Six degrees of Howard Tullman
Howard
Tullman, the CEO of the 1871 entrepreneurial center,
is traveling with Mayor Rahm
Emanuel in Europe this week.
They’re promoting Chicago and
its tech scene.
Tullman’s a natural traveling
partner as he has connections wherever he goes.
The Chicago businessman dished
on some of them at a recent fundraising event for the Illinois Institute
of Technology.
Tullman, who was the honoree,
dropped one notable name after the other during his speech.
He and restaurateur Larry Levy years ago sold
sandwiches to dorm students while they attended Northwestern University. And
Tullman played tennis under the Fullerton El stop with Valor Equity Partners
exec Vic Morgenstern.
Howard
Tullman. Provided photo.
Tullman was an early investor
in J.B. Pritzker’s first
venture fund, and the Chicago businessman remembers Bruce Rauner as “the most junior
associate” at what became GTCR. That’s the private equity firm that
invested in CCC Information Services, which Tullman founded.
Rauner, of course, is now
governor and Pritzker wants to unseat him.
Tullman dropped celebrity names
at the IIT event, too, including “Shark Tank” star investors Mark Cuban and Daymond John; and American
Online co-founder Steve Case.
And what about his
friend Emanuel?
“Don’t even get me
started,” Tullman told the crowd.
