In the final episode of the season, hosts Ray Horton and Sandi Wright lead listeners into an engaging live discussion with eight distinguished Columbia Business School alumni, whose careers in social enterprise span industries from climate adaptation to financial inclusion, education equity, and impact investing.

Together, they explore critical themes emerging from this season's conversations:

• The evolving role of business schools in social enterprise: From experiential learning to incubating nonprofits, alumni share how Columbia Business School shaped their journeys.

• Mentorship as a cornerstone of success: Guests reflect on how mentors have guided their careers and the importance of building meaningful relationships beyond networking.

• Leadership in illiberal times: Facing challenges like reduced federal funding and political polarization, nonprofit leaders discuss strategies for resilience, advocacy, and coalition-building.

This episode is a testament to the power of social enterprise as a force for positive change amidst uncertainty. The alumni share personal stories of impact — from transforming corporate mindsets to empowering vulnerable communities — and offer advice for aspiring leaders navigating complex societal challenges.

Featured guests:

• Meyer Feldberg Dean Emeritus and Professor at Columbia Business School

• Russell L. Carson '67 Chairman of The Carson Family Charitable Trust

• R. Glenn Hubbard Dean Emeritus and Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics at Columbia Business School

• Costis Maglaras Dean and David and Lyn Silfen Professor of Business at Columbia Business School

• Rohit Aggarwala '00 Chief Climate Officer and Commissioner of Environmental Protection at the City of New York

• Phoebe Boyer '93 President and CEO of Children's Aid

• Ron Gonen '04 Founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners

• Kaushik Kappagantulu '17 Co-founder and CEO of Kheyti

• Lindsay Kruse '06 CEO of All Means All

• Mary Jane McQuillen '07 Head of ESG and Portfolio Manager at Clearbridge

• Daniel Nissenbaum '88 CEO of Low Income Investment Fund

• Justine Zinkin '02 CEO of Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners

Key Takeaways:

• Business schools can be powerful incubators for social enterprise ideas — guests share how they leveraged courses, competitions, and networks to launch impactful ventures.

• Mentorship goes beyond networking; it involves long-term relationships that challenge and inspire growth at pivotal career moments.

• Resilience is vital in illiberal times — leaders must adapt through stakeholder management, storytelling, coalition-building, and creative problem-solving.

Memorable Quotes:

• "Lone wolves don't get very far in social enterprise." – Ray Horton on the importance of mentorship and collaboration.

• "We are in the opportunity business." – Phoebe Boyer on creating pathways for vulnerable children through Children's Aid programs.

• "Great reputations are built in times of crisis." – Ron Gonen on seeing challenges as opportunities for leadership and innovation.

Special Thanks:

This episode would not have been possible without support from the Tamer Institute team: Diana Rambau, Hannah Slow, and Sandra Navalli '03. And a special thanks to first-year MBA students, Sofia Martins '26 and Dominica Wambold '26 for all their help throughout the season.

Stay tuned for season three as we continue exploring the forces shaping modern political economy with insights from across the Columbia campus!

Subscribe to More MPE wherever you get your podcasts. Visit morempe.com, or drop us a line at [email protected].

More MPE is co-hosted by Sandi Wright and produced by The Podcast Consultant. Special thanks to executive producer Hannah Slow and student producers Sofia Martins '26 and Dominica Wambold '26.

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In this episode of More MPE, hosts Ray Horton and Sandi Wright speak with Ron Gonen '04, founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners, a New York-based investment firm composed of venture capital, growth equity, private equity, project finance, and an innovation center focused on building the circular economy.

During this engaging interview, we discuss Gonen's career trajectory, and he offers lessons on the transferability of leadership skills across different sectors, from entrepreneurship to government and finance. He stresses the importance of adaptability in leadership styles, particularly in motivating teams across various environments. His experience in the New York City Sanitation Department as deputy commissioner of sanitation, recycling and sustainability taught him valuable lessons about executing for leadership and maintaining high standards of professionalism.

Gonen's interview provides valuable insights for current and future Business School students. He emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision and purpose when pursuing an MBA, advising students to tailor their education to their professional goals. Gonen's own experience at Columbia Business School demonstrates how he leveraged the School's resources, including the Greenhouse Program and Lang Fund, to develop and launch his first venture, RecycleBank. He highlights the significance of sales and HR skills, which he believes are often overlooked in top-tier MBA programs but are crucial for business success.

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Gonen advises complete commitment to the venture, cautioning against considering other options if truly dedicated to starting a business. He also emphasizes the importance of learning from failures and quickly adapting those lessons to future ventures. For those interested in impact-focused careers, Gonen suggests identifying and maximizing specific skill sets that can complement entrepreneurial ventures. Throughout the interview, Gonen's story underscores the potential for combining social impact with financial success, challenging the notion that these goals are mutually exclusive.

• Ron Gonen '04

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More MPE is co-hosted by Sandi Wright and produced by The Podcast Consultant. Special thanks to executive producer Hannah Slow and student producers Sofia Martins '26 and Dominica Wambold '26.

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In this episode of More MPE, hosts Ray Horton and Sandi Wright speak with Justine Zinkin '02, CEO of Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners, a national social enterprise providing financial services to low-income workers. Born and raised on New York's Upper West Side, Zinkin's journey into social enterprise was influenced by her family's academic background and her parents' diverse experiences.

