Fall 2023 Georgetown Business Magazine

Georgetown Business THE MAGAZINE FOR GEORGETOWN MCDONOUGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS | FALL 2023

Planetary Shift How businesses can lead decarbonization. p. 14

Giving Up is Not an Option Why conservation isn’t a losing battle. p. 24

Taking the Shot Why one alumnus traded his tie for a camera. p. 30

Making a Run Is the beautiful game becoming America’s pastime? p.18

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ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTINA BAERISWYL

Insights

Failing Forward

Empowering future leaders to learn from failure and approach business with an entrepreneurial mindset.

Failure is often viewed as a negative outcome—but what if

and projects our students encounter are open-ended and

it could be the catalyst for innovation and new ideas? With

unstructured where they must discover both the questions

the ever-growing complexity and changing dynamics of

and the answers. Sometimes they will hit dead ends or fail,

business, Paul Almeida, dean and William R. Berkley Chair,

and that’s okay. Our expectation is that by facing uncertainty

believes embracing an exploratory mindset and learning

in a school environment, our graduates will then be prepared

from evolving experiences (and failure) is imperative for

to navigate similar situations in the business world.

growth and success—and one of the most important skills for the next generation of business leaders to learn.

What does it mean to lead with an entrepreneurial mindset?

Business is changing at an accelerated rate. How do

Every person has the potential to be entrepreneurial in their

we prepare students to navigate through uncertainty?

own profession or industry. Entrepreneurs are innovators

It is our responsibility to equip students with the concepts,

and builders—they recognize, and often create, new oppor-

contexts, and skills they need to succeed in business as it

tunities. In a dynamic world, an entrepreneurial mindset is

exists today, but in addition, we need to prepare them for

necessary to make the most of change, to harness innova-

an uncertain future. After all, consider how much ChatGPT

tion, and to continuously create value.

and AI have changed the world in just a few short months.

The business landscape will inevitably change along a

Our Jesuit tradition involves the concept of reflection

range of dimensions, and the ability to navigate these shifts will

and learning from our actions. How are these values

involve some success, and inevitably, some failure. We aim to

infused into business?

foster a spirit of continuous learning, with the freedom to ex-

Discernment is at the very heart of our approach to business.

plore and take risks, as a mechanism for growth and progress.

In the current state of the world, there is no one-size-

When we encourage students to embrace learning experi-

fits-all solution to global challenges. Our Jesuit values

ences—both good and bad—we position them to become

empower us to reflect on our actions, assess unpredictable

lifelong learners with the ability to react to change, and more

situations from every angle, and make informed decisions

importantly, affect positive change throughout their careers.

with clarity and insight. With an understanding of business concepts, the confidence to take risks, and a foundation of

How do we teach students to fail?

discernment, we believe our alumni are prepared to go forth

We must provide students with the space to deal with

and meet the world through any level of uncertainty, and in

ambiguity and explore new landscapes. Many of the cases

the process, make it a better place.

PHOTOGRAPH: PHIL HUMNICKY

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Contents FALL 2023

As executive director of the Jane Goodall Institute, Anna Rathmann is leading the JGI—and global conservation efforts—forward.

FEATURE | 14

Balancing Planet and Profit Aligned Climate Capital’s Tanatswa Mapondera on how business leaders can help decarbonize the economy— and why doing so can help bolster companies’ bottom lines.

COVER STORY | 18

Making A Run Is the beautiful game becoming America’s pastime?

PROFILE | 24 >

“ Jane [Goodall] was a disruptor.

She’s the original disruptor, so it doesn’t surprise any of us that she is drawn to whatever tools will help create new knowledge.”

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PHOTOGRAPH: ARTIST’S NAME

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PATHS | 06

Landing the Interview: Banking on Students Beyond Business: Storm Chaser Six Degress: Seizing Opportunity Pitch Deck: Smarter Cities

Georgetown Business Dean, William R. Berkley Chair Paul Almeida Associate Dean, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Teresa Mannix Director of Marketing and Communications Samantha Krause Associate Director of Publications and Design Martha Holland

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INNOVATIONS | 10

Buying / Selling: Mind the Data Making the Case: Going Green(er) The Edge: Predicting the Next POTUS Career Up: Pivot Steps

Director of Alumni Relations and Corporate Partnerships Sara Solin Martinez Creative Direction 2communiqué Editorial Direction Dog Ear Creative Staff Writers Rachel Ellis Abby Sharpe

Georgetown Business welcomes inquiries, opinions, and comments from its readers. Please send an email to GeorgetownBusiness@ georgetown.edu.

CONNECTIONS | 30

30 COVER PHOTO-ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTOPHER HARTING

Pivot: Not What He Pictured My First Job: The Puppet Producer My Shot: If the Earth Could Talk My Feed: Who Do You Want to Be? Class Notes

04 36

| BRIEFINGS | FROM THE MANAGEMENT

Send alumni address changes to addup@georgetown.edu or contact alumni records at (202) 687-1994.

Follow us on X @msbgu @MSBalumni Like us on Facebook Georgetown McDonough School of Business Follow us on Instagram @georgetownmcdonough Join us on LinkedIn Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Alumni

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Briefings HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TAKEAWAYS

Celebrating a Decade of Service to D.C. Public Schools The Custom Executive Education office celebrated 10 years of serving the local Washington, D.C., community this year through its longstanding partnership with D.C. Public Schools (DCPS). Originally founded in 2013 as the Mary Jane Patterson Fellowship-DCPS Aspiring Principals Program, the custom offering has since evolved into the DCPS Leadership and Innovation Program, which focuses on helping assistant principals develop their leadership, management, and communication skills to serve the needs of their K-12 students.

Business Beyond Borders With a transformational gift from Joseph (B’93) and Abigail (SFS’96) Baratta, the McDonough School of Business recently announced the naming of the Baratta Center for Global Business to advance thought leadership, experiential learning, and opportunities to shape the future of global business.

The multifaceted gift endows and enhances the Global Business Fellows program, bolsters the new center’s initiatives, and establishes the Baratta International Business Curriculum Endowed Innovation Fund.

“The new center will act as a bridge between business, government, society, and the academic worlds,” explains Ricardo Ernst, Baratta Chair in Global Business, and Anil Khurana, executive director of the Baratta Center. “At Georgetown, we solve real problems.”

“ I’m a true believer that business can be used as a force for good. When you look at the long-term view of profitability and take into consideration all of the stakeholders, sustainability and profits are compatible.”

—PETER BLOMMER (C’85), VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BLOMMER CHOCOLATE COMPANY DURING A STANTON DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP SERIES EVENT

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Reimagining Real Estate Education Forty-one students on a mission to redefine real estate and infrastructure in a changing investment landscape recently arrived on the Hilltop as the inaugural M.S. in Global Real Assets cohort.

The 12-month, full-time program is offered in partnership with Georgetown McDonough’s Steers Center for Global Real Estate to provide students with an innovative real assets curriculum that prepares them for the new reality of the real estate and infrastructure marketplace. Issues such as climate change and sustainability are incorporated into the coursework alongside traditional areas of risk and risk management.

With an average age of 26, the students represent 17 countries from around the world. The class brings a variety of diverse perspectives to the program, including a makeup of 41% U.S. diversity, with 29% of students identifying as an underrepresented minority. The cohort has a strong undergraduate background in business (54%), in addition to degrees in economics, arts and humanities, and social and behavioral sciences.

ALBERTO ROSSI ON:

The Future of AI As ChatGPT and AI-powered technologies revolutionize business processes, Alberto Rossi, professor and director of the AI, Analytics, and Future of Work Initiative, convened leaders from across industries to assess how these innovations will impact the world of work. The initiative hosted a panel with the Brookings Institution on the impact of AI on labor market outcomes, as well as conversations with QuantumBlack-McKinsey on the future of consulting and Edelman Smithfield on the future of finance. Rossi also organized a virtual event with Status Money on how AI language models will influence the evolution of robo-advisors and fintech. View the event recordings at futureofwork.georgetown.edu/events.

Exploring the Nexus of Finance and Policy Undergraduate students met with legislators, policymakers, regulators, and market participants in Washington, D.C., and New York City to learn about current issues at the intersection of finance and public policy. The FinPolicy Trek is a first-of-its-kind opportunity offered by the Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy, which brought together 11 Georgetown students to meet with some of the world’s most influential financial leaders.

