Alumni

Drawing on his experience at Yale SOM, his career in finance, and his first encounter with a New England town meeting, Ramesh Ramanathan ’89 returned to India with his wife, Swati, to help citizens shape the future of their communities.

Cece Calhoun ’21, medical director of Yale’s Sickle Cell Program, reflects on the challenges of building teams and structures to support patients facing both chronic illness and systemic inequities.

Darcy Shiber-Knowles ’13 has helped grow Dr. Bronner’s from a cult favorite to a force reshaping how industries think about sustainability.

CarMax revolutionized the used car market by implementing a fixed-price retail model. But co-founder Austin Ligon ’80 says the company’s financial success came from developing efficient back-end operations through a long-term focus on process improvement.

Bob Rifkin ’89, president of the board of the Belmont Voice, says the nonprofit model for local news has had a palpable impact on his community—and can do the same for your town.

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.

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.

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.

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.