Mentorship

Mustafa “Mus” Chagal is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and a long-time judge-mentor for several NVC tracks advising numerous early stage companies. Chagal helped with the launch of Duality Quantum accelerator and is a mentor to deeptech companies, and a member of the Advisory Committee for the George Schultz Innovation Fund.

Chagal is a Board member and advisor to Great Lakes Crystal Technologies (GLCT), member of the first Duality cohort.  GLCT is a DOD portfolio company and a leader in the growth of high-quality diamond products for critical military and commercial applications in rapidly emerging defense & deep tech markets such as:  (i) Quantum sensing (e.g., Navigation in GPS denied environments, Magnetic Anomaly Detection, Medical Sensing, etc.) (ii) Thermal management of AI chips; (iii) High power electronics (e.g., longer range radar and lower power loss for drones, diamond transistors, FETs, etc.).

Chagal held several advisory roles, and spent the majority of his career in international manufacturing (Turkey & Israel) and distribution of products & components for the industrial and building materials sectors in the USA – product design, prototyping, certifications, global manufacturing, supply chain optimization, logistics, merchandising, post sales-support.

Chagal started his entrepreneurial career in 1999 at FastWeb, a technology start-up. FastWeb became the destination site and search engine for college bound students looking for scholarships, and the prominent one-to-one marketing & customer acquisition platform for companies targeting the youth market (acquired by TMP Worldwide).  After receiving his MBA from University of Chicago Booth, Chagal was recruited by Booz Allen & Hamilton and helped launch their office in Istanbul.  Chagal joined the Ameritech Executive Development Program after college and held several senior corporate and operating positions with increasing responsibilities for a decade in the telecom sector.

Chagal was born and raised in Cyprus and came to the USA on a Fulbright Scholarship. Chagal earned a BS in computing and information science and math from Roosevelt University, and an MBA from Chicago Booth.  Chagal was admitted to the Lincoln Academy in 1988 as a Student Laureate. The Lincoln Academy elects several Laureates each year to honor senior students at each of the four-year, degree-granting institutions in Illinois for overall excellence, in both curricular and extra-curricular programs.

Chagal was born and raised in Cyprus and came to the USA on a Fulbright Scholarship in 1984. Chagal earned a BS in computing and information science and math from Roosevelt University, and an MBA from Chicago Booth. Chagal was admitted to the Lincoln Academy in 1988 as a Student Laureate. The Lincoln Academy elects several Laureates each year to the Order of Lincoln, the highest award given by the State of Illinois.

Vincent is a venture capitalist focused on breakthrough dual-use technologies and a former C-suite media and sports executive. He is passionate about human elevation and championing paradigm-shifting founders to actualize their world-transforming visions in service to humanity and America.

Recently, he has invested in breakthrough dual-use tech and media companies including SpaceX, Colossal Biosciences, and Hypergiant — acquired by Trive Capital — as well as Mucho Mas Media, where he served as both Co-CEO and CBO, helping to secure Seed and Series A funding. Vincent has also invested in and is mentoring Alnair Therapeutics, winner of the 2023 New Venture Challenge, among several other companies.

He serves as an advisor to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee. He is also on the Dean’s Advisory Board at UCLA.

Previously, he served as COO of HBO Latin America, EVP and GM at FOX Sports, VP and GM at Univision Chicago, and VP of Business Development and Labor at Univision.

Vincent graduated from the University of Chicago Law School and UCLA magna cum laude with a triple major in Philosophy, Political Science, and Chicano Studies. He was featured on Crain’s Chicago Business’ 2007 “40 Under 40” list and has previously served on the University of Chicago Law School Visiting Committee, as well as on the boards of the Adler Planetarium and the Chicago YMCA.

“Mia Saini Duchnowski is a journalist, engineer, investor, and a successful entrepreneur who sold her first VC-backed company, Oars + Alps, to SC Johnson. Currently, she is a Managing Director at Cantor Fitzgerald leading the Industrials Investment Banking Sponsor Coverage group. She is the co-founder of Oars + Alps, a digitally native skin care brand. that was sold to SC Johnson. The company launched in 2015 after Mia quit her high-profile job as a TV reporter/anchor with Bloomberg TV, one of the largest financial TV networks in the world.

Mia spent over three years with Bloomberg TV in Hong Kong and in New York City where she was responsible for global economic, political and business coverage. She was the first person at the network to interview the chairman of Microsoft, John Thompson, after he became chairman. She’s interviewed hundreds of CEOs and heads of states including the former CEO of Burberry, Angela Ahrendts, and Virgin founder, Sir Richard Branson. She’s routinely covered breaking news stories, such as the disappearance of MH 370, Nelson Mandela’s death, and Steve Job’s passing.

Prior to joining Bloomberg in June 2011, Mia served as an anchor and reporter for Forbes TV. She reported from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland as well as interviewed prominent business leaders including Warren Buffett, former FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair, Blackstone co-founder Pete Peterson, former Bear Stearns CEO Ace Greenberg, SAP CEO Bill McDermott and more. Earlier in her career, Mia was a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs, working in hedge fund sales and marketing. There, she helped establish strategic relationships with hedge funds representing over $1.2 billion in portfolio value.

Mia earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School. She earned a double major from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in neuroscience and media studies, and a double minor in civil engineering and management science. While at MIT, she interned at NASA Ames Research Center doing artificial intelligence research. She was featured in Glamour Magazine as one of their Top Ten College Women in 2004.

Mia was named as one of Crain’s Magazine 40 Under 40 in 2020 and was the emcee for the 2020 TedX Wrigleyville event. Currently, she sits on the Board of the Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo and is President of the Harvard Business School Club of Chicago. Mia actively interviews high school seniors looking to study STEM subjects at MIT. She is also active in the Chicago startup ecosystem and enjoys mentoring students. She loves tea, cycling and watching film noir movies and lives in Chicago.”

