Dear Fellow NYU Stern Undergraduates,
Greetings and a warm welcome to our fourth issue of the Alpha Magazine. We could not be more excited to have made it to this point. I hope you enjoyed our fall re-launch issue, but you will notice that this issue has a difference focus. Our last volume examined ways to succeed at New York University, with concentrations on choosing academic areas of study, clubs, study abroad sites, and our recommendations for events in the city. However with this issue, we wanted to shift the focus to an emerging topic at New York University, social impact. When we set out to launch this issue, we wanted to highlight a path less traveled at Stern. In this issue, you will have the opportunity to learn more about social impact, and the ways this is undergone at New York University and by professionals. What you will also find is that at Delta Sigma Pi, we make a commitment to positively impact our communities with our yearly activities. This academic year, we partnered to hold events with ASH, The American Red Cross, Relay For Life, Mighty Mutts, New York Cares, and The Junior Achievement Program. Furthermore, this positive impact is repeated in the New York University Community, with our commitment
to other student-run organizations and events. We try to be great examples for people of the New York area, and strive to achieve societal improvements in every action we take. We are honored to share the work of so many committed and thoughtful people. Working with some of the most intelligent and driven students in New York University has always provided me with infinite inspiration, and I hope you are able to capture some of that magic in this magazine. So relax. Read the magazine at one sitting, or one category at a time. I promise you this issue will expand you mind and perspective from an academic and business perspective, and I hope it leaves with a new thought to contemplate. I look forward to you reading the contents of this volume, and I hope it can help guide you in your paths to success at New York University. With The Warmest Thanks, Vijay Sumal Alpha Chapter President
4 | College Years
By Angela Xu
I
n order to obtain Stern’s Business degree, students must complete a series of core business classes, in addition to concentration requirements. The Social Impact Core, Global Studies Core, Liberal Arts Core, and Business Core make up a strong foundation that covers multiple business disciplines. Before Stern students choose their concentrations in sophomore year, the first ‘real’ business class that they take is Business and its Publics (BIP) in freshman spring. BIP marks the beginning of business education, and is the opening course in the Social Impact curriculum. It combines plenary, which brings in distinguished speakers, and discourse, which encourages students to explore the role of business in society. Students usually take the next class, Organizational Communications and Its Social Context, in their sophomore years. The course studies the social processes of influence and persuasion, and allows students to hone their presentation skills. Juniors take Law, Business, and Society, a course that explores how law and commerce intersect. The final class, Professional Responsibility and Leadership (PRL), challenges students to consider the economic and ethical aspects of leadership before the seniors enter the business world. Spotlight: Business and Its Publics (BIP) Originally designed over fifteen years
ago, the BIP course aims to expose students to important ideas about the relationships and responsibilities of business in society. In 2004, Dean Sally Blount pushed to broaden Stern’s social impact curriculum. BIP was redesigned to give students more opportunities to learn and write about social impact. The course inspires students to not only recognize that corporate responsibility is important, but to put concerns into action by seeing social problems as business opportunities. Faculty Perspective Professor Robert Lyon developed the discourse component and teaching materials for BIP, in addition to Commerce and Culture (another composition and introduction business course). Course Weaknesses: BIP currently has a complicated and rather cumbersome design. The discourse and plenary materials and topics are not always in sync. Students and faculty both recognize that coherence between the two components is an ongoing challenge. However, some structural unwieldiness may be inevitable due to scheduling challenges. Plenary speakers are typically distinguished individuals who have passions for certain topics and schedules that may be difficult to work around. Course Strengths: The course has a high caliber of professors and instructors. Past speakers include Robert F. Kennedy, Steve Forbes, and Cory Booker. Students also tend to be particularly fascinated by the plenary session featuring Walt Pavlo and his experience with whitecollar crime. It is interesting to note that this is the accompanying discourse sec-
tion that has the least material to work with, in terms of applications to the role of business in society (perhaps, the plenary topic is further explored in PRL).
Stern Social Solutions Project Lab (SSP) The Stern Social Solutions Project Lab (SSP) is a co-curricular program for students to research and develop their own project ideas for social ventures or startup businesses that will address social problems and create shared value. Relatively new, SSP selects a small group of freshmen (the current class has fifteen students) from the BIP course through an application process at the beginning of the semester. These students are offered additional programming and resources to fully plan out their projects. For example, students this semester were invited to attend the Social Innovation Symposium, which was a joint social enterprise conference sponsored by NYU Law, NYU Stern, and NYU Wagner. Starting from Cycle 2, selected students follow a separate curriculum guideline and prompt for their papers and discourse journals. The program culminates in a paper that asks students to evaluate their projects based on utility, practicality, and ethical concerns. Recently, incoming Stern students have shown growing interest in the program and awareness of social ventures. The trend is expected to continue, as the Fall 2013 BIP class had a record number of applications. It is very likely that SSP will expand in the future, as interest and demand for social impact initiatives continue to grow.
