Gene C. Waddy is an entrepreneur and co-founder of DIVERSANT LLC, the nation’s largest African-American owned IT staffing and solutions firm. In many ways, DIVERSANT is a reflection of Waddy’s professional expertise, personal drive, and his commitment to helping others. The company has developed a reputation for excellence among numerous Fortune 500 companies.
Read MoreThe strongest business relationships are built on effective communication, which often begins with the most basic of greetings: “hello.” In the first half of his interview with Summer Journalism Fellow Ashleigh Fields, CEO David Lai of Hello Design shares how the simple yet powerful philosophy behind “hello'“ has driven his lifelong passion for design and the creation of meaningful value for clients through innovation and cross-team collaboration all across the board.
Read MoreTaking on the role of Food Justice Organizer for the Missouri Coalition for the Environment in 2018, Tosha Phonix has utilized her platform to be a beacon for Black growers in and around St. Louis to turn to. From supporting Promise Zone residents through the Neighborhood Leadership Fellows program and Neighborhood Leadership Academy to spearheading various initiatives like the Food Equity Advisory Board which brings together community leaders in the fight for food justice, Tosha’s work has been influential in promoting community development through improved access to fresh, healthy food.
Read MoreGwendolyn Lee, co-founder of Students vs Pandemics, discusses with Summer Journalism Fellow Millie Muroi her vision of bringing people with different perspectives together to tackle COVID-19 through innovative solutions, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and student leadership. Lee also shares her insights on the road ahead for healthcare, policy, and business in the coming decade and how students can actively contribute beyond the academic sphere through civic engagement and public service.
Read MoreStorytelling is one of the most powerful ways of sharing cultures and expressing ideas. For Max Rudin, the stories told through history and literature form a cornerstone of the American identity that he has strived to preserve and honor through his work as President and Publisher of the Library of America. In his conversation with Summer Journalism Fellow Maryam Gamar, Rudin highlights the crucial role of the library in an age of digital information and racial reckoning.
Read MoreFounded by Chinemelu Okafor, a predoctoral research specialist and Emerging Scholar in the Politics Department at Princeton University, Research In Color Foundation (RIC) aims to cultivate a more equitable economics profession while empowering students of color interested in the field as well as adjacent fields. As an incorporated nonprofit organization, RIC also works to amplify meaningful economic and policy research that benefits communities of color. As we hear in her conversation with Boost Journalism Fellow Victoria Agwam, the mentorship of young scholars of color throughout this process is essential.
Read MoreAs a first-generation college student who rose to Chancellor of the California State University System, Timothy White has overcome obstacles before and led the University though ambitious programs such as Graduation Initiative 2025 to galvanize student success. The COVID pandemic has been his greatest challenge yet, but as White describes to Summer Journalism Fellow Joe Strong, his commitment to the university is stronger than ever.
Read MoreOriginally from Zagnanado in central Benin, Leonard Wantchekon is a Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. Largely, his work stands at the intersection of Politics, Economic History, and Development Economics, particularly in Africa, and has also contributed significantly to the literature on clientelism and state capture, resource curse, and democratization.
Read MoreJosh Nichols, Founder of CrossBraining, Inc., an experiential learning and video assessment platform, explains how CrossBraining encourages hands-on learning by enabling students to capture, narrate and reflect on their learning targets through video storytelling. He also shares what opportunities exist for the education system to be more innovative, especially during COVID-19 and what aspiring student entrepreneurs need to know about the product design process.
Read MoreSummer Journalism Fellow Jeremiah Thoronka speaks with Thomas Leyden, Senior Director at EDF Renewables, a leading producer of wind and solar power in over 20 countries. Leyden discusses his pioneering efforts in photovoltaics, the roles of the public and private sectors in financing developments, and the efficacy of various policy frameworks adopted by different nations in confronting the shift towards sustainable resources.
Read MoreIn this audio podcast, we hear an excerpt from a keynote given at Design Nation 2020 by Sandra Campos, CEO of Diane von Furstenberg. In this episode, she shares her journey to becoming the CEO of DVF, and how all of her different entrepreneurial adventures and career experiences gave her the crucial skills to grow as a business leader in fashion.
Read MoreBrooke Hopper, Lead Designer for Drawing & Painting at Adobe, explains how she balances the corporate and business sides of design with creativity and anticipates the needs of Adobe product users before they even realize they have those needs. She also predicts the impact of COVID-19 on digital art and usership and encourages readers pursuing careers in art and design to put themselves out there.
Read MoreAs part of the Design Nation Conference 2020 Digital Experience, Matteo Bologna, founder of Mucca Design, joins Seoyoung Hong (Assistant Director of Content for Design Nation) for a podcast and shares his unique story into design, from how he got started in illustration and then graphic design to how he successfully built his career as a designer and a founder of Mucca Design. Matteo also shares some advice that he hopes young designers will remember as they enter the industry.
Read MoreOliver Maltby, Executive Creative Director at Interbrand, explains how he generates the creative reputation of Interbrand in different types of markets all over the world and what differentiates the creative markets in the UK, Australia, and the US from each other. After sharing how sculpture and architecture inspire his work, he also discusses “greenwashing,” and explains what designers can do in order to bring socially conscious discussions to light so that companies don’t shy away from it.
Read MoreGreg Steltenpohl, founder and CEO of Califia Farms, explains how his interest in “the integration of people and environment” drives his long-term commitment to creating products that promote better health. He also shares how Califia has strengthened its brand by maintaining its pledge to produce with completely vegan ingredients, aligning products with its brand values, and carefully considering the archetypes of its products. In addition, Greg predicts whether we’ll see more people commit to a plant-centric diet in the near future.
Read MoreIn this episode, Business Today shares advice from Beau Thomas, Managing Director at private equity firm Audax Group, on how to navigate the job market during a financial crisis. As someone who graduated in 2009 into a financial crisis himself, Beau describes what the job search looked like for an undergraduate junior or senior during his time. To provide hope for students in the present who are stressed out about losses in their internship or job opportunities, Beau explains that folks who are smart, hungry, and driven, whether they start out at their preferred job or not, will always find the pathway to be successful. He also shares with current undergraduates how to make the most out of the current pandemic.
Read MoreDina Rezvanipour, Founder and President of 3d Public Relations & Marketing, discusses the importance of getting clients in the hands of the “right” influencers and the driving factors behind her passion project, Generation Philanthropy. She also explains how COVID-19 has changed her business strategy from in-person events to livestreams and Zoom and how 3d’s focus has shifted towards supporting their clients one-on-one during the pandemic in order to help them come out on the other side stronger.
Read MoreAndrea Marcellus, CEO of ANDREA MARCELLUS, a lifestyle brand, describes how she incorporates personal authenticity into her fitness app, how her driven, energetic personality and previous hardships have informed her foundational “5 Key Life Strategies,” and how it was challenging to skate the line between marketing and universal truth to create her own unique niche in the fitness business.
Read MoreIn part II of Grace Hong’s podcast with Miri Rodriguez, Head of the Global Internship Program at Microsoft, Miri explains how to connect with potential mentors on LinkedIn by showing up with grace, reaching out with the intention to gain insight and relate via compassionate empathy, and coming out of a space of learning. She also explains a storyboarding exercise, where she challenges others to describe their brand story using colors or paint, but not words, in only six panels.
Read MoreRodrick Miller, CEO of Invest Puerto Rico, explains Puerto Rico’s unique juxtaposition between the U.S., Latin America’s, and the Caribbean’s financial markets, the size and value of its pharmaceutical industry, and what makes it stand out in terms of resilience in small businesses, startups, and Knowledge Services.
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