Chris Bauman ’04, ’07 M.B.A.

When his grandfather died about three years ago, Chris Bauman ’04, ’07 M.B.A. took over Chordcraft, the company his grandfather founded in 1964. Chordcraft has since grown to 10 employees, 15 interns and 13 other shareholders. It recently launched a revolutionary product, FanFound.com, the first music and social networking Web site designed to help fans discover new music and better connect musicians with their fans. Among other things, FanFound.com provides fans with information about their favorite bands through text messages and e-mail alerts, and allows them to communicate with other fans.

Residence: Chicago

Education: Bachelor’s degrees in political science and psychology, Valparaiso University, 2004; master’s of business administration, Valparaiso University, 2007

On his education: “Valpo has been a major contributor to my success. The Valpo M.B.A. has been a terrific platform to expand and perfect the person I am. Instead of quantitative details, which many other M.B.A. programs focus on, the Valpo M.B.A. helps pro­vide the tools for students to develop themselves, their ethics, and how they would like their future to proceed. The connections and lessons I have learned from my fellow students, the professors and the administration of Valpo’s College of Business Administration are priceless.”

On his career: “I started out at LaSalle Bank as the youngest home financing officer in the company at age 24, the next youngest being 32. This was a great experience, yet I felt my skills could be better used in the music industry, in an entrepreneurship role. I quit my well-paying, stable and flexible job at LaSalle for pretty much a life of poverty, building Chordcraft from nothing. Being CEO involves 16-hour days, hard work and hard decisions. Yet, every morning I wake up with a smile on my face, and look forward to taking on the challenges and opportunities each new day presents.”