Honoring Our Standout Alumni

Ron Saslow, MD, BSBA 1988

Founder and Managing Partner
Thirty-5 Capital

Ron Saslow oversees corporate strategy, investments, and operating subsidiaries at Thirty-5 Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on early-stage and family businesses specializing in sports technology and innovation, entertainment, and real estate. Earlier in his career, Ron served as chair and CEO of Hu-Friedy Group, a global health-care manufacturing company specializing in dental and infection-control products, which he led until its 2019 sale to Cantel Medical Corporation, now part of STERIS.

Ron is a limited partner in the parent company of the Chicago Cubs MLB team and serves on its advisory board. He is also on the board of trustees of the Ravinia Music Festival and the board of the Northwestern Memorial Foundation, which supports field-leading research, innovation, and patient care at Northwestern Medicine. A WashU Olin Business alumnus, he frequently returns to the university to speak about entrepreneurship and family business leadership.

Ellen Thaler Saslow, AB 1988

Ellen Thaler Saslow earned her undergraduate degree in sociology with a minor in business administration from WashU and a master’s degree in elementary education from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy. She spent much of her career as a first-grade teacher at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School in Chicago.

Ellen has remained deeply engaged in education and community service, contributing through volunteer leadership by developing curriculum and teaching in the local elementary schools and later serving as chair of the community-wide “Focus on the Arts” program at the local high school. Currently, she is a member of the Women's Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago and has previously served on the Advisory Boards for Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy and Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Joe Saslow, BSBA 2020

General Manager of Pickleball and Director of Business Development
Thirty-5 Capital

Joe Saslow leads business development and growth initiatives at Thirty-5 Capital, focusing on new investments, strategic planning, and marketing. He also serves as assistant general manager of the Chicago Slice Major League Pickleball franchise.

Joe began his career with the Chicago Cubs in integrated marketing communications after earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing from WashU Olin Business.

Danny Saslow, BSBA 2024

Product Manager
Thirty-5 Capital

As a product manager at Thirty-5 Capital, Danny Saslow works on the firm’s baseball related business initiatives. His work focuses on product development, commercialization strategy, and integrated marketing across digital and e-commerce platforms. He earned his bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship from WashU Olin Business.

Charlie Saslow, 2021 NYU Graduate

Stage Manager
New York theater community

Charlie Saslow is a Stage Manager in the New York theater community. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a major in Production and Design, he supports live productions, coordinates rehearsals, manages production logistics, and facilitates collaboration between creative and technical departments

Eric Leuthardt, MD, EMBA 2024

Shi Huang Professor of Neurological Surgery and
Assistant Vice Chancellor of Innovation and Commercialization
WashU

Eric Leuthardt, M.D., is an internationally recognized neurosurgeon, scientist, and innovator whose work sits at the intersection of neuroscience, engineering, and commercialization. He serves as the Shi Huang Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at WashU and holds additional appointments in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, and materials science. He also serves in university leadership as Assistant Vice Chancellor of Innovation and Commercialization, Vice Chair of Innovation in Neurosurgery, and Chief of the Division of Neurotechnology.

Dr. Leuthardt has pioneered numerous high-impact medical innovations, including development of the first FDA-approved brain-computer interface for stroke rehabilitation, advances in resting-state fMRI for brain mapping, neurosurgical laser ablation techniques, and the use of focused ultrasound to enable noninvasive “sonobiopsy” of the brain. His work in neuroprosthetics, advanced imaging, and neurosurgical devices has led to more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and over 1,600 patents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He is also the founder of eight startup companies translating neurotechnology from lab to market.

Beyond medicine and entrepreneurship, Dr. Leuthardt is an Emmy Award–winning playwright and the author of two novels, Red Devil 4 and Limbo. Across disciplines, his career reflects a commitment to pushing the boundaries of science while translating discovery into meaningful human impact. Eric and his wife, Dr. Li Ern Chen, reside in St. Louis with their two children.

Watch Video

Anthony Johnson, PMBA 2011

Chief Executive Officer
Clayco Inc.

Anthony Johnson is Chief Executive Officer and Shareholder of Clayco, one of North America’s leading integrated design-build, real estate, and construction firms. With more than 25 years of industry experience, he has held a range of leadership roles within the organization—including Executive Vice President and President of Clayco’s Industrial Business Unit—helping drive its national expansion and reputation for innovation, operational excellence, and a people-centered culture.

Anthony began his career in the field as a carpenter, an experience that continues to inform his grounded and pragmatic leadership style. After early roles at Ryan Companies US, Inc., where he advanced from intern to Senior Project Manager, he earned his MBA from WashU Olin Business School. He also holds an undergraduate degree in Construction Project Management and Field Technologies from the University of Minnesota.

Under his leadership, Clayco has strengthened its position across industrial, manufacturing, mission-critical, commercial, and institutional markets, advancing forward-thinking approaches to safety, technology integration, and design-build delivery. He is widely recognized for cultivating high-performing teams and a culture grounded in integrity, accountability, and opportunity.

Anthony is active in civic and industry leadership, serving with the American Cancer Society’s CEOs Against Cancer and as a member of YPO. He and his wife, Ana, live in the St. Louis area with their two children and enjoy skiing, travel, and staying engaged in their community.

