Management

Dawn Tolonen

Senior Teaching Professor, Management & Entrepreneurship

Dawn M. Tolonen is a 35-year veteran of the pet industry with management and marketing experience in retail, distribution, mail order catalog, online sales, and consumer goods manufacturing. If you own a pet, you may be familiar with some of the brands she has recently directed such as Tetra Fish Food, Instant Ocean, Nature’s Miracle, and Marineland.
Dawn’s career has provided her experience in all facets of business from the ground up in both start-up companies and public corporations, and given her the opportunity to collaborate with fascinating people around the world.
Dawn’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Business Administration (management and marketing majors) from the University of Cincinnati, a Master of Business Administration (international concentration) from Xavier University, and a Doctorate of Business Administration from Creighton University. In 2015 Dawn join the Xavier family as a full time teaching professor. The energy and enthusiasm of the students keeps her coming back for more!
Dawn and her husband reside in Batavia, OH. In their spare time you can find them trying to keep up with five wonderful grandchildren.
You can connect with Dr. Dawn in the following ways:
c. 513-667-4288

First Year at Xavier

2015

Links

Resume

Degrees

  • D.B.A. Business Administration, Creighton University, 2020
  • M.B.A. Business Administration, Xavier University, 2001
  • B.B.A. Business Administration, University of Cincinnati, 1990

Publications

  • Welter, C., Scrimpshire, A., Tolonen, D. M., & Obrimah, E. (2021). The road to entrepreneurial success: Business plans, lean startup, or both? New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, 24(1), 21–42. https://doi.org/10.1108/NEJE-08-2020-0031
  • Assudani, D. R., & Tolonen, D. M. (2019). Organizational learning at the BOP: Which firms will convert collaboration into economic success? The International Journal of Management, 8(1), 9.