ASHVIN MELWANI '12

Tell us about your work. My name is Ash Melwani, and I am the CMO and Co-Founder of a Health and Wellness Brand called Obvi! We started Obvi with a simple goal in mind and that was to make supplements look and feel younger, specifically collagen supplements. Since we began in 2019, we have surpassed over $40M in revenue in just three years all while completely bootstrapped!

Why a supplement brand? What interested you in this space? If you look at the collagen space right now, products that boast anti-aging and youthfulness come across as lackluster, dull, tasteless, boring: the list goes on. That felt to us like a major gap in the market. So we decided to launch Obvi with three unique flavors for a collagen protein: Fruity Cereal, Cocoa Cereal, and Cinna Cereal.

The idea is that you should be taking a collagen supplement daily if you'd like to slow down the whole aging process. But you're only going to consistently use something if it tastes great, right? That's why we went with those incredible, nostalgic flavors because we felt like it would be something people WANTED to take not HAD to.

After launching, we sold out in 14 days and the rest was history. Obvi just won “brand of the year.” What, besides your and your team's endless hard work, would you attribute this to? Social/Digital marketing? Advertising? I really think the success of the brand comes from the online community that we've built. We have one of the largest communities with over 60k members in a Facebook Group that consists of mostly Obvi customers.

What's different about Obvi is that it is completely consumercentric. We're able to support our customers in a way that feels more personal as well as get feedback about our products in real-time to help shape the future of the brand. This allows us to continuously build a sense of loyalty to the brand, which is what a lot of brands fail to do.

What is your biggest career failure/challenge you have faced, and what did you learn from it? The biggest challenge has been the recent turn of events in the last year. Apple's iOS 14.5 update really did a number on small businesses. The update affected how small businesses utilized platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc, for sponsored ads. Long story short, the update really affected the effectiveness of these ads and really put some small businesses in a bad position.

What we learned from it was that we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket and that we need to diversify our marketing efforts! It also pushed us to really focus on the customer experience. If the cost to acquire a customer is going up, how can we keep a current customer with the brand for longer? That will usually come from a better overall experience.

What do you want your legacy to be? I would love Obvi to become a household name. The number of stories and lives changed that we have personally seen within our community is invaluable. I want to be able to change a lot more lives than we currently have and really leave our mark in the industry.

What advice would you give to young alumni looking to be an entrepreneur / start a business? The best piece of advice I can give someone looking to be an entrepreneur is to follow your passion. As a business owner or entrepreneur who is just starting out, there are times that you will be working long hours for little pay. You have to enjoy what you're doing or you will never make it to the point where you'll start to see the fruits of your labor.

In what ways did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken? The biggest thing that MKA prepared me for was really taking pride in my work. There are no shortcuts or hacks to success. My teachers taught me that if I put in 100%, they will give me back 150%. So I think about life the same way. Whatever you do in the future, give it 100%. It is the only way you'll find success in any field that you may venture down.

shows excellence in tennis journalism, was presented during the US Open.

Alumni Marta Garibaldi and Ian Pelse ’10 were married on September 10, 2022 in the Berkshires. It was a mini MKA Reunion with other alumni in attendance: Mike Dunn, Laura Ovadia, Andrew Farrelly ’10, Katherine Davis, Rob Gelberg ’10, and Mark Bylancik ’10 15

2010. / MKA / Ms. Devon Barrett, 109 Llewellyn Road, Montclair, NJ 07042; dlb792@aim.com

Mr. Matthew Palmisano, 2812 39th Street NW,

Washington, DC 20007; matt.r.palmisano@gmail.com

Congratulations to Julie Longthorne on her engagement to Chris Dempsey in September 2022.

2011. / MKA / Mr. Seth Bynum, 23-43 35th St, Long Island City, NY 11105; seth.bynum1@gmail.com

Ms. Carina Wong, 9 Deer Trail Road, North Caldwell, NJ 07006; carinamwong@gmail.com

Congratulations to Sierra Cocoziello on her marriage to Evan Gannicott on July 16,

2022 at Cooper Spur Mountain Resort in Oregon. 16

Congratulations to Melissa Minton on her marriage to Jack Espino in August 2022.

Congratulations to Blair Landolfi and her new husband Jon Fredericks on getting married on October 29, 2022. 17

Congratulations to Matthew Staples on marrying Elsa Spring in September 2022.

Congratulations to Hayne Lim on her marriage to Will Ritchings on October 8, 2022 at the Abigail Kirsch at Tappan Hill in Tarrytown, NY.

