2026 Northwestern Alumni Medalist
Lawrence Levy ’66, ’67 MBA (’23, ’27 GP)
Visionary entrepreneur and civic leader
Larry Levy is a serial entrepreneur who brings a value-added approach to his various endeavors, including restaurants, food service, real estate development, and philanthropy.
Starting in 1978, Levy, with his brother, Mark, built Levy Restaurants from a single Chicago delicatessen into a global foodservice leader with more than 450 sports and entertainment venues and a network of acclaimed restaurants. Levy Restaurants disrupted sports concessions by introducing restaurant-quality dining and Midwestern hospitality. Throughout the company’s 46-year history, Levy Restaurants has catered marquee events such as the Kentucky Derby, Super Bowl, and Grammy Awards. He sold Levy Restaurants to the Compass Group of London in 2006.
Levy has had a simultaneous career in real estate and investments as a developer and partner in One Magnificent Mile, Woodfield Lake Office Campus, Chicago Exchange Mercantile Center, and five other major developments. He is a founding partner in Peakline Real Estate Partners, a sponsor of funds with major real estate projects throughout the US.
Levy was appointed to the Northwestern University Board of Trustees in 2004 and became a life trustee in 2014. He joined the Kellogg School of Management’s Global Advisory Board in 2013 and the Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Affiliated Board in 2015. He and his wife, Carol Levy ’64 (’23, ’27 GP), have fostered entrepreneurship at the University, establishing the Larry and Carol Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice and the Levy Social Entrepreneurship Lab at Kellogg. Their support for the Levy Inspiration Grant Program, Levy Inspiration Treks, and VentureCat has expanded experiential learning for Northwestern students, contributing to the University’s standing as a top-tier institution for entrepreneurship. Levy also co-chaired his 45th Reunion and served on his 40th Reunion committee.
Levy serves on several boards, including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Lincoln Park Zoo. He has earned such prestigious foodservice industry honors as the Gold Plate and Ivy Awards.
Levy received a BS in business administration and an MBA from Kellogg (formerly the School of Commerce). His and Carol’s grandson, Jackson Florsheim ’23, and niece, Sarah Levy Imberman ’03, also attended the University. Their granddaughter, Lindsey Florsheim ’27, is a current student.