Meet Matthew Lescohier, YPB Member

Matthew Lescohier, YPB Member

Matthew's heart is purple for his Uncle Rick, who was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer last summer and is still fighting the disease. "We are blessed with a large extended family in the area that is supporting my uncle and his family but I still felt helpless and that I wanted to do more. I decided to get involved in the board to show my support, and to provide an outlet for other family members that I thought might feel the same as me."

When asked for a favorite memory about his uncle, Matthew responded, "There are so many great times I have shared with Rick. When I was younger, Rick, my brother Andy and I used to watch the Three Stooges together, and just laugh and laugh. Rick does a fantastic impression of Curly, and helped me hone one of my own." 

Now, for some fun facts about Matthew...

Matthew's favorite quote is "Accept the past, enjoy the present and work hard towards the future."

When asked who inspires him, Matthew said, "The way my uncle has handled the challenges of the disease has been inspiring. I also admire people like Bill Gates that pledge their time, energy and money towards making the world a better place.."

His favorite sports teams are the Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls and Illini, and his favorite summer activities in Chicago include "going to the lake to windsurf, sail or play beach volleyball." 

When asked where he would go if he could go anywhere in the world on vacation, Matthew replied, "Australia and New Zealand are at the top of my current list."

Growing up, Matthew aspired to be "an architect or astronaut, depending on the day."

Matthew said that one goal he would like to accomplish during his lifetime would be to "celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary."

Matthew is a Chicago native and currently lives in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. He graduated with a BSME from UIUC in '02 and with a MBA from UChicago in '07. He currently works as a Senior Director of Alliances and Channel at MapR Technologies.