College Years | 5
6 | College Years
What was the reason why you chose to go to this location? I was drawn to the idea of broadening my horizons in an unfamiliar setting like Prague. It was also important to me to travel a lot during my time abroad and Prague’s central location ensured that this would be possible.
What was the best memory you had while abroad? Halloween was probably one of the most memorable. The Czechs take Halloween very seriously – extravagant costumes, decorations and all. NYU actually threw all of the study abroad students a giant Halloween party so it was a lot of fun to get dressed up experience the holiday in a foreign country. What was the hardest thing to get used to?
The language barrier. I had assumed that most people I would meet would have Basic English skills but that was definitely not the case in Prague. What is one must-do others should check out?
If you’re studying abroad in Prague take advantage of how close Germany is and take a trip out to Berlin. I absolutely fell in love with Berlin and the vast amount of history that was found there. Not to mention, the food is delicious! A train ticket from Prague to Germany is pretty inexpensive so I’d highly recommend checking it out. What is one piece of advice you’d give to people coming here?
Don’t underestimate how much there is to see and do in Prague. Research the sights and activities!
College Years | 7
What was the reason why you chose to go to this location?
What was the reason why you chose to go to this location?
First, I decided to go to London as a BPE student. My second reason to go there was because I used to live in London as a kid, and attended Middle School there. I wanted to know what it felt like to live in London as a young adult and college student.
I really wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of being abroad, step out of my comfort zone, and meet new people. A lot of my friends chose to study abroad in Prague, so I decided in the end to study in Shanghai to give myself the opportunity to build new friendships.
What was the best memory you had while abroad?
When all my pledge brothers and friends who were studying abroad in Prague came to visit me and the other brothers who were studying in London. Just chilling with them after so long as an experience I will always cherish. What was the hardest thing to get used to?
Since I had lived in London before, I didn’t have much trouble in settling in. However, getting used to the currency (the Pound) and using public transport did take some time. What is one must-do others should check out?
Take advantage of the rich history that Britain has to offer. Go to different historical sites such as Bath and the Stone-henge. Also, even though we have Broadway here in NYC, the theater district in London called the West End is on a league of its own, and everyone must go. Additionally, most of the people who’re studying abroad are of legal age in Europe, so definitely go on different pub-crawls! What is one piece of advice you’d give to people coming here? NYU London organizes a bunch of free trips for you, so definitely make the most of those!
What was the best memory you had while abroad? When I first got to Shanghai, my aunt and I had one day to explore as many places in Shanghai as we could. After exploring places like the Pearl Tower and Xintiandi, we decided to explore the Bund at night. It still is one of the most beautiful attractions I have ever seen. What was the hardest thing to get used to?
Again, I knew it was a risk to study abroad without my closest friends, so it was difficult at first being on my own. There are also many cultural differences that can be a little overwhelming at first, but you learn to accept those differences. What is one must-do others should check out?
Traveling is relatively cheap in Shanghai and China overall. I would highly recommend traveling to Guilin and Yangshuo. Both are very naturally beautiful and filled with attractions, such as Elephant Trunk Hill and Reed Flute Cave. What is one piece of advice you’d give to people coming here?
To keep an open mind and to not let cultural differences prevent you from exploring.
8 | College Years
Featured Club
Interview with the Co-President: Aileen Jiang Quick Bio: Aileen Jiang Major: Finance and Economics Minor: Social Entrepreneurship Interests: Eating desserts, social innovation, youth & community development, and traveling Favorite quote: “Go into the world and do well. But most importantly, go into the world and do good.”
