Farewell & Thank You to Cathy Shakespeare

Best wishes & many thanks to DNEP’s “Fairy Godmother” Cathy Shakespeare, who left U-M to become a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board. (It’s like the Supreme Court, but for accounting.) 

Prof. Shakespeare joined DNEP in its first cohort in January of 2017, where she recruited and supervised University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business accounting students. Students analyzed entrepreneurs’ business models and worked with them to create break-even analyses and start-up cost analyses so the business owners could REALLY understand their business finances. A key success? An entrepreneur who decided NOT to pursue a venture when she learned that the best case scenario was a net profit of $50k/year.

Prof. Shakespeare continued to be involved with DNEP, not only as a supervising faculty member, who facilitated interdisciplinary student collaborations between Accounting & Design, but also as a strategic leader. She was instrumental in launching DNEP’s Executive-in-Residence program with retired CPA alumni, in building out DNEP’s accounting program, and in facilitating DNEP’s relocation to the Ross School of Business.

On behalf of the dozens of students you steered toward working with Detroit businesses, and the clients they encouraged and supported, THANK YOU, Professor Shakespeare!