Reynolds is the founder and CEO of Red Frog Events, an event planning and logistics company based out of Chicago, that prides itself on executing world-class events from start to finish. Since the company's founding in 2007, it has been named the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year, a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace and was even listed #18 on the Forbes list of Most Promising Companies in America.

During his visit, Reynolds presented his backstory and the journey he took from being an Illinois State student to becoming the owner and CEO of a multimillion-dollar company. The chapter also learned from him ways to learn entrepreneurship outside of the classroom, to not shy away from taking calculated risks and to ultimately do something with their careers that will emphasize and center around their passions.


Joe Reynolds, Illinois State, talks to brothers about how he went from an Illinois State student to the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company.

Chapter members also had the opportunity to ask Reynolds questions to learn more about him and his company. The questions ranged from specific event-planning questions to more personal questions to even what keeps him motivated every day.

According to VPPA Tom Haegney, the chapter enjoys consistently bringing in alumni to speak on a wide range of topics and looks forward to continuing to do so in the future. "We have an incredibly diverse alumni base with many alumni holding high-ranking positions in major firms," explains Haegney.

"Listening to and learning from their presentations gives our brothers invaluable insight for how to better prepare for a career as well as act in personal and professional life."

If your chapter recently hosted a professional event they would like to share, please send a summary and high-res photos to magazine@dsp.org.