As the Vice President of Student Affairs for Northern Illinois University, Dr. Reneau strives to create meaningful connections across our entire campus. Reality is being augmented by new and novel technologies rapidly, how does innovation change the traditional campus experience? What does the future of learning look like?

David Hochberg! is an NIU alum and College of Business graduate. While at NIU, David completed his Bachelor of Science in Business with a Marketing emphasis. During that same time, David was an SA Senator, President of a fraternity, Tugs Chairman, and Homecoming King! After graduating, David’s career has taken him from scrap trading, to the financial industry with notable stops that include owner of Townstone Financial, Vice president of Mortgage Lending at Perl Mortgage and at Lower LLC where he currently presides. In addition to a glorious reign on NIU’s campus, and an impressive career, David is also the host of Home Sweet Home Chicago radio show airing on WGN AM 720 each Saturday from 10-1pm. David, thank you so much for being here!

Diversity has been highlighted within news reports, articles, and leaders across the globe. While this commitment to embracing diversity is justified, it is difficult to develop strategies to invigorate change beyond boilerplate stump speeches.

The well-crafted diversity statement has become an integral element of a modern company. Saying the right things about inclusion is only the first step; embodying equity at all levels of business must be scaffolded by intentionality, commitment, and compassion.

To help explore ways to embrace the complexities of who we are, the College of Business is proud to have special guest and NIU alum, Jocelyn Moore. Jocelyn Moore is globally astute Human Resource Executive. Jocelyn is the General Manager, Global Diversity & Inclusion at Microsoft. In this capacity Jocelyn is responsible for leading Global Diversity & Inclusion for the Microsoft Customer & Partner Solutions group and for all geographies. She brings 20 years of progressive Human Resources experience from global companies like Aon Hewitt, Medline Industries, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and DXC Technology. Jocelyn has held many transformative Human Resources roles. She started her career as a HR Coordinator and worked her way through the ranks to more progressive complex Human Resources positions.

Prior to joining Microsoft, she was with a North American based company, responsible for transforming the entire HR department. Jocelyn also spent time as the VP Global Talent Acquisition with DXC Technology, responsible for recruiting 30,000 new employees each year across the company’s global footprint. In this capacity, Jocelyn was directly responsible for leading all Global Talent Acquisition strategies, including relationship management, workforce planning, talent channels, and overall governance.

She recognizes she was helped along her career journey and wants to pay it forward. Over the years, Jocelyn has done resume and interviewing workshops, served on many nonprofit boards all focused on helping students with diverse backgrounds, and has had several mentees. She holds a Bachelor of Science in HR Management and MBA from Northern Illinois University was the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Management Department and the 2021 Distinguished Alumni for the NIU College of Business.

Please join the College of Business for this inspiring conversation with Jocelyn Moore and moderator, Dr. Christine Mooney on March 1st from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. (CST).

For this episode, The Gateway will be taking to the putting greens with the hopes of finally beating the windmill as we discuss innovation, hospitality, and providing a unique entertainment experience for customers with Puttshack’s CEO, Joe Vrankin.

Puttshack is a leading concept in the emerging and growing market of competitive socializing. Combining a tech-infused mini golf game with exceptional food and beverage offering, Puttshack has multi-generation appeal. Patented Trackaball™ technology al-lows guests to play a point scoring game surrounded by an upscale and exciting environment. Puttshack currently operates 9 total locations in the U.S. and U.K. with 11 more locations coming soon.

Joe Vrankin is a 20+-year C-Suite executive – Current CEO of Puttshack, Former CEO, Topgolf International. Joe’s core experience is focused on middle-market businesses, within multiple industries, that find themselves at a key inflection point in their company development. At the start of 2019 Joe joined Puttshack as its CEO and a member of its board of directors. Joe served as CEO of Topgolf for five years and joined when there was just one location in the U.S. Topgolf was acquired in early 2021 by Callaway in a transaction valued at $2.6 billion.

https://www.puttshack.com/