Deepak Aswani
MBA 2009 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
M.S. Electrical Engineering, 2003 - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
B.S. Electrical Engineering, 2001 - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Deepak Aswani has worked for seven years in research on clean diesel technology and hybrid electric vehicles at Ford Motor Company. For the past five years, he has been involved with the non-profit Asha for Education, which brings education to underprivileged children in India. As Detroit Chapter Coordinator and Alternative Education Project Steward, he helped organize fundraisers, develop operational strategies, and budget funds for project partners. Deepak's interests lie in bringing to market renewable energy for utilities, smart grids, and second-generation biofuels. With the SGE Immersion, he hopes to gain insight on the business and policy challenges that renewable energy faces today.
Benjamin Barrington
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Ceramic Engineering, 2002 - Rutgers University
Benjamin comes to the CSGE with an interest in renewable energy and a desire to make a lasting impact on the way we power our lives and economy. He has spent the last six years in research and development for technology and medical device companies in the greater Boston area. He hopes to leverage this experience, in combination with entrepreneurial studies and SGE, to deliver new renewable technologies to market both in developed countries and at the BoP. Benjamin sees the SGE immersion projects as an "invaluable experience that pushes us to reach for true sustainability while addressing live business challenges."
Burgen Cherie Belltwan
CALS-Publ Pol Anal
Burgen is pursuing an MPS in Applied Economics, working on a number of projects using regression analysis to explore business opportunities. Before coming to Cornell, she held positions in retail and marketing, with intermittent periods of extensive independent travel. Burgen chose to join CSGE to gain experience integrating her quantitative skills with business analysis. She plans to use these skills to help private enterprises address the needs of the BoP.
Harlan S. Blynn
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Accounting, 2003 - The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University
Harlan enters the CSGE with a focus on entrepreneurship in redeveloping economies within the US. He has a keen interest in using environmentally and socially aware businesses to meet the growing needs of re-urbanization in America's cities. He joins the Johnson School with four years of experience managing the revenue forecasting and marketing analytics for Sprint Nextel and XM Satellite Radio. Harlan is an appointed Fellow for Johnson's Microcapital Fund, and directs the capital campaign for Cornell University's entry in the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competition.
Jamie Cheston
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Human & Organizational Development, 2001 - Vanderbilt University
Jamie comes to the Johnson School after several years in the advertising industry, working for top agencies including TBWA\Chiat\Day and Deutsch LA. In his most recent role, he managed senior client relationships and production workflow for the $330MM Infiniti automotive account. Through coursework and an active role in the CSGE, Jamie seeks to prepare for a career rooted in the intersection of sustainability and marketing. He serves as the Local Marketing Chair on the 2009 Net Impact Conference Design Team and is the marketing representative for the SGE Club's Affinity Group Council.
Ryan Cole
MBA, 2010- The Johnson School at Cornell University
Before enrolling in Cornell's MBA program, Ryan was an investment-banking associate in National City's Special Situations Group, analyzing and executing sell-side M&A and growth financing transactions. During his three-year tenure at National City, Ryan advised clients in the green chemicals, energy, and wind sectors. Ryan hopes to use his Johnson School MBA to promote environmentally conscious natural resource management through global cleantech investment by working for a firm that infuses private equity capital into alternative energy companies and related technologies. Ryan is president of Johnson's Energy Club and a co-president of Cornell's Private Equity Society.
Ravi Gorti
MBA Class of 2009
The Johnson School at Cornell University
Ravi Gorti has over five years of experience in the planning, design, and implementation of large-scale projects in the transportation engineering industry, in both the public and private sectors. His career goal is to work in the rural areas of India on transportation-related projects, and address prevalent transportation problems by using a combination of engineering concepts learned from his work experience in the U.S., and sustainable business solutions learned from the SGE Immersion.
Ashley Grove
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Political Science and History, 2004 - Colgate University
Ashley comes to the Johnson School to complement her consulting experience with a refined understanding of how organizations can view environmental and social issues as business opportunities. She worked with Deloitte, where she helped clients address the people dimension of their business challenges, and is now pursuing opportunities in strategy consulting and the consumer products industry. Ashley serves as a member of the SGE Club Board, as the Sustainable Operations Affinity Group Lead, and as the Career Expo Lead on the 2010 Net Impact Conference Design Team.
