Dennis Kleidon

Dennis Kleidon learned how to work smart in a double career as a full-time university professor and the president of Kleidon &a; Associates: “It’s not easy, but the intellectual flow between teaching and the world of commerce is a fast-track to broader understanding. The only way to succeed is to be hard-working, priority-minded and caring.” After undergraduate and graduate degrees from Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University, he began his teaching career at The University of Illinois and rose through the ranks at The University of Akron to full professor and acting department chair. Dennis founded Kleidon &a; Associates for himself and his students and steered its transition to fully digital. Dennis also developed Designer Grids, a product that went into international distribution within three years. In 2008, he was named Small Business Advocate of the Year by the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce, an honor that, despite its name, has been awarded only four times.