By Angela Xu
Q: Can you start out by giving a brief overview of Net Impact at NYU and then explaining a little about what goes on at your club meetings? A: Sure! Net Impact is an international organization, and its goal is to encourage and inspire both students and young professionals to look at how they can make a social impact in the community through their careers. [Net Impact] has a lot of different chapters around the world, and so we have a chapter here at NYU, for the undergraduates. We call ourselves Net Impact, but officially, we are the undergraduate chapter of NYU Net Impact. Since we’re based in Stern, for us specifically, we focus on the intersection of doing good and doing business. With that said, we’re still open to the rest of NYU. We’re very open to students from CAS, Gallatin, etc. We have general weekly meetings, where we invite speakers to talk about different topics. So, for example, next week we’re having Kiva past week we had Warby Parker come in. It’s a
company that has a ‘buy one, give one’ model and really incorporates social responsibility into their corporate business model. In the past, we’ve had Goldman Sachs come in to talk about social impact bonds, and how you can invest in not just the financial markets, but you could also invest in building a community. So we’ve had a whole range of speakers come in. Generally, we hold these meetings every Monday during common hour. Q: Thanks, and I’ve heard that Net Impact also has launched different initiatives to encourage student involvement. Can you elaborate on these events?
A: Yep! One of the initiatives that we have is the Net Impact Consulting Core, which focuses on exploring that intersection between consulting and social impact. So we’ve been doing this for two years. This spring, we are partnering with Kinvolved, which is a for-profit education start-up that uses technology to help students perform better in school. Last year, we partnered with Violet Health, which tries to solve the problem of, basically, anemic pregnant women in India. Usually these women don’t want to take iron pills for two reasons. One is that, well, taking pills means that you’re sick, and they don’t think that
being pregnant is the same as being sick. The second is just that they don’t like the taste. So this company created these iron-filled biscuits, which are more culturally appropriate. So that’s another idea for social enterprise, and last year students in the club consulted for that. The overall idea of the consulting program is basically that the students are doing the same thing that any consultant does, but doing it for a company that has a social impact spin on it. Q: So do you guys work with the professionals?
A: Yeah! So we actually work directly with the CEOs and the founders, which is what’s so great about the program. And they can provide direct advice and direct help, and be involved in the process, which is great learning experience for students who are in the program. Both of the companies that I’ve mentioned are actually both previous winners of the Social Impact Business Challenge on the grad side of NYU. So, that’s pretty awesome. Q: What challenges does Net Impact face at NYU?
A: I actually strongly think that most people don’t know what Net Impact is but that is fine. We are working on branding and see ourselves as a casual club that can form long lasting relationships between people at meetings.
College Years
10 | Brother Spotlights
THE CREATORS
WHAT IT IS
The Stern Art Gallery is a visual arts exhibition that will be held annually each spring during April for one day. The Stern Art Gallery displays the artwork of students from the Stern Undergraduate School of Business, providing students a rare opportunity to showcase their work publicly in a professional gallery setting. In addition to exposing Stern to the arts present on campus, the Stern Art Gallery also fosters a community for the visual arts within the Undergraduate College.
Brother Nick Wang along with his fellow board members Noah Sperber and Adrienne Liu. The Stern Art Gallery was recently awarded as the Stern’s Best New Initiative on behalf of Delta Sigma Pi and the Stern and Tisch Entertainment Business Association. The creators took student self-submitted entries ranging from paintings, to photography and showcased them in an aesthetically creative manner in the two rooms of the gallery.
Brother Spotlights | 11
Brother spotlight: Kathy Hong By Megna Narasimhan
Each issue we feature a brother who has contributed a lot to our fraternity. This issue, we feature brother Kathy Hong, Vice President Community Service. Read to find out about some of the unique ways in which she has given back to our fraternity. Q&A Where are you from and why did you decide to come to NYU Stern? I am from a very small town just outside of Sacramento, California; I always knew that I wanted to go to the East Coast and try something different. So ultimately I decided on NYU because New York provides an experience that’s unlike any other school and I felt like I would get the most opportunities here. What are you studying at Stern? Finance and Marketing.
Why did you join DSP? Coming from a small school that was very focused on school spirit, football games and sports, I was in search of a community feeling. It was very different for me to come to a huge school like NYU where I didn’t know anyone. I was really looking for a community that I could rely on. What are some extracurricular activities you’re involved in?
I am involved in a number of activites on campus. I am on the E-Board for Marketing Society. My role is the Membership Manager, so I am in charge of all the members as well as their specific events and requirements. I analyze the status of how many members are in Marketing Society and how efficiently we are achieving new members as opposed to last years. I am also on the Stern Program Board which is essentially a group of students that work directly with OSE to plan and fund various events for the Stern Student Body that promote community building. I am also very involved with community service on campus. I am involved with Stern Cares and have
always enjoying giving back to the community. Going off of that, I was the VP of Community Service this past year. I’ve planned several events including the Stern Blood Drive, the Stern Clothing Swap, a volunteer event with Mighty Mutts as well as Junior Achievement day and Passport Day. Of these activities, which do you enjoy the most and why?
