Bennett J. Johnson III is President of The UCI Group, Inc. a venture capital, management, energy, financial, real estate, communications, and technology consulting firm. During his 20-year career in finance, he has also served as the City of Chicago’s Budget Director and was Managing Director for A.C. Advisory, Inc./Alta Capital Group, advising on innovative financing strategies. Bennett speaks extensively across the country and has chaired special committees on various topics from business process improvement to the environment to information technology. He serves on the boards of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, The Young People’s Project, Lydia Smith Sickle Cell Foundation, DePaul University College of Education Advisory Board, and the Civic Federation of Chicago. He received his bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering Sciences from Harvard University, where he played varsity men’s volleyball for four years, was president of the Winthrop House Film Society, and was treasurer of the Harvard Black Man’s Forum. He received his master’s degree in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management from the London School of Economics.