Alumni offer ‘critical connections’ to IU

IU’s Kelley School of Business credits itself with more than 86,000 alumni worldwide, in 106 countries and on six continents. Some of the most powerful and recognizable business moguls in the world have walked the hallways of Kelley, including NBA Dallas Maverick owner and President and CEO of HDNet, Mark Cuban.\nBut several alumni choose to stay here and leave a legacy in Bloomington. These alumni business owners are “critical connections,” not only to the business school but to IU as a whole, said Rochelle Reeves, director of alumni relations for the Kelley School of Business.\n“(Alumni) are an extremely important resource for the Kelley School of Business to stay connected with the business world,” Reeves said. “They develop a life-long relationship with the University.”\nKelley School of Business alumni Aobo Zou might not own a basketball team and isn’t a global industry tycoon, but the business he owns might affect Bloomington life more than one thinks.\nZou is the owner of local Bloomington restaurant Fortune Cookies, located on 10th Street.\n“I saw there was an opportunity here in Bloomington for my business idea,” Zou said. “And it looked like an Asian restaurant could really work out here.”\nAfter receiving his degree in marketing and operations management, Zou was sure of one thing: He didn’t want to go off and find a “regular nine-to-five job.” So after talking with family and friends, Zou decided to open up his dream restaurant in the same town where he spent his college career.\nZou is one of the many business alumni who have chosen to stay close to their alma mater and start businesses of their own. \nLyle Feigenbaum is another example of how the more than 1,000 Kelley alumni who work in Monroe County continue to stay connected with the University. Feigenbaum graduated with his undergraduate accounting degree from the business school in 1990. Currently, Feigenbaum owns the local branches of Scholar’s Inn Bakehouse. \nThe Kelley School has 4,300 undergraduates, many of whom dream of one day leaving IU and making it big in the business world. But while their dreams may not include opening an Asian restaurant like Zou, his advice applies to everyone.\n“Pursue what you really want to do,” he said, “and don’t ever write off your goals just because people say it’s weird or out of reach.”