I love all of my activities because they are all centered on building a community and giving back to this same community. However, of all these extracurriculars I would have to say I take the most pride in being in Delta Sigma Pi. I am really passionate about being the VP of Community Service because I have a direct role in sharing my passion for service with my fellow brothers. I will service as the Senior Vice President of Delta Sigma Pi next year where I hope that I can continue to make a positive impact upon the Stern community. What are some interesting internships you’ve had thus far?
Last summer I worked at a marketing research firm and I found the work really interesting. I got to work with a variety of high profile companies and analyze their data to provide create solutions to various problems these companies were facing. What are your plans for this upcoming summer?
This upcoming summer I will be doing marketing for card services at American Express. I am super excited because I’ll be doing work that is really interesting to me and I will have the chance to work on a product in the financial services sector that has such a direct impact on people’s daily lives.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I really enjoy taking dance classes in my free time. I took Jazz and Ballet classes in the past. I hope to take classes at a dance studio called Twinkle Toes in the near future. What is your favorite thing to do in New York? I really love to try new restaurants and explore new cuisines. I enjoy eating brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and dessert! My favorite place is called La Esquina, which is better known as “The Corner”. It’s right on the corner of Broome and Center. From the front it looks like a rather sketchy take-out window, but if you get a reservation ahead of time, you are taken to a hidden longue that has some really great food! I also love eating dessert. I am obsessed with Lady M crepe cakes and macaroons! What are some of your hopes for the future? I hope to be happy!
12 | Propelling Your Career
By Griffin Carlborg, Amber Huang and Lauren Tai
Preparing for an interview is just as crucial as performing well during the Interview. So here are the steps you should master: The Night before the Interview: 1. Check your email for the updated time and place. Most recruiters will email you in advance the address and time of your interview. Make sure you know how long and how to get to the location.
2. Research the firm. This means updating yourself on the recent news of the firm, familiarize with the professionals you had met before, and rereading position requirements. How much you know about the firm will be tested.
MEN A variety of options and combinations are appropriate when thinking about what the modern businessman should where to an interview. An outfit is a reflection of preparation and personality; however, should never draw attention away from the speaker.
Suit: When it comes to suiting fit is everything. Regardless of a slim or classic fit tailor the suit to fit the man. Appropriate colors are blue and grey.
Dress shirt: A blue or white colored button-down is essential. A variety of collar types exist, some with buttons some without. In general, most are appropriate and collar type should complement facial shape.
3. Review your resume. Knowing yourself well is a good way to stay prepared for any fit question. This will help you remember what points and interests you publicized, so you won’t get thrown off if the interviewer ask you about a bullet point.
Tie: Play it safe with a simple color and conservative size. A tie should not be too skinny or too wide and always should hit the beltline when tied. Look for a size that is between two and a quarter to two and three quarters inches wide. If the tie has a small pattern pair it with a suit with no pattern or a larger pattern and vice versa.
5. Read the news. Give yourself a crash course on the recent headlines and important events. Nothing says “professional” like someone who is aware of the world and the news.
Belt: A belt should be leather and the same color as the shoes. The belt buckle should be conservative and never large or flashy.
4. Iron your attire. Make sure your shirt and suit is clean and tailored. How you look during the interview will show if you are professional and detail oriented.
Shoes: Black or brown leather dress shoes are both appropriate. Shoes should be clean and shined. Brown shoes look impeccable with a navy suit and black shoes look sharp with a grey suit. However, regardless shoes can be either black or brown.
Propelling Your Career | 13
WOMEN Women have more options when it comes to what to wear to an interview. However, it is important to keep in mind the following tips. Blazer: Invest in a quality blazer that will last after many wears. Appropriate colors include black and grey. Most importantly, pay attention to fit. Slacks or skirt: Make sure slacks or skirts match the blazer. Skirts should be a solid, uniform color and rest at a comfortable knee-length.
Dress shirt: A blue or white colored collared button-down is always safe. However, there is more flexibility when it comes to dress shirts. Remember to wear solid colors and keep shirts as wrinkle-free as possible.
Heels or flats: Make sure shoes are solid colored with no patterns or flashy designs. Black shoes are always safe. If going with heels, make sure they remain at a conservative 1-2� height. Remember to practice walking in heels before going in for the interview. Notebook: It may be useful to pack a notebook, office supplies and lip-moisturizer in the purse or bag you bring.
