ADVISORS
Jeff Coney
Jeff Coney serves as Director of Economic Development at Northwestern University, a position he was appointed to in September, 2007. Coney joined Northwestern in 2000 as Director of New Business Initiatives. In that role, he was responsible for day-to-day operation of the Illinois Technology Enterprise Center (ITEC) in Evanston. ITEC – Evanston delivered of a variety of technology commercialization services to both Northwestern faculty and other local early stage technology companies. The Center served over 350 entrepreneurs and assisted in the formation of over 50 ventures. ITEC clients raised over $85M in venture capital and grant funding and created several hundred jobs.
Prior to joining the University, Coney spent 14 years as a software entrepreneur. He co-founded Facility Management Systems, Inc., a local software company, which was sold to a publicly traded company. He has also had prior employment with Arthur Andersen, Metropolitan Structures and The City of Chicago. Mr. Coney holds BA and MBA degrees from Northwestern and is a CPA. He is a founding member of the Midwest Research Universities’ Network.
Terry Howerton
Terry Howerton is the founder and CEO of the FastRoot organization, a full-service provider of information technology solutions for companies ranging from start-up to mid-market. He is a skilled technologist and committed entrepreneur, starting his first business at the age of 15. He has launched and built a series of successful ventures, all high-tech based or heavily leveraging technology. His companies have included consumer catalog businesses, book, magazine and web portal ventures, ISP’s and hosting companies, software products and consulting firms.
Terry serves on the board of several area start-ups and emerging companies, and is an advisor for new technology ventures in Chicago. In addition to his role as a board member for the Information Technology Executive Exchange, Terry co-chairs the Illinois Innovation Forum, hosts a monthly CEO Roundtable for Chicago software companies, and is a member of the board of directors of the Chicago Software Association and leads the organization’s Entrepreneur Summit.
Ralph W. Rydholm
In his 40+ years in the advertising business, Ralph Rydholm has worn a lot of hats. He has been a writer, an account exec, a creative director, a CEO, and chairman of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. But most of all, he has been a premier brand builder. He has launched new brands, repositioned older ones and won more than his share in the highly competitive new business area.
Currently, Ralph is president of R2 Consulting, which he formed after retiring from Euro RSCG Tatham as CEO and Euro RSCG USA as director. Ralph came to Tatham Laird & Kudner from Ted Bates Advertising in New York City, where he worked globally on such accounts as the U.S. Navy, Xerox, Colgate, Panasonic and Prudential. Prior to Bates, Ralph spent 20 years at J. Walter Thompson, where he worked internationally in Europe, South America, Canada and Asia on clients such as Pepsi, Ford, Burger King, Kellogg and Kraft. Along the way, Ralph has worked in every aspect of the advertising business, from print to television, direct response to the Internet.
Ralph has been named one of “America’s 100 Best Creative People” by Ad Daily twice, the Wall Street Journal’s “Creative Leaders Hall of Fame” in 1994, “Ad Exec Of the Year” for 1990 by Adweek, one of the five “Best Men in Advertising” by McCall’s and Adweek in 1992, and was CEO when Tatham was named “Midwest Agency of the Year” by Adweek. As a cap to his many hats, Ralph was on the Board of the 4A’s for six years, served as vice chair, and was named chairman of the American Association of Advertising Agencies in 1997.
He is a member and former director of The Economic Club of Chicago and a member of the President’s Circle of the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations and the Executives Club of Chicago. A graduate of Northwestern University, Ralph did graduate MBA work at NU and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He is happily married to Jo with 3 grown children. A native Chicagoan with a passion for sports, he has always been a dedicated Cubs, Bears, Bulls, Hawks and NU Wildcats fan, and remains a dedicated skier and a lousy golfer.
David H. Sheehan
As president of Hoffman York, a $90 million full-service, independent advertising agency, David has helped guide the company through the rapidly changing marketing and communications landscape.
Joining the firm in 2002 as part of the merger of leading creative boutique Tom Reilly Advertising based in Chicago and Hoffman York based in Milwaukee, David oversaw the consolidation of the two agencies and led the development of new business initiatives that would see Hoffman York increase revenues 47% in the last four years. The agency was also recognized in both 2004 and 2007 as one of three finalists for the prestigious O’Toole Award for creative excellence awarded by the governing body of the advertising industry – the 4A’s.
David’s inclusive and decisive leadership style helped him reposition Hoffman York as one of the leading independent agencies in Chicago and the Midwest. Prior to his role at Hoffman York, David Sheehan started and built a $90 million advertising agency that today operates as Chicago Creative Partnership.
David resides in Evanston, Ill. with his wife Cheryl and three children. He is a member of the Board of Directors of TextTruth, an online textbook seller, and a member of the advisory board for Signature Bank in Chicago. He is also active with the Special Olympics of Illinois, Hunger Task Force and the past Vice Chairman of University of Dayton Alumni Fundraising. He also is a member of The Executive Club of Chicago where he serves on both the Communications and Mentor’s Program Committees.
William J. White
William J. White is a professor in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. In 2004, White was named one of two winners of Northwestern University Alumni Association’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He also teaches at the Kellogg School of Management. He is also the author of “From Day One” and co-authored “Creative Collective Bargaining.”
Prior to his teaching career, Bill served as chairman of the board of Bell & Howell Company, where he has also held the positions of CEO and president. Previously, he was founder, chairman and president of Whitestar Graphics, Inc.
Bill is a graduate of Northwestern University and he received an MBA degree from Harvard Business School. He is a trustee of Northwestern University and has served on the boards of several organizations, including the Illinois Division of the American Cancer Society, Masonite Corporation, the Harris Bank, the Chicago Stock Exchange, the Reader’s Digest Association and the Field Museum in Chicago.