Meet the Expert 6x6 Team

Anne McCarthy

Founding Partner & Guide

Anne loves learning and hates wasting time. She’s known to be a little impatient and has been accused of setting high standards. Anne believes in the power of messaging, branding and storytelling. That’s what 6x6™ is all about. Built in the spirit of “If I knew then what I know now,” 6x6 is designed to help this generation of college graduates discover, explore and make sense of the vast opportunities that exist in today’s marketplace. 6x6 is an accelerator that transforms the dreaded job-hunting experience into a treasured transition. “Our goal? Help new graduates thrive by working with them to find their stride, their voice and their professional role faster.” Anne and the 6x6 team of guides and mentors rely on battle-tested business frameworks, branding principles and engagement platforms to help the 6ers acquire contemporary mindsets and required skillsets to become job-ready professionals. For the past 30 years, Anne has led global teams for household brands in the United States, Europe and Asia. From participating in international summits to planning Olympic Games to managing prickly business issues, Anne has developed and executed strategies alongside captains of industry. Today, she and the 6x6 team are devoted to transferring their energy, knowledge and insights to inspiring tomorrow’s leaders.

Carol Shilson

Partner, Head of Operations

Carol is a public relations genius and an entrepreneur at heart. Throughout her career, she’s made tremendous positive impacts at every juncture. Using her business development expertise, she took the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center from an ill-funded program to one of the best in the world, and with that, changed many people’s lives for the better. Serving as a partner at 6x6, she shares the same passion as her sister, Anne, in giving back to the younger generation of recent college graduates who are in need of mentors to guide them through this challenging life transition. “I see the next generation struggling, and I see the gaps many of them have, often through no fault of their own. These are otherwise successful individuals who can benefit greatly from the wisdom, experience and guidance of accomplished business mentors. Seeing the transformation of a bright but naïve college graduate to a confident, resilient young professional over the course of only weeks is remarkable and life changing. I am so fortunate to partner with my sister in a company where we can pay it forward and see the pay off so quickly.”

Margaret Froehlke

Planning & Navigation

Margaret is the glue that holds 6x6 together. Her knack for communications and her ability to keep the company organized and on schedule are invaluable assets. As a parent of recent college graduates, she knows the trials and tribulations of post-grad life better than most. Her perspective and insight as a parent give her a better understanding of what 6x6 should be striving to impart on recent college grads, and this among many other things make her a more than valuable mentor. “Well, you love for people to be successful, but you don't want them to be an island in and of themselves, and also an ego in and of themselves. So, I'm always reminding them that it's about the others around them and not just in their job space. Maybe they can do some other kinds work, with nonprofit for instance, to spread the wealth kind of thing and not necessarily just in money, but just to make sure their heart is open to those around them, outside of their own personal gain. So, helping others in all ways to me is a really good perspective for them to gain.”

Elaine Berndes

Principal, Head of Engagement & Guide

Elaine is a consulting guru with a passion for leading young minds through collaborative effort and engagement. She knows the value of mentorship from her own experience trying to navigate the job market as a young college graduate. Since she had to find her career sweet spot on her own, she’s determined to impart the wisdom she discovered during that process on to the next generation. Her understanding of the value of time and decision making early in your career make her an excellent guide and mentor. “I think everyone talks about, IQ and EQ. I think there's a CQ. I think there's a curiosity quotient that exists within each of us. And the more curious human beings are, the more we learn and explore and are open to new opportunities. So for me, instilling a sense of curiosity and wonder is really important because there's a huge world out there in any sector, in any industry, in any field. I'm fascinated when I learn about the cool jobs that people have. And being curious about those things I think leads to asking the right questions to oneself about where you want to be in life and how you might get there.”

Deb Hodgson-Lyons

6x6 Guide

Deb is a tactical marketing strategist with the creative means and experience to make any business or individual standout. Her passion for marketing is second to none, and her resumé speaks for itself. Deb’s career has been full of leadership roles and risk taking, which make her an even more valuable mentor and asset at 6x6. As one of 6x6’s lead mentors, she knows the impact they can have on young people, and she’s giving her all to the next generation. “One of the things that I loved doing in my role at DuPont was coaching and mentoring smart, young people. To me was it was pay it forward or pay it back, because I was fortunate enough to have really, really good mentors and access to people to whom I could ask questions. I could learn from their life experience. I could pick their brains.” “Everything that we've done in 6x6 around the whole, what's your story and connections - the nuts and bolts - are the things I had to learn by asking questions, asking other people. Sometimes that's hard to do because you feel like, ‘I don't want to bother them.’ So, when Anne called me saying that, after the pandemic, she had started this and that she had a person that she thought I could really help with, I was all over it, because it's an opportunity to do for someone else what so many people did for me.”

Bill Wohl

Skills Guru

Hunter Albright

Skills Guru

Denny Post

VIP Speaker

James McCabe

Skills Guru

James Quarles

VIP Speaker

Kingsley Aikins

VIP Speaker

Luella Chavez D'Angelo

Guide

Mark Heisten

Skills Guru

Mark Mitton

Mentor

Michael Baldwin

Skills Guru

Ryan Schram

VIP Speaker

Smooch Reynolds

VIP Speaker