Class Notes

Colin Ardern, BU12, and his company, Applied Bioplastics, took the Social & Culture category of the SXSW Pitch competition at the 2021 South by Southwest Conference. Applied Bioplastics supplies manufacturers with a transformational plant-based plastic feedstock that dramatically reduces carbon emissions and can be used in a variety of applications.

Shannon Laine, GR11, is the founder and president of Emerge Brighter, a strategic planning firm serving nonprofit organizations. Previously, Laine was president and CEO of HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum St. Louis for 13 years.

Lainie Turkish, FA09, an interior designer at Gensler in Atlanta, was named by Visual Merchandising + Store Design magazine as one of its 2021 Designer Dozen. The award recognizes retail’s rising stars ages 35 and under who are making a mark on the industry. For more: lnkd.in/dDWEb7G

Mario Treto Jr., LA07, is acting secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, having been named by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and with approval by the Illinois Senate pending. In this role, he oversees the regulation of over 1.2 million licenses for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, real estate agents and cosmetologists; almost 200 state-charter credit unions; over 300 state-charter commercial and savings banks; and 15,000 mortgage-loan originators, companies and branches. Previously, Treto was director of the department’s Division of Real Estate.

Rory Lucey, FA07, illustrated Bad Sister (First Second Books, July 2021), a middle-grade graphic novel by Charise Mericle Harper. Lucey lives in New Jersey with his wife and two cats.

Danielle Barav-Johnson, LA07, joined Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton as counsel on the firm’s bankruptcy and financial restructuring team in Atlanta. Previously, Barav-Johnson was with Jones Day.

Lauren M. Hoye, SW06, an attorney with Willig, Williams & Davidson, was named among the 2021 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers.

Jared Rouben, LA04, is founder and brewmaster of Moody Tongue, the world’s first two Michelin star brewery. The Chicago restaurant and bar is a longtime dream of Rouben, a trained chef who helped pioneer “culinary brewing,” which focuses on brewing with high-quality local and seasonal ingredients.

Dennis Berger, EMBA03, was named to the board of directors of Pine Street Inn, New England’s largest homeless service organization. Berger is chief culture officer at Suffolk Construction and serves on its executive committee. He is a current board member and former vice chair of skills for Chicagoland’s Future, and serves on the board of directors of Skills for America’s Future.

Cokey Nguyen, GM02, is chief scientific officer at San Francisco–based Atara Biotherapeutics, leading the development of next-generation allogeneic cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Previously, Nguyen was vice president of innovation, research and development at Fate Therapeutics.