On October 17, 2018, Magellan Corporation was humbled as Sebastien Bellin, professional European basketball player and 2016 Brussels terror attack survivor, shared his remarkable journey to recovery and overcoming adversity through will, determination and focus.

Sebastien’s presentation, entitled “The Illusion of Fear,” was a pictorial demonstration of courage, will power and the importance of having a team to rely upon. In this case, the team was not the basketball players and coaches that had impacted his career for over 15 years. Rather, his team was the people who provided the resources and gave him the will power to fight, which lead to his survival.

Today, Sebastien is a basketball executive and motivational speaker, travelling the world and sharing his story, and the need to counter hate and fear with love, forgiveness and empathy. We're proud to call Sebastien a friend. Joining Magellan Corporation for this incredible Lunch & Learn presentation were members of the Bulls, Fire, Red Stars and Sky organizations.

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Magellan was proud to host a BENS discussion featuring General Darren W. McDew, USAF (Ret.), emceed by our associate, Mark Fenzel.

Gen. Darren W. McDew, USAF (Ret.) was the commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. USTRANSCOM is the single manager for global air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense.

General McDew held staff assignments including serving as a member of the Chief of Staff Operations Group, chief of the USAF Senate Liaison Division and director of Public Affairs. General McDew was vice director for strategic plans for Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served as the commander of 18th Air Force, and commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels as well as a direct reporting unit. He retired in August 2018, but prior to his final assignment as commander, USTRANSCOM, General McDew was the commander of Air Mobility Command.

Guests enjoyed a discussion of US and global affairs through the lens of this American patriot.

Dr. Corine Vriesendorp, Director of the Andes-Amazon Program at the Field Museum, visited the offices of Magellan on August 8, 2018 for a lunch & learn program.

Dr. Vriesendorp is a field biologist who works closely with South American partners to bring science to bear on conservation and the quality of life of local peoples. She began her career studying mahogany in Bolivia, researching the impact of logging practices and creating recommendations for better management practices before conducting research on the tropical forest community in Cost Rica.

She has been an integral part of the Field Museum's rapid inventory team since 2003, a program that has led to the discovery of more than 150 species new to science, and helped governments protect more than 9.4 million hectares of forest in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Dr. Vriesendorp is most fascinated by the connections among organisms.

Magellan employees and the Chicago Sky Basketball team were enthralled listening to stories and viewing pictures of Dr. Vriesendorp’s expeditions!

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Magellan had the distinct pleasure of hosting professional women's soccer team Chicago Red Stars for dinner at Steak 48 on August 7, 2018.

Magellan Corporation are big, big Red Star fans, and have been proud to see our logo on their kits and around SeatGeek Stadium. The team was a founding member of Women's Professional Soccer. Supporting organizations and initiatives that work toward gender equality, not just in athletics, but in business, culture, STEM, and elsewhere is a priority at Magellan. It's been our distinct pleasure to support these incredible athletes and their social justice-forward organization.

On this evening, Magellan employees, customers, service providers and charity partners mingled with the players, coaches and staff of the Red Stars over a delicious -- and abundant -- dinner. These remarkable athletes were quick to tell stories of life on the field, juggling the demanding rigors of training with personal lives, and just kick (!) back and enjoy an absolutely delightful evening.

World Team Tennis returned to Chicago on July 27, 2018 for a one night sold out event to benefit the XS Tennis Education Foundation. Located on Chicago's south side, XS Tennis provides Chicago's underserved youth with an enriching safe-haven and positive pathway to college through a community-based tennis and academic enrichment program.

XS Tennis Executive Director Kamau Murray, has brought his vision to life, and Magellan is proud to count him among our dear friends.

Sponsored by Magellan Corporation and held at XS Tennis Village, Billie Jean King’s Philadelphia Freedoms, including Sloane Stephens and Taylor Townsend, took on an defeated the Washington Kastles.

Guests of Magellan enjoyed a private meet and greet reception with Billie Jean King and the Philadelphia Freedoms players including Sloane Stephens, Taylor Townsend, Kevin King, Fabrice Martin, and Raquel Atowa before enjoying some spectacular world class tennis.

On July 18, 2018, Magellan hosted a Lunch & Learn with COL John Fenzel, USA Retired, Senior Army Special Forces officer who has served on our nation’s battlefields throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Among achievements too numerous to list, COL Fenzel has served as a military assistant on the personal staff of the Secretary of Defense, as a Special Assistant to the Vice President, and as a White House Fellow during the Clinton and Bush administrations. In the wake of the September 11th attacks, he served as Staff Director for Tom Ridge in the Homeland Security Council. He was the principal architect of The Homeland Security Advisory System, our nation’s color-coded alert system. He is the only active duty American military officer to testify at The Hague in support of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). During the Lunch & Learn Program, COL Fenzel shared his thoughts on what makes a good leader, how to develop a strong team and the importance of storytelling. Thank you, COL Fenzel!