Students met with senior representatives from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Treasury Department, and the Commerce Department, as well as three members of Congress in D.C., followed by conversations on Wall Street with Morgan Stanley, Neuberger Berman, Nuveen Churchill Asset Management, JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs.

ILLUSTRATIONS: ISTOCK/DEDY SETYAWAN & CAJSA HOLGERSSON

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Paths OUR PEOPLE AND THEIR PURSUITS

LANDING THE INTERVIEW

THE INTERVIEWER

Daniela Delgado (B’25), vice president of operations at the Georgetown University Alumni and Student Federal Credit Union

Banking on Students

An alumnus shares the origin story of the Georgetown University Alumni and Student Federal Credit Union.

Daniela Delgado (B’25), vice president of operations at the Georgetown University Alumni and Student Federal Credit Union (GUASFCU), recently connected with Doug Shattuck (B’84), chief financial officer of Technical Toolboxes, to discuss their shared experience as interns of the credit union—dating back to its origins in 1983 and to its success today as world’s largest, oldest, and entirely student-run bank.

Can you tell me about your journey as one of the early members of the credit union?

A group of us, including Alyce Russo (C’84), Kyle Stevenson (SFS’84), Len Schoppa (SFS’84), wanted to create a better banking option for Georgetown students, but we were starting from zero trying to figure things out. We needed a physical location, a charter, and seed money.

Georgetown gave us space in an old building—long since torn down—but it couldn’t hold a safe because it was too rickety, so we kept all of our money at the bank; the same bank we were competing with. We didn’t have any capital, so we all met with George Houston, the former treasurer at Georgetown. We sat in his office, and he asked us, “Well, what do you want?” And we said, “A hundred thousand bucks.” He said, “Okay, what are you going to pay me?” We paid him a percent less than we were earning from the bank. That was our operating budget.

We had no desks, and we had no pens or paper or any supplies. Being the entrepreneurial spirit, I called the big eight accounting firms (I was an accounting major), and Deloitte came through! They gave us desks, chairs, adding machines and ledger paper. We got a charter and we worked on that, and we spent some time with the NCUA (National Credit Union Administration). Our marketing plan included putting a flyer in the freshman mailer. This was really successful. The freshmen arrived

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PHOTOGRAPH: PHIL HUMNICKY

on campus in the fall of 1983 with their parents, who gave them their money to put in the credit union.

Did you have a specific vision or aspirations for what the credit union would become?

A lot of our aspirations came from Alyce’s experience at the University of Massachusetts, which, at the time, had a student-run credit union. We wanted a place where students could bank and not be charged high monthly fees, and we wanted to give students the opportunity to build credit, get car loans, and even receive tuition loans at a low cost.

I think we articulated that vision fairly well, but there was so much day-to-day work—we knew we had to get chartered and needed the infrastructure in place to be able to support the growth.

We got the credit union to a decent point and then, we graduated.

Did you see the vision realized when you came back and heard more about how things have been running at the credit union recently?

Yes! Mike McAuley (B’84), who led our marketing for the credit union, sent me a clip from American Banker 20 years ago saying that the most sought-after internship in America for banking is the Georgetown University Credit Union. Unbelievable! Then I visited campus and I found the credit union, and thought, “Oh wow, this is real.”

I know the credit union has helped me a ton professionally,

THE INTERVIEWEE

Doug Shattuck (B’84), Chief Financial Officer Technical Toolboxes

so how did it contribute to your professional growth?

The entrepreneurial spirit of the credit union really set the tone for my career, which has been about working for entrepreneurial organizations. I enjoy working for smaller companies that are growing because there is a real opportunity to make a difference. A majority of my career has been spent working with—either as a founder, an early team member or a consultant—start-up organizations, and the experiences I gained as a founding member of GUSFCU have served me well.

What advice would you give to current or future credit union members interested in contributing to its continued growth and success?

Commit and roll with the punches because it’s going to be a learning experience. This is not book learning. Learning how to solve problems is important. Treat this experience as an opportunity to learn as much as you will learn in your classes. Your coursework provides the building blocks, and then the credit union will be the dome over it, and it’ll seep into all the cracks, and it will pull everything together.

PHOTOGRAPH: ADAM MASTOON

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Paths

Year after year, Allen Lenard’s passion for the Cajun Navy’s work continues to grow as he’s seen the immense impact that it’s had on marginalized populations nationwide.

BEYOND BUSINESS

Storm Chaser After Hurricane Katrina impacted his community in 2005, Allen Lenard joined the Cajun Navy, a volunteer organization that helps others facing natural disasters. allen lenard (ma-ibp’23) never steers away from a challenge—no matter how big or small.

When his home state was devastated

by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Lenard felt compelled to help. He joined efforts with the Cajun Navy, a volunteer-based organization that provides assistance to those who have been impacted by a natural disaster through search and rescue efforts, disaster response, and debris clean-up.

“Just about every interaction I have had with anyone in any sort of precarious condition after a hurricane, tornado,

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or flood—at the end of that, I was like, I got more out of that than they did,” Lenard recalled.

Year after year, his passion for the organization’s work continues to grow as he’s seen the immense impact that it’s had on marginalized populations nationwide.

“Those with means are usually able to ‘get to higher ground’ in the form of an evacuation, or they might be connected with resources outside of the affected area. The ones who do not have the same opportunities at their disposal are forced to stay and bear the brunt of

not only the initial event but the weeks after when services are unavailable,” Lenard explained. “This is where the Cajun Navy is unique. We assemble ahead of the storm, usually in the direct path, in order to reach people immediately after they have been impacted.”

After bearing witness to the fragility of life through his volunteer work over the past few decades, Lenard shared that it’s never too late to invest in one’s passions.

As the founder and president of Lendoza Group, a Louisiana-based telecommunications company, and Relief Resources International, a nonprofit focused on international relief aid, Lenard came to Georgetown in pursuit of an education that would help him provide an even stronger business model for his clients and make him a more well-rounded business professional.

“For somebody like me to come to Georgetown, I am placing myself in a unique position. There are few opportunities in life where you can solely dedicate time to educational, professional, and personal growth. In a sense, it puts you in a vulnerable position.”

Lenard believes integrating vulnerability into the framework of life is critical to personal growth. He’s ready to take on the final chapter of his Georgetown education and continuing to embrace the value of working towards the benefit of others—whether it’s preparing to respond to an incoming natural disaster or assessing the latest business challenge.

“There are things that you get involved in, and then there are things that you are called to do. I also believe that there are things in life that your inner spirit just draws you into.”

—RACHEL ELLIS

PITCH DECK

Smarter Cities Explored my passion for working on social impact projects with small businesses while at Georgetown. Co-chair of Net Impact with

I then moved to New York City and secured an interview at American Express after connecting with

I’ve been involved in many ways at Georgetown over the years, including the following roles:

Lilith Fowler (MBA’99)

Tareef Shawa (MBA’98)

Business for Impact Small Business Corps (team member), Executive Challenge (judge), Graduate Women in Business Conference (keynote speaker), MAAC Recruiting Committee (alumni lead), MBA Recruiting Program at American Express (executive sponsor), MBA Mentorship Program (mentor), PILLARS Guest Lecturer (MBA Program)

&

Peggy Bell (MBA’99)

20+ years at American Express, where my career was propelled by alumni such as: Susan Sobott (B’86)

&

David Shapiro (B’90)

Through my efforts to establish the recruiting program, I was connected to the MBA Alumni Advisory Council (MAAC) as an inaugural member, where I now serve as chair.

I launched the first formal Georgetown MBA Recruiting Program at American Express with Josh Lerman (MBA’04)

&

Jason Burak (MBA’03) which has hired 50+ Hoyas over the last decade, including:

Brian Coleman (MBA’10) Jeremy Dalkoff (MBA’08) Sara Rosenzweig (MBA’13)

drawing upon government and policy experience Brandon Kelley (EMBA’26) has set out to disrupt the municipal transportation space with the recent launch of Infra AI, a digital tool that aids local governments in managing their infrastructure assets and creating smarter cities.

Currently, most cities rely on disparate solutions to determine the state of their roads, bridges, tunnels, and other critical infrastructure. Infra AI is unique in the marketplace, delivering a packaged solution with a series of tools providing near real-time situational awareness of the physical world. This cloud-based system permits municipalities to view their city in 360-degree imagery and provides the tools for trend analysis and budget planning.

