Mary Ittelson
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Strategy
Biography
MARY ITTELSON is a professor, consultant, arts advocate, and frequent guest speaker on creativity and innovation. Her work is grounded in the belief that art is essential for a rich life, vibrant communities, and a civil society. Spurred by the cultural, health, economic, and technological upheavals of recent years, Ms. Ittelson founded the Art + Business Lab to enlist students alongside artists and business leaders to foster positive change in individuals, businesses, and civic organizations.
Throughout her career, Ms. Ittelson has taught at major universities. In her Arts Leadership class at Booth, Ms. Ittelson emboldens current and future leaders to try radical strategies to achieve cultural impact and fiscal sustainability. In her Art + Business Lab class, students envision new ventures at the intersection of art and business while cultivating creativity, innovation and collaboration practices. Prior to joining the Booth faculty, Ms. Ittelson developed and co-taught Leadership in the Arts and Creative Industries at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Ms. Ittelson’s firm, Ittelson Consulting, provides strategic planning, governance, and leadership counsel to arts, cultural, and business organizations. Clients include museums, theaters, dance companies, media corporations, universities, foundations, and government agencies. Her previous consulting experience was with McKinsey & Company where she served a variety of Fortune 100 clients.
Ms. Ittelson has held numerous leadership roles in the cultural sector, including Chair of the Board and Associate Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art where she is a life trustee. She was a three-term member of the Chicago Cultural Advisory Counsel. Ms. Ittelson serves on the Stanford University Arts Advisory Council and the Board of Directors of Parliament Collective Intelligence.
Prior to her management career, Ms. Ittelson was a professional dancer and choreographer. She was Executive Director of Crossroads, Inc., a New York-based company of dancers and musicians. Her choreography garnered a Music and Dance Fellowship at the American Dance Festival and was performed at The Juilliard School, New York University, Northwestern University and Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors. Ms. Ittelson was Assistant Professor of Theatre at Northwestern University where she taught dance technique, history, and choreography, and was elected to the Faculty Honor Roll.
Ms. Ittelson earned an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a BA in Choreography from New York University, studied dance at The Juilliard School, and was a Fellow at the Stanford University Distinguished Career Institute.
Taking to heart her knowledge about the value of art-making and art-beholding for everyone at all stages of life, Ms. Ittelson writes short stories, frequents museums and theaters, and on occasion will spontaneously dance a gigue.