Inspiring change through community-building and business transformation, Gina Schaefer, Wittenberg class of 1993 and founder of 13 ACE Hardware stores, has agreed to present the keynote address at the 175th Commencement exercises scheduled for Saturday, May 17, in picturesque Commencement Hollow. The announcement came during the Class of 2025’s annual “100 Days ‘Til Graduation” event Thursday evening, Feb. 6.
“On behalf of the entire Wittenberg University, I am excited to welcome Gina back to her alma mater,” said President Michael L. Frandsen, Ph.D. “Gina’s entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to combatting inequality, and passion for revitalizing communities have literally changed lives. In her life and work, Gina has shown all of us what it means to pass one’s light, and I am confident that her remarks will inspire the Class of 2025 to be catalysts for change in all their future pursuits.”
Schaefer is a visionary entrepreneur and dynamic keynote speaker, best known as the founder of a chain of highly successful Ace Hardware stores. Over the course of her 22 years in business, she transformed a single hardware store in a neglected neighborhood into a thriving enterprise with 13 locations across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
Her business not only provides essential services, but it daily empowers the community, including the recovery community, by fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace. Schaefer’s passion for business ownership as a tool to combat inequality recently led her to sell her business to her employees, creating more than 130 co-owners. Her incredible journey is chronicled in her book Recovery Hardware, which highlights the power of second chances and community revitalization.
As a sought-after speaker, Schaefer captivates audiences with her compelling stories and practical insights. Her talks focus on key areas such as creating positive corporate cultures, effective succession planning, and empowering women in business. Each presentation is designed to inspire and equip her audience with actionable strategies to drive change and achieve success.
Honored by several organizations for her leadership and contributions to business and community development, Schaefer has routinely delivered a message that resonates strongly with those who defy the odds in the pursuit of entrepreneurial endeavors, especially women. In addition to her speaking engagements, she enjoys making greeting cards, kayaking, traveling, reading, and mentoring other small business owners.
Schaefer has also served her alma mater repeatedly, including as a member of the steering committee for the successful $100-million Having Light: The Campaign for Wittenberg and as a guest speaker for a special business-focused Tiger Talk on campus in 2023.
Along with welcoming Gina, senior class co-presidents Grace Hehman and Victoria Pipinich are excited for Commencement overall.
“The class of 2025 is a very tight-knit group. When we all arrived on campus, COVID safety policies were still in place, which inhibited us from fully experiencing each other and Wittenberg. However, as things became more 'normal,' everyone slowly began to branch out from their original smaller friend groups. Now I can confidently say that the senior class is one of the most tight-knit classes at the University. I cannot walk to class without seeing someone I know or talking to a classmate, and that is truly what makes Wittenberg and the Class of 2025 special,” said Hehman, a nursing major from Cincinnati, Ohio.
During her time at Wittenberg, Hehman has been involved in Welcome Week and first-year orientation and served as a peer mentor. She has also been a member of Wittenberg’s lacrosse team for three years, served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for two years, and last year founded the Nursing Club, where she currently serves as its president. She is most proud of her efforts to reinstate blood drives after COVID. The University now hosts blood drives multiple times a year.
Pipinich, a chemistry major minoring in math from Fort Worth, Texas, says the class has grown immensely.
“We have grown and learned a lot, and I believe we are ready for the next step. I am beyond thrilled to see where everyone ends up, and I know that whatever they do, they will do it well,” said Pipinich, a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, Student Senate, the Chemistry Club, and the Honors Program, as well as a tour guide in Admission, and a member of both the field hockey and women’s track and field teams.
“We are a really tight-knit, goal-oriented group,” Pipinich added. “We have had to have been resilient these last four years, and I would say that we hold a lot of future successes. I am very proud to be a part of this class at Witt.”
Wittenberg is planning for traditional Commencement Exercises beginning at 11:30 a.m. with access starting at 9:30 a.m. All guests must be seated by 11 a.m. In the event of inclement weather, the program will be held in the Health, Wellness & Athletics Complex’s Pam Evans Smith Arena. Tickets are required for an indoor ceremony.
On Thursday, Feb. 20, Wittenberg will host a Countdown to Commencement event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Geil Lounge on the lower level of the Benham-Pence Student Center. During this event, graduates will have the opportunity to place orders for caps and gowns, announcements, diploma frames, and other Commencement-related items. For additional information on Wittenberg’s 2025 Commencement Exercises, click here.