In looking toward the future, Kelley sees the possibilities globally as well.

And, while Infra AI is piloted as a B2G project, Kelley points out he “can easily see this as a valuable B2B tool” for financiers or other asset managers with infrastructure projects.

SIX DEGREES

SEIZING OPPORTUNITY Elizabeth Ross-Ronchi (MBA’99), senior advisor and former vice president and general manager at American Express, has built a career helping small businesses and people reach their full potential. As a mentor, career advocate, and role model for women, her passion for serving others has made a profound impact on her life and the many people she’s supported along the way.

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Innovations GROUNDBREAKING BUSINESS

BUYING / SELLING

Mind the Data

Jennifer Logg, who researches data’s impact on human judgment, weighs in on the pros and cons of algorithms and the role they can play in combatting their own bias.

J

ennifer logg researches how people can improve the accuracy of their judgments by infusing data analytics with psychology to enhance the use of algorithms. Organizations are increasingly using algorithms to sort through big data and produce advice, but how do they maximize the benefits of those insights?

According to Logg, assistant professor of management, researchers have documented for decades that algorithms consistently make more accurate predictions than people. The key to leveraging this accuracy is to understand how people respond to algorithmic judgment in the first place. Through her research and theoretical framework, Theory of Machine, Logg has found that people are more likely to listen to identical advice when they think it comes from an algorithm than from a person.

But despite the tendency to trust algorithms, Logg suggests people can use them to their fullest by thinking carefully about algorithmic auditing: how we evaluate algorithms for bias, especially in instances where people’s lives are affected by those judgments (i.e policing, credit scores, and other consequential contexts), and most importantly, where the biased data is sourced from.

Here, Logg shares her thoughts on

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debiasing algorithmic output, and how organizations can go one step further by using algorithms to detect bias in our own judgment.

BUYING

Algorithms as Magnifying Glasses As society continues to use algorithms for more tasks, especially with the rise of ChatGPT, decision-makers need to understand that the information fed to algorithms (input) can be biased.

While auditing algorithms is useful, most biased output from an algorithm can ultimately be traced back to biased input. Input data is often based on historical data; decisions made by people.

You can improve decision-making not only by auditing algorithms but using algorithms to audit human decisions.

Human judgment is not perfectly accurate; decades of research highlight the predictable ways that people’s judgments are prone to bias or inaccuracy. There is an opportunity to use algorithms as magnifying glasses by not just by auditing algorithms but by using that same algorithm to examine the human-generated data it used to produce biased judgments. Companies will then be better equipped to learn when and how a bias occurs and prevent recurring patterns at their source.

SELLING

Algorithmic Auditing Algorithms have received a lot of attention for producing biased decisions.

Rightfully so, people are outraged over predictive policing and sentencing that disproportionately penalizes people of color. Likewise, people are upset when recruiting algorithms overlook female job applicants. This biased output is especially upsetting because race and gender were not included as inputs into these algorithms. We should be outraged by bias reflected in algorithmic output but should not stop there. Algorithmic auditing is just the start.

If people only scapegoat the algorithm for biased output, companies will simply revert back to having people solely make decisions. It is true, we need to audit algorithms; however, we should take it one step further and use algorithms as magnifying glasses because, after all, algorithms by definition aggregate individual data points. Using them with the purpose of unearthing patterns can allow people to see trends that are otherwise difficult to detect—and when the algorithms surface biases, companies should seize this opportunity to understand where that bias originates. Then, we can truly improve our judgments and decision-making.

—RACHEL ELLIS

ILLUSTRATION: KATHLEEN FU

PHOTOGRAPH: ARTIST’S NAME

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Innovations

David Yellen, Kaylen Chung, Daniel Bomber, Christian Matuschka, Jenna Peabody, Tim Maguire, and Tristan Gess (MS-ESM’23) The Problem: Given the size of Amazon, decisions

MAKING THE CASE

Going Green(er) How Sustainability Creates Better Business. georgetown mcdonough’s cohort of students in its M.S. in Environment and Sustainability Management program recently completed their capstone projects. Here is a look at three team projects and the problems they tried to solve for Blommer Chocolate Company, Starbucks, and Amazon.

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Mae Gleeson, Vedika Arunachalam, Jimmy Beta, Edith

Lena Musoka, Ian Corbet, Mansi Shivkumar,

Chinchilla, Sam Krauland, Ana Lipton, Neva Modric,

Eleni Orfanos, Shahdin Ghaffari, Gordon Ryoo, and

and Jinbao Xu (MS-ESM’23)

Sophia Sackleh (MS-ESM’23)

The Problem: Starbucks aims to reduce water

The Problem: Blommer Chocolate Company has de-

Lena Musoka, David Yellen, and Mae Gleeson (l-r) share the stories behind their capstone projects as part of the new M.S. in Environment and Sustainability Management program.

around sustainability can have massive impact. As the company looked at new sustainability developments, they needed a way to identify promising early-stage technologies to invest in or otherwise support on the road to commercialization.

The Pitch: The team created a framework for criteria that would help Amazon identify promising technologies. The work started with what felt like an infinite number of categories Amazon could use for evaluation. That list was edited, and then edited further, to drill down to a framework that assesses the current state and trajectory of each technology’s viability and technology readiness level. The Georgetown team used this framework to walk Amazon employees through two case studies in which they applied the criteria and offered recommendations.

veloped important, yet costly, sustainability initiatives including tracing practices to make sure their cocoa comes from community farms that do not engage in child labor, forced labor, or deforestation. Blommer needed to know how best to offset the cost so profitability and sustainability could go hand in hand.

The Pitch: Blommer knew they needed to raise prices, so the team researched Blommer’s clients to determine their own appetite and budget for sustainability initiatives. They then created a segmented communications campaign for the company based on what they found, and why sustainable chocolate isn’t just good for Blommer, but for their clients as well. The campaign also included education around new deforestation policies on the horizon that would require companies to source their chocolate sustainably.

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consumption, carbon, and waste by 50% by 2030.

As part of that initiative, the McDonough team focused on sustainable packaging solutions that could replace fossil-fuel-derived plastics in food and beverage packaging. They had three goals: investigate the sustainable packaging landscape; understand the needs of Starbucks customers and the Starbucks business; and identify key opportunities.

The Pitch: The team conducted research on 28 alternatives to packaging materials, narrowing down recommendations to four. They developed a material assessment scorecard to assess the materials based on cost, end-of-life, brand fit, and environmental impact. Additionally, the team spent more than 16 hours in Starbucks locations across 11 cities in six states to observe consumer habits and provide recommendations for the sustainable-packaging transition.

THE EDGE

Predicting the Next POTUS David Walker, professor emeritus, breaks down his research and methodology behind predicting the outcomes of U.S. presidential elections.

How did you become interested in forecasting presidential elections?

I attended a lecture at Georgetown by Ray Fair, a professor at Yale University, who presented his model to predict the popular vote in presidential elections. When I introduced his model into my teaching, I noticed things I believed needed to be corrected

CAREER UP

to obtain the most accurate results.

Pivot Steps

Fair’s equation considers the following metrics: the state of the economy; current political standing of the two-party system; and an understanding of historical election trends.

I revised this model to include other variables, such as a statistical adjustment between election years, the inclusion of critical war years, and an emphasis on which party controls the House of Representatives—all of which influence political outlook. After those adjustments, I tested the model first for the 2020 election and eventually looked ahead at 2024.

What are considerations that go into predicting presidential elections?

Every U.S. election has immeasurable and unpredictable events. The economy remains uncertain, and the Federal Reserve will continue to adjust policies as we near 2024. Social issues, such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade and other Supreme Court decisions, also are factors.

When predicting elections, I do not concentrate on candidates. I have never presumed to know any party’s nomination. There is a lot of time left before the 2024 election, and media attention will have an impact on outcomes as well.

It also is important to consider the measure of unity within a party that is not the incumbent. Through examining previous elections, it has become clear that if the party was unified at the political convention, it had a better chance of winning.

What does your research suggest will be the 2024 presidential outcome?

According to the model, the democratic candidate will win the presidency with 272 electoral votes, including Nevada’s six votes and most of the large states they won in 2020. Democrats are predicted to win 53.7% of the popular vote.