Hair: It is extremely important to not play with hair during the interview. If you have that tendency, tie your hair up in a ponytail beforehand. Otherwise, keep hair back and clear of the face.
After the Interview: Take a breath, because you survived! After giving yourself a high-five, note down the conversation you had with the interviewer. For example, did you guys talk about a common interest or had an intellectual debate about a certain topic, write it down! This will help you create content when you send your thank-you emails later. It will also help the interviewer remember you better. Keep the business cards safe, so you can reach out to them later with further inquiries.
14 | Propelling Your Career
Propelling Your Career | 15
16 | Propelling Your Career
Features | 17
Two alumni help nonprofit grow By Jenny Zhang
I
n a competitive undergraduate business school, students are constantly pushed towards careers in consulting and investment banking and lost in the grind of classes, internships, and industry-based clubs. Two Delta Sigma Pi brothers sought a more well-rounded experience and explored a new path of their own. Yoon Chang, a 2009 Stern graduate, and Eric Ha, a 2011 Stern graduate, discovered the Grace’s Children Orphanage and made their impact in the lives of hundreds of children in Kenya. The Grace’s Children Orphanage is a non-profit organization based in Kenya. Kenya is still tribal and practices superstition. If a child is born disabled, they are deemed useless, cursed, and thus abandoned and in extreme cases even killed by their families. Grace’s Children cares for mothers who have escaped with their children by providing them with healthcare and a home. Yoon Chang studied Finance and Accounting at the New York University’s Stern School of Business from 2005 to 2009. In his senior year of college, Yoon co-founded Pineseed America, a consulting firm that worked with non-profit organizations. Pineseed soon went to Africa per one of its founders’ interests, and there it met Grace’s Children Orphanage. Pineseed helped Grace reorganize its business structure in finance and marketing. They also created a sustainability program, where they hired workers to build houses that were then rented out to other non-profit organizations. The rent on these houses provided a steady income for the Grace’s Children Orphanage. Despite the sustainability program, however, Grace’s Children still needed more funds in order to provide for their orphans. Eric Ha studied Finance and Economics at Stern from 2007 to 2011. In 2009, he joined Yoon in his journey with Grace’s Children. Eric worked with the North American side of Grace where
he was responsible for raising money and organizing fundraisers. Grace also started a partnership with GO Campaign, a non-profit organization that raises awareness and funds for orphans all around the world. The kick-off fundraiser took place at the Racquet and Tennis Club and attracted donors from a wide variety of industries. Despite hard work and research with the organization, however, it is difficult to promote Grace’s purpose without seeing the situation first-hand. Thus, in the year after graduation, Yoon travelled to Kenya to meet the board of directors, management, and children of Grace. There, he experienced hours driving on nonexistent roads, constantly stopping for nomads and wildlife and also learned to take extremely quick showers. “When I first got there I took a fifteen-minute shower and that killed their day’s water supply. I felt really bad about that.” Despite these circumstances, however, the mothers who lived with the organization kept living conditions very clean and the people could not have been friendlier. Yoon spoke of the significant personal impact of the trip: “Throughout this trip I built relationships with the underprivileged and gained a new perspective. For example, if I encounter a problem at work now, I think, ‘is this really that difficult?’ I have learned to be more calm and appreciative.” Under Yoon and Eric’s hard work, Grace’s Children Orphanage has started off strong. However, there is still much room for growth and improvement. They both hope to see the sustainability program further develop and the young people of Stern today learning about this cause at GO Campaign and attending future fundraisers and events. Yoon was confident in the Grace’s future: “Someday, I hope these children can go to college, pursue career, and make it through the rest of their lives to show the world that children with disabilities can be just like anyone else.”
18 | Features
Features | 19
Live to Give: Inspiring support for charities
Winners of the 2013 Stern Social Impact Business Challenge, Live to Give’s creators discuss develop of their charity
By Shahryar Bachani
J
osh Dean and Alex Cardinale are both sophomores in Stern & Steinhardt respectively. They met a week before NYU started as both of them were participants in the service initiative called Project Outreach. Their story began when Josh pitched her the idea for Live to Give while eating dinner. Alex, who was deeply passionate about creating change through social media, immediately said yes. Live To Give is a for-profit venture. They empowers passionate individuals to share their stories and inspire others to support their favorite charities. They’re in the business of storytelling. Live To Give recently won the 2013 Stern Social Impact Business Challenge, and are currently semi-finalists in the NYU Reynolds Changemaker Competition and the NYU Stern Berklee Center Entrepreneurs Challenge, as the competitions are still underway. They also recently travelled to Arizona for the 2014 Clinton Global Initiative University Program. Q&A with Live To Give: Shahryar Bachani: So tell us what does L2G is all about?
