Greg 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.
Enjoy this short recap video of some key highlights from our first ever Design Nation Digital Experience! We heard from inspiring students and insightful design leaders in our ongoing discussion about making an impact.
In 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.
Dina 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.
In 1921, Black Wall Street, one of the most prosperous and affluent African American communities in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was set ablaze and burned to the ground at the hands of racial violence. Nearly 100 years later on Juneteenth, the legacy of the former entrepreneurial hub is remembered as the Tulsa community shares in the commemoration of African American freedom, establishing a sense of hope and opportunity for forward action and future reconciliation.
Business Today has always believed in a mission of access and opportunity for all. As one of the largest clubs on campus—and the largest business focused organization at Princeton—Business Today has a responsibility to leverage its platform to speak up regarding the events that have passed in the last few weeks. In this statement of solidarity, President Grace Hong addresses how Business Today will reinforce its commitment to diversity both internally and among the larger community.
Alyssa Sheeres, a junior from Seattle Pacific University and attendee of our 2020 Design Nation Conference, reflects on her initial reaction to the conference going online due to COVID-19 and the surprising insights about the power of design beyond the visual aspects and aesthetics that she derived from her virtual experience.
Andrea 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.
In 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.
Since pre-Roman times, the cultivation of olives has maintained a long tradition in Spanish agriculture. In recent years, however, this integral product has fallen into precarious situations due to changes in the global market demand and the appearance of new pathogens that threaten to disrupt the supply chain.
Rodrick 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.
From engineer to founder to politician, Luz Rivas has constantly dedicated herself to promoting STEM education & awareness as Founder of DIY Girls and Assemblywoman for California's 39th State Assembly District. Here, she discusses the challenges in managing a non-profit organization and how tech intersects with policy in her work today.
Amy Wang (Director of Content at BT) is joined by past and current Schwarzman Scholars Michael Shin ('19) and Amanda Morrison ('20) in a discussion of the value of cross border communication and how the program has adapted to the global pandemic. Listen to the panelists discuss present challenges for global cooperation and share advice for those interested in the Schwarzman Program.
Dr. Ruha Benjamin, Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, challenges the dominant narrative that technology always equals progress in her latest novel “Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code,” examining how the heavy impact of COVID-19 on minority communities has exposed default settings of inequity in innovation that have been historically present.
Aubrey Blanche, Director of Equitable Design and Impact at Culture Amp and startup investor and advisor, discusses the importance of eliminating the word “meritocracy” from the tech industry in order to tackle assumptions about diversity. As founder and CEO of The MathPath (Math Nerd + Empath), she also explains how she combines data and empathy to help execs build work environments that thrive in representation.
When students enroll in college, they sign up to sharpen their minds, not to attend virtual “discussion” sessions. With learning and extracurricular/social opportunities reduced to a fraction of their on-campus levels in the wake of shutdowns prompted by COVID-19, the value of a college degree starts to fall far below the tuition costs.
Powered by her indomitable energy and enthusiasm and the Blackstone Launchpad program at Syracuse University, student Kelsey Davis founded a startup, CLLCTVE, that bridges the gap between student creatives and brands who want to discover emerging talent. CLLCTVE, designed for students, is focused on the next generation overtaking the labor force that has an important attribute: diversity.
Alex Kennedy, Global Head and Director of Partnership Strategy and Operations at Twitter, emphasizes the necessity of unconscious bias training, Twitter’s role in reflecting their online user constituency through employee representation at all levels, breaking up the homogenous “tech/innovator/creator” set, and how companies can be intentional about diversity by supporting their workforce as they enter and ascend the ranks.
The concept of inclusivity in the world of fashion is one that is constantly being refined. While companies and brands take steps to create a truly diverse atmosphere, they also must be aware of the fine line that is cultural appropriation, and the way that they are able to maneuver around these issues can set them apart in an era that is hyper-aware of diversity.
HireVue CEO Kevin Parker discusses the benefits and challenges with harnessing the power of AI and other technologies to facilitate and democratize the hiring process, from carefully incorporating aspects of organizational psychology to bolstering internal mobility in HR, and highlights the company’s focus on the candidate experience.