Congratulations to Travers Nammack on getting engaged to Meredith Hompe in November 2022 in Easton, Maryland. 18

2012. / MKA / Ms. Casey Holden, 573 Farmdale Road Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 casey.musicant@gmail.com

Mr. Ed Rosini, 32 Edgemont Road, Montclair, NJ 07042; erosini32@gmail.com

Congratulations to Blake Rohde and his wife Stephanie on tying the knot in August 2022. 19

Michael P. Friezo, age 59, passed away peacefully on July 15, 2022 surrounded by his family after a courageous 14-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a devoted son, brother, husband, father, mentor, and friend. Through it all, Michael preserved his sense of humor, grace, and hope until the very end.

Michael lived a love story with a 37-year marriage to his childhood sweetheart and very best friend Michele (Scardino). His two most precious gifts were his daughters, Lauren ’11 and Caroline '15, both Lifers at MKA. Michael cherished watching Lauren perform in Deetjen and cheering on Caroline and the girls’ tennis team. Michael gave generously of his personal time, wisdom, and resources, funding scholarships and serving on the Board of Trustees at MKA.

Michael led an illustrious, 30-year financial career spanning Salomon Brothers, Credit Suisse First Boston, and Deutsche Bank, where he ran equity capital markets for the Americas. In 2017, Michael founded FLOW, an oil and gas analytics company, with his partner, Tom Loughrey. Today the company counts some of the world’s largest investors and energy companies as clients.

A longtime resident of Montclair, he contributed to The American Red Cross, The Montclair Food Pantry, The Montclair Art Museum, and St. Cassian Catholic Church. He was also an active member of Bradford Bath & Tennis Club. Since 1990, Michael and his family have become increasingly involved in supporting Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (where he received treatment), establishing the Friezo Family Support Fund. The Fund helps alleviate economic concerns for families with children receiving cancer care at MSK.

Congratulations to Craig Schweitzer on his engagement to Macaire in August 2022.

Congratulations to Emma Jenkins on her engagement to Chad in September 2022.

Congratulations to Kieran Powell on his engagement to Amanda Tachon in Central Park in December 2022. 20

2013. / MKA / Ms. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Amato; Liz.J.amato@gmail.com

Mr. Edward Bozik; bozik@me.com

Congratulations to Kaitlyn Eda on her engagement to Liam Casey. She said “yes” in Paris, France in July 2022. 21

Congratulations to Meredith Shelby on her engagement to Alex Carter in September 2022.

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Jeffrey Smith, father of alumni Jeffrey Smith, passed away after a battle with illness on October 1, 2022, at the age of 67.

Congratulations to Robert Pannulo and his beautiful wife Nicole Battipaglia on October 8, 2022 at The Rockleigh in Rockleigh, NJ. 22 kassandra.fotiadis@gmail.com

Congratulations to Claudia Sheer on being recognized as the Top 10% of managers at Yelp.

Congratulations to Robert Pannullo on his interview in Forbes about the landmark announcement about the unionization of Minor League Baseball that will impact the future of the game for generations to come.

Congratulations to Hayley Morris and her new husband Scott Toresco on getting married on October 22, 2022 in New York City.

Sydney Silodor displayed her poured iron artwork, “Water Up, Fire Down,” in Fata Organa. This Lower East Side group exhibition featured artists from NYU and was centered around mental health. Sydney is pursuing a masters in art therapy at NYU Steinhardt. She helps others through creative self-expression in art therapy. 23 interacting with brands and analyzing consumer behavior. She sees the consumer goods sector as an opportunity to bring sustainability and environmental justice into mainstream conversations.

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2014. / MKA / Ms. Kassandra Fotiadis;

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MKA

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Ms. Korinne “Kori” Durando koridurando@gmail.com

Matt Napoli married Heidi Zellhuber in July 2022 at the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, NJ. 24

Congratulations to Jessica Schmitz on her engagement to Tate Veley on October 2, 2022.

Congratulations to Isaiah Thompson on his engagement to Kaitlin Obien on November 20, 2022.

Evin Henriquez-Groves is the founder of ENVI. ENVI is developing an enterprise SaaS (software) tool to measure, track, and report sustainability performance within the consumer goods sector. Evin has a B.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Yale University and contributed to two national research initiatives during undergrad. She created ENVI because what began as an experiment to reduce her own levels of consumption, turned into a passion that she wanted to build a career around. After graduation, Evin spent nearly two years at a top entertainment agency

ENVI is opening their first round of fundraising with a Family & Friends round. Evin is looking for additional advisors, financial contributors to the round, consumer goods brands, mentors, and anyone interested in learning more about ENVI's objectives. She is currently working with advisors from the Yale School of the Environment to develop the software tool. You can find out more about ENVI on their website https://www.envi. eco/. Please contact the Alumni Office if you are interested in an investment opportunity!

