Kellogg Convocation

Celebrating the Class of 2026

This year’s Convocation will be a momentous occasion celebrating the achievements of the graduating class of 2026 for the Full-Time MBA, MBAi, Evening & Weekend MBA, MiM, MMM, JDMBA, MDMBA, and Doctoral Programs. Look for more information to come.

Keynote speaker

Ann Drake ’84

Ann Drake is President and Founder of Lincoln Road Enterprises, an operational philanthropic organization focused on elevating women’s leadership and creating a future in which women are at the forefront of improving the world we live in. Lincoln Road advances key initiatives and affiliated nonprofits with the purpose of impacting women’s leadership in the following fields: business, global supply chain, engineering and technology, infrastructure and design, and space and astrophysics.

Before launching Lincoln Road Enterprises, Ann was Chairman and CEO of DSC Logistics, an innovative supply chain and logistics management partner to some of the world’s leading companies. Under her guidance, DSC helped transform the business of supply chain management from a commodity service into a critical business strategy based on collaborative partnerships. During this time, Ann founded AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management, and Education), which became the preeminent community for senior women in supply chain.

Envisioning the future as a world without barriers to excellence, one in which women’s particular contributions are recognized and valued in making the world a better place, Ann founded the Women’s Leadership Center at Williams Bay, located on the shores of Geneva Lake in Wisconsin. Designed by Studio Gang, led by award-winning architect Jeanne Gang, the center will encourage innovation by bringing together accomplished women in an extraordinary space dedicated to collaborating and generating solutions to complex problems. The center is scheduled to open in 2026.

In November 2025, Kellogg announced that the new state-of-the-art building on Kellogg's Evanston campus will be named the Ann McIlrath Drake Executive Center in recognition of Ms. Drake’s philanthropy of $70 million.

Honored for her service with numerous awards, Ann received the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from Kellogg, the Distinguished Service Award from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), and the Schultz Award for advancing women in transportation and logistics from the McCormick School at Northwestern. She has been inducted into the Chicago Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement Chicago.

Ann serves on the Kellogg Global Advisory Board, the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Board of Directors, and on the Boards of Trustees for the New World Symphony, Miami Beach, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, and the Chicago Architecture Center. She is a member of the Civic Committee Transportation Task Force, an affiliate of the Commercial Club of Chicago.