Lynessa Rico

Lynessa Rico is the Department Chair and Associate Professor of the Business Psychology Department at The Chicago School. She combines academic leadership with strategic consulting experience, focusing on aligning business growth with organizational psychology principles.

• Ph.D. in Business Psychology (Consulting Track), The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (2016)
• MBA in Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Wichita State University (2009)
• BS in Management and Marketing, Wichita State University (2005)

Her expertise spans women's entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence, design thinking, consumer insight, market research, leadership development, and ROI evaluation. She mentors at 1871 and P33, and serves on the boards of The Chicago Cultural Alliance and PAWS Chicago.

Rico’s teaching philosophy emphasizes creating a stimulating, safe learning environment to foster curiosity and risk-taking. Her work bridges organizational culture, strategic consulting, and innovation ecosystems, particularly in entrepreneurial contexts.