While some important variables are still unknown regarding the

REFLECT. Reflect upon why you want to make a change. Meet with a career coach to map out your skills and explore a better fit.

NETWORK. Meet with professionals in

your desired field to learn more about their work, the skills required in their industry, and let them know you’re open to opportunities.

REFRAME. Determine your transferable skills and create a compelling narrative for your new direction.

UPSKILL. If you require additional skills, take a course to boost your skill set and confidence.

APPLY. Put your qualifications out there!

presidential election, there already

—TALIA SCHATZ, ASSISTANT DEAN,

are known factors that could influ-

MCDONOUGH CAREER CENTER,

ence the outcome of the race.

ILLUSTRATIONS: JOEY GUIDONE & ISTOCK/DMITRII_GUZHANIN

you researched, networked, interviewed, negotiated, and landed your dream job, but it’s not feeling like the right fit anymore. Ready for a new opportunity? Put these steps into practice.

UNDERGRADUATE CAREERS

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PHOTOGRAPH: ARTIST’S NAME

Aligned Climate Capital’s Tanatswa Mapondera on how business leaders can help decarbonize the economy—and why doing so can help bolster companies’ bottom lines.

Balancing Profit and Planet

BY LAURA J. COLE

PORTRAIT BY DEREK REED

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Clean energy and economic development should be intrinsically linked, according to Tanatswa Mapondera (MiM’20).

What’s unique about what you and the team at Aligned Climate You could say his life has been a series of events that led to that mindset, as well as his career.

Born in Zimbabwe, Mapondera recalls experiencing the stark

Capital are doing to decarbonize the economy?

Our general partners, Peter Davidson and Brendan Bell, were both presidential appointees under Barack Obama to lead the Department of Energy’s

contrast between living in Johannesburg, South Africa, during a time

Loan Programs Office, which essentially does direct investing on behalf

when it was known as the engine of growth in Africa and then moving to

of the government. They provided some of the early loans to SolarCity,

Nigeria when he was 10, where he regularly experienced power outages

which was acquired by Tesla, and backed some of the early utility scale

that could last anywhere from a couple hours to several days. After high

solar developers in the country. They understand policy, and I think policy

school, Mapondera moved to the United States and majored in political

needs to have a seat at the table. For example, we know that somewhere

economy at the University of California, Berkeley, where he deepened his

around 60-70% of the technologies exist to get to net zero, but we also

knowledge of politics, the economy, and climate change.

know that many of them are hindered or inhibited by certain policies. So we

“I have experienced living in the most advanced economies in

look at areas where we can add immediate value, whether that’s helping

Sub-Saharan Africa, what is now the fast-growing economy on the con-

with strategic partnerships, accessing non-dilutive capital, getting credit, or

tinent, and the United States,” he says. “This has made me passionate

unlocking project finance.

about how we can take lessons from countries that have excelled in

As an associate on the deal team, my role is to understand and

building out core infrastructure, and specifically how Africa can leapfrog

make sure we are putting dollars to work that are going to be impactful.

the exploitative and environmentally harmful fossil fuels and look to

My background is in consulting rather than policy analysis and research,

renewables as the bedrock of how we build up that energy.”

so I’m focused on doing the diligence to make sure we’re backing the

Mapondera started consulting with development finance institutions

right teams, that the market makes sense, that their financials are in

in D.C. after earning a Master’s in Management from McDonough. That

good shape, and that they’re set up to scale. Because the larger the

degree, he says, helped him better understand the scale of the problem,

scale, the larger their footprint and impact.

the global climate finance landscape, the key stakeholders, and where the money is going. Today, Mapondera is an investment associate with

There’s a lot to think through in terms of which companies to invest

Aligned Climate Capital, which “invests in the people, companies, and

in. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the European

real assets that are decarbonizing the global economy and its infrastruc-

Union, the United Kingdom, and the International Sustainability

ture.” His role is focused on ensuring the companies helping the planet

Standards Board are all proposing rules aimed at standardizing

are set up for financial success. BoxPower, Nyle Systems, and UtilityAPI

climate-related disclosures so investors can make better decisions.

are among some of the companies in Aligned’s portfolio focused on

Do you think having consistent reporting standards will help?

helping reach the Paris Agreement by 2050.

We obviously fundamentally believe that ESG [environmental, social, and

“As I got older and more knowledgeable, I realized climate change

corporate governance] should drive carbon reduction for companies.

is the most existential threat we have today,” he says. “That’s when I

There’s a difference though between the public markets and the private

decided that this would be a worthwhile career for me.”

markets with these disclosures, but they’re going to help investors align with

Here, we talk to Mapondera about the work he and his team are

companies that are thoughtful about their approach to ESG and their car-

doing, the effort to democratize climate reporting, and the regulations

bon footprint. Assuming that the market is able to price that at a premium,

that will impact the future of business.

it’s a win-win for both sides.

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Is there currently a consistent way for organizations—from small

cate climate and then everything else. I would see everything through a

businesses to Fortune 500 companies—to create a baseline audit?

climate lens, so when you look at your supply chain and you ask yourself

What does that process look like?

questions about why you have such long lead times and where you can

There’s a push from the people in this space to democratize climate and

optimize. If you’re viewing everything through a climate lens, you’ll spot

broader sustainability knowledge, such that small business owners have

the opportunities to increase your top line, as well as any potential risks to

access to the same kinds of trainings available to Fortune 500 companies.

your bottom line.

Maybe that’s a government-funded program that provides those resources, maybe it’s a curated list of vendors to work with that are still competitive.

At the end of the day, in addition to benefiting our planet, there’s a massive financial opportunity.

At the small business level, it’s more the mindset of finding out what’s available to them. But there are startups being created to do exactly this.

Which regulations should business leaders be paying attention to?

Watershed is one of them. They do carbon accounting, and they’ve start-

Which ones will have the biggest impact in the next two to five years?

ed working with the pioneers in this arena, such as Microsoft and Google.

The Inflation Reduction Act was so catalyzing for the climate sector in general. There was a lot of celebration when it was put into law last year,

What should business leaders be thinking about when it comes to

but tracking that policy and the discourse around where things are going,

decarbonizing the economy? What should they prioritize?

and actually getting smart on the programs and the eligibility requirements,

It starts with an internal audit of their baseline carbon emissions. That’s going

are going to be an ongoing effort. That capital, presumably, can dry up

to require a lot of education and short-term sacrifice no matter what, because

quickly, so it’s important to track and make sure businesses are well posi-

no one wants to hear that their business isn’t succeeding across the board.

tioned to tap into those funds as soon as they become available. They don’t

If I’m creating a business, I’m not thinking about the $2 million I make today. It’s about the $200 million I will make over the next 10 to 20 years.

want to miss out and have to wait for the next cycle, which can put them behind their competitors. GB

That level of thinking is still relatively new when it comes to ESG, but it starts there: It’s evaluating where you are, disclosing properly, and spelling out what sort of climate actions you’re going to be taking.

A lot of times climate becomes an afterthought, but I wouldn’t bifur-

The views expressed in this article are those of Tanatswa Mapondera and not necessarily those of Aligned Climate Capital.

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IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, the Major League Soccer team D.C. United unveiled the “Hall of Heroes”—a massive mural in the foyer of its home stadium, Audi Field, highlighting the city’s professional soccer championships and featuring legendary players who have graced its fields over the years.

The mural’s production was led

by Devin Talbott (MBA/JD’03), part owner of D.C. United and founder and managing partner of the investment firm Enlightenment Capital, which sponsored the project. The mural has special meaning to Talbott, who grew up in the D.C. area and watched one of the wall’s featured athletes—legendary Dutch midfielder John Cruyff—play for the now-defunct Washington Diplomats from 1979 to 1981. “No one really knew what soccer was around here back then,” says Talbott. “But there were glimmers of what could be.”

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The mural has evidence of that realized future, too, including an image of former United forward and manager Wayne Rooney, an English football legend. American soccer has flourished since the era of Cruyff ’s tenure, when it was on an upswing that proved unsustainable; the Diplomats and the professional league they played in folded just three years after he left the team in 1981. But the fire was lit: That same year, only some 200,000 U.S. high schoolers played soccer; 40 years later, that number has quadrupled to 800,000.

