Back in 1968 - when bell bottoms and The Beatles ruled - four teachers looking to supplement their modest salaries decided to try their hands at real estate. Five years later, they quit teaching to focus full-time on the firm now known as The Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, Inc. This year, the Chicago-area based company celebrates its 50th anniversary. With more than 1,000 employees, Inland is now one of the nation’s largest commercial real estate and financial groups, having conducted more than $80 billion in transactions and acquired more than $45 billion in real estate.