Get to know Kevin Kosiewicz

Treasurer of the Family Enterprise Club

March 2021

Hi everyone, I hope this message finds you and your loved ones staying healthy!

My name is Kevin Kosiewicz, and I am the Director of Strategy at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises by day, a Kellogg student by night, and the treasurer of the Family Enterprise Club somewhere in between. Although I am not part of the family that owns Lettuce Entertain You, the Family Enterprise learning experiences at Kellogg have been instrumental in allowing me to excel within a family business, which I shared last summer on Inside Kellogg. As I approach the end of my time at Kellogg next quarter, I realize how fortunate I have been to work for great family companies in the Chicago area.

I grew up on the Southwest side of Chicago, in a small neighborhood where everyone knew each other and cared for their neighbor's well-being. It was the type of place where people were there to help celebrate the good times and lift you up during the tough times. When I meet someone from the area to this day, there is a powerful connection and even a good chance I will know their immediate family or relatives. Community became ingrained in my life, without even knowing the importance of it.

My first business internship in undergrad was with BJB Properties, a family-run property management and development company. At the time I had to first master the basics of using email properly, managing calendar invites, and appropriately working the scanner. What could have been a mundane experience turned into two incredible summers of taking on challenging projects while receiving direct mentorship from the President and Partners. In this family enterprise, I observed how everyone was treated with respect, even an intern with no prior office experience. Leadership took the time to help develop my skills, while also getting to know me as person. It allowed me to see that the value of community I grew up with could be replicated in a professional setting.

Throughout the last four years, I have had the pleasure of working at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, a family-run restaurant group based in Chicago with over 120 restaurants in nine states. This past year, the pandemic has had an enormously negative impact on the travel and hospitality industry. Although it has been the most trying year in the soon to be 50-year history of Lettuce Entertain You, I saw firsthand the character of the Melman Family and Partners outshine the hardships. All the busines pivots and innovations were impressive, but, more so, I will never forget their efforts to take care of the teams and guests. The ability of leadership to try to lift everyone up during the most difficult times showed me again that businesses can truly care about others.

Overall, I have been fortunate to work for some amazing family enterprises in Chicago. At Kellogg, the Family Enterprise Club has allowed me to expand beyond my Chicago family business experience to make friends and connections with peers and leaders from all over the globe. I look forward to making the most of my final quarter with these amazing people and am excited to be an active member in the Family Enterprise community far beyond graduation.