Michael Harrington
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
Michael's primary interest is clean-energy generation and use conservation. He came to Johnson to build an understanding of global sustainability issues and hone leadership and business skills through the Core, SGE Immersion, and CSGE. Before Johnson, Michael spent seven years as an architect, working on a variety of large and small commercial design and construction projects. In particular, Michael's work with FEMA on post-Katrina recovery projects, and involvement in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, exposed him to critical energy and environmental problems and the need for creative solutions. He plans to pursue private-sector opportunities in renewable energy project development. Michael is active in the SGE club as a leader of the Renewable Energy Affinity Group and serves as the Business Team Leader for Cornell's Solar Decathlon Competition project.
Michael Harkness
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Physics, Mathematics, and History, 2001 - University of South Dakota
Before entering business school, Michael spent thirteen years in management and analytical positions in high tech. His experience includes operations, project management, strategy, and managing large teams. Michael is interested in a career in renewable energy where he can make use of both his scientific expertise and business acumen. He is VP of Education for the Energy Club, and he is active in the renewable energy group, including working as the budget leader for the Solar Decathlon competition.
Shannon Higgins
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S Civil and Environmental Engineering - Bucknell University 2002
Shannon's professional background includes four years working as an environmental engineer in the design and construction of public water systems, and two years working as an English teacher for Chinese university students in Jiangsu, China. At the Johnson School, she aims to build a career promoting business solutions to infrastructure needs in emerging markets. Specifically, at the CSGE, Shannon is focusing on clean tech at the BoP, and hopes to consult for small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs working on infrastructure needs. She is active with the Sustainable Global Enterprise Club and the Social Enterprise and Microfinance Club.
Jaclyn K. Hood
MBA Class of 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
Jaclyn's professional experience is in the financial services industry. Her work at Fidelity Investments and Hewitt Associates focused on project management, system development, and quality assurance, and she intends to apply these skills to a career in the renewable energy industry. Jaclyn serves as the Logistics Chair for the 2009 Net Impact Conference.
Daniel Jackson
MPA 2009 - Cornell Institute for Public Affairs at Cornell University
B.A. International Studies: Political Science, 2005 - University of California San Diego
Daniel is pursuing his MPA with a focus in finance and fiscal policy in international development. Before attending Cornell, he spent two years volunteering with the International Rescue Committee teaching English as a second language to recently arrived refugees, and recently worked with UNICEF writing a case study evaluating maternal/child health interventions in Rajasthan, India. Daniel joins the Immersion class with the hope of broadening his sustainable development perspective through the lens of the private sector.
Uma Kakde
MBA 2010, Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University
B.A. 2001 International Relations, New York University
Uma comes to the Johnson School after spending most of her professional career working with global private and public sector organizations in Africa and East Asia. She has a deep interest in the cleantech industry and has engaged several renewable energy management initiatives in her previous experience in asset management, consulting, and business development. At the CSGE, Uma will focus on renewable energy, particularly on the financing and business development aspects. She also participates in the Entrepreneurship and Private Equity Immersion, concentrating in venture capital.
Kevin G. Knight
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
M.S. Earth & Environmental Engineering, 2008 - Columbia University
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 2002 - University of Notre Dame
Before coming to the Johnson School, Kevin worked for two years as a Mechanical Engineer with Westinghouse Electric in their Nuclear Service Division, and then spent the past four years as a Consultant with Duff & Phelps, LLC in their Valuations Advisory Services practice. During this time he pursued a Masters degree focusing on Sustainable Energy. He came to the CSGE to further his interests in sustainable energy systems from a strategy, finance, and operations perspective. Kevin is active within CSGE as a board member of the Renewable Energy Affinity Group. After earning his MBA, Kevin wants a career in business development within the renewable energy industry.
Jennifer X. Li
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Business Administration / B.A. Cognitive Science, 2002 - University of California, Berkeley
Before business school, Jennifer worked as an accounting services consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also has four years of experience in the Silicon Valley and London offices of KPMG providing audit services to clients in the high-tech industry. She is a licensed CPA in the State of California. At CSGE, Jennifer focuses on the intersection of strategic business planning, technology, and emerging markets. In particular, she would like to leverage her past experience to explore the use of technology in creating sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships between growing economies and high tech companies.
Ryan Legg
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
Ryan comes to the Johnson School with an interest in entrepreneurship and the clean technology industry. He worked as a program manager at the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise to build programs to help companies assess and capitalize on new market opportunities in renewable energy. His experience includes providing recommendations for investment in biomass energy, and a competitive analysis of the carbon markets for emissions certification and trading. Ryan is the Chair of the 2009 Net Impact Conference, and is active in the Renewable Energy Affinity Group.
