IIT Alumnus Ed Kaplan Announces $10 Million Challenge Grant for Planned Innovation Center

On February 28, IIT President John L. Anderson announced that alumnus Ed Kaplan (ME ‘65), successful entrepreneur, innovator and long-time member of the Board of Trustees, along with his wife Carol, have created a $10 million Challenge Grant to support the university’s planned Innovation Center.

In the 1980s, Kaplan and his business partner developed The Zebra—a printer that made on-demand barcode printing possible. Their company, Data Specialties Inc., now known as Zebra Technologies, can be traced throughout the world—literally. In fact, the 2012 Stuart team that won of the Americas Regional final of the CFA Institute Research Challenge presented on Kaplan's Zebra Technologies.