Temitayo O. Akinyemi
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Sociology, 1999 - Princeton University
Temitayo's professional background includes project management for Nigerian business start-ups and two years at Catalyst, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing women in business. At CSGE, Temitayo is focusing on BoP, particularly impact assessment and consulting to BoP projects. Temitayo would like to support multinationals as they translate the needs of low-income consumers into viable products and services. Toward this end, Temitayo is also interested in the organizational and behavioral change efforts employed by companies to foster greater awareness of the needs and issues faced by BoP consumers.
Andrea Findley
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
MPA 2009 - Cornell Institute for Public Affairs
B.A. International Development, 1998 - University of California Los Angeles
Andrea is pursuing a dual MBA/MPA focusing in international development and sustainable global enterprise. Prior to Cornell, Andrea worked for over eight years developing microfinance programs throughout Latin America. Most recently she served as Country Representative for Grameen Foundation USA in the Dominican Republic where she led the market research, planning and implementation of a microfinance initiative that now reaches nearly 25,000 poor rural micro entrepreneurs. At the CSGE, Andrea is focused on the development of and access to markets for poor entrepreneurs through mutually beneficial relationships between the private sector and poor rural communities and the NGOs that serve them. Andrea serves as the President of the Microfinance Club.
Ross George
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Religious Studies, 2002 - University of Virginia
Prior to attending the Johnson School, Ross George owned and operated his own business performing litigation document solutions. Ross seeks to apply his interest in international development through entrepreneurship in the developing world.
Roop Ghangas
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Psychology, 2000 - University of Wisconsin-Madison
Roop Ghangas comes to CSGE with experience in operations, strategy and consumer insights within the retail industry. At the Johnson school she'd like to deepen her knowledge and skill sets related to operations and marketing. Within the sustainable enterprise immersion, she'd like to build understanding and experience related to enterprise development in traditionally underserved markets. Post graduation, she'd like to find a role within a company dedicated to integrating social and environmental consciousness throughout its product development pipeline, helping to create lasting value to all stakeholders.
Ty Gorman
MPA 2008 - Cornell Institute for Public Affairs, Cornell University
B.A. Political Science and Creative Writing, 2006 - College of Charleston
As a Masters of Public Administration candidate, Ty Gorman joins the Immersion with experience and interest in the energy industry and clean technology. Ty's experience includes positions with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Sustainability Institute of North Charleston. In 2005, he served as a Congressional Fellow for John Spratt, focused on energy and environmental issues effecting South Carolina. Ty continues to be interested in clean energy use, and hopes to increase his perspective by working with the private sector in the Immersion.
Christy Harrington
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Logistics Management, Marketing, and Spanish, 1999 - Central Michigan University
After spending 4 years as an advanced buyer working in Mexico and the U.S., Christy joined the Peace Corps as a Small Enterprise Development Volunteer in Guinea, West Africa. There, she created a women's cooperative to preserve and sell mangos and medicinal plants. She also taught the women to build solar drying equipment, to bring their product to market, and to utilize bookkeeping methods. Christy came to the Johnson School to further the practical and theoretical knowledge that will aid in her continued international work with the Base of the Pyramid in emerging markets. Christy is active in the CSGE and Net Impact.
Darius J. Hubbard
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School, Cornell University
B.A. Business Administration, 2003 - Morehouse College
Prior to the Johnson School, Darius worked with a major consulting firm, delivering results for clients such as Bank of America, Duke Energy and Verizon. Darius' plans to pursue a marketing career in the sports industry. Darius' believes that a deep understanding of sustainable business practices will be a valuable and important skill set for all 21st century business leaders. This belief drove him to take the SGE Immersion where he hopes to acquire that understanding from the Johnson School's world class faculty and plethora of resources.
Kevin Johnson
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Systems Engineering, 2002 - United States Military Academy
Before coming to the Johnson School, Kevin Johnson served as an officer in the United States Army. His assignments included a one year deployment to Iraq, a two year tour to Germany, and one year assignment at the United States Military Academy. Kevin is active in the CSGE and the Johnson School's Net Impact Chapter. Kevin was selected to co-lead the planning team for the 2009 Net Impact Conference which will be held at the Johnson School. After earning his MBA, Kevin will enter the private sector and pursue a career in the renewable energy industry.
