Andrew Allen, Associate Director
Andrew is responsible for business outreach and project scoping at IBC and shares in the training and oversight of IBC’s 300 consultants.
Andrew is passionate about education and experiential learning. Most recently, Andrew ran his own startup (MoreMarbles.com and UniversityConsulting.com), connecting business and academia to create real-world project opportunities for hundreds of students while helping businesses solve challenges. Clients and universities included Pepsi, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Malt-O-Meal, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University and The University of Illinois.
Previously, Andrew worked in the Silicon Valley, in advisory services at KPMG and operations at Opportunity Fund. Andrew has an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management – ranked number one in international business. Andrew speaks three languages and has lived or worked in 9 countries, and has visited many more.
Rob Valli, Associate Director
Rob’s professional background includes both investment banking and technology ventures in the Silicon Valley, policy development at the Kauffman Foundation and academic domain focus. Rob holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, where he focused his thesis on entrepreneurship and new enterprise development.
Through his work with the Kauffman Foundation, Rob has gained evidence-based experience that spans across the globe. This unique access offered a lens by which to observe the interchange of new enterprise and technology management.
Throughout the past decade, Rob has forged long-term relations in the Middle East and China as a lecturer and adviser to a number of entrepreneurial and government policy-makers. His global network offers a ‘35,000 ft.’ vantage point to observe best practices in innovation and entrepreneurial education.
Carissa Phillips, Assistant Professor, Business and Finance Information Library
Since August 2004, Carissa has served as the faculty research advisor to IBC students.
She attended the University of Iowa, earning a bachelor’s degree in physics and astronomy and an MBA with concentrations in finance and statistics. She worked as a performance auditor with the Office of Auditor of State in Iowa, working in the newly formed Performance Audit Division. She also worked as an internal audit consultant for Ernst & Young LLP, and as a financial analyst on mergers and acquisitions due diligence projects.
After a total of five years with Ernst & Young, Carissa returned to school to pursue a masters degree in library and information science, which she received from the top-ranked program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May 2004.
Phyllis Miller, Office Support Specialist
Phyllis joined the IBC team in October 2011. She has devoted more than 20 years to the College of Business in various support roles including positions in the Dean’s office, Department of Accountancy, and Business Career Services. She has worked with Dean’s, Department Heads, Directors, international faculty, staff, and students from all over the world. Her major interest is helping students succeed in their academic and career endeavors.
Testimonials
Daniel L. Allen
Chief Investment Officer
State Universities Retirement System (SURS)