Watch Video

David Eichhorn, BSBA 1996

Chief Executive Officer and Head of Investment Strategies
NISA Investment Advisors LLC

David Eichhorn is Chief Executive Officer and Head of Investment Strategies at NISA Investment Advisors LLC, a leading institutional asset manager specializing in fixed income and risk-controlled investment strategies. A key architect of the firm’s client strategy for more than two decades, David has played a central role in expanding NISA’s partnerships with many of North America’s largest public pension systems and corporate retirement plans. He assumed the role of CEO in 2021.

In addition to leading the firm, David chairs NISA’s Global Investment Committee and serves on its Management Committee. Under his leadership, the firm has launched innovative strategies spanning high-yield fixed income, alternative risk transfer, and quantitative long/short equities. His insights on markets and asset allocation have been featured in global and institutional publications, and he is a frequent speaker at leading investment conferences and industry forums.

Before joining NISA in 1999, David worked at J.P. Morgan Investment Management. He holds a BSBA in Finance and Mathematics from WashU and is a CFA charterholder.

Beyond his professional work, David is deeply committed to strengthening the St. Louis community. He helped establish the NISA Charitable Fund, which supports organizations focused on systemic change in education, access to capital, and workforce development. He and his wife, Kathryn, have three children and live in St. Louis where David also serves on the boards of the International Institute of St. Louis and St. Louis University High School, along with several philanthropic endowment committees.

Watch Video

Colton Calandrella, BSBA 2017

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Barti

Colton Calandrella is a mission-driven entrepreneur advancing the future of healthcare technology. He is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Barti, an AI software company providing AI scribes and practice management solutions for eye care providers. Under his leadership, Barti raised a $12 million Series A and became the only company to receive a direct investment from AOAExcel, the for-profit subsidiary of the American Optometric Association.

Colton began his career at Bain & Company, where he worked as a management consultant and intrapreneur. There, he developed software solutions supporting Fortune 500 organizational transformations and launched an AI venture within the firm’s accelerator, the Baincubator. While still an undergraduate student at WashU, he founded CheckTheQ, a queue-management software company that helped venues—including St. Louis Lambert International Airport—reduce wait times and improve customer experience.

Earlier in his professional journey, Colton served as a Teach for America corps member in Chicago, earning a Master of Teaching while teaching high school math and special education. He graduated magna cum laude from WashU with majors in Entrepreneurship and Economics & Strategy and a minor in Latin American Studies. Across each chapter of his career, he has focused on building mission-centered solutions that improve systems at scale. Colton currently resides in San Diego.

Watch Video

Alison Gildehaus, MD, EMBA 2024, FACS

Chief Medical Officer, External Affairs
Mid America Transplant

Alison Gildehaus serves as Chief Medical Officer for External Affairs at Mid America Transplant, a nationally recognized organ procurement organization serving eastern Missouri, southern Illinois, and northeast Arkansas. In this role, she leads strategic partnerships, advocacy initiatives, and community engagement efforts to strengthen the region’s donation and transplantation ecosystem.

Prior to joining Mid America Transplant, Dr. Gildehaus spent more than a decade practicing trauma, general, and critical care surgery at a Level 1 trauma center. She also served as Regional Trauma Medical Director for the Mercy East Region, where she led systemwide initiatives to advance trauma readiness, quality improvement, and multidisciplinary collaboration across multiple hospitals. Her clinical leadership experience in high-acuity environments continues to shape her strategic and ethical approach to healthcare stewardship.

A graduate of the Olin EMBA program (Class 58), Dr. Gildehaus credits her business training with expanding her perspective on the broader healthcare landscape. She is particularly drawn to the complexity of organ donation and transplantation, where medicine, ethics, policy, logistics, governance, and strategy intersect in profoundly human ways.

Grounded in servant leadership and guided by a deep sense of purpose, Dr. Gildehaus approaches her work with humility and gratitude for donor families and the teams who make transplantation possible. She and her husband, Dr. Tony Gildehaus, live in the St. Louis area with their three children.

Watch Video

Ryan Harbison, MBA 2019

President and Chief Executive Officer
Helicopters Inc.

Ryan Harbison is President and Chief Executive Officer of Helicopters Inc., a national provider of turnkey aviation services supporting broadcast news, law enforcement, medical, government, and utility clients across more than 30 U.S. markets. Since joining the company in 2019, he has helped guide its strategic growth and operational modernization, ultimately assuming the CEO role in 2025. Today, he oversees a national fleet of more than 60 aircraft and an integrated portfolio spanning operations, maintenance, aircraft completions, and leasing.

Ryan first joined Helicopters Inc. as Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Strategy, where he expanded the company’s charter, medical, and government divisions while leading fleet modernization initiatives. His leadership is informed by a decade of service as an officer and pilot in the United States Marine Corps. From 2007 to 2017, he flew the CH-53E Super Stallion, served as a weapons and tactics instructor and flight instructor, and completed multiple deployments, including tours in Afghanistan and the South Pacific. He continues his commitment to service as a member of the Marine Corps Reserves with the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.

A native of St. Louis, Ryan holds an MBA from WashU Olin Business School and a bachelor’s degree in history from Colgate University. He was recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as a “40 Under 40” honoree in 2021. He remains active in the veteran community, mentoring service members transitioning to civilian leadership, and lives in the St. Louis area with his wife, Lauren, and their three children.

Watch Video