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The Smoke Out Sickle Cell dinner benefiting the Charles Horn III Sickle Cell Program at La Rabida Children’s Hospital was held at Galleria Marchetti on May 23, 2018.

The inspiration for our event, Charles was a dear friend to Magellan Corporation, and husband to Magellan's own Vickie Horn.

A portion of the proceeds raised also benefited Acción Callejera, an organization working for the fundamental rights of children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic.

The 450+ guests enjoyed an evening of fine dining, premium liquors, exceptional cigars, and celebrity appearances.

Every Chicagoland professional sports franchises had representatives at the event, and Chuck Swirsky, the voice of the Chicago Bulls, emceed. Thank you to all who helped make the Smoke Out such a successful event!

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Performances by country music greats Gary Allen, High Valley, Jimmie Allen & Travis Denning kept the crowd at Joe's Live in Rosemont hopping on May 24, 2018. Magellan was again proud to collaborate with iHeart Media and Big 95.5 FM to sponsor the Big Code of Honor Concert, with proceeds benefiting the USO of Illinois.

USO of Illinois is a longtime partner of Magellan, and we're proud to support them in their work of giving back to the service members who protect us every day. Our own Matt Bell, Manager of IT, served in the US Army and sits on the board of USO Illinois. Magellan's support for the USO runs deep; we donate event tickets throughout the yearn, provide financial support, and do hands on volunteering at the Great Lakes Naval Base.

Patricia Poplawski of Magellan is our de facto ambassador for all things involving country music, and was representing us during an on stage check presentation.

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Music critic and co-host of WBEZ public radio's Sound Opinions Jim DeRogatis was the presenter at the April 13, 2018 Magellan Corporation Lunch & Learn.

Sound Opinions is a radio talk show and podcast co-hosted by Jim, based in Chicago, focusing on the discussion of musical genres, history, artists and albums. Jim is an American music critic who has written articles for magazines including Spin, Guitar World, and Modern Drummer; for 15 years he was the pop music critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. Jim's passion for music doesn't stop at writing and talking about it, he also plays drums in a punk rock band called Vortis.

Jim told stories as his career in radio, particularly as a music critic, and spoke of today's music scene.

Brendan Bananszak, Executive Producer of Sound Opinions, joined Jim for a lively presentation.

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The Women’s Board of the Field Museum hosted the extraordinary Dr. Jane Goodall, April 3, 2018 to celebrate women in science with a day of programs centered on careers in STEM and an evening reception for Jane's 84th birthday.

It was an honor for Magellan employees and friends to attend this once in a lifetime opportunity to meet Dr. Goodall and listen to brilliant stories of her life and work.

During the evening reception, a monument narrative sculpture by renowned portraitist, Marla Friedman, titled "The Red Palm Nut," was unveiled. The sculpture depicts the moment when Dr. Goodall (then a 26-year-old field researcher) extended her hand to offer a red palm nut to David Greybeard, the first wild chimpanzee to allow Dr. Goodall to come close.

Following the reception at the Field Museum was a private viewing of "Jane" a National Geographic exclusive documentary about Jane Goodall, featuring restored footage from the National Geographic Archives that has not been seen in 50 years.

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Otis Wilson and Chet Coppock visited Magellan to talk about their new book, "If These Walls Could Talk: Chicago Bears: Stories from the Chicago Bears Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box" on February 23, 2018.

Otis is a former linebacker in the NFL, having played for the Chicago Bears and the LA Raiders. He was on the beloved 1985 Bears winning Super Bowl team, the team that brought us "The Super Bowl Shuffle."

Chet was a longtime Chicago TV sportscaster and big-personality pioneering radio host, as well as author of five books. He passed away in April 2019.

During the book talk, Otis & Chet shared some great stories about the Chicago Bears & their experiences in the professional sports world.

They made for quite a collaboration, and attendees greatly enjoyed the presentation.

On November 6, 2017, DePaul’s Theater School hosted Lights Up!, its annual student scholarship fundraiser, which provides assistance to a diverse body of students as they pursue training at one of the leading conservatories of the nation; funds help ensure that talented students receive the resources and support they need to continue training.

The evening’s event included a dinner reception, behind the scenes tour of the theater, performance, and appearance by actor and DePaul Theater School alumnus, John C. Reilly. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, John C. Reilly has starred in such favorites as Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, and many more. Supporting roles include Gangs of New York, Boogie Nights, to name just a couple.

Attendees of the event included Sam Paolillo, son of Magellan employees Frank Paolillo and the late Debbie Goldwater.

Magellan proudly underwrote the Deborah Ann Goldwater Scholarship, a yearly fund to The Theater School at DePaul, to honor the memory of our dear friend and co-worker, Debbie.

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