With the generosity and foresight of Maria and Ralph de la Vega, the NIU College of Business will launch the De La Vega INNOVATION LAB on August 18th. Mr. de la Vega is a retired vice chair of AT&T and CEO of Business Solutions & International. He is also an alumnus of the NIU Executive MBA program.
Housed in the nationally ranked NIU College of Business, the De La Vega INNOVATION LAB is designed to inspire innovation and build an entrepreneurial mindset by serving as a hub for students, faculty, staff and the community at large to come together to bring their ideas to life. The lab will be central to executing on the vision of “culture of innovation” and “entrepreneurship everywhere.”
Ralph de la Vega will speak during the grand opening, which will be livestreamed on the NIU College of Business facebook account on August 18th, at 12:45 p.m. central time.
Dean Balaji Rajagopalan will host the ceremony to honor Ralph and Maria de la Vega and to launch the use of the space. Attendees will include NIU President Freeman, members of the President’s Cabinet, Board of Trustee Chair and key members & NIU business faculty and staff.
Over the course of his career, Mr. de la Vega has received numerous industry and academic recognitions and awards. He also authored the book “Obstacles Welcome: How to Turn Adversity into Advantage in Business and in Life.”
When he served as vice chair of AT&T and CEO of Business Solutions & International, Mr. de la Vega had overall responsibility for the company’s integrated Business Solutions group, which at the time served more than 3.5 million business customers in nearly 200 countries and territories, including nearly all the world’s Fortune 1000 companies.
His storied leadership at the helm of several high-tech global operations has made an indelible imprint in the world of mobile communications. Equally impressive is the focus of his company, the De La Vega Group, and its support of entrepreneurial start-ups as well as the life-changing mentorship it provides to today’s youth, particularly those from communities of color.
~ by M. De Jean, Director of Marketing, NIU College of Business
