The following article was originally sourced from the news piece “Convocation Celebration” on Kellogg’s News & Events page.
Just an hour after graduating from the Kellogg School of Management and Northwestern Law dual JD-MBA program, Mike Denklau’s phone rang with news that he had won the second annual Origami Capital Partners Idea Challenge with his concept involving asset liquidation.
“It was quite a day,” Denklau said. “My family was in town for graduation. It was good to celebrate with them.”
Denklau’s award-winning entry focused on investment strategy execution and returns. He used his background in investment banking and his and expertise in closed-end funds and asset management as the foundation for his submission.
“It was a natural fit for my style of investing,” Denklau explained.
His entry advanced to the finals by emerging from a competitive division featuring teams from Northwestern, Michigan, University of Chicago and the Illinois Institute for Technology.
After adjusting his concept based off notes he made in the qualifying rounds Denklau took home the $50,000 prize and the chance to further develop his idea with Origami. Oragami was founded in 2008 with a specialized focus on innovative and niche investment strategies.
“Michael’s idea was innovative, well researched and practical,” Thomas Elden, Origami Principal and one of the competition’s judges, said in a statement.
Even with his previous professional experience in the investment banking world, Denklau credits his time at Kellogg for further shaping his perspectives. He said he appreciated the real-world opportunities that arose during his time at Kellogg, such as his time working with the Kellogg Asset Management Program where he participated in the handling of Northwestern’s endowment investments.