Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D.
Class of ’78 Political Science
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
BNI (Business Network International)

Ivan R. Misner lives a full life. An entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist and author, he has achieved enormous success in each field. A political science graduate in 1978, Misner continued his educational path by achieving master’s and doctoral degrees in public administration from the University of Southern California. His company, BNI, is currently the largest business networking and referral organization in the world, with more than 3,600 chapters and 73,000 members.

“I think it’s very important that people develop skills and techniques to network effectively,” says Misner. “It’s easy to be a cave dweller. We wake up in a large cave with a big screen TV, we go out to the garage and get into a little cave on four wheels to take us to another big cave with computers and phones. Networking is a contact sport. You have to connect with other people to be successful at it.”

In addition to his work with BNI, Misner founded the BNI-Misner Charitable Foundation and is on the board of directors for the Haynes Children Center in La Verne. He was named Humanitarian of the Year by the Leroy Haynes Children Center in 2004 and received the Ben Franklin Award from the Publisher’s Marketing Association in 2001. His book, Masters of Networking, appeared on both the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times best seller lists. Despite the corporate demands on his times, he is deeply rooted in family life. Misner’s wife, Elisabeth, and his three children all participate in charitable causes, supporting the family motto that ‘you may not be able to make a world of difference, but you can make a difference in the world.’

“Personally, the main highlights of my life are marrying my wife, Elisabeth, and having my family around me,” he says. “I met my wife at a BNI leadership team training session. Without a doubt, I can say that she was indeed the best referral I ever got.”

Misner recently taught a course in networking and social capital at Cal Poly Pomona and has supported the university through donations to the National Model United Nation’s program, the Ennis Cosby Friendmobile, and the political science department.