Major League Soccer has seen consistent growth, too, now poised to have 30 teams in just over three decades—faster growth than any other major sports league in North America. “The trajectory of American soccer is not just positive,” says Talbott. “It’s exponential.”

“ THE TRAJE AMERICAN NOT JUST IT’S EXPO

Devin Talbott (below), part owner of D.C. United, helped unveil the “Hall of Heroes”—a massive mural (at left) in the foyer of Audi Field, featuring legendary players who have graced D.C.’s professional soccer fields over the years.

CTORY OF SOCCER IS POSITIVE. NENTIAL.”

A Wider Net The pathway to growing the game, says Dan Helfrich (SFS’98, MBA’99) is making sure everyone has a chance to play.

When Dan Helfrich (SFS’98, MBA’99) played soccer at Georgetown—a career that included the men’s first-ever NCAA tournament victory in 1997—European soccer was relatively inaccessible. “Trying to find a German Bundesliga, English Premier League, or Italian Serie A match on TV was a heroic feat,” says Helfrich, chair and CEO of Deloitte Consulting LLP and the play-by-play voice of the Georgetown men’s soccer team. There was no real national outlet for the sport, either, with “no meaningful women’s domestic professional league and a fledgling, at the time, men’s domestic league.”

What has changed in the more than a quarter century since then? Helfrich says a big factor has been the increased national focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. “There is no sport with the cultural heterogeneity and the cultural traditions that soccer has,” he says. “We have this incredible country, founded by immigrants—most of whom have come from countries where soccer is the most identifiable sporting tradition—and it creates this incredible tapestry to have conversations about equity and conversations about inclusion.” It has spurred, too, he notes, the rise of the U.S. women’s team as a national sporting power and has been critical to elevating national conversations about subjects like pay equity.

Growing beyond these gains, says Helfrich, will require a continued focus on the grassroots. “The accessibility of the game to all communities has been a big focus of U.S. soccer, and there’s been good progress made. As we look over the next 10 to 20 years, that becomes even more important,” says Helfrich. “We need to make sure the best coaching, the best facilities, the best infrastructure is accessible more consistently and equitably than it is today, and particularly in underserved communities.”

If we get that right, he argues, we will see participation increase from a broader range of socioeconomic spectrums. “And we also will see the most elite dimensions of the sport in the United States—like the men’s and women’s national teams—grow even more competitive.”

Good media wouldn’t hurt, either, says the broadcast booth veteran.

“There’s a potential investment in marketing and promoting the incredible range of athletes on both the men’s and women’s side in the 17- to 27-yearold demographic right now, who happen to represent an incredible array of races and ethnicities, an incredible array of personalities, and an incredible array of life stories and life stories— including the lives of their parents, many of whom were immigrants into this country,” says Helfrich. “There is a marketing and storytelling dimension that is incredibly important.” georgetown business FALL 2023 21

“ THE GAME GIVES [BUSINESSES] AN AVENUE TO REACH A REALLY ATTRACTIVE CONSUMER BASE.”

BECOMING A SPORTS OWNER wasn’t

always the game plan for Talbott. He had played midfielder at Amherst College and had a vision of becoming a soccer-specific sports agent. “I was heavily influenced by Jerry McGuire,” he says with a laugh. At McDonough, he started working part-time at the Carlyle Group in their nascent asset management group and was enamored with the hybrid mix of quantitative and qualitative work, fundraising, and business building. He went on to work at TCG Financial Partners and then to the hedge fund D. E. Shaw, where he helped establish the group’s Washington, D.C.-area office and built out its defense and government businesses. His love of soccer remained, but the idea of involvement at an ownership level, he says, was relatively recent. “It only really came into sharp relief during the construction of this business,” Talbott says of Enlightenment Capital, which he launched in 2012.

In 2021, Talbott was part of a group of investors—which included Jenna Bush Hager and Chelsea Clinton—who bought into the Washington Spirit, a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team, which would go onto win its first league championship later that season. About a year later, he became a part owner of D.C. United. “I just love the game,” he says of his motivation to invest in professional teams.

“I love what it can do for a person and a community.” (Talbott also serves on the board of DC Scores, a nonprofit that provides after-school and summer

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programming, combining soccer, poetry, and service learning.)

Talbott has happily watched the gathering swell of soccer interest. He was at David Beckham’s rain-drenched debut for the LA Galaxy in front of a sell-out crowd at RFK stadium in 2007. “That was a step function,” says Talbott. Argentinian icon Lionel Messi’s high-profile move to MLS’s Inter Miami in July?

“That’s been a two-step function.” The announcement of Messi’s signing alone saw the Miami franchise gain 10 million new followers on Instagram.

Early on, though, the sport had to find its footing in a crowded American sports market, Talbott says, which sometimes resulted in unsuccessful efforts by Major League Soccer to Americanize the game, like adding shootouts to eliminate draws.

“I think it is now a little bit more faithful to the origins of soccer and how soccer is played overseas, which has been a good thing,” he says. “And especially with this younger generation, there is much more appreciation for the two 45-minute halves with intense competition and no breaks. It’s incredibly hard, and you’ve got to earn your goals.”

Professional leagues have been happy to meet rising demands. When the MLS announced it expected to add a 30th team by 2025, it left the door open for even more expansion.

“Never thought we’d be at 28, never thought we’d be at 29—we say we’re going to stop at 30 but the other major leagues are larger than that,” MLS commissioner Don Garber told the media in February, “I don’t ever say never. In Ma-

jor League Soccer, there are many other markets that are opportunities for us.”

The NWSL announced expected expansion plans in June, with two women’s teams likely to be added in 2024 and two more teams to join in 2026—which would double the league’s original eight-team structure.

Another professional women’s league, USL Super League, also announced its intentions to launch in 2024 as a 10to 12-team league.

All of this energy is attracting capital, too, says Talbott, noting a recent 10-year, $2.5 billion deal between Apple and the MLS that allows subscribers to stream every league match. “It’s the first major sports league to go all streaming—not just in this country, but globally.” Adidas also renewed its jersey and apparel deal with the MLS in February, extending the agreement through 2030 to the tune of $830 million. And that new MLS expansion team? The league announced in May that those rights were awarded to San Diego, thanks in part to financial backing from Man Capital, the investment arm of the Egyptian conglomerate the Mansour Group, which is led by CEO Loufty Mansour (B’04). Man Capital also owns a top-flight Danish club and Right to Dream, a soccer academy based in Ghana which has produced several European players and is “dedicated to expanding people’s understanding of excellence through football.”

“You’re starting to see sponsors and big businesses line up behind it, both on the men’s side and the women’s

side,” he says. “And they’re not doing that for charitable reasons. They’re doing it because it’s a market with a short attention span and lots of options— and that is difficult to access. The game gives them an avenue to reach a really attractive consumer base.”

American soccer’s reputation has grown, too, says Talbott, who considers the MLS to be a top five league in the world now. “Wayne Rooney came here as a player and had a great couple years, and then started managing here,” says Talbott. (Rooney has since been appointed manager of Birmingham City, a professional team in the second tier of English football.). “He brought legitimacy, and he was trying to use MLS to get back to the Premier League. So people aren’t looking at MLS as a place to go toward the end of their careers.

They’re looking at it as a place to build a career. And maybe as a launching point to one of the bigger leagues in Europe.”

There is still room to grow, though, says Talbott. He recently took a trip with his son where they saw three matches in England in three days, including watching English Premier League heavyweight Liverpool play a fierce match in London against Crystal Palace. Sitting near the vocal Liverpool supporters’ section, Talbott soaked in the electric atmosphere. “It is probably going to take some time for MLS to get to that level,” he says.

“But the viewing experience and the energy and the song and the passion— it wasn’t far off from being at a D.C. United game.” GB

Growing the Game Maya Alcantara (MS-ESM’23), midfielder for Georgetown and the Philippines women’s national team, on building the foundations for the sport’s future growth Maya Alcantara grew up on the soccer sidelines, spending countless hours watching her older sister, a high school standout who eventually played at UC Riverside. “So naturally I wanted to be my older sister,” says Alcantara. “She motivated me and instilled in me this idea that I can do what she could do—and more. So I had no doubt in my mind that I wanted to play college and pro just from watching her and her teammates.”

