Considering starting a high-tech venture, or looking for resources for your current company? Universities have a lot to offer entrepreneurs, as Phillip Leslie, founder of ProOnGo, has experienced.

Ms. Kelly Cutler is Co-Founder and CEO of Marcel Media, a Chicago-based strategic interactive advisory firm that delivers world-class SEO, SEM, social media, and analytics solutions to clients including Ryland Homes, HUB International, University of Southern California, and NorthShore University HealthSystem.

Jason Fried is co-founder and president of 37Signals, a privately-held Chicago company committed to building the best Web-based tools with the least number of features necessary.

Christine McClure is the Reference Librarian for Business and Design at IIT’s Paul V. Galvin Library. In this very helpful video, she discusses the wealth of resources available for research, the ‘invisible web,’ Boolean searching, and much more.

John Meyer, Chef/Owner of BJ’s Market & Bakery, graduated from Chicago State University in 1987 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. He enrolled in the Culinary Arts Program at Washburne Trade School in Chicago where he was classically trained in French-American cuisine. After gaining invaluable experience at Chicago’s prestigious University Club, Chef Meyer committed himself to opening a white tablecloth restaurant on Chicago’s South Side. Established in 1992, The Retreat Restaurant was housed in a renovated Victorian mansion in the historical Pullman area.

Thomas K. Stat is an Associate Partner at IDEO, and is part of IDEO’s global relationship design community. As a member of IDEO Chicago’s leadership team, Tom manages a number of IDEO’s key client relationships and helps to direct business development efforts across all IDEO practice areas