2021 Speaker Series

6.23.2022 – Virtual Speaker Series – John Wildhack, Pi ’80 (Syracuse)

Join us for the Psi Upsilon Virtual Speaker Series, live online Thursday June 23rd 6:30pm EDT

A Fireside Chat with John Wildhack, Pi ’80 (Syracuse), Director of Athletics at Syracuse.

Our speaker will be John Wildhack, Pi ’80 (Syracuse)

A uniquely qualified executive with a vast knowledge of and passion for Syracuse University Athletics, John Wildhack ’80 was named Syracuse’s 11th Director of Athletics in July 2016. Wildhack, a veteran leader at ESPN, most recently served as the network’s executive vice president for programming and production. Wildhack was responsible for oversight of all ESPN and ABC game, event and studio production work for domestic and international television and radio networks, as well as programming acquisitions, rights holder relationship management and scheduling.
 

At Syracuse, he is responsible for leading the daily operations of a 20-sport athletics department with more than 550 student-athletes in an environment that coaches, administration and staff foster for student-athletes to maximize their performance in the classroom and on the playing field to prepare them for future success.


During his distinguished career at ESPN, Wildhack held a number of critical leadership roles and was responsible for a number of firsts at the network. Those firsts included producing ESPN’s first live regular-season college football game in September 1984 and its first live NFL game in August 1987.

As ESPN’s executive vice president for programming and production, Wildhack managed all league and conference relationships and negotiated all live sport television rights; renegotiated a nine-year deal with the National Basketball Association (NBA), extending the existing contract through 2023; renegotiated a new 20-year agreement with the Southeastern Conference that extended the existing media rights deal through 2034; helped secure long-term multiplatform agreements with the NBA, Major League Baseball, College Football Playoffs, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12, U.S. Open Tennis, the Rose and Sugar Bowls, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the American Athletic Conference and the Mountain West Conference; and won more than 30 Emmy Awards. He was responsible for 50,000 hours of on-air content annually.

Wildhack served as ESPN’s executive vice president for programming and acquisitions from 2007 until 2012. While directing programming and acquisitions, he oversaw all rights negotiations and managing relationships with rights holders for all ESPN entities. These included ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, ESPN International, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN3, ESPN Mobile Properties, print and more. In 2009, he began leading strategic program planning for all the ESPN television networks, ESPN on ABC and ESPN’s digital platforms. 

Wildhack’s managerial role at ESPN began in 1990 when he was named director, event productions. In 1991 he was promoted to vice president, remote production, a position he held through 1993 when he became senior vice president, remote production. In September 1994, he moved to the programming department as senior vice president, programming, and in 2005 he became senior vice president, programming acquisitions & strategy. Wildhack was directly involved in the renewal and expansion of many ESPN and ESPN2 programming agreements including NFL, MLB, NBA, the Bowl Championship Series, NCAA, tennis’ four Grand Slam events and a variety of major college conferences. His efforts were integral in the increase of live and original programming on ESPN and ESPN2. Under his direction, the evolution of ESPN2’s programming lineup included an extensive commitment to auto racing and college football and basketball, leading to ESPN2 becoming the fastest growing network of the 1990s.

Wildhack first joined ESPN as a production assistant in 1980. He served in a number of production positions prior to his move to the management track at the Worldwide Leader in Sports, including production assistant, associate producer, senior associate producer, producer, coordinating producer and director of event productions. Among the sports he worked on were college football, NCAA basketball, boxing, golf and auto racing.  He served as coordinating producer of ESPN’s Sunday Night NFL and NFL Draft telecasts in 1988 and 1989 and produced NFL games for the network – the first NFL games on cable – from 1987-89. 




Details on the virtual series here:
To suggest a speaker or topic contact jonathan@psiu.org

6.29.2022 – Speaker Series Evening with Anthony Watson, Omega ’14 (Chicago)

Join us for a Speaker Series Evening in Chicago at the University Club of Chicago. Wed, June 29 6:30-8:30PM Central. Our speaker will be Anthony Watson, Omega ’14 (Chicago) co-founder and VP of strategy for Shipbob.

