Four DePauw Alums in Business Journal's List of 40 Leaders Under 40

February 25, 2002

February 25, 2002, Greencastle, Ind. - Four graduates of DePauw University are among the central Indiana business leaders recognized in "40 Under 40," the Indianapolis Business Journal's annual supplement spotlighting young business and professional leaders who have achieved success prior to their fortieth birthdays.

"The competitive drive and hard work that led John Kite to play tennis for DePauw University's varsity team has helped him in the real estate and construction business, too," IBJ writes of the 1987 alumnus who is president and CEO of Kite Companies, a real estate and development concern. "Time after time, he lists hard work as the reason Kite Cos. has succeeded. After getting a degree in economics from DePauw in 1987, Kite worked in Chicago as a business development officer for Harris Trust and Savings Bank. Kite came home to Indianapolis in 1990 and began working in the business with his father, Al and brother. Paul." The article also notes Kite's service on the board of The Children's TherAplay Foundation, which uses horesback riding to rehabilitate children with disabilities.

29-year old Angie Hicks Bowman, who graduated from DePauw in 1995 founded Angie's List. writes, "At age 22, fresh out of DePauw University with a degree in economics, Angie Hicks Bowman was shy but eager to be an entrepreneur. Bill Oesterle had become impressed with Bowman when she was an intern with his former employer, CID Equity Partners. So he lured her to Columbus, Ohio, to start a new business aimed at helping consumers find good-quality service providers, from plumbers to roofers."

The article continues, "Bowman had always been a good strategic planner. She was the first in her Fort Wayne family to go to college. Her mother was a bank teller, her dad a UPS driver. Even before high school, she read about scholarships for children of UPS employees and was determined to get one." With an MBA from Harvard University, Bowman is now chief marketing officer of Angie's List, which serves more than 65,000 customers in 13 states. The article lists her proudest accomplishments as attending DePauw on scholarships and helping build a successful business.

Jeffrey T. Bennett "was a political science major at DePauw University and excelled in the humanities," a profile of the 1986 alumnus reads. The 38-year old Bennett is a partner with the law firm of Bingham McHale (formerly McHale Cook & Welch), where he's spent 13 years. "Bennett has become an expert in Indiana property tax practice and manages that sphere of Bingham McHale's business. He also has extensive experience in environmental and real estate law. In particular, colleagues praise Bennett for helping the property tax practice grow to one of the largest in the state. He's used his skills in the liberal arts to help him communicate complicated subjects to clients," IBJ writes.

The article also speaks of Bennett's service on the board of directors of the Indianapolis Opera, as a volunteer for Big Brothers, and as a member of a nonpartisan committee during the administration of former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith that explored future uses for abandoned industrial sites. He is also a historian of Abraham Lincoln.

"When she was 13, Jennifer Pope Baker returned home with her family on Christmas Eve to find the house ransacked," begins a profile of the 1989 DePauw alumna. "Nearly everything had been stolen, including all the gifts under the tree. Baker was devastated. But her parents didn't let Baker or her brother feel sorry for themselves. Instead, on Christmas they served a holiday meal to the poor. That experience had a lasting impression on Baker. She's spent her entire career focused on generosity," IBJ writes.

Baker is director of the Women's Fund of Central Indiana, which raises money to support agencies that help women and girls in the region. Two programs Baker has developed teach philanthropy to young women. She's currently leading the fund toward an endowment goal of $10 million.

The articles are accessible at the Indianapolis Business Journal's web site, but a fee is charged for reading the stories. The site can be reached by clicking here.

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