Alumni
Solving Operational Problems Is the Real Engine of CarMax’s Success
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.
Finding Returns with a Demographic Lens on Commercial Real Estate
Dave Liu ’08, managing director at the investment management firm Harrison Street, says that investing in buildings that meet people’s needs in each phase of life provides resilience during economic downturns.
Making Impact Investing Work for System Resilience—and Investor Profits
To confront interconnected environmental and social crises, impact investors will need to factor resilience-building into their expected returns, especially in the most vulnerable parts of the world.
How a Network of Nonprofits and a Habit of Generosity Powers the U.S. Blood Supply
Curt Bailey ’99, CEO of Bloodworks Northwest, explains how the generosity of blood donors enables a uniquely American model for managing a crucial corner of healthcare.
Talking about Child Sexual Abuse Can Help End Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse is preventable, according to Joan Tabachnick ’86, if families and communities actively engage in uncomfortable conversations.
Streaming Seeks a Path to Profitability
Only Netflix and Disney turn a profit from streaming. Media analyst Michael Nathanson ’90 says that streamers are turning to bundles, ads, and password crackdowns to survive the disruption and consolidation hitting the industry.
To Make Greener Buildings, Try Innovating around the Edges
The building industry is slow to change. But three Yale alumni are finding ways to make changes on the margins and in the process offer solutions that aren’t easy to ignore.
How to Build a Space Station
Nanoracks, co-founded by Chris Cummins ’89, started as a niche startup that facilitated research on the International Space Station. Now it’s building a space station.
A Whole-Person Approach to Mental Health
Christina Mainelli ’11, CEO of Quartet Health, explains how the company solves bottlenecks around access, quality, and fragmentation to deliver whole person care.
Assembling an Economy in Space
A mix of public and private investments are positioning the space economy for a period of growth and innovation, says Sven Eenmaa ’98, director of investment and economic analysis at the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory.
What Does It Take to Build a Zero-Emission Hotel?
When real-estate developer Bruce Becker ’85 set out to convert New Haven’s historic, Marcel Breuer-designed Pirelli Building into the boutique Hotel Marcel, he realized that exclusively using renewable sources of energy would make the project more financially sustainable.