Ryan Kelley
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Philosophy, 1998 - Fairfield University
During the four years prior to attending the Johnson School, Ryan worked as a Peace Corps volunteer managing development projects in Madagascar. Ryan advised the opening and development of a new environmental-technician training program in rural southeast Madagascar, provided consulting for PACT Madagascar, and developed a strategy to transition a rural communications network from a donor-funded project to a sustainable business model. At the CSGE, Ryan is focusing on the role of private-sector initiatives in creating mutually beneficial growth opportunities for businesses and local economies in the developing world. After graduation, Ryan plans to consult for multinationals utilizing shared-value strategies to aid expansion efforts into Africa.
Jisun Kim
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Law 2002 - Yonsei University
Jisun Kim's focus is on corporate social responsibility and economic development. Prior to business school, Jisun worked at Korea Exchange Bank in the CEO/Chairman's office and the trade-finance department for large-cap companies. Jisun plans to leverage her background in finance to provide financial means to empower the underprivileged. She chose the Johnson school for the opportunity to study sustainability frameworks that can be successfully employed in financial services. At the CSGE, Jisun is also studying social- and economic-development strategies in emerging economies.
Kulranjan Kujur
MPA 2008 - Cornell Institute for Public Affairs
B.A. Accounting, 1999 - Utkal University
Diploma in Forestry Management, 2001 - Indian Institute of Forest Management
Kulranjan received a Ford Foundation International Fellowship to attend Cornell and pursue his Master's of Public Administration. Prior to Cornell, Kulranjan had five years of experience with Seva Mandir, an Indian NGO, where he was involved in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of environmental projects for enhancement of local subsistence and environment. In 2007, he served as a volunteer with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) developing a framework for analysis of national forest monitoring policies for five Asian countries. Kulranjan hopes to focus his study in the Immersion on social enterprise development in emerging countries, with a special focus in India.
Ray Lansigan
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Economics, 2004 - Columbia University
Ray's career goal is to use the travel and tourism industry as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth. With a focus on hotel development, Ray chose Johnson for business school to pursue a course of study that complements the traditional MBA curriculum with coursework in sustainability at CSGE and hospitality industry studies at the Hotel School. Prior to business school, Ray worked as a management consultant for Integrated Healthcare, where he created strategies for hospitals and physician practices to navigate the challenges of the healthcare industry.
Leila McNeill
MPA 2008 - Cornell Institute for Public Affairs
B.A. English, 2005 - John Brown University
After working as an English teacher in China, Leila McNeill pursued her interest in international development at Cornell. Targeting the intersection of government and business and the creation of economic opportunities in developing regions in Asia, Leila joined the Immersion class to gain hands-on experience in strategy development and implementation for sustainable development. Post graduation, Leila is considering law school and employment in international business development or consulting.
Kandea Mosley
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. African American Studies/Philosophy, 1998 - University of California Los Angeles
Prior to coming to the Johnson School, Kandea Mosley worked as a daily newspaper reporter for two years, before transitioning into non-profit work. She served as an AmeriCorp *VISTA volunteer for the Village at Ithaca, a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing educational inequity in the public-education system. In the CSGE, Kandea will study BoP business-development projects and renewable energy. Kandea is ultimately interested in managing business-development projects that foster both inclusive wealth creation and environmental sustainability.
Lilian Ng
MPA 2009 - Cornell Institute for Public Affairs
M. Arch. - Rhode Island School of Design
B.A. Marketing Communications & Graphic Design - Simmons College
Before entering Cornell University, Lilian Ng worked professionally as an architect. Some of the project types worked on include schools, private residences, religious buildings and a co-housing community. Project scopes ranged from addition to existing homes, renovation, design and new construction, and master planning of a school campus. As a LEED accredited architect, Lillian seeks to connect her experiences in architecture with the sustainable environment and the community. Lilian is currently exploring housing options in slum dwelling within developing countries.
Susan Ngo
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Finance and Computer Information Systems, 2001 - California State University, Los Angeles
Before coming to the Johnson School, Susan Ngo worked for an investment management firm in trade settlements, pricing, and compliance. Susan is intrigued by the potential of applying business principles to the non-profit sector, and will explore the social impact of both private and non-profit organizations during the SGE Immersion. Driven by the mission of education reform, she plans to bring her consulting and education-management skills to ailing school districts, after earning her MBA. Susan serves as vice president of careers for the Johnson School's Net Impact chapter.