Anthony Watson, 29, cofounded Shipbob, which helps 7,000+ brands offer fast delivery to their customers by packing and shipping orders from over two dozen warehouses across the country. The company has raised $305 million from Softbank, Bain Capital Ventures and others at a valuation of over $1 billion.
In December 2021 Anthony was featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Retail and E-commerce List

From personalized and memorable unboxing experiences to faster shipping, ShipBob provides best-in-class supply chain solutions and fulfills global orders from the US, UK, EU, Canada, and Australia to meet customer expectations.

Thank you to our generous sponsors helping defray the event costs.
• Doug Jackman, Omega ’89

Special thanks to Christopher Vincent for granting us access to the club under his membership

University Club of Chicago

76 East Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603
phone 312.726.2840 | fax 312.726.0620

Getting Here

Valet parking is available 24 hours, seven days a week.

  • Member day rate: $30, overnight rate: $55
  • Guest day rate: $38, overnight rate: $55

Self-parking is available at the following garages: Grant Park East Garage (located at Columbus Drive and Michigan Avenue), Grant Park North Garage (located at Madison Street and Michigan Avenue), and Grant Park South Garage (located at Jackson Street and Michigan Avenue).

Lodging

We’re looking at getting a room block somewhere.




Details on the virtual series here:
To suggest a speaker or topic contact jonathan@psiu.org

9.23.2021 – Virtual Speaker Series

Join us for the Psi Upsilon Virtual Speaker Series, live online Thursday Sept 23th 6:30pm EDT

A Fireside Chat with Mark Hedstrom, Omega ’95 (Chicago), Country Director for the US at Movember

Our speaker will be Mark Hedstrom, Omega ’95 (Chicago)

Mark Hedstrom is the Country Director for the US at Movember and a senior executive with extensive experience in both entrepreneurial environments and global organizations. As a special part of the discussion, Kian Heiat, Community Development Coordinator, will discuss undergraduate philanthropy opportunities associated with the Big Mo On Campus initiative. Undergraduates are encouraged to attend and consider Movember as a potential vehicle for philanthropic hours this year. Sept 23th at 6:30 EST

Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men’s health. We know what works for men – and what doesn’t. Mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer – we’re taking them all on.

Since 2003, Movember has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world, challenging the status quo, shaking up men’s health research and transforming the way health services reach and support men.

BY 2030, WE AIM TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MEN DYING PREMATURELY BY 25%.

  1. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION Learn more
  2. PROSTATE CANCER Learn more
  3. TESTICULAR CANCER Learn more




About Movember and Biggest Mo On Campus


Details on the virtual series here:
To suggest a speaker or topic contact jonathan@psiu.org

10.07.2021 – Virtual Speaker Series

Join us for the Psi Upsilon Virtual Speaker Series, live online Thursday October 7th 6:30pm EDT

A Fireside Chat with Todd D. Simon, Tau ’86 (University of Pennsylvania)Philanthropist and Chairman & CEO of Omaha Steaks

Our speaker will be Todd D. Simon, Tau ’86 (University of Pennsylvania)

Todd Simon is a 5th Generation owner of the Omaha Steaks® group of companies, serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Simon joined Omaha Steaks more than 35 years ago after graduating from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Omaha Steaks and the Simon family have a strong commitment to community leadership and philanthropy, and Todd has been extremely involved in shaping his family’s leadership in supporting the arts.

Mr. Simon is a past Chairman and Vice-President of the Omaha Community Foundation where he is also a member of their Strategic Planning and Impact Investing committees.  He is Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts where he chairs the Development Committee.  Mr. Simon is a founding board member of United States Artists – a national arts organization that raises private money to award significant fellowships each year to America’s finest living artists in all disciplines.  He is also on the Board of Directors of the Mid-America Arts Alliance and is a member of the American’s for the Arts Business Committee for the Arts.