Alcantara made good on that vision, playing at St. Mary’s and Georgetown before being tapped to represent the Philippines in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. She’s been thrilled to see the growth of the game both in the United States and globally. “When I was a little girl, you could only see the U.S. Women’s World Cup matches on TV,” says Alcantara. “Now every match is on TV.” There is still more to be done, though. Teams like the Philippines, she found, don’t have the deep soccer infrastructure and funding of teams like the United States, which can impact training. “Some federations aren't as lucky as we are, so we still have to keep pushing for things. We’re very grateful for what we have, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t ask for more,” says Alcantara. Included in those asks: A fair wage. “It is not about money. We do it for the love of the game and for our country.

But the reality of it is that I was looking for jobs on LinkedIn and finishing classes during the World Cup because we are not getting compensated enough. We want to be supported not just as a player, but as people.”

Those foundations are critical to improving performance—which is itself critical to bringing even more women into the game. “You need to see someone do it to believe that you could do it as well,” says Alcantara.

And just like her sister inspired her, she’s now working to inspire young girls across the Philippines. “We had these meet-and-greets with fans after the World Cup, and we would ask the little girls, ‘Are you playing soccer?’ And they’d say, ‘Not yet, but we just signed up,’” Alcantara recounts. “So it took them seeing us on the big screen to sign up—and that’s what we really want.” georgetown business FALL 2023 23

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Anna Rathmann, the executive director of the Jane Goodall Institute, discusses one young woman’s dream and how it has influenced nearly 70 years of conservation research—and hope.

IT’S NOT ALL LOST

BY MAUREEN HARMON PORTRAIT BY NOAH WILLMAN

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I

It’s July 14—and it’s World Chimpanzee Day. Maybe you weren’t aware of this monumental day, but July 14 is a very big deal to Anna Rathmann (EMBA’21), who today is sitting in her home office outside of Washington, D.C., in front of a black and white image of African elephants captured by her colleague at National Geographic, where she spent a decade of her career.

“On July 14, 1960, a young Dr. Jane Goodall stepped off of the boat of Lake Tanganyika and stepped onto the shores of what would become Gombe Stream National Park,” says Rathmann. “It is the day she began her seminal research.”

For Rathmann, the executive director of the Jane Goodall Institute ( JGI) USA, July 14 marks the day it all began for the organization she now leads.

From that day in 1960 the work of Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of he Jane Goodall Institute, and a UN Messenger of Peace, hasn’t stopped. And though her name is synonymous with conservation, chimpanzees, and their range across countries in Africa, this was never a one-woman show.

“The reason the Institute was initially founded in 1977 was because Jane wanted to have continuous study,” says Rathmann. “She didn’t want to have to rely upon funding cycles of various grants. And so she wanted to start doing her own fundraising that could ensure that research continued.”

From Goodall’s initial research, the Institute—now through Gombe Stream Research Center—has studied chimpanzees and their roles and personalities in the ecosystem. This work led by JGI is now the longest running wild chimpanzee research in the world—verified by Guiness World Records. But what started

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as an effort to support research pivoted to a lifelong commitment to creating a better world. In 1980 Goodall left the forest a scientist, and became an activist.

Today, JGI focuses on a holistic approach to conservation—known as “community-led conservation” something that was completely innovative at the time and is now considered a best-in-class approach to meaningful conservation change.

What Goodall first created in the early ’90s was known as The Lake Tanganyika Catchment Reforestation and Education (TACARE) program.

TACARE was designed as a pilot project to protect chimpanzees outside National Parks by addressing poverty and supporting sustainable livelihoods in villages around Lake Tanganyika. Now known as Tacare, it represents JGI’s communityled conservation approach. The Tacare philosophy is based on the principle that local people are the most connected to and dependent on healthy landscapes and ecosystem services. Tacare also acknowledges that though local people are the most impacted and vulnerable when ecosystem services disappear, they are also the best stewards of their own environment, and that every community member can make a difference every day. Beyond just collaboration, Tacare is about local ownership of the process of human development and managing local environments.

Today, Tacare builds solutions with partnership with local people focused on addressing the drivers of threats. Through this process, JGI has created scholarships for young women to stay in school. It has built micro-credits so individuals—women especially—can create and support their own small sustainable businesses and build environmentally conscious

communities. It has funded beekeeping and honey production initiatives to provide alternative livelihood options.

It has also focused on ending issues like the illegal wildlife trade and rehabilitated and released animals back into the wild, especially in the Republic of the Congo.

It is work Goodall started—and work Anna Rathmann will continue just as Jane Goodall had planned.

“So, Happy World Chimpanzee Day!” Rathmann says with a smile.

RATHMANN, LIKE MOST young women interested in conservation, remembers seeing Jane Goodall in images growing up. Goodall with her binoculars observing our closest living relatives.

Goodall proclaiming to the world that these animals were capable of emotions, as well as capable of making and using tools—something no other western researcher had noted until this woman, with her famous khaki clothing and ponytail, came along. Until that time, humans were considered worlds beyond the rest of the animal kingdom when it came to emotional and intellectual intelligence, and Goodall had an uphill battle to prove herself against the broader scientific community. In fact, she had an uphill battle as a woman in science overall as government officials refused to allow Goodall to travel to Tanzania alone and insisted she bring a companion.

She chose another woman to accompany her: her mother. “That was the world in which she was walking into, literally, when she went into the forest in Tanzania,” says Rathmann. “The fact that she was able to—through her observations and her continued research—change that perception

The work of Jane Goodall hasn’t stopped since she began her research in 1960. Though her name is synonymous with conservation, chimpanzees, and their range across countries in Africa, this was never a one-woman show.

in such a monumental way to where the scientific community was now acknowledging that yes, non-human animals, like humans, have emotion, and other great apes, like humans, use tools. Suddenly the lines were blurred between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom. That is an extraordinary contribution to our global understanding of our own species.” More extraordinary, perhaps, was the fact that Goodall had no college education or scientific training—just passion, patience, and an immense curiosity.

RATHMANN’S OWN PASSION and curiosity

was ignited by a beloved uncle who knew the importance of the natural world, and often pulled Rathmann and her brother out to explore it. The idea of protecting that world came naturally to a young Rathmann. “You see the beauty of a place; you see how special it is. You see the interconnectivity of everything in the natural world, and you can’t help but want to protect that. I wanted to protect it and share it with people in a way that they could also see the magic of it.”

And, for Rathmann, there was a great deal of magic in the United States and across countries in Africa. While earning a B.A. from Valparaiso University in Indiana, she worked as a seasonal park ranger with the National Park Service in Yellowstone, where she learned

PHOTOGRAPHS: JGI/HUGO VAN LAWICK & JGI/FERNANDO TURMO

quickly that conservation is a much more complicated matter than cleaning up after yourself on a hike. “That job really impressed upon me the complexity of conservation—managing different stakeholders; resource management and what that looks like; the difference between preservation and conservation.” Yellowstone also taught her what it meant to be a representative of something much larger than yourself.

The knowledge gained in Yellowstone took her to the National Geographic Society, where she honed her skills in fundraising initiatives and programming for over a decade. Not only that, but the role expanded her vision beyond the states. “National Geographic took me into a space where I could see what conservation looked like on an international scale and the ways other countries approached it, specifically across countries in Africa.” From National Geographic, Rathmann moved on to become the inaugural director of the Great Plains Conservation Foundation, where she established and implemented sustainable wildlife, land, and community conservation initiatives throughout Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.

Her knowledge of countries in Africa—a continent she visits several times a year—led her to JGI USA, an organization that from day one, sought new knowledge with the full understanding that the world of conservation must evolve

to fit more in line with what Goodall has always observed – people, other animals, and our environment are interconnected.

In Goodall’s early conservation days, much of that knowledge creation revolved around observational research and opening the eyes of the scientific community not only to the minds of animals like chimpanzees, but the challenges they faced in threatened environments. Today, JGI has a team of field researchers, including many local Tanzanians, who are schooled in such work, but she also has new tools at her disposal. Rathmann looks to the long-term partnerships JGI has had with tech firms to study the world around them with little disruption.

