Chicago Technology Leader and Alumnus Melvin Flowers Elected to Illinois Tech Board of Trustees
CHICAGO—Melvin "Mel" Flowers (LAW ’03)—a leading voice in emerging technology law and in diversity, alumnus, and legal executive at Accenture—has been elected to the Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) Board of Trustees.
“It is an honor to represent an institution that has produced alumni who invented the cell phone, defined the future of artificial intelligence, and shaped Chicago's skyline,” says Flowers. “As a trustee, I hope to ensure that Illinois Tech continues to be at the forefront of emerging technology and help students create innovations that will address and resolve challenges within our Chicago communities and beyond.”
In his current role at Accenture, Flowers is responsible for developing and managing client, partner, and legal relationships; supporting venture and acquisition opportunities; and providing business and legal advice to Accenture senior leadership and client account teams on governance issues, business and legal strategy, marketing, and disputes for its $4.5 billion business. He regularly negotiates—or assists others in negotiating—technology arrangements ranging from robotic process automation, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing to software as a service (SaaS), cybersecurity, and data privacy.
“Mel Flowers is an extraordinarily accomplished leader in the Chicago business community who brings a wealth of legal knowledge and experience in emerging technologies,” says Illinois Tech President Raj Echambadi. “His commitment to diversity in both his professional role and through his service to the Chicago community will be valuable assets as Illinois Tech continues to be an engine of opportunity for all. We welcome Mel to the Illinois Tech Board of Trustees.”
A member of multiple bar associations, including the United States Supreme Court Bar and the Law Society of England and Wales, Flowers is also the Chicago lead for Accenture Ventures’ Black Founders Development Program—an initiative focused on leveling the playing field for Black technology startup founders and entrepreneurs through direct access to venture capital investments, corporate mentorship, and strategic connections with Accenture business partners and clients. Additionally, Flowers also devotes much of his time mentoring new joiners and supporting Accenture’s global inclusion and diversity initiatives, where he works to increase recruitment, retention, and development of professionals with the global inclusion and diversity recruiting team. He led the development of Accenture’s Midwest Market Unit in-house Criminal Records Expungement Initiative and co-led the development of its pro bono legal access program.
“It’s an honor to welcome a fellow Chicago-Kent alumnus to our board,” says Michael P. Galvin (LAW ‘78), chair of Illinois Tech’s Board of Trustees. “He brings to the university not only invaluable legal expertise, but also a wealth of experience at the nexus between technology, business, and law. We are fortunate to have his leadership."
Flowers earned a B.S. in marketing from Bradley University and a J.D. from Illinois Tech’s Chicago-Kent College of Law. He is also a member of several boards and president of the Chicago alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., which provides various services to the community, including a weekly food pantry that feeds more than 1,200 residents in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood each month and providing mentoring support for more than 50 high school-aged young men yearly.
“Mel has a deep commitment and passion for introducing students to the field of technology, which ultimately can help society,” says Ernie Iseminger, vice president of advancement at Illinois Tech. “I’m excited to work with him to fulfill Illinois Tech's founding purpose to liberate the power of collective difference by advancing technology and innovation for all.”
Flowers has been named on Savoy magazine’s list of the Most Influential Black Lawyers in the United States, twice recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as a Notable Black Leader and Executive, awarded for his work on corporate citizenship and inclusion and diversity at Accenture, and won the Chicago Appleseed Pro Bono Champion Award. He is currently a member of the board of advisors at Chicago-Kent and the Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship.
Illinois Institute of Technology
Based in the global metropolis of Chicago, Illinois Tech was born to liberate the collective power of difference to advance technology and progress for all. It is the only tech-focused university in the city, and it stands at the crossroads of exploration and invention, advancing the future of Chicago and the world. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, computing, architecture, business, design, science and human sciences, and law. Illinois Tech students are guaranteed hands-on experiences, personalized mentorship, and job readiness through the university's one-of-a-kind Elevate program. Its graduates lead the state and much of the nation in economic prosperity. Its faculty and alumni built the Chicago skyline. And every day in the living lab of the city, Illinois Tech fuels breakthroughs that change lives. Visit iit.edu.
Media contacts
Petra Kelly
Communications Director
Illinois Institute of Technology
Cell: 773.771.1064
pkelly6@iit.edu
Howard J. Lee
Director, Advancement Communications
Illinois Institute of Technology
Cell: 202.487.5722
hlee122@iit.edu