Pictured above are the two creators of Live to Give, Josh Dean and Alex Cardinale.
$38K, but with Enable we raised only $3K. I identified the problem as a lack of a fundraising platform, and I came to Stern to build a centralized fundraising platform for any nonprofit to use. Once I started working in the social impact space, I realized that stories were so compelling and so powerful, so we built Live To Give: Live To Give humanizes our Live To Give around story. world’s most complex problems through personal stories, making them more SB: How has NYU and Stern helped compelling to support through dona- you in developing L2G? tions. It is a person-to-person storytelling platform for people to raise money L2G: Stern is playing a crucial role as for nonprofit organizations. People cre- we grow our business. Net Impact has ate personal fundraising pages for non- allowed me to hear incredible speakers profits, and Live To Give guides them and build relationships. Stern Internathrough sharing their personal story. We tional Volunteers, likewise, allowed me know our stories have the potential to to engage with warmhearted students raise money for nonprofits, but we are and work with Peruvian pre-schoolers, most excited to see how stories can bring who I still think about everyday. Social people closer together. Solutions Project and Social Impact Stipends allowed us to get Live To Give off SB: How did you come up with the ini- the ground, and the Social Impact Busitial idea and what inspired you? ness Challenge is allowing us to grow. Without the support of Matt Statler, L2G: Back in high school I headed two Kristy McCadden, and the Business and fundraising campaigns: one for Relay For Society Office (the list goes on and on), Life and one for a small, local nonprofit, we would not have this unique opportuEnable. With Relay For Life we raised nity to start a social venture.
SB: What advice would you give the social entrepreneurs of the future? Everyone working in social impact is all trying to make the world a better place, so the community can be very collaborative. People are very happy to help aspiring social entrepreneurs. With that in mind, my biggest advice would be to talk to as many people as possible, and reach out to people who inspire you. You may be surprised by who answers your emails and who is willing to pick up the phone and hear your ideas for a few minutes. L2G: If you had to change something about the Social Impact Core at Stern, what would it be and why?
The Social Impact Core is great. We have so many incredible programs available, such as Stern International Volunteers and Social Impact Stipends. My hope is that more people will look into taking advantage of these programs, and that we can continue to build a social impact community within Stern that can tie together students from different programs.
20 | Features
By Sabrina Chow and Lauren Tai
W
hen starting up Think Coffee, CEO Jason Scherr just wanted a place where people could gather and hang out in. Initially, Scherr held a very hands-off attitude about the business, thinking he would only be a passive investor. However, as the business grew, Scherr became just the opposite. He became highly involved, even developing personal relations with the company’s coffee bean suppliers. Now, with five locations in New York City, Think Coffee delivers a high degree of social responsibility, fair trade, and local community support per cup of coffee. Think Coffee gives back in a variety of ways. It focuses on what it can do to help others based on its relationships with coffee bean farmers in countries such as Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Ethiopia. Its team values developing long-term, trustworthy relationships with farmers in South American countries so that in return they can help start up farm and social projects to improve the lives of those abroad. Examples of projects Think has done in
the past include building schools in Nicaragua, supplying classroom equipment and providing feminine hygiene products to young girls. Furthermore, Think Coffee features a unique “Travel Blog” on its website that is constantly updated with new on-grounds visits to farm sites. In addition to foreign relationships, local ones are just as important. Think Coffee donates ten-percent of its proceeds to local charity organizations located near the respective coffee shop. This act branches out from Scherr’s goal of developing a community, even within a big city. Scherr has developed his interests in giving back by being personally involved in the Grand Street Settlement, sitting on its board of directors. When asked what motivates Scherr to be involved in social impact activities, he replies, “I like to think that I’m a nice guy.” He realizes what impact he can have on the world through his witnessing of real world experiences of various survival and happiness situations. Thus, Think Coffee’s motto is: “Doing good, brewing better.”
Features | 21 Q & A with Jason Scherr AlphaMag: How did Think Coffee come to be, how did you develop the idea of Think Coffee and how did it originate? Jason Scherr: We decided there was a huge void of places where people could hang out and we decided to open up a coffee shop. The idea was to be as socially responsible as possible to create that goodwill. As time went on, we started getting on planes to meet farmers to understand where our coffee came from. We learned that free trade doesn’t necessarily take place or apply - each place has different reasons for it either to work or not work.
