Nancy Pautsch, Chairperson
President, Envision IT

Nancy Pautsch is the Chief Evangelist of Stakeholder Value (President) of Envision IT, a group of driven, curious, and compassionate people growing a soulful company. Envision’s mission is to enrich the lives of their stakeholders. Their business is technology consulting focused on optimization helping to ensure technology is an enabler to employee engagement and business success. Envision IT is the go-to technology partner for organizations across the U.S.

Nancy has been in the technology industry for 20+ years focused on business development. Keys to her leadership are a growth mindset and fostering collaborative cultures that breed a grounded sense of purpose while striving for excellence. Since heading-up Envision’s strategic transformation, the company has achieved triple-digit growth to the top and bottom line. Additionally, Envision has been lauded locally for their contributions to the community and economy; recognized globally in the technology industry as ‘best of the best’ for engineering quality, innovation, and customer experience; and highlighted by the Conscious Capitalism movement as a model for stakeholder orientation.

Although recognized for her impact to healthy business growth and Envision’s differentiation within the technology industry, Nancy is most proud of operating Envision IT as a Firm of Endearment. Envisioners live their core values and are affectionately known as ‘consultants with a conscience’ and ‘on-purpose geeks.’

Ale Breuer

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship

University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

Ale Breuer is a former founder turned investor with extensive experience in coaching startups and working in venture capital. She invests in and advises startups, including serving as a College New Venture Challenge Coach at the University of Chicago. Ale caught the entrepreneurial bug while pursuing an MBA from Chicago Booth, where she founded Ezza Nails, a conscious tech-enabled brick-and-mortar consumer nail business that empowered women on both sides of the manicure table.

In addition to advising and investing in startups, Ale teaches entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Her journey as a venture-backed founder provides her with a unique operator's perspective, which she brings to the classroom. Ale is passionate about helping founders navigate the early exploration stage and create a path to product-market fit. She understands the unique and realistic challenges of an entrepreneur, drawing from her own experience to provide practical guidance. With a strong background in fundraising and a talent for storytelling, Ale excels in helping entrepreneurs articulate their vision and see around corners. She focuses her classes on the realities of building a business and emphasizing practical, hands-on learning.

Ale is deeply passionate about conscious capitalism and using business as a force for good. She believes in the power of business to drive positive change and is committed to supporting ventures that align with these values. Through her work, she aims to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to build businesses that not only succeed financially but also contribute to the betterment of society.

Jean Pitzo

CEO, Ace Metal Crafts Company

Jean has been with Ace Metal Crafts Company since 1983, joining as a sales rep and progressing over the years to Vice President of Sales and Marketing, then to President and to her current role as CEO in 2003.

Throughout her tenure, Jean’s passion for developing conscious leaders and helping team members thrive has advanced the success of the company, and produced a culture with a foundation built on trust. Her extensive sales and leadership experience has taught her that taking great care of customers on the outside starts with taking good care of people on the inside.

Under Jean’s leadership, Ace has been honored numerous times for outstanding business practices, workplace culture, industry and community outreach. During her tenure the company was honored with an award for a Psychologically Healthy Workplace from the American Psychological Association. The company was honored to be named a Small Giant by Forbes magazine and has won the local and national Best and Brightest Companies to work for in 2023 and 2024. Ace Metal Crafts Company was also named to the Fab 40 by Fabricator magazine and is an active member of manufacturing associations: AME, TMA and FMA.

In addition to her role at Ace, Jean has served on the board of directors of Berthold Electric Co. in Chicago and the Board of Advisors of Irmco, Inc. in Evanston, IL. She served as a member of the IMEC (Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center)board of director’s and recently served on the finance committee for the Village of Hawthorn Woods. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from University of Wisconsin and her MBA in finance from Northern Illinois University.