Davenport Consulting Services

Keli Wells ’01

My mother has had her own business for 35 years. She was an English education major and over the years she has enrolled in college classes to gain exposure to topics I learned about as an undergrad at Illinois State University,” said Keli Wells.

In 2009 Wells helped establish Davenport Consulting Services (DCS) with a partner. Their search firm specializes in technology, accounting, and finance.

“Being a technical recruiter has really set me apart from typical HR recruiters,” said Wells. We are paid more and are always in high demand.

Tech savvy

Wells feels her background as a business information systems major gave her a great theoretical understanding of IT processes and projects and made it easy to understand any system at a high level of sophistication. Challenging coursework in statistics and microeconomics pushed her to think in new and complex ways that have proven especially valuable while building DCS.

“There are tons of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems at a multitude of sizes including SAP, Salesforce, Oracle, etc. My background and training has enabled me to perform research prior to asking complex interview questions of industry experts, which not only gives me confidence, it leads to successful outcomes,” explained Wells. “Understanding the technical elements has also allowed me to quickly transition into other recruiting areas including engineering,” she added.

Wells also appreciates the broad aspects of her business administration training at Illinois State because it exposed her to all areas necessary to run a successful business including marketing, finance, and accounting.

Demand for her expertise remains high. In addition to her work for DCS clients, Wells has become a popular presenter, sharing her expertise at recent events for Accenture employees and City Colleges of Chicago Colleges, Illinois State University Alumni Relations, the National Association of Black Accountants–Chicago, and the YWCA of Metro Chicago.

Building success

“It is essential to have confidence in yourself. There are a lot of people out there who are unwilling to take chances. Many may wonder why you left a comfy job or decided to be a “starving” entrepreneur, so you have to stay focused and work smart,” said Wells. “And if you don’t succeed in your first venture, that’s OK. Not all entrepreneurs find success on the first try. Many have several businesses before they find their niche or the market is ready for what they have to offer. Just remember, it is okay to try again later using the wealth of knowledge gained from your previous experiences.”

A strong commitment to networking is Wells’ secret to success. “I’ve committed to scheduling myself to attend one networking event a week,” said Wells. “That doesn’t mean just shaking hands and visiting. You must push yourself and then follow up within 24 hours through LinkedIn or email. At first I was scared to tell people about my business in a nonbusiness setting. The success of DCS meant I needed to tell everyone I met about my business. With practice it became much easier to talk to people and drive conversation to “what do you do for a living,” she explained.

Wells even met two of her initial clients on vacation flights because she challenged herself to tell everyone she met about her work.

“You just never know the results you’ll achieve until you take a risk and try!”

Visit www.davenportcs.com to learn more.