In 2017, Todd was the recipient of the Humanities Nebraska Sower Award which is presented annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to public understanding of the arts and humanities in Nebraska.  He has also been named Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year by the Nebraska Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and along with his wife, Betiana, was named a 2013 Humanitarian of the Year by Inclusive Communities.

About Omaha Steaks


Details on the virtual series here:
To suggest a speaker or topic contact jonathan@psiu.org

6.10.2021 – Virtual Speaker Series

Join us for the Psi Upsilon Virtual Speaker Series, live online Wednesday June 10th 6:00-7:30pm EST

Psi U Experience: Virtual Wine Tasting: Donelan Family Wines

Cushing Donelan, Gamma ’05 (Amherst College) was a very popular part of our Speaker Series last year, and Donelan Family Wines are highly regarded boutique vintners.

The Psi Upsilon Foundation is excited to offer brothers an exclusive Psi U Experience.

Brothers (and guests they wish to invite) will have the ability to engage with Cushing during an exclusive virtual tasting on June 10th, at 6:00 EDT.

Cushing has curated THREE exclusive packages for our brotherhood, delivered to your door in time to participate in the tasting.


After you register to attend the free seminar you will be directed to a page on Donelan Family Wine to view the special wine offerings.


Learn about Donelan Wines

Details on the virtual series here:
To suggest a speaker or topic contact jonathan@psiu.org

Donelan Wines is a boutique winery located conveniently in the middle of Santa Rosa, CA. The winery features Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rhone Blends from the Sonoma County.

Cushing brings his diverse experience in brand development and entertainment production to Donelan Family Wines. Never one to sit on the sidelines, Cushing saw the opportunity to enhance the brand’s evolution and create new partnerships, and was eager to dig his hands into the family business.

Truly a man of many interests, Cushing studied art history and studio art in college, served as Executive Assistant to actor Matthew McConaughey and his company (j.k. livin productions), and continues to be an Executive Producer with oneinarow productions. Read Cushing’s full bio.

5.6.2021 – Virtual Speaker Series

Join us for the Psi Upsilon Virtual Speaker Series, live online Thursday May 6th 5:30pm PDT

A Fireside Chat with Sam Schmidt,Lambda Sigma ‘86(Pepperdine University)

Our speaker will be Sam Schmidt,Lambda Sigma ‘86(Pepperdine)

Sam Schmidt is paralyzed. Now an Indy Racing League owner, he was a driver when he sustained a C-3/4/5 spinal cord injury while practicing for the 2000 season opener at Walt Disney World Speedway.

He created the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation (SSPF) that year to raise funds for medical research, innovative equipment used for rehabilitation, and quality-of-life issues, and is now Chairman of the Board of Conquer Paralysis Now.

Absolutely no funds raised for SSPF have ever supported his racing team, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.

“We’ve been spreading the message that you need to stay in shape and keep working hard because some type of treatment is going to come,” Sam says. “Frankly, I’ve come to the realization that I’m helping a lot more people since I’ve been injured than I ever could as a driver.”

CPN started in 2000 as the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. Sam’s original intent was to fund research and provide advocacy and programming for SCI patients and their families. Though SSPF achieved many successes over the next decade, the ultimate goal remained elusive: a cure.

Achieving functional recovery from chronic SCI will be a historic milestone in the advancement of human knowledge and empowerment. The dramatic moment when an individual previously diagnosed with irreversible paralysis takes his or her first steps will be celebrated around the world. It will be a testament to humanity’s progress in the mastery of science and nature.

We want to find a cure. We believe a cure is possible.



Live via ZOOM webinar: Register Here


About Conquer Paralysis Now

Details on the virtual series here:
To suggest a speaker or topic contact jonathan@psiu.org

4.22.2021 – Virtual Speaker Series

Join us for the Psi Upsilon Virtual Speaker Series, live online Thursday April 24th 6:00-7:00pm EDT

Change Management in “Interesting Times”; a discussion with Dr. Elise Walton, PhD.

