BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Long-time supporter of the entrepreneurial programs at Illinois Wesleyan, alumnus Marc Talluto '94, will deliver the University’s commencement address on Sunday, May 4.
Nearly 400 graduates will be honored in the Class of 2025, with political science major Franchesca Smith as the senior student Commencement speaker.
With cooperating weather, the ceremony will be held on Kemp Commencement Plaza at the Eckley Quad by State Farm Hall beginning at 1 p.m., lasting approximately two hours. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be relocated indoors to the Activity Center at the Shirk Center, with that decision being made on Friday, May 2.
The ceremony will also be live streamed at www.iwu.edu/live. More information is available at www.iwu.edu/commencement.
Talluto’s commencement address will be titled, “The Entrepreneurial Arts.”
“It is an honor that the University has asked me to contribute to this special day,” said Talluto. “As I continue to appreciate how the culture, tradition and education offered by the University has affected the lives not only of the students but also the faculty and staff, the more I appreciate how it has affected my own.”
After earning a degree in computer science from IWU, with minors in mathematics and business administration, Talluto founded Fruition Partners — a startup that evolved into a leading system integrator for the cloud software company ServiceNow. Currently, he is the chairman of Thirdera, a ServiceNow partner.
Talluto’s commitment to the Titan community runs deep. He frequently visits campus to speak in classrooms, supports grant funding for student startups, creates internship opportunities and most recently served as a foundational donor with his wife Noel to make The Petrick Idea Center possible. In 2022, Talluto was recognized as the Alumni Entrepreneur of the Year.
Talluto, also an IWU Board of Trustees member, said he hopes to convey to the Class of 2025 that their experience at a liberal arts institution will “serve them in ways that they haven’t considered, especially in entrepreneurship.”