Alumni
How Do Impact Investors Know If They Are Having an Impact?
We talked with Jake Harris ’19, a principal at the impact investing firm DBL Partners, about the challenges of measuring the social and environmental returns on a financial investment.
How a New Approach to Store Brands Helped Natural and Organic Foods Go Mainstream
As Whole Foods expanded in the 1990s, Denis Ring ’84 took on the challenge of developing the grocery chain’s 365 brand. Wooing shoppers with joyful design and affordable prices, he harnessed the power of private labels to expand the scale of organic and all-natural foods.
Most Startups Fail. These Founders Thought Making an Impact Was Worth the Risk.
We talked with Nick Callegari ’25, Dianna Liu ’18, and Ariana Yuen ’19 about the unique challenges faced by founders trying to make a difference and the moments that make their work worthwhile.
Building a For-Profit Health Model That Reaches the Poorest
A wellness app created by Nneka Mobisson ’04 aims to help Nigerians manage chronic health conditions—while showing that for-profit innovation can make a difference for low-income populations.
‘Tough Tech’ Requires a Different Kind of Venture Capital
Engine Ventures, led by Katie Rae ’97, backs science-intensive innovation, including clean energy, quantum computing, and human health—an approach to venture capital defined by long timelines, deep expertise, and the potential for transformative impact.
Renewable Energy Is Easier Than Ever to Build—and Harder to Talk About
Advances in technology and a maturing development ecosystem have made renewable energy more economical, less risky, and increasingly rewarding for landowners, says Reid Buckley ’89, a partner at Orion Renewable Energy Group. But it has also become more politicized.
Closed Borders Choke America’s Innovation Engine
A growing, dynamic economy desperately needs smooth, legal pathways for highly skilled immigrants, says Doug Rand ’10, co-director of the Talent Mobility Fund.
Connecting with the Consumer in a Distracted Age
Todd Kaplan ’06, CMO of Kraft Heinz, has redesigned the company’s creative process to deliver “marketing that happens.”
A Diversified Portfolio of Climate Solutions
We talked to Dean Takahashi ’83, founder and executive director of the Carbon Containment Lab, a nonprofit helping to develop multiple high-quality, undervalued climate innovations.
The Long—Really Long—Buildup
More than 30 years ago, Jeffrey Rudolph ’78 developed a master plan to build the California Science Center into a center of science, learning, and discovery. He’s still working away on it.
Selling Art in an Age of Disruption
Ariel Hudes ’18 is vice president for strategic projects and operations at Pace Gallery and the head of Pace Verso, which helps the gallery’s artists incorporate technology into their work. We talked to her about the evolving business of art and how artists are using AI tools to execute projects that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.
