Alumni Class Notes

  • Kylie Philbin ’15 started in December with Turnstile Group as the company’s new Head of Sponsorship Valuation. Kylie previously worked as a Consultant at The Boston Consulting Group both in the U.S. and in the UK.

  • Alexis Ohanian Sr. ’05, Founder of 776, has been named to Money’s 2023 Changemakers list.

  • Sahand Dilmaghani ’13, Founder and CEO of Terra Kaffe, shared his journey from growing up in Virginia and China to one of the first businesses he started, to founding Terra Kaffe, and how he kicked off his brand with demos in the early days, in the Dec. 27 podcast of Stairway to CEO.

  • Ishaan Khosla ’14, is a Founding Partner at Huddle, leading accelerator and fund for early-stage ventures in India. In a Dec. 24 Times of India opinion titled, “Net-Zero by When?” he shares his thoughts on India’s vision to achieve the net-zero goal by 2070 and the significance of the venture capital ecosystem in it.

  • Will Eaves ’03, a Trust Solutions Partner in PwC’s Digital Assurance and Transparency practice in New York, has been appointed to the New Jersey City University Foundation Board of Directors. The Queens, NY, native specializes in governance, regulatory, and risk controls functions spanning business operations and technology at asset managers, private wealth managers, broker-dealers and domestic and global banks. His experience includes serving publicly traded financial services organizations by helping them achieve their financial and regulatory reporting needs, while also delivering independent trust and transparency reporting for various types of service organizations. Eaves has spent his entire career at PwC, serving U.S. and global clients. He currently serves as the lead Human Resources and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion partner for his New York practice. He is a licensed CPA in New York and New Jersey and holds a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification. Eaves serves on the board of Saint Peter’s Orphanage and is an active, lifetime member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He resides in New Jersey with his wife and their young son.

  • Tim Schenk ’01 has been appointed a Director at Papaya Growth Opportunity Corp. I, and will also act as the Non-Executive Chairperson of the company. An investment management professional with over 20 years of experience, Schenk founded Kuleana Capital Management LLC, where he acts as President and Portfolio Manager, in February 2016. Prior to founding Kuleana Capital Management, Schenk served as an investment professional at a number of hedge funds, including Blue Ridge Capital (2001-2006), White Elm Capital from (2007-2010), Newbrook Capital Advisors from (2011-2013), and Elmrox Investment Group from (2014-2016).

  • Kevin Duffy ’02, Founder of Winnow, presented his technology company Dec. 6, 2022, at NOAH Zurich Conference, the leading industry event for the European growth ecosystem, featuring 250 of the largest and most sustainable startups. Winnow technology helps food service companies such as contract caterers and restaurants to understand and take steps to reduce their food waste and manage production, both cutting costs and improving sustainability.

  • Caylyn G. Harvey (M.S. in Commerce ’17), who earned a law degree from Vanderbilt University in May, has been hired as an Associate by Bass, Berry & Sims in the firm’s Nashville, TN, office. Her specialty is corporate and securities.

  • Beatriz Da Cunha ’05 was elected as a new Director at the fall board meeting of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment). Da Cunha leads Strategic Planning & Initiatives for the Credit Platform within BlackRock Alternatives in New York City. Previously, she served as Chief Operating Officer of BlackRock Sustainable Investing.

  • Christy Forest ’90 started a new position as Chairman of the Board at The Yoga Foundation in (Australia). She is CEO and Executive Director of LiveHire, an award-winning, cloud-based talent acquisition and engagement platform that is “revolutionizing the way individuals and companies engage with each other to find the careers they’ll love.” Before that, she was the Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, for CEB (Corporate Executive Board), a global research and HR technology firm headquartered in Washington, DC.

  • Hong Paterson ’93, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Green Climate Fund, spoke to Bloomberg News Asia Nov. 7, 2022, about green investing, COP27, and the Green Climate Fund.

  • Sami Siddiqui ’07, President, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen at Restaurant Brands International, recently participated in the Bloomberg Growth Summit: Focus on the Customer conference, which brought together top executives from around the world to talk about how they’re transforming their businesses to cater to great guest service. During the event, he joined a panel discussing how businesses leverage technology to provide an optimal customer experience. Siddiqui was also featured as one of the Foodtech Power Players of 2022 in Business Insider.

  • Marisa Drew ’86, Chief Sustainability Officer at Standard Chartered Bank, participated in COP27 (Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC), which took place Nov. 6-18 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. There, she discussed several topics, including how private finance can be channeled into nature-based solutions to generate green economic growth and how to support a just transition for emerging markets.

  • Katrina Liao (M.S. in Accounting ’05), Investment Principal at Coller Capital, moderated a panel discussing portfolio construction in a new paradigm at SuperInvestor Amsterdam conference on Nov. 16.

  • Maliha Jilani ’97, Partner and member of the global social impact practice at Heidrick & Struggles, shared her thoughts on some of the best ways for boards to commit to ESG priorities and avoid greenwashing in a Nov. 12 Gulf News article titled “Businesses everywhere Need to Back ESG Ambitions with Real Action.”

  • Christopher Walters ’07 has been named Managing Director at First Republic Wealth Management. Walters has nearly 10 years of wealth management experience providing customized solutions for high-net-worth individuals, families, founders, corporate executives, and entrepreneurs. Before joining First Republic, he was an Executive Director and Wealth Partner with J.P. Morgan Wealth Management. Active in his local community, Walters is a member of the Noroton Presbyterian Church and a supporter of nature-related education programs at various nonprofit organizations. Walters also holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® designation.

  • Lauren Greenwood ’04 is President and Co-Founder of YouCopia, a home brand focused on storage and organization. She recently discussed the challenges and opportunities around global expansion of the company’s brand on the “How She Went Global” podcast. In the Nov. 14 episode, “Woo Hoo! A Woman’s Global Quest to Create Your Happy Space,” Lauren shared how she ships, collects payments, prevents knockoffs, finds international customers, and sells to more than 20 markets overseas.

  • Jamie Sisley ’05 is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker. His film “Stay Awake” played Nov. 4 at Charlottesville’s Paramount Theater, as part of the Virginia Film Festival’s 2022 program. The semi-autobiographical story focuses on a family’s struggles with a mother’s addiction. He also received the Governor Gerald L. Baliles Founder’s Award at the screening.

  • Drake Pooley (M.S. in Global Commerce ’17), Manager at General Catalyst, made the shortlist for the 2022 Financial Times/McKinsey & Company Bracken Bower Prize for best business book proposal by an author under 35. In his proposal, Pooley explores what evaluation (for jobs, college admissions, etc.) means in a world struggling to balance meritocracy with equal opportunity, and how companies and institutions can respond. Three finalists will be named later in November.

  • Ashley Young ’09 and her husband, Charles, appeared on “Shark Tank” in October to pitch their company, Bridal Babes. The company, which aims to provide special occasion gowns and experiences for “women of color and women with curves,” is forging a successful path in the billion-dollar wedding industry through previously unexplored audiences and an intentional focus on diversity made possible through tech. They ultimately accepted an offer of $250,000 for 20% equity from Emma Grede.

  • Anant Das ’19 co-produced August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson,” playing on Broadway through Jan. 15 and starring Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, and Danielle Brooks. Das and the cast and crew celebrated opening night Oct. 13.