Our speaker will be Dr. Elise Walton, PhD, Kappa ’80, (Bowdoin)

Elise Walton is a principle at Board Compass | Organization and Governance Consulting LLC specializing in Governance Assessment, Governance and Organization Design, Strategic Change Management, Leadership Development and Coaching. Brother Walton has a BA in Economics and Psychology, MA in organizational psychology, and a PHD in organizational behavior from Harvard Business. She has consulted with a laundry list of the world’s must successful companies including AT&T, Xerox, Ford Motor Company, Hewlett-Packard and many more before progressing to various board and executive leadership fellowships and leadership positions.  



Live via ZOOM webinar: Register Here


Elise’s LinkedIN

Details on the virtual series here:
To suggest a speaker or topic contact jonathan@psiu.org

6.17.2021 – Virtual Speaker Series

Join us for the Psi Upsilon Virtual Speaker Series, live online Thursday June 17th 5:00pm PDT

Public Speaking, Leadership, and Teambuilding with Lance Miller, Epsilon Nu ‘80

Our speaker will be Lance Miller, Epsilon Nu ‘80(Michigan State)

An award-winning speaker and leadership and communication coach, Lance has spoken as a guest on over 150 television and talk radio shows and delivered over 5,000 presentations in more than 55 countries.



Live via ZOOM webinar: Register Here


Lance Miller Speaks

Details on the virtual series here:
To suggest a speaker or topic contact jonathan@psiu.org

1.28.2020 – Virtual Speaker Series

Join us for the Psi Upsilon Virtual Speaker Series, live online Thursday January 28th 5:00-6:00pm PST

Admirals and Politicians and life as a historian; a discussion with Historian Barry Gough, Zeta Zeta ’62

Our speaker will be 

Dr. Barry M. Gough, Zeta Zeta ’62 (University of British Columbia) Author, Maritime history expert, and historian.  

Introduction by Thomas d’Aquino C.M., LL.D. , Zeta Zeta ’62



Live via ZOOM webinar: Register Here


Barry’s Bio
Churchill and Fisher: The titans at the Admiralty who fought the First World War

Details on the virtual series here:
To suggest a speaker or topic contact jonathan@psiu.org

2.10.2021 – Virtual Speaker Series

Join us for the Psi Upsilon Virtual Speaker Series, live online Wednesday February 10th 5:30-6:45pm EST

Psi U Experience: Virtual Wine Tasting: Donelan Family Wines

Cushing Donelan, Gamma ’05 (Amherst College) was a very popular part of our Speaker Series last year, and Donelan Family Wines are highly regarded boutique vintners.

The Psi Upsilon Foundation is excited to offer brothers an exclusive Psi U Experience.

Brothers (and guests they wish to invite) will have the ability to engage with Cushing during an exclusive virtual tasting on February 10th, at 5:30 EST.

Cushing has curated two exclusive packages for our brotherhood, delivered to your door in time to participate in the tasting.


After you register to attend the free seminar you will be directed to a page on Donelan Family Wine to view the special wine offerings.


Learn about Donelan Wines

Details on the virtual series here:
To suggest a speaker or topic contact jonathan@psiu.org

Donelan Wines is a boutique winery located conveniently in the middle of Santa Rosa, CA. The winery features Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rhone Blends from the Sonoma County.

Cushing brings his diverse experience in brand development and entertainment production to Donelan Family Wines. Never one to sit on the sidelines, Cushing saw the opportunity to enhance the brand’s evolution and create new partnerships, and was eager to dig his hands into the family business.

Truly a man of many interests, Cushing studied art history and studio art in college, served as Executive Assistant to actor Matthew McConaughey and his company (j.k. livin productions), and continues to be an Executive Producer with oneinarow productions. Read Cushing’s full bio.

Scroll to Top