Civic Scholars Student Profile Dan Tollefson

Why Chicago Booth?
I was confident that a Booth education would not only provide me with strong business fundamentals but also enhance my strategic decision-making to help mission-driven organizations grow and increase their impact. I was also drawn to the opportunity to develop lifelong connections with other civic leaders in the region.
 
What skills are you looking to develop at Booth?
As a former high school English teacher, I have many strengths, but I lack some core business fundamentals. In the role I play at the Chicago Community Trust and as chair of the board for a growing nonprofit, I want to sharpen my business fundamentals to ensure organizations I care about are operating on sound financial footing. I also want to up my game when it comes to strategy, from planning to communicating to implementing. Booth will help me build a strong business foundation and improve my strategic decision-making.
 
What are your career aspirations?  
I aspire to lead an organization tackling the extreme wealth inequality we see not only here in Chicago, but also across the country and the world. We are living in fragile times, with democracies fracturing, capitalism unchecked, and climate change looming larger and larger. We need leaders and organizations to plainly state the obvious challenges, rally allies around a shared cause, and ensure we create a society that is democratic, equitable, and livable now and in the future.