Samuel Bassett

Samuel Bassett is the Founder of Basenti, a business services firm in Chicago.  A turnaround artist, Sam has guided professional services firms, Fortune 500s, and nonprofit organizations through substantial turnarounds.  Sam's dedication to employee experience (EX), customer experience (CX), and common sense business practices facilitates good numbers going up and bad numbers going down.

Sam has pioneered initiatives that drive organizational growth.  From empowering individual contributors with business intelligence tools to unlocking midcareer professionals' potential through coaching, Sam consistently produces six-, seven- and eight-figure impacts on profit.  Sam has two decades of experience working with nonprofit organizations to do more with less, particularly those facing budgetary shortfalls.

Sam earned a Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Illinois Chicago, a Masters and Bachelors from the University of Oklahoma in Norman.  Sam's research can be found in peer-reviewed journals and has been cited by scholars in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.  Before moving to the collegiate level, Sam built two of the largest AP Economics programs in the country.

Sam has published multiple games and is one of the most played megagame designers in North America.  In 2024, Sam set the record for largest player count in the United States.  Sam currently has two published titles, Mischief of Faction and wrestLEgacy.  

A dynamic leader, educator, and strategist, Sam's career reflects a commitment to fostering growth—whether in businesses, classrooms, or communities.