Christine Peck
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Environmental Population and Organismic Biology, 2001 - University of Colorado, Boulder
Prior to coming to the Johnson school, Christine worked as a media Buyer/Planner for top creative and media agencies and managed clients such as LEGO, Nintendo, Aventis, and Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Her focus at CSGE is on marketing in the retail, consumer products and food industries and she hopes to help companies understand the benefits of employing sustainable business practices into their product assortments as well as the benefits of communicating these efforts through their marketing campaigns. Christine is currently working on a market research project for a start-up organic baby-food company and is the VP of Green Design in the Fashion, Lifestyle, and Luxury Industries Club.
Steve Peck
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology, 2001 - University of Colorado, Boulder
Steve Peck's focus is on expanding markets for healthcare related technologies. He is primarily interested in fostering business development for early stage healthcare companies, and ultimately plans to leverage this work into a career in venture capitalism, with a focus on similar industries. Before coming to the Johnson School, Steve managed the business-development unit for an early-stage health care communications company based in Chicago.
Mike Pezone
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Economics and Political Science, 2001 - University of California San Diego
Mike is focused on inclusive corporate strategies and sustainable business development. He is particularly interested in the opportunities to create value at the BoP and efforts to scale local innovations across markets. Prior to enrolling at the Johnson School, Mike leveraged his background in consulting to work with small and medium enterprises as a business advisor with the US Peace Corps in the Philippines. Currently, he is the Director of Johnson's Microfinance Fund.
Kristen Rainey
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
M.A.L.D. 2007- The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
B.A. Art and Archaeology, 1997 - Princeton University
At the CSGE, Kristen Rainey's focus is on strategy and project management in the food, beverage, and hospitality industries. Before coming to the Johnson school, Kristen founded and operated a web-design business and taught in Morocco and Indonesia. Kristen also served as a U.S. State Department intern at the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka and as an intern for the UN World Food Programme in Bhutan. Kristen plans to use her experience in business development and project management to focus on environmental sustainability and strategy for multinational corporations working in food, wellness, and hospitality.
Casey Ryan
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Legal Studies, 2002 - Amherst College
Casey Ryan spent the past five years working at JPMorgan and Deloitte, serving as a strategy and management consultant focused on the real estate and financial services sectors. Casey came to the CSGE to further cultivate his analytical, management, and leadership skills through the lens of sustainable enterprise. Drawing on Cornell's many resources, Casey's studies focus on green building and land-use planning. He is pursuing careers in strategy consulting and project management for the green development industry. Casey is active in the CSGE and is currently engaged in the identification and design of pro-bono sustainability consulting projects in the Ithaca area. Casey cited the Johnson School's focus on making CSGE the pre-eminent business sustainability program in the world as his reason for choosing it for his MBA studies. Casey is vice president of school and curriculum for Net Impact.
Philip Sieper
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Economics and German, 1997 - Colgate University
Philip Sieper's professional experience is primarily in the energy industry. In his nine years at Platts, The McGraw-Hill Companies he has worked in the areas of product management, research management, and operations. His experience includes product launches, product life-cycle management, strategy, and managing large groups of employees. Philip is interested in combining his interests in renewable energy, hospitality, and green building to address social and environmental issues with innovative entrepreneurial strategies.
Misty Sorensen
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Biosystems Engineering, 1998 - Clemson University
Misty Sorenson came to the Johnson School to study sustainable enterprise and environmental action as they relate to human health. Her goal is to promote sustainable food and agricultural systems that reduce environmental damage from mass farming and that provide higher quality food and nutrition for human consumption. To aid in the creation of sustainable food systems, Misty plans to work as a business consultant to small-scale farmers. She is also pursuing opportunities in the corporate food industry and in governmental-farm relations. Prior to school, Misty was a sales associate for Nucor Steel.
Lauren Thirer Wexler
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Anthropology, 2002 - Cornell University
Lauren came to the Johnson School to develop the business skills to bridge her experience in non-profit and environmental advocacy into a career in renewable energy. She began her professional career as the youth program director at the non-profit Courageous Sailing Center, where she managed the Center's three sites and 60 staff, serving over 1,000 children annually. Most recently she worked as an environmental policy analyst at the environmental advocacy organization Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. Lauren is the vice president of Communications for the Johnson School's Net Impact chapter.
Steve Wang
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Biology, 1999 - University of California San Diego
Before coming to the Johnson School, Steve Wang served as a business adviser in Peace Corps Armenia, where he founded a consulting firm and initiated the first NGO database in the country. Prior to joining the Peace Corps, Steve was a sales director for a technology firm, where he managed the overall marketing operations and successfully launched a new product for the financial industry. During the SGE Immersion, he will concentrate on approaching international development through entrepreneurship and market-based business models.