From Here, To There

In this episode, we discuss the volatility of the finance sector, skills and experiences needed for success in market operations, and what recruiters are looking for in newly graduated college students in private bank corporations with Shikha Jindal. Shikha is a Managing Director and Head of Structured Product Distribution for Private Banks and Latin America at Barclays, based in New York.  Joining the firm in 2010, her main focus has been the distribution of cross-asset structured derivatives linked to Equities, Rates, Credit and FX as well as OTC products.  Shikha brings 15 years’ experience in the derivatives space, starting her career at Lehman Brothers, followed by roles at Citigroup and RBS Sempra Commodities. She graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University in 2007 with degrees in Economics and International Relations.

In this episode, we speak with Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez, an alum of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Victor graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in 2003. He is an international award-winning street artist now based in Brooklyn, NY who combines elements of street and pop culture with Mexican and indigenous aesthetics, in a style he calls “Neo Indigenous.” We discuss supporting first-generation students, pursuing your passion, and finding balance between personal work and corporate collaborations in the arts.

In this episode, we talk to Taylor McVay, who graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 2009. McVay is an artist, designer, and educator who is passionate about slow fashion. She has a sewing pattern company, Blueprints For Sewing, and is opening a sewing studio (patchworkcommunitycraft.com). In this episode, we talk about starting your own business in the arts, navigating systems that go against your values and finding your niche, and having many experiences that culminate into a passionate career.

In this episode, we are joined by the current president of Tufts Finance Group, Smrithi Eswar '23, and alumni Jill Ford '93, who is a Managing Director of CS First Boston and Co-Head of Americas Equity Capital Markets (ECM), based in New York City. While at Tufts, Jill majored in Quantitative Economics and French. We talk about breaking into investment banking from a liberal arts school, navigating career paths in finance, and Jill gives some advice for finding your own passion. 

In this episode, we talk to Helina Metaferia, who graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 2015 with an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art. Metaferia is currently an Assistant Professor of Visual Art at Brown University and a multidisciplinary artist who uses collage, video, and other media to integrate Black bodies in positions of power and vulnerability. We talk about networking, finding residencies, and building a career in the arts.

In this episode, we talk to Jessica Côté, who graduated in 1993 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She later went to graduate school to get a degree in Ocean Engineering, and now runs her own ocean engineering business, Blue Coast. We talk about how mentors can help you in your career, how to find and pursue your own niche, and the importance of networking.

In this episode, we talk with Jona Tanguay, who graduated in 2018 with a degree in biology. After graduating from the Yale School of Medicine Physician Associate Program, they began practicing and specializing in care for LGBTQ and other underserved populations. We talk about the practical differences between being a Doctor and a Physician Associate, how to find a career that fits your personality, and the process of applying to graduate programs.

In this episode, we talk to Nick Cutsumpas, who graduated in 2014 with degrees in Psychology and Entrepreneurship. He now runs Farmer Nick, a plant coaching business. We discuss how pivots in one’s career paths can come in the moment when you least expect it, how concepts from his Tufts courses have helped him navigate his business, and how his passion for regenerative environmental action and justice has manifested through his work.

In this episode, we talk to Thomas Rind, who graduated from the Electrical and Computer Engineering program in 2018. He just started as a software engineer at Google. We talk about what computer engineering really is, tech industry work environments, and what different jobs can look like for software engineers.