate responsibility – Ellie developed and implemented partnerships, strategies and programming with civic and social service partners, driving the company’s goals in community engagement and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ellie sat on Mesirow’s DEI Council and co-chaired the Council’s philanthropy committee.

Ellie’s expertise and vast network comes from nearly 20 years of experience in communications, partnerships, social impact and philanthropy. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2012, Ellie was a senior account executive at Chicago public affairs firm Jasculca Terman, where she spent more than seven years managing communications, media relations and event planning on behalf of nonprofit, government, education, foundation and corporate clients.

She has been recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (2022 Grantor Award), Sheridan Road Magazine and Crain’s Chicago Business for her work.

Ellie is president of the Women’s Board of the Joffrey Ballet and sits on the Board of Directors for The Nora Project as well as the Women’s Board of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.

Ellie earned a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication from Miami University (Ohio).

CEO
Prosper Trading Academy

Scott Bauer is the CEO of Prosper Trading Academy with 30 plus years of professional equity and index options experience at the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), and as a former Vice President/trader for Goldman Sachs. He is also a respected market commentator often seen on Bloomberg, Fox Business, CNBC, TD Ameritrade Network and other major financial networks.

Scott graduated with Honors from the University of Illinois Business School and has taught classes both at his alma mater and at the CBOE. With over 30 years of professional trading experience, Scott’s career spans every aspect of the trading world including trading a variety of equity and index options. He began as a clerk on the Chicago Board Options Exchange in 1991. In 1997, Scott was the only market maker on the CBOE to trade Amazon.com options. He has also traded and made markets in such notable names as Coca Cola, Bank America, U.S. Robotics, American International Group, Rambus, and Delta Airlines. Most recently, Prior to founding Prosper Trading Academy, Scott traded S&P 500 options at the CBOE and was employed by Goldman Sachs & Co. as Vice-President/Equities Division.

Trent Spoolstra

Associate Regional Director
Anti-Defamation League Midwest

Trent Spoolstra is the Associate Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League Midwest office. He is a ‘jack of all trades’ in his position working in areas ranging from young leadership development to Jewish community relations to fundraising. He runs the region’s young leadership class called Glass Leadership Institute, leads the ADL Midwest Young Leadership Board, facilitates adolescent training sessions to counter antisemitism, and runs the region’s Signature Synagogue Program. Trent has given numerous presentations to a wide variety of audiences about ADL’s work combatting antisemitism and anti-Zionism.

Before coming to ADL, Trent worked in AmeriCorps-VISTA and was a high school history teacher in Texas. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in international affairs from the Bush School of Government & Public Service-Texas A&M University.

Josh Tolan

Founder and CEO
Spark Hire

Josh Tolan is the Founder and CEO of Spark Hire, a SaaS talent acquisition suite for small and medium sized organizations. Josh started Spark Hire directly out of college and launched the platform in 2012. Since then, the company has grown to serve thousands of customers, has powered millions of interviews across 100+ countries, and is widely recognized as a leader across multiple HR tech product categories.

In 2022, Spark Hire received a growth equity investment from Boathouse Capital and in 2023, the company made 2 acquisitions. Today, Josh is leading the ~100 person company on its next phase of growth.

Josh Zadikoff

President
CRG

Growing up with family members spread internationally, Josh was fortunate to travel extensively and experience a variety of diverse cultures, always putting particular focus on their hospitality and food practices. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, Josh’s career began with Hyatt hotels before deciding to join the family business with his father, David Zadikoff, who founded Cornerstone Restaurant Group over 30 years ago.

Josh focused his time on a variety of managerial roles within the CRG portfolio during his early years to ensure he gained well-rounded experience and a keen understanding of the business. Over time, Josh led the growth of the Michael Jordan’s brand of restaurants as well as forging new opportunities including a partnership with Crate&Barrel. Josh entered his current role as CRG’s President in 2018 where he drives the company’s strategic vision, new development opportunities and maintains CRG’s core values and operational excellence in every aspect of the business.

Josh resides in Highland Park, IL with his wife Emily, sons Levi (8) and Ezra (6,) and daughter Remi (2).

Jeff Aeder

Co-Founder & Principal, Philanthropist
JDI Realty

Jeff Aeder is co-founder and principal of JDI Realty, a small real estate firm that acquires a wide range of property types throughout the United States.

While Jeff has enjoyed the real estate business for 39 years, he spends a large portion of his time pursuing philanthropic passions ranging from conventional to quirky. He and his wife Jennifer were named a Chicagoan of the Year in 2013 for founding Wolcott School, an independent high school for bright, college-bound students who learn differently. The only school of its kind in Chicago, Wolcott is quickly becoming a national model for teaching students who experience reading, attention, and organizational challenges. Currently, Wolcott has 135 students.

Feeding his love for barbecue and commitment to building community, eleven years ago Jeff opened Milt’s Barbecue for the Perplexed, a popular kosher barbecue near Wrigley Field. All profits from the restaurant were donated to charity. A few years ago, Jeff sold the restaurant to his long-term employees for $1.

Jeff, the largest private collector of Jewish baseball memorabilia, created the Jewish Baseball Museum, an on-line museum showcasing the collection and highlighting the journeys of Jews assimilating into American culture. Jeff and his family completed Phase I and II of the renovation Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, a small mixed Kibbutz (secular and religious) located on the border of Gaza.

Since October 7th Jeff has devoted much of his time supporting and planning for the rebuild of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, fighting antisemitism and keeping attention focused on the 134 hostages being held in Gaza. You might have seen his digital advertising truck driving the streets of Chicago.

Jeff lives in the Gold Coast with his wife and sometimes with his four college age kids.

Abigail Sussman

Professor of Marketing
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Abigail Sussman is a Professor of Marketing at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She researches how individuals form judgments and make decisions, investigating questions at the intersection of psychology, economics, and finance, with the aim of improving financial well-being.

Her central research examines psychological biases that can lead consumers to commit errors in budgeting, spending, borrowing, and investing. More recently, she has examined how companies can effectively pursue socially responsible strategies while maintaining profitability. Her work has been featured in top academic journals, including the Journal of Consumer Research, Psychological Science, and the Journal of Finance, and in popular media outlets, including National Public Radio, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.

Dr. Sussman is past president of the Society for Judgment and Decision-Making. Her prior experience includes work at Goldman Sachs in its equity research division. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University in cognitive science and economics, and a joint PhD from the psychology department and the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

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.

Neil W. Book

Chairman and CEO
Jet Support Services, Inc.

Neil is the Chairman and CEO of Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), the leading independent provider of maintenance support and financial tools to the business aviation industry. Founded in 1989, JSSI supports approximately 30% of the world’s business jets through its maintenance programs, parts and software business, and aviation finance fund.

Before joining JSSI, Neil was president and CEO of SMobile Systems, which sold to Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) in 2010, where he served as Vice President of Mobile Security. Under Neil’s leadership, SMobile became a market leader in the rapidly emerging mobile security industry. He is the inventor of two patents: System and Method for Detecting Spyware and System and Method for Controlling a Mobile Device.

Neil sits on the board of the Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, United Hatzalah, an emergency medical services organization based in Israel, and the Horn Program in Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware.

Neil began his career at AT&T. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware.

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.

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