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Michelle Coussens is the owner and operator of Plan B Consulting. Services span
teaching how and why to prepare a business plan, assisting in plan
development, and business plan review. In addition, she facilitates
planning and other business retreats and conducts market analysis and
competitive intelligence for various types of entrepreneurs and
organizations nationwide. In 2005, she developed, and still teaches, a
two-day business planning course for NeighborWorks® America, a
Congressionally-funded organization providing funding and technical
assistance to community development entities nationwide. Michelle is
also on the faculty of the American Management Association where she
teaches strategic planning seminars. Through her business, she
publishes a monthly newsletter, Planning Possibilities, which is currently distributed to more than 2,000 clients and contacts.
Ms. Coussens is current Dean of the School of Business at Kendall College in Chicago, Illinois. Since 1934, Kendall College has offered engaging, specialized fields of study that generate employment-ready graduates poised for professional leadership positions in services industries around the world. Reporting to the Provost, Ms. Coussens oversees and manages all aspects of the Business School, including faculty and curriculum selection and assessment, as well as program direction. As part of Kendall's academic leadership team, she participates in the College's general education curriculum, assessment, and faculty development initiatives, providing vision and perspective.
While previously working full-time as a senior analyst in the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Michelle also taught at DePaul University as an adjunct instructor for the management department. Prior to working at the Fed, she spent several years working in the insurance arena. She has performed various managerial and technical roles throughout her 20+ year career and has particular expertise and demonstrated success in business planning and market analysis, as well as in project management and business development.
Michelle also holds particular personal interest in researching and assisting non-profits. Her work in this arena originally began through her engagement in applied research focused on community development, most specifically related to financial literacy initiatives. In 2004, she published an article titled “Beyond Financial Education: Changing Financial Behavior” in the Federal Reserve publication Profitwise News & Views and in 2005 published an article for the same publication titled “Toward Financial Literacy: Program Leaders Comment on Evaluation and Impact”. The full paper version of this article was accepted by and published in the American Council on Consumer Interests’ 2006 Annual. She and Chicago Fed co-author Robin Newberger also published papers regarding the role of insurance in improving financial access and wealth-building for moderate income consumers in two Federal Reserve publications in spring 2008.
Ms. Coussens holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Northwestern University and a Masters in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing, from DePaul University. She has served on the advisory board of Provena Pine View Care Center (a non-profit healthcare organization), holds several professional insurance designations, and belongs to The Fox Valley Entrepreneurs and the Chicago Women in Publishing.
Michelle lives in Batavia, a suburb of Chicago, where she and her husband spend their "free time" navigating and surviving life with three very busy teenagers.
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