Kristen Lyons
MBA 2010, Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University
Kristen was a daily newspaper reporter before coming to Cornell, covering issues such as teacher development and the achievement gap in urban education. She also worked for a multinational health care company, focusing on businesses' use of innovative approaches to make health care more affordable and accessible for their employees. Through her work with the CSGE, Kristen hopes to explore the intersection of organizations' business opportunities and social responsibilities regarding children and education.
Brian McMeekin
B.S. Hotel Administration, 2002-Cornell University
MBA 2010- The Johnson School at Cornell University
Brian spent the last three years working in supply chain with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., where he developed global sourcing skills and led a team of six buyers. Brian wants to build on that experience and move into business development for companies that are working on solutions to the world's major issues related to potable water and food production.
Lori McMahon
MBA 2010, Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University
Lori spent the past seven years working in supply-chain consulting and best-practice research for PRTM and the Corporate Executive Board. Through her client work with senior executives at Fortune 500 companies, and extensive global travel, she recognizes the importance of placing emphasis on sustainable business development. Lori came to the Johnson School to develop her skills in general management, marketing, and strategy, and plans to leverage the knowledge and skills from the SGE Immersion to develop a management philosophy on environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
Cindra Maharaj
MBA Class of 2010 The Johnson School at Cornell University
Before attending the Johnson School, Cindra worked at Morgan Stanley in the Corporate Treasury department, where she designed and implemented a contingency-funding plan to better account for required and contingent cash flows in liquidity-distressed environments, and a liquidity tool to determine the amount of cash the firm should carry on a daily basis. At the CGSE, Cindra is focusing on the role of private sector/public sector partnerships and entrepreneurship in international development in emerging markets, particularly the Caribbean and Latin America. She plans to leverage her experience in finance analysis and her deep interest in sustainability to improve the economic means of small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Keiko Nakamuri
MPA 2010 - Cornell Institute for Public Affairs at Cornell University
B.A French Literature, 1999 - Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan
While a Public Administration student, with a concentration in international development and microfinance, Keiko decided to join the SGE Immersion at the Johnson School to pursue an interest in the dynamics of collaborative roles in private and public sector in economic development. She came to Cornell because of her passion in international development, which was ignited when she visited Thailand after graduation from college. Keiko worked for five years as a team leader in the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ's foreign-exchange group, in Tokyo, Japan, dealing with foreign-exchange transactions and customer relationships.
Satoshi Nakamuri
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Economics, 1998 - Tokyo University
During the three years before coming to the Johnson School, Satoshi worked for a Japanese bank's New York City office, managing a distressed-asset department. His responsibilities included providing effective management on high-leveraged portfolios, presenting asset-protection strategies to executive members in New York and Tokyo, and devising exit strategies for non-performing loans. Satoshi is sponsored by the bank, and his career vision is to improve its global footprint by incorporating the concept of sustainability into its overseas operations. As an essential part of achieving his career vision, Satoshi is focusing his SGE immersion on acquiring BoP and inclusive business concepts.
Robert Nichols
MBA, 2010- The Johnson School at Cornell University
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, 2003- Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine
Bachelor of Arts, 1997- Hamilton College
Robert earned his veterinary degree in 2003 and practiced small-animal medicine and surgery in Los Angeles and Lake Tahoe. In late 2005, he moved to Washington, D.C. to lobby for the American Veterinary Medical Association's small-business, education, and appropriations issues. He intends to use both his MBA and his SGE experience to make responsible decisions as a business leader.
Chrysoula M. Nigl
MBA Class of 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
Chrysoula spent the last five years working as a chemical engineer and project manager on nuclear waste clean-up projects. She comes to the Johnson School to further develop her understanding of innovative business opportunities within the sustainability umbrella. Chrysoula is currently the Operations Officer for the Sustainable Global Enterprise Club. Chrysoula plans to leverage her previous experience in the energy industry to pursue a career in renewable energy.
