Kellogg K-Suite: Lessons from the Top Bo Schultz ’22, Former MLB Player and Current VP at Erie Street Growth Partners

Take Me Out of the Ball Game: From the MLB to V.P.

By: Pari Ahuja

"Anyone can land a first chat. Great networkers spark a second." —Bo Schultz, Kellogg '22

If Bo Schultz knew anything as a new undergraduate at Northwestern, it was that he wanted to play baseball. It turned out baseball didn’t want him; he was cut from the team both his freshman and sophomore years. But Bo wasn’t short of perseverance.  He refused not to be involved with the team, and instead, sought out the student manager role. He stayed close—just close enough where everybody knew him and his dedication to the team.

As luck would have it, one day, one of the seniors underperformed academically and was cut from the team. This was Bo’s big moment. The moment he had been working towards all these years! Finally, he made waves as a student-manager-turned-pitcher for his final years of college.

Bo Schultz playing for the MLB Toronto Blue Jays. Credit: The Associated Press

Success doesn’t come immediately—and not without plenty of hard work—and Bo’s story is no exception. The baseball fanatic didn’t get drafted to the big leagues right out of undergrad, but that didn’t stop him from playing in the minor league for three years. Still, his sights were set on the “home run” of baseball: the major league. His determination to be amongst the best pushed him to keep aiming high and asking for more. Sure enough, the same man who was cut from his college baseball team had made the MLB, playing for the likes of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Milwaukee Brewers.

At the age of 30, a curveball: Bo’s misdiagnosed and mistreated injury resulted in his dream on the baseball diamond being more short-lived than he anticipated. But like any other great athlete, he picked himself up and motivated himself to search for his next adventure.

From the very beginning, Bo knew and recognized the value of networking. After all, working his way into the student manager position is eventually how he landed a spot on the Northwestern baseball team. In his quest for the next lap of his career, he networked to learn more about the private sector. Most people advised him to stay in sports since he had already devoted so many years to it, but he wondered what an entirely new career could like.

Initially, Bo wanted to pursue an Executive MBA given his roughly 10 years of work experience, but as 2020 neared and a digital atrium became our norm, Bo was thankful that he applied to full-time MBA programs at Booth and Kellogg. A true Chicagoan at heart, Bo never considered any other school. His roots, two kids, a wife, and a home drew him to Chicago like a baseball to a bat.

We can all relate to Bo’s first quarter at Kellogg and getting swept up in the allure of consulting and investment banking recruitment. Until one day when he asked himself, why did I really come to Kellogg?  The answer to that question did not lead to worrying about handshakes and how much he ate at recruiting events. Bo decided to go back to the drawing board.

If Bo Schultz knew anything as a new graduate student at Northwestern, it was that he wanted to do something exciting. And just like that, in his attempt to cast a wide net during his networking initiatives, the former MLB player ended up at the house of a Kellogg alum who worked in the Private Wealth Management department at Goldman Sachs. What was initially intended to be a 30-min coffee chat ended up being a two-hour informal session in the Kellogg alum’s backyard, which resulted in a job offer.

Today, Bo is spearheading business development initiatives at a family-practice private equity firm, Erie Street Growth Partners, in Chicago. When asked what led him to this job, he said, “You know Kellogg didn’t directly help me land this new role post Goldman Sachs, but Kellogg is the reason why I am here."

I first remember connecting with Bo last year on LinkedIn. A random cold outreach in the hopes of learning more about his role at Goldman became a lifelong connection. Bo was truly one of the first few people who showed me—not just told me—that life may throw you curveballs but you can still knock them out of the park. You just have to adjust your swing.

Read about more Kellogg alumni: Nico Casaux, Founder (Bianca)