Mike Froy, JD ’83 has spent his career helping grow and protect businesses around the world.   Mike is an angel investor and advisor to start-ups.

Mike serves as the Global Chair of the 3,000+ lawyer Corporate practice at Dentons, the world’s largest law firm with over 200 offices in over 80 countries.  Previously Mike served on Dentons’ US and Asia Pacific Region boards, as the chair of Dentons’ US Corporate practice, co-chair of Dentons’ Capital Market practice and Co-head of Dentons’ Chicago office.  An active director and governance expert, Mike has served on and advised both business and not for profit board of directors and currently serves on the boards of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the United States China Heartland Association, Junior Achievement of Chicago and the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

Advising entrepreneurs, start-ups and investors, as well as Fortune 500 companies and major financial institutions in the full range of their business needs, Mike brings a wealth of experience across industries to help individuals and businesses meet their strategic objectives.  Mike has helped clients create billions of dollars in value and effectively manage legal and business risks.  Mike is a solution provider and coach; he helps businesses see around corners and navigate challenging situations.

In addition to representing start-ups, Mike’s legal practice focuses on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, complex commercial transactions, securities offerings, and corporate governance.  Working with businesses in over 50 countries, coupled with his knowledge and sensitivity to business, cultural and legal differences around the world, Mike has a differentiated ability to achieve results in cross-border and multi-jurisdictional projects.

Mike’s approach is distinguished by:

• Committed and active listening.
• Deeply understanding the business and objectives, strategies and motivations underlying any situation.
• Full consideration of matter context, including all relevant constituencies.
• Application of unrestricted, multi-disciplinary business, legal and practical analysis, judgement and advice.
• Passion for creating value, solving problems and identifying business opportunities.

Mike has a JD from the University of Chicago and an AB from the University of Michigan.

Melissa Harris, MBA ’16, is founder and CEO of M. Harris & Co., a Chicago-based marketing consultancy. She formerly was an accomplished journalist who spent 15+ years at the Chicago Tribune, the Baltimore Sun, and the Orlando Sentinel. Prior to launching her company, she served as vice president of marketing at a real estate private equity firm, helping it raise about $70 million. She has been named among the 50 most influential people in Chicago tech on Twitter by both Built In Chicago and Chicago Inno. She and her colleagues won a Clio Award for her work on Cards Against Humanity Saves America. In 2021, she began angel investing.

Alex Hodgkin, MBA ’14, has spent the bulk of his career in investment banking and entrepreneurship. He has worked at Salomon Smith Barney and Headwaters MB. He is the cofounder and CEO of Intrinsic, a financial services firm providing valuation opinions and transaction advisory services to venture- and private equity-backed companies and high net worth individuals. Hodgkin has been instrumental in creating the entrepreneurship through acquisition program and community at the University of Chicago.

If you would like to connect with Alex or other experts in ETA, please visit our ETA Advisors page.

Mike LaVitola is the co-founder and chairman of Foxtrot –a contemporary evolution of the corner store and café. Mike began his career working in investment banking in Austin, Texas, focusing on large-scale, public private partnership infrastructure transactions. He then joined a middle market private equity firm in Chicago before attending Chicago Booth, where he launched Foxtrot in 2013.

Doug Monieson, MBA ’89, is currently CEO and executive chairman of UICO,  a rugged touch screen manufacturing company in Chicago.   UICO was founded at Chicago Booth in 2008 and is backed by PE and venture capital.  Monieson has successfully led two previous exits,  Fishidy which was acquired by RayMarine in 2018 and Gradebeam which was acquired by Textura in 2011.   

Doug is open to meeting with all students and can also provide career advising for students in the MiM and MiF program. He helped create the Hyde Park Angel Venture Capital Award for outstanding Booth students pursuing a career in venture capital and the Katlin Smith Simple Mills award for incoming Booth students that are pursuing startups with conscious capitalism.

Ellen Rudnick, MBA ’73, is a successful startup executive, having served as chairman of Pacific Biometrics and CEO of Health Care Knowledge Resources. She has held positions as corporate vice president at Baxter Healthcare and president of Baxter Management Services Division, which she founded. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Old National Bank (NASDAQ: ONB). She previously served as a director of Liberty Mutual Insurance, Patterson Companies (NASDAQ:PDCO), HMS (NASDAQ: HMSY) and Oxford Health. She serves on the MATTER board of directors and on the 1871 Advisory Board. She was formerly the inaugural executive director of the Polsky Center and a Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship.

Jamie Shah, MBA ’13,  operates her family’s business, Chem-Impex, a distributor and manufacturer of high purity laboratory chemicals. Prior to Chem-Impex, Shah was the Chief Operating Officer of The Spice House. She was also previously the lead associate at Hyde Park Angels and Hyde Park Venture Partners, and was selected as a Kauffman Fellows Finalist. She started her career at Goldman Sachs as an investment banker in the consumer retail group, and then was a financial analyst for Google Maps.

In addition to teaching Outperform & Outlast:  Operating and Investing in Closely Held Businesses at Booth, Shah is a Polsky Center Entrepreneur in Residence where she provides mentorship and coaching to University of Chicago students interested in exploring topics related to family business and long term ownership and operations.

Shah earned a dual degree (BBA and BS) from The University of Wisconsin – Madison in finance, investments, and banking and Spanish literature and language, and an MBA from Chicago Booth.  In 2023, Shah was selected as one of Family Business Magazine’s Transformational Women in Business.

Shah serves on the University of Wisconsin’s Business Alumni Board and resides in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago with her husband, Anish, and their two children Rowan (a Labbie!) and Sona.