The Kellogg School of Management received a $25 million gift from the Zell Family Foundation on behalf of former Chairman of Equity Group Investments Sam Zell, the school announced in a Tuesday news release.
Prior to his passing in May 2023, Zell expressed his desire to honor the Zell Fellows’ 10th anniversary by permanently housing the program in Kellogg, according to the release.
“With Sam’s passing, we lost a visionary entrepreneurial leader and a dedicated champion of our school and students,” Kellogg Dean Francesca Cornelli said in the news release. “The best way to honor Sam’s memory is to continue improving the Zell Fellows Program, which has made and will continue to make the aspirations of some of our incredibly creative students possible.”
The program caters towards MBA candidates interested in start-ups, new ventures or managing existing ones. Fellows are second-year students who demonstrate strong ambition, drive and desire.
The program brings together like-minded entrepreneurs who hope to run their own businesses upon graduation, per the release. Nearly 200 Kellogg students have participated in the program since its launch in 2013, starting 127 ventures and raising more than $705 million in capital.
“They’ve created and grown businesses in wide-ranging fields, from medical devices to global logistics and sustainable agriculture,” Faculty Director of the Zell Fellows Program David Schonthal said in the release. “Sam encouraged us to ‘go for greatness,’ and we will continue to do so.”
Helen Zell, president of the Zell Family Foundation, said the gift was an investment in helping talented people pursue their dreams.
“The Zell Family Foundation is proud to continue Sam’s legacy of supporting entrepreneurs who have big ideas, the passion to execute and the drive to go for greatness,” she said.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @HabashySam
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