College of Business > About > Centers & Institutes > Coleman Entrepreneurship Center > About > Staff

Staff

​Working with the center's advisory teams and talented student workers, the CEC staff leverages their experience and expertise to help students, alumni and community members develop businesses that Do Good and Do Well in Chicago.

Meet the Team

Bruce Leech

Bruce Leech
Executive Director
Senior Instructor, Department of Management & Entrepreneurship
(312) 362-6489
b.leech@depaul.edu

Bruce Leech leads the DePaul's Coleman Center for Entrepreneurship. As a faculty member, he teaches courses in strategic entrepreneurship and business plan development. An experienced entrepreneur, Leech is the founder of CrossCom National, an information technology data/voice company, and co-founder of Evolve USA, a membership organization for business owners. He has been inducted into the Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.

Leech earned an MBA in finance from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Michigan State University. He completed the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Maija

Maija Renko
Coleman Chair of Entrepreneurship
Director, Master of Science in Entrepreneurship Program
(312) 362-5944
maija.renko@depaul.edu

Maija Renko is a professor and the Coleman Chair of Entrepreneurship at the Driehaus College of Business, where she teaches entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship courses. Renko joined DePaul in 2019 from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she was the recipient of multiple research and teaching awards, including Favorite MBA Professor (voted by students).

Renko’s research focuses on the early stages of business development, factors contributing to successful business start-ups, and the role of entrepreneurship in bringing about social change. She has been published in numerous management and entrepreneurship journals and has received many Best Paper Awards, including one in 2016 for the most relevant research in social entrepreneurship. Over the years she has received many grants to support her research, including a $2.4 million grant in 2019 to study entrepreneurship as a pathway to employment for people with disabilities.

Renko is passionate about understanding how entrepreneurs build successful businesses that not only generate financial rewards for those involved, but contribute to the advancement of society and positive change, particularly for marginalized members of the community.

Emily Doyle

Emily Doyle
Director of Emerging Company Programs
(312) 362-6460
edoyle14@depaul.edu

Emily Doyle serves as the program manager for the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul University, where she develops and implements student, alumni and community programs and events. Emily is responsible for communications among DePaul students, faculty, staff, mentors and Advisory Board members.

Prior to her work at DePaul, Emily worked in University Advancement and as the program mnanager for the Department of Hospitality Management at the University of San Francisco.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in organizational communication from Ohio University, a Masters of Arts in teaching and a Masters of Arts in organizational leadership, both from the University of San Francisco. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and three children.


Headshot of Kathia Hernandez

Kathia Hernandez
Program Manager
(312) 362-1157
kherna61@depaul.edu

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Kathia Hernandez serves as the Program Manager for the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul University. In her role, Kathia is instrumental in developing programs for students, faculty, staff and alumni, fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. She excels in facilitating communication and collaboration among DePaul's diverse stakeholders, ensuring cohesive engagement and impactful initiatives.

Prior to her current role, Kathia graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor's degree in business management and a focus on entrepreneurship. Her journey at DePaul has been marked by her commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation, culminating in her leadership position at the CEC. With her extensive background in entrepreneurship and program management, Kathia is dedicated to empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and driving impactful initiatives within the DePaul community.

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