David Ariola ’96, wife Tina and daughter Gia visiting London

Piyali Cole writes: "After a frustrating period trying to figure out how to achieve work/life balance, I decided to branch out on my own. I started my own company, YourMarketingMuscle, based out of Atlanta. YMM provides businesses with a way to solve their marketing staffing/workload problems. We also offer top-notch, experienced marketing professionals a way to do challenging work on a flexible/contract basis. I would love to hear thoughts or questions about this venture (contact me at Piyali@YourMarketingMuscle.com)."

Denise Maple started her own company, VaVaVroom-Motorcycle Clothing and Gear for Her. The company sells women’s motorcycle and scooter clothing at vavavroomonline.com and in stores across the U.S. and Canada.

Chicago Realty Company, a full-service commercial real estate services firm founded by David Ariola, is entering its sixth year in business. And despite the challenges in the economy and commercial real estate specifically, they are still growing. David writes, "We just competed against the largest firms in the industry and won a contract with Metra, the local commuter rail." David and his wife Tina have been living in the Bucktown neighborhood with their children, Gia (11) and Gino (2), for 10 years.