A: How do you think you differentiate from places like Starbucks and Peet’s and other big corporations? JS: One of the things is that we don’t have our staff in uniforms and we don’t give them a script to read from, and there’s a lot more discretion given to our staff, which I think makes them want to work here.I think that they don’t put as much faith in their staff - there is a certain skillset required to create a good drink, and they don’t necessarily try to create that skillset. All the machines they use are very automated machines so that every drink tastes exactly the same. And maybe not all our drinks taste exactly the same every time, but we have tried to empower
our staff to do something that is sort of more interesting. A: What made you care so much about the social responsibility side of the company and where did you get the inspiration to have a social impact side to making coffee?
JS: Well, I’d like to think that I’m a nice guy. We’re there so make sure people who didn’t get medical care before now get medical care. For example, we agree to pay in advance for one of our coffee suppliers. I do think there is some marketing benefit to doing it, but frankly the marketing benefit is outweighed by the importance of doing something good. It’s a very subtle message; we do it because partly there is a marketing benefit but mostly because it’s just the right thing to do. A: How do you specifically sell the social impact side of the company to customers that may not put that into consideration when they are choosing a specific coffee shop?
JS: We do things on social media and have certain countertop information saying this is what we’ve done. If you look at our bags, it tells you something. However, it’s an organic process, not something that’s going to happen over night. The one thing we’re trying to communicate is that we have personal relationships with the farmers, and that
we treat them like friends. The other thing is that we actually tell you what’s in our coffee. If you go to most coffee shops and you get their blend, they won’t really know where their coffee comes from, but we put it on the side of our bags. You can be assured that that’s what’s in your cup, no one else is doing that even from boutiques to Starbucks. A: Do these farmers only supply to you, or do they also supply to other coffee stores? A: Why coffee? JS: Well, I just see coffee, maybe tea, as a community growing drink. There are a lot of juice bars and smoothie places, but you just kind of grab it and go. I think there’s something about coffee that brings people together and has for centuries. A: Do you have any advice for young entrepreneurs or social entrepreneurs?
JS: Really nail down what your principles are in advance and just stick to them. We’ve committed in advance that we’re going to do all these things with coffee: we’re going to fly there, we’re going to donate, we’re going to spend twice as much on compostable cups. We’ve committed in advance, and by doing that, we’ve stuck to it. But if we were designing on the fly, I don’t think so.
22 | Lifestyle
A review of local coffee joints popular amongst the NYU student community By Sabrina Chow and Lauren Tai
Crowdedness rating: 5/ 5 Special items: • Espresso drinks • Iced lattes Free Wi-Fi Stamp Card Daily tastings at 2pm
Crowdedness rating: 3 / 5 Special items: • Indonesian menu • Famous fried rice Large seating areas 10% NYU Student Discount NYU Campus Cash
Crowdedness rating: 5 / 5 Special items: • Free sandwiches on Thurs (Paypal) • Vegan pies, cakes Free Wi-Fi 10% Student Discount
The Delta Sigma Pi Tasting Menu By Jenny Li
5 bite-sized reviews to help you find that next fancy spot to splurge: that hole-in-the wall that won’t put a hole in your wallet, or that new ethnic cuisine you’ve always wanted to try.
Xi’an Famous Foods $ East Village Cuisine: Chinese Dangerously spicy, and dangerously cheap! Praised by Anthony Bourdain himself after trying the steamy cumin spiced lamb burgers, Hand-Pulled noodles, and Liang Pao Po Soup – Xi’an Famous Foods is very close to noodle enlightenment.
Pio Pio $$ Hell’s Kitchen Cuisine: Peruvian A great spot for larger groups – the ambiance is lively and the portions are perfect for sharing (read: huge!). Order for the table and be prepared to leave with your stomachs at maximum capacity. The chicken, sangria, and green sauce are never to disappoint!
Salinas $$$ Chelsea Cuisine: Spanish One of the first things to point out about Salinas is its stunning interior and gorgeous ambiance; needless to say, it’s great for a romantic dinner or cozy catch-up with friends. Enjoy an amazing, well-rounded tapas menu with plenty of mains and sides to keep you interested.
