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    Meet Trustee Casselberry

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    Jim Casselberry

    Board Member

    Board of Trustees

    • Morehouse College, Board Member
    • Known Holdings, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
    Education

    University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

    Master of Business Administration

    University of Illinois

    Bachelor of Science

    PROFILE

    Jim is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Known Holdings.

    He has over 30 years of experience in investing, impact investing, investment management and investment consulting. Additionally, Jim has an extensive managerial background in family and entrepreneurial businesses across industries of waste management, food manufacturing and financial services.
    Previously, Jim served as the Chief Investment Officer at 4S Bay Partners, LLC, a single-family office focused on social impact, where he continues as a Senior Advisor. Jim is a board member at the Julian Grace Foundation where he chairs its investment committee. Jim is also a board member of Arc Chicago, LLC, the appointed board of Benefit Chicago. Benefit Chicago is a collaboration between The Chicago Community Trust, the John D, and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Calvert Foundation. Jim is the board chair of Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI). Jim has authored several white papers, most recently “Why Not the Best? Capturing Alpha from a Long-Neglected Market.”

    Jim has held senior roles at NexTier Companies, LLC and Dearborn Park Group, LLC (DPG), both of which offered strategic consulting advice to investment management and financial services firms. Prior to DPG, he was a principal at Ennis Knupp and Associates Inc. (currently known as AonHewitt Investment Consulting, Inc) where he had a broad range of responsibilities, including serving as the primary and managing consultant assigned to some of the nation’s largest public pension funds, foundations and endowments. Jim spearheaded Ennis Knupp’s Emerging Manager Advisory Council and was head of the firm’s global equity research group, member of private equity research group as well as the fixed income advisory council.

    During his career, Jim has held leadership positions with Trias Capital Management, LLC (Founder and CEO), Wedgewood Capital Management, Inc. (COO and Portfolio Manager) and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (Partner and Director of Fixed Income Investments). He began his career at First Chicago Corporation and Arthur D. Little Valuation, Inc. Jim has been an adjunct Professor at Valparaiso University teaching in the College of Business MBA program and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Jim sits on several philanthropic boards including Mosaic Genius, American Friends of Hebrew University, and he is a Trustee at Morehouse College and the National Urban League.

    Jim received a BS degree in economics from the University of Illinois and an MBA degree from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.

    In Conversation...

    WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO SERVE ON THE MOREHOUSE COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES?

    I have chosen to serve on the Morehouse College Board of Trustees because I am passionate about supporting and advancing HBCUs. I understand firsthand the immense value of the education and experiences provided at an HBCU. Morehouse in particular has a long, storied history of shaping generations of leaders dedicated to service, justice, and equality. It would be an honor to help guide Morehouse into the future and ensure current and future students have access to empowering academic. I aim to leverage my professional experience in investing, entrepreneurship, and management to help strengthen Morehouse’s financial position, programs, and campus community.

     
    WHO FROM THE MOREHOUSE COMMUNITY HAS IMPRESSED OR IMPACTED YOUR LIFE OR WORK?

    The past President of Morehouse, Robert Franklin.

    The past President of Chicago Urban League, James Compton.

    Chairman and CEO of NCM Financial, Maceo Sloan.

    AS A TRUSTEE, HOW DO YOU HOPE TO IMPACT MOREHOUSE COLLEGE?

    I’m aiming to strengthen Morehouse’s financial position, provide strategic oversight on operations, and help the college build sustainable resources to empower generations of principled leaders. I’m proud to serve as Chair of Institutional Advancement Committee with oversight of the $500 million capital campaign “Making Men of Consequence.” Having built a career around social impact, I would ensure that as a trustee, Morehouse preserves its legacy of developing talented, justice-oriented graduates ready to serve the world.

    WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK, MOVIE AND/OR TV SHOW OF ALL TIME?

    Favorite Books: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Nudge – by Richard Thaler

    Favorite movie- John Lewis – Good Trouble

    Favorite TV Show – All Star Trek’s series