2016. / MKA / Ms. Zoe Bieler; zoe.bieler@gmail.com

Mr. Charles Rilli; crilli33@gmail.com

Lily Andres; lily.andres@gmail.com

2017. / MKA / Ms. Jenna Donatiello; jdonatiello12@aol.com

Mr. Matthew ‘Matt’ Rubenstein; mattrubenstein98@gmail.com

2018. / MKA / Ms. Lailanni Lucien; llucien05@gmail.com

Mr. Keenan McAuliffe; keenan.cavenaugh13@gmail. com

Ms. Kerri McGuire; kerrimcg11@yahoo.com

Congratulations to Michael Butler on his new job, UN

General Assembly Assistant in the State Department. In this role, he supports the Political Section of the U.S. Mission to the UN by taking notes, attending high-level meetings like that of the Security Council, and drafting diplomatic cables, among other tasks. He says Lafayette College and his internship at the United Nations helped him gain this opportunity. 25

2021. Alumni from the Class of 2021, Sean Stites and Jonah Barbin, interned for the MLB draft, researching and writing profiles for onair talent about the top one hundred 2022 draft prospects. They worked directly for Greg Amsinger (parent of an MKA alum) to revamp and modernize the MLB draft broadcast and then traveled to Los Angeles to work on set as stage manager for the duration of the draft.

Ariel Grossman’s essay “Virtual Authenticity? How the Picturesque Aesthetic Still Finds Itself in Post-Pandemic Trends” was selected to be published in the 2022 annual issue of REMAKE, which showcases first-year work at Washington University in St. Louis that the university believes to change the conversation by challenging our assumptions and giving new shape to the perspectives we hold.

ABE ABUKWAIK '15

Tell us about your work. I'm the owner of Adsync Media, a marketing company that specializes in selling health insurance leads to America's top insurance companies. If I had to define it, I'm a marketer and businessman. But at my core, I absolutely love to solve problems and serve others with transformational products and services. Building a business is essentially creating a platform to "engineer solutions," and doing that gives me the freedom to build and create every day!

Why Entrepreneurship? When did you first become interested in starting your own company? I've always felt a greater purpose to lead, inspire, and serve others. Early on, I was always fascinated by the idea of business and commerce, but at the time, I didn't really think of it as a career. I remember buying broken iPhones on eBay, fixing them, packaging them very nicely (always with a hand-written note that inspired a smile!), and then selling them for a profit. The profit was cool, but it was the amazing reviews and the process of earning that review that always made me feel most fulfilled.

Today, it's that same feeling that fills me with life every day. Being able to identify problems worth solving, engineer solutions, and see how those solutions positively transform the lives of others are truly the greatest gifts I could ask for.

What is your biggest career failure/challenge you have faced, and what did you learn from it? My biggest challenge was before I started in business. When I was 17, I moved to Argentina to play professional soccer and it was the most cut-throat, hostile environment I had ever been in. I was challenged mentally, physically, and emotionally at the highest level. But I pushed through the challenges and eventually made my mark on the team there. While I didn't pursue a career in soccer, I learned the importance of being absolutely relentless. That lesson will never leave me.

What is your proudest accomplishment? Ha! It's tough to say because I feel like I haven't really accomplished anything. If anything, I'd say that I'm proud I didn't quit in business during the early years. For almost three years, I severely struggled and wanted to quit every day. I just kept telling myself, "I'll quit tomorrow." While I feel like I still have a long way to go, I'm definitely happy I didn't stop when I said I would.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I think everyone can do more than they think they can. The same way I've had mentors who have shown me what's possible, my goal in business and life is to trailblaze and set the standard as high as humanly possible so I have the experiences and lessons to help others do the same.

In what ways did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken? MKA gave me the support and resources to get started! During my senior year, they offered a program called "Startup 101," which ultimately threw me into the world of business (unintentionally). What I thought was "just a 30-day project" ended up becoming the beginning of my career and the life I live today.

Your annual gift to The MKA Fund has an immediate impact on the lives of each one of our students.

It expands the margin of excellence, allows us to say YES to new opportunities, and provides the resources to create a vibrant, challenging, and supportive learning experience that is unique for each and every student.

9:1 STUDENT TEACHER RATIO AT PRIMARY SCHOOL 50% OVER

1:1 PROGRAM OF LAPTOPS OR IPADS FOR EVERY STUDENT GRADES PRE-K - 12

150 students participated Global Experience trips last school year + 25+ years performing at Carnegie Hall

150+ ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE LAST 15 YEARS

OVER

8

Community Scholarships

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14 of Juniors and Seniors take AP and Post AP Classes Affinity Groups and growing across 3 campuses IMPACT IN ACTION

HELP OUR STUDENTS CULTIVATE THEIR OWN SUPERPOWERS WITH A GIFT TO THE MKA FUND.

To find out more visit www.mka.org/supportmka