Bioacoustics, for example, are a growing part of JGI’s work and is just a technical term for placing microphones throughout the forest ecosystem to track different species through computer algorithms that help identify sounds. That’s not possible, notes Rathmann, without big data, which is influencing every organization and industry, including the nonprofit world of conservation. Perhaps tech doesn’t seem to fit in the natural world of Tanzania or Yellowstone, but Goodall and Rathmann and the rest of JGI know it allows for huge steps forward. “We often talk amongst the team about how Jane was a disruptor,” says Rathmann. “She’s the original disruptor, so it doesn’t surprise any of us that she is drawn to whatever georgetown business FALL 2023 27

“ AT A TIME WHEN CONSERVATION SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE A LOSING BATTLE ..., THE TEAMS AT JGI ALWAYS COMES BACK TO THE IDEA OF HOPE.” tools will help create new knowledge.”

While tech will certainly influence the way the JGI moves forward, Rathmann also knows that its future really lies where it always has—in communities.

As discussed above, Goodall and JGI have always put people at the center of conservation. “African countries still have in its landscapes major apex predators.

That’s a big difference to the United States and in Europe as many of those were removed or moved to the fringes and aren’t necessarily part of the day-today experience communities.” Across the continent of Africa, however, a pride of lions could take out a family’s livelihood in one night by dissipating a herd of cattle—and conservation quickly becomes protection of the pride, the cattle, and the family’s finances.”

“There is huge value and importance in engaging communities in identifying the problem and creating the solution,” says Rathmann speaking about JGI’s Tacare community-led conservation approach. “There’s an analogy that I saw recently, which really resonates: protecting just a species is akin to trying to save a fish and draining the pond. It doesn’t really work. You need to make sure that that pond is a healthy ecosystem, and that holds true throughout countries in Africa. It holds true universally.” Conservation is really about protecting ecosystems—including

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people and their needs. That involves commercial interests. That involves the balance between consumptive and non-consumptive use of landscapes and finding the middle ground with people who have differing opinions.

As executive director of JGI USA, Rathmann will continue to have those complicated conversations in the governments of African countries—which for JGI’s programmatic work includes Tanzania, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, and several others—and at home in D.C., and she will continue the successful programs put in place by those before her—programs that put community members at the heart of the conversations. Particularly, she says, young people, and points to JGI’s Roots & Shoots program which empowers youth in communities to build projects that can change their communities all of over the world to improve well-being for people, other animals, and the environment— from protecting Michigan’s endangered birds to collecting compost materials to hydroponic classroom gardens. The program which started on Goodall’s front porch in Tanzania has inspired millions to participate and is in all 50 states and over 65 countries worldwide.

RATHMANN’S BIGGEST GOAL though

is perhaps less concrete—and goes

beyond the numbers of endangered species brought back from the brink of extinction and programs instituted. It is to embrace and proclaim a concept at JGI’s core. At a time when conservation sometimes feels like a losing battle as we contend with climate change, shifting and suffering ecosystems, and unsustainable consumption and corporate interests, the teams at JGI always comes back to the idea of hope. “It’s not all lost. The ingenuity of humanity, working together, and the idea that challenges are put forth to be met—that narrative runs through the work of JGI.” To Rathmann, hope is critical. It’s easy to believe, says Rathmann, that one person’s actions can make little difference. But she wholeheartedly disagrees.

After all, look what was accomplished by one young woman with no higher education, accompanied by her mother to study our closest living relatives in Tanzania. Though Goodall lived through many barriers—and barriers have only shifted slightly today coupled with other inequities and challenges—Goodall often shares the advice of her mother Vanne who accompanied her on her very first trip into the wonderful world of wild chimpanzees: Work very hard, take advantage of every opportunity, and never give up. GB

Anna Rathmann attributes the start of her passion and curiosity to a beloved uncle who knew the importance of the natural world, and often pulled Rathmann and her brother out to explore it.

PHOTOGRAPH: ARTIST’S NAME

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Connections NEWS FROM THE GEORGETOWN NETWORK

PIVOT

Not What He Pictured Why Alberto Cocchi (B’87) traded a finance career for a camera.

A

lberto cocchi (b’87) graduated from Georgetown McDonough with his career path laid out for him at Salomon Brothers in New York City.

It was an impressive opportunity to join a top-tier investment banking firm as a young professional just starting out in finance.

However, after a decade, Cocchi realized that he had different career aspirations.

“It was a beautiful suit,” he said. “But it wasn’t my size.”

After 10 years in the United States, Cocchi took a hard look at what his dreams were, tapped into his creativity, and moved back to Italy to follow his passion for photography.

“Photography had always been an interest of mine,” he said. “I always had a camera in my hand.”

Cocchi launched his own photography company focused on technical photography, but he soon grew his portfolio to include architecture, and eventually, boating—another personal interest he was able to infuse into his photography business.

“Architecture is what took me into boating,” he said. “I was photographing a beautiful shipyard in Italy when I was first approached to photograph boats.”

Growing up surrounded by sailing and boating, Cocchi was thrilled by the opportunity to bring his passions togeth-

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er as a boating photographer. He is now recognized internationally for his work in this category, earning a number of front covers on publications such as The Nautica Magazine, ShowBoats Magazine, and Yachts International.

“When you’re photographing a boat, you have to manage all the aspects it takes to run that boat and the photoshoot, including the camera, the captain, the crew, the light, the angles,” he said. “It takes a lot of problem solving.” He said his experience in finance and business helps him manage all the pieces of a successful photoshoot.

Cocchi took advantage of every opportunity to grow his knowledge and deepen his expertise as he built a career focused on his dreams, from his early sailing days to his business education at Georgetown to his professional experiences in investment banking.

“We have to make the best of ourselves,” he said. “Everything around us can be learned and absorbed. The more layers of experience you have, the farther you can see.”

For anyone considering the idea of a career pivot, Cocchi shared one piece of advice: “Start searching inside yourself to learn who you are,” he said. “Find and follow your passions. Be excited to wake up in the morning and go to work.”

—ABBY SHARPE

PHOTOGRAPH: ARTIST’S NAME

Alberto Cocchi took advantage of every opportunity to grow his knowledge build a career focused on his dreams, from his early sailing days to his professional experiences in investment banking.

PHOTOGRAPH: ARTIST’S NAME

georgetown business FALL 2023 31

Connections

Class Notes BSBA

capitalize on their opportunities

Next Generation Inc. (NxtGen), a

member of the company’s board

1979

in the NIL space. His involvement

for-profit extension of the Student

of directors.

Gregory Leo (B’79) recently

with Hoyas Rising dovetails nicely

Global Ambassador Program.

relocated from New Jersey to

with his work at Third Win Group,

NxtGen was part of the fall 2022

Florida to start a Real Estate

an agency he founded in 2019

Georgetown Startup Accelerator

Clark Dumas (MBA’12) was

Development firm in St. Augustine

that serves athletes, entertainers,

cohort. It secured a contract with

appointed in August 2023 as vice

with his twin sons.

and entrepreneurs who want to

NewarkWORKS in May 2023 and

president of merchant success

make a positive difference.

executed clean energy training

North America at Trustly, a

modules and site visits as part of

leader in open banking payments

its Leadership Mini Series.

technology based between

1980

After 32 years in the Maryland

Kevin Miller (B’13) is now

House of Delegates Kumar Barve

co-founder of GRO, a digital

(B’80) resigned following an

marketing agency.

appointment by Governor Wes

2012

Stockholm and San Carlos, Michele Joseph (MBA’96) was

California. To this role, Dumas

recognized by the Montgomery

brings eight years of experience

Moore to serve as a member

MBA

County Council and the County

helping growth-stage technology

of the Maryland Public Service

1995

Executive of Montgomery County,

companies scale their B2B and

Commission (PSC). In this new

Diana Beckmann (MBA’95) is

Maryland, for completing the

B2C customer operations, along

role he will join a body that

executive director of Florida

Montgomery County Black

with 10 years of management

regulates natural gas and electric

House on Capitol Hill, which

Collective AMBER Program. The

consulting focused on customer

utilities. This places him in the

recently celebrated its 50th

AMBER Program is an intense 16-

operations. Outside of work,

center of policies to protect

anniversary as the only state

week program using skills, tools,

Dumas resides in Acworth,

consumers while simultaneously

embassy in D.C. Her daughter

and guidance to build business.

