Michelle L. Collins President, Cambium LLC
“ A diversity initiative impacts more than just the number of diverse employees or executives in the company; it affects the culture of the business making it much more open to diverse views, even within a homogeneous group.” Michelle L. Collins is co-founder of Cambium LLC,
Finance Department at William Blair & Company
Collins is also an outspoken proponent on board
companies. Cambium invests directly in seed to
medium-sized companies. She led the IPO’s for CDW
program whatsoever. We got diversity on the CEO’s
an advisory firm serving small and medium-sized small-businesses that have above-average growth
potential, while counseling them on growth
strategies and day-to-day operations. Engagements
have included the full range of strategic initiatives, including business development evaluations, assessments of capital raising alternatives, executive coach-
ing, board development and creating “best practice” governance programs.
“I remain passionate about entrepreneurship and the power of growing small businesses. It’s a long-
held goal to see that happen consistently in the minority community.” In addition, Collins co-founded and serves as general partner of Svoboda Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm that
invests in and helps build distribution, business
services, and consumer products businesses. Prior to that, Collins was a principal in the Corporate
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where she provided investment banking advice to Corporation and Coldwater Creek, and provided advisory and mergers and acquisitions services for
leading companies such as United Stationers and Lands’ End.
While at William Blair & Company, she was tapped to serve on her first corporate board. “They needed
industry and financial experience because they
were going public. I had also shown interest in participating in groups that way. I had been on a lot of non-profit boards.”
Her extensive business experience and expertise regarding acquisitions make her a highly-sought
board member. “It’s a combination of being prepared, having an opinion, listening well to the company’s
needs, and solving problems. It’s saying, ‘Here’s how to do acquisitions effectively,’ and coming in with resources, people, and a program.”
diversity. “One of my past boards had no diversity top ten goals. He and his team did a great job and
they are out thriving today in the Chicago area.” This same company was later publicly acknowl-
edged through a diversity publication for having a comprehensive and holistic diversity effort.
• Corporate board member of Columbia Acorn and Wanger Advisors Trusts, Molex, Blue Cross/ Blue Shield of Illinois, and PNA Holdings • Board member or trustee of the Field Museum, Erikson Institute, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Urban League, Chicago Public Library Foundation, The Renaissance Schools Fund, Chicago Sinfonietta (chairman 2001-2006), Hyde Park Angels, The Chicago Humanities Foundation, and the YMCA • Featured in Crain’s ’40 under 40’ in 1998 and consistently recognized by Black Enterprise as ‘One of the 75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street’