Kristin O'Planick
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Art History/Studio Art/Women's Studies, 2000 - University of Maryland
Kristin has a professional background in international development with experience in both Africa and the Middle East across a variety of technical areas including food security, agribusiness, rural finance, and sustainable tourism. She managed USAID projects for Chemonics International where she built expertise in gender integration, and later she was posted in Egypt as an Operations Manager. She also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea. Kristin is focused on the intersections of business and development and hopes to work with the private sector to engage the BoP in a mutually beneficial and sustainable way. Kristin has a special interest in agribusiness and tourism as drivers of economic development. At Johnson she is Chair of the Social Enterprise and Microfinance Club.
Sally Park
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.Arch 2002 - Cornell University
Before coming to the Johnson School, Sally worked as an architect designing residential and institutional projects in New York City. Her interest in international development brought her to Tanzania, where she designed an elementary school and staff housing. Additionally, Sally co-founded and managed a consulting firm specializing in corporate marketing strategy and creative content services for retail and consumer product industries. At the CSGE, Sally is focusing on international development through innovative private sector initiatives to create mutually beneficial opportunities for businesses and the developing world.
Philip Quebe
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Construction Management 2008 - Brigham Young University
At the age of 19, Philip decided to pack up his life and head down to Chile where he learned to speak Spanish and worked as a volunteer missionary for the next two years. Having learned much from the people of Chile, he returned to the United States where he became interested in architecture and construction and ultimately ended up studying construction management, a discipline which is a blend of both engineering and practical business. While working in the commercial construction industry, Philip began to get involved in sustainability when he volunteered to be the team lead for the company's first LEED Platinum project. The experience opened his eyes to the importance of sustainability, not just in construction, but in all facets of life and business. Philip is now working to gain a broad base of knowledge about the crossroads of sustainability and the economy, with the ultimate goal of helping businesses recognize and own their externalities.
Troy Rovella
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.S. Human and Organizational Development, 2007 - Vanderbilt University
Before entering the Johnson School, Troy Rovella was a founding partner in a start-up durable medical equipment company serving the needs of an aging population in Florida. Troy plans to integrate his entrepreneurial experience in healthcare with a more global perspective and work in the field of energy production. During his immersion, Troy will focus on how corporate perceptions of environmental and social sustainability differ according to regional economic constraints. Troy intends to pursue a career with a multinational corporation working in the energy industry and serving the emerging markets.
Himansu Sekhar Sahoo
CALS - International Development Cornell University
Before coming to Cornell, Himansu worked in India for some of the most underprivileged sections of the society, where the living standards in some places are worse than in Sub-Saharan Africa. He worked in economic development for this bottom of pyramid population, helping them set up small-scale rural enterprises and also trying to link them to higher-order markets where they had very limited access. He faced various problems in setting up suitable enterprise for this BoP population, including the lack of clear understanding of how to start and sustain their enterprises. Himansu felt the need for in-depth knowledge on various policy and regulatory matters, public-private partnership issues, low-cost technologies and their availability, and organizational management, recognizing that proper understanding of entrepreneurship and organizational management will have great value in India, an emerging market having a sufficient flow of FDI for even medium- and small-scale industries.
Himansu hopes that the Sustainable Global Enterprise course will provide him the knowledge and skills to benefit people both here and when he returns to India. It will give him pleasure to help his countrymen come out of abject poverty and, in the process, do something meaningful for society.
Ussa Seang
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
Working with different stakeholders (rural populations, government officials and other non-governmental agencies) in the educational non-profit sector in Southeast Asia for the past four years made Ussa aware of the role of the private sector in providing development opportunities for a population marginalized and excluded from the economic growth of the region. That spurred his decision to come to the Johnson School, where he is learning about the Bottom of Pyramid Protocol, as well as closed-loop supply chain (because one cannot expect to achieve development in the long term by abusing and harming environment in the short run). Ussa would like to help businesses implement services and product destined for the BoP market.
Brooke Smith
MBA 2010 - Johnson School at Cornell University
BS 2005 - Cornell University School of Hotel Administration
Before coming to the Johnson School, Brooke was in resort development for two years before transitioning to real estate investment operations, and worked on economic development initiatives and green building projects in both roles. At the CSGE, Brooke is focusing on how innovation within the hospitality industry can address global social, economic, and environmental issues. At Johnson, she is the affinity group leader for NetImpact - Sustainable Hospitality. Brooke's career goal is to use hotel development and operations to stimulate economic development in emerging markets, while at the same time guaranteeing the sustainability of these approaches.