Georgia, with his wife and two

decarbonizing Maryland’s

graduated from college in May

economy—a natural extension

and is now working at the

2007

as possible with them exploring

of his work as the Chairman

Minnesota Autism Center as

Al Ribeiro (MBA’07) and his wife,

the great outdoors.

of the House Environment &

a Behavioral Therapist. Her

Jenielle, welcomed a son, Arden

Transportation Committee.

son has joined the Air Force

Armando Ribeiro, on June 25,

2016

and is stationed overseas as a

2023. They are enjoying their sum-

Matt McElhare (MBA’16), senior

helicopter mechanic.

mer together as a family at their

director of extended-stay brands

home in Bernardsville, New Jersey.

for Choice Hotels International

2013

John Balkam (B’13) was

children and spends as much time

named director of Hoyas Rising,

1996

Georgetown’s first name, image,

Michele Joseph (MBA’96),

2008

Inc., is on the Washington Business Journal 40 Under 40

and likeness (NIL) collaborative

between radiation treatment and

Paul LaRusso (MBA’08) was

list this year.

dedicated to helping all

a second round of chemother-

recently named chief executive

Georgetown student-athletes

apy, launched the consultancy

officer of Akoya, and will remain a

“ So much of my career and opportunity has been seeded by my relationships at Georgetown. I’ve always felt this desire to pay it forward by engaging with and helping Hoyas.”

—ELIZABETH ROSS-RONCHI (MBA’99) DURING HER INTERVIEW FOR SIX DEGREES ON PAGE 09

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georgetown business FALL 2023

Dina Masri is an associate producer of Sesame Workshop’s Arabic show. “It’s been such a cool experience having the opportunity to be so creative, while knowing we’re having an impact,” she says.

MY FIRST JOB

The Puppet Producer Dina Masri (MiM’20) brings Sesame Street to the Middle East. dina masri (mim’20) began her career as an intern at the International Rescue Committee (IRC). While supporting refugees at the IRC, Masri felt impassioned to help others. “It felt good to be helping people, and that feeling has stuck with me throughout my career,” she said.

Now, as an associate producer of Sesame Workshop’s Arabic show, Ahlan Simsim, Masri produces the show while

appealing to the current climate and challenges of children in the Middle East. “We try to give kids coping mechanisms with how to deal with big feelings and difficult situations,” she said.

“The show is directed at mental health alongside education.”

Ahlan Simsim is produced in partnership with the IRC, a full-circle moment for Masri. She develops content for many of the communities and refugees she

previously worked with, and even had the opportunity to collaborate on creating a new Muppet, Ameera.

“Ameera loves science and is an inquisitive 8-year-old who represents the numerous children with disabilities worldwide.” Masri said. “It’s been such a cool experience having the opportunity to be so creative, while knowing we’re having an impact.”

—ABBY SHARPE

georgetown business FALL 2023 33

Connections

2021

Ashish Raval (MBA’21) is now the

president of Synoptic.

EXECUTIVE MBA 2013

MY FEED

Matthew Quintana (EMBA’13) is

Who Do You Want to Be?

now brand director at Moet-Hen nessy for Veuve Clicquot.

Leadership and Resilience Coach Delia Davis (EML’15) brings her super2017

power to the Feed. As a coach, she thrives in engaging clients to coura-

John Saunders (EMBA’17) was

geously seek their authentic selves. Here, she inspires us with a feed that

invited to keynote a conversation

relishes in positive leadership, meditation, hope, and the joy of R&B music.

titled, “The Superpower of Clarifying Your Mission and

BOOKS

Vision” at Stanford University for

Holy Bible (NKJV) This book is the best coaching, relationship, leadership, and life guide of all time. Hands down! One of the best examples of servant leadership you can find anywhere.

the Lead Incubator and Startup Accelerator entrepreneurship program. His book, The Optimizer: Building and Leading a Team of Serial Innovators also was added to the required reading list for the Strategic Advocacy Leadership course at Columbia University, where he will speak on November 14.

2019

Finding Me by Viola Davis It is real, raw, unvarnished, and amazing. If your heart is open, you may be transformed by her transparency and authenticity.

Dream Big by Bob Goff Reminds me of my “what,” “why,” and “how to get there,” and helps me to stay honest in the process.

Mile Corrigan (EMBA’19) is now

PODCASTS

the president and CEO of Noblis.

Girl Trek’s Black History Bootcamp A 21-day walking meditation on the power and tenacity of black women past and present. I leave these bootcamps feeling empowered!

EML 2020

James R. Freiman (EML’20) is

now CEO of Observer Media in New York City.

We invite all alumni to share

Making Space with Hoda Kotb As a collector of stories, this podcast makes my heart smile.

Hearing other’s stories helps us all feel more connected as we explore common threads of struggle, persistence, failure, hope, and overcoming.

updates with the McDonough

MUSIC

community by emailing us at

My Pandora ’80s R&B Radio I know all the words to the songs (and the dances). Great for road tripping.

GeorgetownBusiness@ georgetown.edu.

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georgetown business FALL 2023

Tim Dougherty’s first book, Timelapse: How We Change the Earth, is a collection of satellite images that show human impact on the planet.

MY SHOT

If the Earth Could Talk Tim Dougherty’s (B’15) new book shows our planet’s response to human behaviors. tim dougherty’s (b’15) love of reading, the environment, and entrepreneurship equipped him to take on the challenge of writing his first book, Timelapse: How We Change the Earth. The coffee-table book, published by Penguin-Random House, is a beautiful collection of satellite images documenting humans’ impact on the Earth and how the planet responds.

“I had been working on this project as a side gig for almost three years leading up to the book deal,” Dougherty

said. As the former head of partnership for Daily Overview, Dougherty established relationships with key satellite and aerial imagery providers. “Getting the opportunity to create a cohesive story of all the changes we had observed over the years was a dream,” he said.

Still, there is an intimidation factor at play when creating a book. “When you’re looking at a blank document knowing it’s going to have to turn into a chapter about transportation, with

30 stories that all need to make sense together, it can certainly feel daunting,” After finding success and fulfillment in writing the book, Dougherty encourages other emerging entrepreneurs and aspiring authors to take risks and bet on themselves—he says it will pay off.

Timelapse is available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, which named Timelapse to its list of Best Books of 2020.

—RACHEL ELLIS

georgetown business FALL 2023 35

From the Management

Humbitious (adjective)? “ Humbitious is a combination of two key traits: humility and ambition. It blends the drive for success with a grounded perspective, resulting in effective and inspiring leadership that benefits employees, organizations, and society.

Humble leaders acknowledge their limitations and recognize the contributions of others.

Ambitious leaders drive their organizations forward. Together, humbitious leaders help everyone reach their full potential with a clear vision for success.”

—PRASHANT MALAVIYA, PROFESSOR OF MARKETING AND VICE DEAN OF ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

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georgetown business FALL 2023

ILLUSTRATION: CAJSA HOLGERSSON

OUR COMMUNITY ISN’T COMPLETE WITHOUT YOU. As an alumnus, you are a member of the Georgetown McDonough community forever. Whether you seek to connect with the school to participate in alumni programming or mentor a student, or you wish to build your relationships with Hoyas around the world, McDonough is here for you.

Please take a moment to ensure we have your most up-to-date contact information so you continue to receive news about programs, alumni events in D.C. and around the world, career and networking resources, recruitment and mentorship opportunities with new generations of students, and much more. Simply scan the QR code to update your information today.

Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Office of Marketing and Communications 211 Rafik B. Hariri Building 37th and O Streets, NW Washington, DC 20057

Global Growth

105

students have graduated from the undergraduate

Global Business Fellows Program across 7 cohorts.

3,300+ McDonough alumni live and work abroad.

Programs 10 Custom delivered for companies with headquarters outside of the United States.

2

Executive Degree Programs

fully offered abroad, including the Executive MBA in Dubai and Executive Master’s in Leadership – Qatar.

2,200+ Global Business Experience undergraduate and graduate consulting projects have been completed across 41 cities and 29 countries.

3 degrees solely focused on the intersection of international business and other disciplines, including the International Business, Language, and Culture Program and the Izmirlian Business and Global Affairs Program at the undergraduate level, and a Master of Arts in International Business and Policy.

1 Baratta Center for Global Business dedicated to student learning, thought leadership, and convening and outreach on critical issues related to globalization and global business.

#3

#3

in the United States for careers in international business (U.S. News & World Report Business School Rankings).

in the United States for international faculty representation (Financial Times EMBA ranking).