Our NextGens to Watch Class of 2025 demonstrates the myriad ways young family members can define “legacy stewardship” in their own lives and careers. Introducing 21 standout rising-generation members who are making a difference in their family enterprises, providing fresh perspectives while honoring the generations that preceded them.
Elana Schulman
Third Generation
Eli’s Cheesecake Company
Chicago, Ill.
Eli’s Cheesecake was the creation of Elana’s grandfather, famed restaurateur Eli M. Schulman, at Eli’s the Place for Steak in Chicago. Eli’s created its signature “Chicago Style” cheesecake, which made its public debut at the first Taste of Chicago festival in 1980. Elana formally joined Eli’s in 2019 after a career in video production at Vice’s Munchies and quickly became an invaluable asset to the company as it headed into the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following her grandfather’s wise words, “charity will never bust you” and “treat others as though you were the other,” Elana demonstrated empathy and care for the people at Eli’s throughout the pandemic, says her father Marc Schulman, who serves as president of Eli’s. She was also a key member of the team that rebuilt sales coming out of the pandemic and quickly saw an opportunity when a major airline came to Eli’s looking for a unique cookie that could be heated and served in flight. The result was Eli’s Pie in the Sky, a chocolate chip cookie pie, which was an immediate hit.
Elana then went further in her concern for the people that worked at Eli’s, advocating for and creating Project Wright Access, a state-funded on-the-job training program for students with cognitive disabilities at two area high schools, allowing them to attend classes in food handling at Wright College and internships at Eli’s. The program was a huge success and is currently in its eighth cohort with four individuals who have been hired to work at Eli’s. Elana says she’s always loved food and the way it brings people together. Growing up in her grandfather’s restaurant and bakery, it was clear to her that a life in food and hospitality was what she wanted. “As a kid (and today), I loved going to work with my dad and helping out at Eli’s events. Of course, I loved the cheesecake — but even more than that, I loved the people who made it and the joy we created when someone tasted one of our desserts,” Elana says. “I’m so fortunate to come from a family that has always been values-driven and people-focused. Since the early days of Eli’s, we’ve prioritized building an inclusive work culture — one that creates opportunities for all, especially people with disabilities and refugees.”