Kim Susko
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Russian, Math, 2001 - Duke University
Before attending the Johnson School, Kim spent two years playing field hockey for the US National Team and coaching field hockey at Wellesley College. After moving on from field hockey, she worked as an Application Engineer for a software company specializing in web-based business banking software. Kim chose the Johnson School for the opportunity to study the role of business in eliminating poverty throughout the world through mutually beneficial opportunity creation.
Ann Tracy
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
B.A. Urban Studies, 2004 - The University of Pennsylvania
Ann worked as a change management consultant for Accenture, focusing on strategy and system implementation projects within the financial services and high-tech industries. A strong interest in the intersection of sustainability and the private sector brought Ann to the Johnson School, where she hopes to develop the practical skills and theoretical knowledge to move into the renewable energy field. Ann is active in the CSGE and was selected to serve as Curriculum Chair for the National Net Impact Conference which will be held at the Johnson School in November 2009.
James Van Saun
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
Before coming to the Johnson School, James worked for Northrop Grumman Corporation, where he was involved in logistics and operations analysis and planning for the United States Postal Service's Biohazard Detection System program. His efforts primarily focused in the forecasting and provisioning of spare parts, as well as oversight of the program's repair cycle. James plans to come away from the SGE immersion with an understanding of how his experience in business-process efficiency can prepare him to take on the challenges and opportunities associated with the intersection of business and sustainability.
Vishwesh Viswanathan
MRP 2009 - Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University
Bachelor of Architecture 2003 - Arvindbhai Patel Institute of Environmental Design at Sardar Patel University
Before coming to Cornell, Vishwesh was an architect and urban designer for five years in New Delhi, India. He has been involved in the preparation of redevelopment plans for urban areas in different parts of India, including the Jama Masjid Precinct in Delhi's historic city of Shahjahanabad. Vishwesh intends to use the SGE Immersion to look at ways of improving the delivery of essential services and housing to urban poor in developing countries.
Jen Walvoord
BA Business Administration/French, 2003 - Anderson University
Jen comes to the CSGE with a background in business development and marketing strategy. Jen served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Benin, West Africa, where she advised entrepreneurs, NGOs and local government on strategic planning and effective business practices. She then joined a boutique apparel designer in Seattle, WA, where she managed the company's wholesale division and implemented a marketing strategy that increased sales by 45 percent. At the CSGE, Jen is focusing on the development of private-sector initiatives that create value for shareholders while driving economic growth in developing nations. Jen serves as the Director of External Communications for the Social Enterprise and Microfinance club.
Purenza Wu
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
M.S. Environmental Engineering Science, 2004 - Stanford University
B.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2002 - University of California at Berkeley
Purenza joins CSGE as an environmental engineer with consulting experience in municipal water, wastewater and storm-water systems. She came to the Johnson School to study how corporations can address the world's most pressing environmental and social issues through innovative business strategies. She is particularly interested in product development, operations management, and clean technology. Purenza hopes to complement her engineering background with business training to develop environmentally sound strategies that will result in more sustainable lifestyles.
Anumeha Yadav
MPA Candidate 2009,
International Development Policy,
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs
Masters of Public Administration 2009 - Cornell Institute for Public Affairs, Cornell University
Post Graduate Diploma in Print Journalism 2005 - Asian College of Journalism B.A. History 2003 - Delhi University
Anumeha is pursuing an MPA focusing in international development. Before coming to Cornell, she worked for The Indian Express, an Indian national daily, reporting on environmental and agricultural issues for two years in Delhi and Mumbai. Most recently, she interned in Kathmandu with the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank group, where she scoped out a project to promote access to finance in Nepal and outlined investment and advisory services initiatives for IFC to strengthen retail and wholesale microfinance organizations serving over 400, 000 borrowers in rural Nepal. In the Immersion, she hopes to gain perspective and experience in how the private sector can be a partner for creating developmental opportunities in developing economies.
Peter M. Zullo
MBA 2010 - The Johnson School at Cornell University
M.S. Computational Biology, 2005 - Carnegie Mellon University
B.S. Biological Sciences, 2004 - Carnegie Mellon University
Peter consulted pharmaceutical clients on their drug discovery practices for three years before coming to The Johnson School. Peter came to the JGSM to complement and apply his scientific background to business modeling, management, and leadership, and his studies at CSGE coalesce strategy, social sustainability, and medicinal innovation. Encouraged by the entrepreneurial and sustainable resources of the school, Peter hopes to realize his goal of delivering global health solutions to the unmet public sector through private enterprise.