Lifestyle | 23
By Sue Chen
Trying to avoid Summer Analyst or First Year 15? Here is a walkthrough of how to plan your meals throughout the day: Breakfast is important to kick start your day and your metabolism. These are quick and can be taken on the go as you try to beat the AM traffic.
Breakfast:
Make at Home – Oatmeal with Cinnamon & Banana or Green Power Smoothie Au Bon Pain – Egg Whites, Cheddar & Avocado on a Skinny Bagel & Coffee $6.50 The egg whites cut calories by more than 50 calories per egg! You can also substitute the cheddar for a lighter cheese. You should use lunch to get to know your team or network, but that doesn’t mean sacrificing your health.
Lunch:
Dig Inn Seasonal Market – Market Platter – Large for $11 or $14.50 with double protein I highly recommend the lemon chicken, spicy meatballs, kale apple salad and roasted sweet potatoes. Calories: 450-650 Piada – Grilled Chicken Salad with Sundried Tomatoes and Provolone - $10 Ask for whole wheat Piada bread – it
comes free with your order!
Hopefully you’ve got a $25 seamless allowance – here’s how to maximize your health with it:
Dinner:
Kale – Build Your Own Platter with Power Green Juice- $15.50-$18.50 Kale offers something similar to Dig Inn, but has a wider variety of healthy options. I recommend something with Kale in it, as it does seem to be their specialty! Leafage – Quintucky Fried Chicken with Power Smoothie - $25 I love the Quintucky Fried Chicken salad. It’s chicken breaded in quinoa, making this totally guilt-free favorite delicious and served on a bed of greens and other mixed vegetables.
Additional Tips:
-Drink water! Before you make your second pantry coffee, drink a cup of water instead. - Snack healthy! You might not always have time to grab a bite, but keeping healthy snacks at your desk could save you. Stock granola bars, dried fruit, or your favorite baked chips. -Eat complex carbs and plenty of veggies. It’ll keep you full longer. - When going out with the team, stick to a light beer (or a glass of wine).
Lifestyle | 25
By Sue Chen
E
n is dimly lit, with interiors of dark wood and choice indoor plants. You immediately feel a little more tranquil stepping inside and out of NYC’s hustle and bustle. There’s a coat check at the conveniently by the door so you can shrug out of your winter layers before enjoying a quiet meal. I shared the En Kaiseki-Soyokaze tasting menu with my dinner party and we were not disappointed. Each course was perfectly sized and a satisfying combination of flavor and texture. We began with O-Banzai, which is the chef’s selection of small Kyoto-style appetizers, to cleanse the palate and pique our appetites. Between the three were a combination of pickled vegetables, mushrooms, bamboo and other less distinguishable ingredients. The flavors ranged from sour, spicy and mildly sweet. The next course was the Chef’s Sashimi Selection. This one was a little underwhelming just due to the small portions (and this is a small Asian girl talking) but then again, I’m a lover of sashimi and maybe I
just wanted more. Either way the fish was fresh and of good quality, I’m simply upset it disappeared so quickly. Next was the Saikyo Miso Black Cod, which was by far my favorite course of the night. The cod was so well marinated, the flavor burst in your mouth as the fish melted like butter with each bite. The texture and flavor here were perfect. I was so impressed and would order this as an entrée for my next trip. I had heard a lot of hype about En’s house made fresh tofu and I was not disappointed. The tofu was firm and had an amazing flavor and freshness that could only be home made. Paired with the house soy sauce, it was a great pause before we dived into the last three courses. More than halfway through the tasting menu, and I had yet to be disappointed (minus my selfish sashimi outburst). The Stone Grilled Organic Chicken was also very well done. The chicken could have borrowed the marinated quality of the cod but it was still good. The garlic flavor wasn’t overwhelming and the stone
grill gave it a unique charred flavor. The second to last course was the most disappointing of the set. Maybe I had spoken too soon before the chicken. The Chilled Soba came with a dashi dipping sauce, but overall mediocre compared to the prior courses. The flavor was subtle to prepare your palette for dessert soon to come, but the noodle texture and consistency just didn’t meet my expectations. The final course was of course: dessert! We were served the seasonal Kisetsu No Ice Cream, which was pumpkin. This was fantastic and a lovely way to end a (mostly) lovely meal. The pumpkin wasn’t too sweet and filled with all the spices and flavors that usually accompany it. Overall, En was a great dining experience. The food was great, perfectly proportioned, and wellbalanced in terms of flavor and texture. The service is polite and unobtrusive. I highly recommend En for an intimate dinner for two, or a small group that would enjoy great food and great conversation.