More than 500 people attended Wayne Law’s An Evening with Dan Gilbert on Wednesday, March 30. The significant interest in the event meant moving it from the Law School to the university’s larger Community Arts Auditorium. In a conversation with Wayne Law Dean Jocelyn Benson, Gilbert answered questions from the audience about his youth, his business ventures, his vision for Detroit and his advice for law students and everyone who wants to be a part of Detroit’s revitalization. WSU President M. Roy Wilson provided opening remarks for the event. Those in attendance received free copies of the latest “ISMs in Action,” a book created each year by Quicken Loans and its family of companies about its business philosophy. Gilbert, Wayne Law class of 1987, is chairman and founder of Quicken Loans Inc., the nation’s second-largest mortgage lender; founder and chairman of Rock Ventures LLC, the umbrella entity for his portfolio of business and real estate investment; and majority owner of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. He also founded JACK Entertainment, a developer and owner of unique urban casinos in downtown Cleveland, Cincinnati and Baltimore. In 2013, the company also acquired Detroit’s Greektown Casino-Hotel, which will be renamed as JACK Detroit Casino-Hotel Greektown later this year.
