People
Susan Avery ’90 MS founded the Pacemakers, a dance team fighting stigma around aging. The group has developed a worldwide following.
After struggling to get his young daughter to learn the rules of football, Mike Schroder launched Future Fans, a series of activity boxes that help kids learn the rules of the game through picture books and fun games. It’s about creating opportunities intergenerational connection, he says.
Katlyn Gao is co-founder and CEO of League One Volleyball (LOVB), the largest youth volleyball community in the U.S. The organization is launching LOVB Pro, a women’s volleyball professional circuit that’s set to begin regular season play this January with franchises in six U.S.
Jehana Ray founded PackLess Travel, a clothing rental service helping tourists travel lighter.
André Crump ’91 MBA founded the World Dog Surfing Championships, which brings thousands of canine lovers to the shore of Linda Mar Beach outside San Francisco to watch the world’s best four-legged surfers catch some waves each summer.
In 2024 interdisciplinary artist Lilli Carré ’16 MFA won a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in the film-video category. Northwestern Magazine asked Carré about the inspiration behind her artwork and what she’s exploring next.
Matt Houchin is breaking records by wearing a Hard Rock Café T-shirt every day in 2024, all in the name of charity. His Hard Rock Shirt-a-thon is raising money for the nonprofit Free Guitars 4 Kids.
Ryan Cook ’12 and Mitch Lee ’11 met at Northwestern, where they both studied mechanical engineering, and later worked together at Boeing. They co-founded Arc in 2021, and in early 2024 the company unveiled its first mass-market model, the Arc Sport, a high-performance EV boat designed for wake sports.
Sarah Wills Carlsson collaborated with fellow alums to publish the ’ittle Bear children’s book series. The books, which follow a stuffed animal who travels the world, aim to increase cultural education.
Chelsea Jeon and Ryan Jeon co-founded Immigo, a peer-to-peer English learning platform powered by AI.
