Join Us for a Fireside Chat With a Decacorn

Join The Grainger College of Engineering as we sit down with alumnus Dan Caruso ('86, B.S., Mechanical Engineering), a three-time "decacorn" who has built industry-defining companies — including one that sold for $8.5 billion. Caruso will share insights on his career as an entrepreneur and discuss the future tech frontier, including quantum computing, space technology and the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship.

Monday, September 28, 4 p.m.
Emceed by Rashid Bashir, Dean, The Grainger College of Engineering
Meet-and-greet networking reception directly following

Beckman Institute, Auditorium (Room 1025)
405 N. Mathews Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801

First 50 attendees to arrive will receive a free copy of Caruso's book, "BANDWIDTH: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom."

Dan Caruso's career highlights include co-founding executive roles at Level 3 Communications and leadership positions at Metropolitan Fiber Systems (MFS), both achieving multi-billion-dollar enterprise values. Caruso also spearheaded the 2004 take-private of ICG Communications, achieving a remarkable 25x return. In 2020, he founded Caruso Ventures, a prominent investment firm focusing on both quantum and space technology. His expertise is shared with aspiring innovators through numerous organizations, including Endeavor Global, Colorado Thrives, Elevate Quantum and the University of Chicago's Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.