ACI Corporate Partners and Supporters play an important role in advancing ACI’s mission and strengthening Illinois’ independent colleges and universities. For additional information about ACI Corporate Partnership and Supporter opportunities, contact April Arnold, President, 312-263-2391, ext. 1, or aarnold@acifund.org.
Corporate Partners
ACI Corporate Partners support ACI and our member colleges and universities in two important ways: First, they make an annual commitment to ACI of $5,000, $10,000 or more, that helps defray ACI’s operating costs and focus philanthropic dollars on mission-critical programs. Second, each Corporate Partner offers products and services designed to meet the specific challenges of higher education. Many ACI member institutions already do business with these partners, and we encourage all ACI members to make our Corporate Partners their first call when they require the products or services these businesses provide.
For over 25 years, Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA) has helped educational institutions reduce costs without compromising quality or service. Our higher education group focuses on finding savings in cost or profit centers in areas such as food service, telecommunications, janitorial supplies & service, printing & production services, office supplies, facility maintenance, payroll processing & credit card fees, and many more. Operating on a contingency fee model, ERA delivers savings before earning a fee for the value delivered.
Expense Reduction Analysts is one of the world’s leading consultancy organizations. Specializing in cost optimization and supplier relation management, ERA delivers Value through Insightᵀᴹ to clients in both the private and public sectors. Through in-depth industry knowledge and insight across a variety of expense categories, ERA adds value to organizations by advising on industry-specific best practices, reducing costs, and ultimately delivering tailored solutions to benefit organization health and growth.
Sikich is a dynamic professional services firm specializing in accounting, technology, investment banking* and advisory services.** Founded in 1982, Sikich now ranks as one of the country’s Top 35 Certified Public Accounting firms and is among the top 1 percent of all enterprise resource planning solution partners in the world. From corporations and not-for-profits to state and local governments, Sikich clients can use a broad spectrum of services and products that help them reach long-term, strategic goals.
Sikich’s not-for-profit and higher education professionals have dedicated their careers to serving a wide variety of not-for-profit and higher education organizations. Whether your challenges lie in managing and tracking the generosity of your supporters or implementing regulatory changes, our team of experts is here to help you accomplish your goals, realize your mission and strengthen your organization.
*Securities are offered through Sikich Corporate Finance LLC, a registered broker/dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission and a member of FINRA and SIPC.
**Advisory services offered through Sikich Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Securities offered through Triad Advisors, Member FINRA and SIPC. Triad Advisors and Sikich Financial are not affiliated.
Michael Best is a full-service law firm providing legal services to clients on a local, regional, national, and global basis. With more than 400 attorneys in 19 offices nationwide, Michael Best counsels higher education institutions on a full range of legal issues, including intellectual property protection and labor and employment matters, such as Title IX, employee benefits, student affairs and immigration. We help universities commercialize their technologies and resolve technology-related disputes. In our work as outside counsel to many university leaders, our lawyers take calls on whatever campus exigencies occur, from cybersecurity and real estate transactions, to campus safety, public finance and governance issues.
About Element451 Element451 is the AI platform that moves every student forward by taking action, making every journey personal, and relentlessly driving better outcomes. One platform unifies data and experiences across the entire student lifecycle.
How We Support ACI Member Institutions and Students Through our partnership with ACI, member institutions get AI agents that work alongside their teams, from first inquiry through graduation.
Marketing & Admissions. Recruitment, applications, and decisions live in one place. Bolt gents personalize outreach, read applications, detect fraud, and evaluate transcripts, so no file sits waiting for a first read.
Student Success. Your team gets a full view of every student, with case management, appointments, and a student portal. Bolt agents offer 24/7 support and flag early risk signs before students disengage.
CE & Workforce. Course discovery, registration, and payments come together for continuing education and workforce programs. Bolt agents help learners find the right course, so fast-moving audiences register instead of drift away.
Fraud Detection & Resolution. Bolt agents screen every applicant, verify identity with Socure, and follow up on every flag. Every case reaches a documented decision.
Element AI CRM brings marketing, admissions, and student success into one source of truth, with Bolt agents built in. The Bolt Agent Platform deploys specialized agents that work alongside any CRM. Start with the agent team that fits your priorities, or bring them all together.
Follett Higher Education partners with more than 1,000 colleges and universities across North America to inspire, enable, and celebrate the academic journey for over 6 million students. We’re shaping the future of higher education—with memorable retail experiences, pioneering technology, sustainable practices, and programs that ensure students get instant, equal, and affordable access to the course materials they need to be successful. Building on 150 years of experience serving college campuses, Follett delivers industry-leading expertise to help schools of all sizes create one-of-a-kind solutions, foster academic enrichment, and evoke campus pride.
Quest Food Management Services was founded in 1985 in Lombard, Illinois with the goal of providing fresh, made from scratch food and intensely personal service. Today, Quest has grown to serve over 100 partners across the Midwest, with annual revenues of roughly $75 million. In 2021, Quest was ranked #28 in Food Management Magazine’s Top 50 food management companies in the United States.
For more information, please contact: EVP Sales & Development: Kris Kotte, kkotte@questfms.com (312) 339-3747
Corporate Supporters
ACI Corporate Supporters provide valuable funding for specific ACI initiatives, Student programs, and events, such as the Annual Breakfast Forum and other activities that bring together higher education leaders, policymakers, and business partners. Their investments help make these opportunities possible while fostering meaningful connections between the higher education and business communities.