Zinkin joined Neighborhood Trust directly after graduating from Columbia Business School in 2002, initially leading two separate but related organizations: Neighborhood Trust Federal Credit Union and Credit Where Credit Is Due. What she didn't know at the time is that she was inheriting two nearly insolvent organizations. Fortunately, she was able to turn things around by applying some of the things she learned in business school, like turnaround management.

Neighborhood Trust has changed a great deal under Zinkin's leadership, evolving from a local nonprofit financed entirely by donations to a national organization that earns 25 percent of its revenues by selling financial consulting services to other organizations. Her growth plans see the Trust financed almost entirely by earned income, with donations limited to serving the organization's research needs.

Looking ahead, Justine discusses the challenges facing Neighborhood Trust, including potential changes in consumer financial protections that would threaten the Trust's record of expanding the financial inclusion and empowerment of low-income workers. She closes by encouraging MBA students to pursue social enterprise careers, emphasizing the rewarding nature of applying business skills to solve intractable social problems.

• Justine Zinkin '02

Subscribe to More MPE wherever you get your podcasts. Visit morempe.com, or drop us a line at [email protected].

More MPE is co-hosted by Sandi Wright and produced by The Podcast Consultant. Special thanks to executive producer Hannah Slow and student producers Sofia Martins '26 and Dominica Wambold '26.

In this episode of More MPE, hosts Ray Horton and Sandi Wright speak with Kaushik Kappagantulu '17, co-founder and CEO of Kheyti, a groundbreaking social enterprise. Kappagantulu shares his journey from the conventional career in engineering his parents favored to founding a social enterprise aimed at lifting millions of India's small farmers out of poverty. Columbia Business School played an important, but somewhat atypical role, in the development of Kheyti.

The inspiration for Kheyti (also a portfolio member in our Tamer Fund for Social Ventures) was Kappagantulu's recognition that weather changes resulting from climate change were reducing the crops and thus the income of India's already impoverished farmers. In response, he and his colleagues developed a plan whose centerpiece is an easy-to-assemble greenhouse which, combined with other initiatives, would materially increase crop production and incomes.

Since Kheyti currently serves 10,000 farmers, scaling the plan is Kheyti's challenge and Kappagantulu's obsession. Among other things, he discusses why Kheyti needs to evolve from a traditional nonprofit funded by donations to a profitable organization funded by earned income; how this will create a market for Kheyti-like services that will attract competitors throughout India; and how the state-by-state government of India government plays an indispensable role in facilitating the transition.

• Kaushik Kappagantulu '17

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More MPE is co-hosted by Sandi Wright and produced by The Podcast Consultant. Special thanks to executive producer Hannah Slow and student producers Sofia Martins '26 and Dominica Wambold '26.

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In this episode of More MPE, hosts Ray Horton and Sandi Wright speak with Shaba Keys, adjunct faculty at Columbia University's School of Professional Studies Nonprofit Management Program, founder and president of the Bridge Lab, and a dynamic leader in academia and community development.

Born and raised in Washington, DC, Keys was deeply influenced by her parents, both educators who championed marginalized communities. This early exposure to civic engagement laid the foundation for her future in social enterprise.

After completing her BA at Tufts University and JD from Columbus School of Law, Keys's career took an unexpected turn. Her experiences during law school, particularly working with youth in detention centers, sparked her interest in addressing societal challenges. This led her to the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), where she gained a national perspective on community development.

Keys's work at LISC greatly influenced her career path. At Columbia University, in the offices of Government and Community Affairs and Strategic Initiatives, she focused on developing anchor institution programs and community support initiatives. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration between institutions and community organizations, and her unique position as both a professional and a community member allowed her to build trust and bridge gaps effectively.

The interview also highlights Keys's participation in the Tamer Institute's Senior Leaders Program for Nonprofit Professionals, which provided her with new perspectives on leadership and the value of peer learning. Her extensive board service, including roles with the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem and other organizations, underscores her commitment to community development and youth empowerment.

Keys concludes with advice for aspiring social enterprisers, encouraging them to maintain hope, embrace innovation, and recognize that there's a place for everyone in social sector work, regardless of their primary field of expertise.

• Shaba Keys

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More MPE is co-hosted by Sandi Wright and produced by The Podcast Consultant. Special thanks to executive producer Hannah Slow and student producers Sofia Martins '26 and Dominica Wambold '26.

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In this episode of More MPE, hosts Ray Horton and Sandi Wright speak with Mary Jane McQuillen '07, head of ESG and portfolio manager at Clearbridge Investments, on her journey into sustainable investing, which might not be what you expect.

It began with her experiences as a seasonal park ranger in New York City, where she witnessed firsthand the environmental impacts of oil spills and water pollution. These early experiences, along with influences from National Geographic magazines and Jacques Cousteau, shaped her environmental awareness and determination to address sustainability issues. Her career in sustainable investing started after her undergraduate studies, working with an investment team at Solomon Smith Barney that managed a sustainable fund, which was highly unusual at the time.

McQuillen played a crucial role in defining ESG investing as part of a group of 12 asset managers working with the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative. This group coined the term "ESG" in 2004, moving away from the earlier concept of socially responsible investing (SRI). They focused on integrating environmental, social, and governance factors into fundamental analysis, emphasizing that these factors are material to long-term institutional investment.

Throughout her career, McQuillen has faced pushback against ESG investing, often related to misconceptions about performance trade-offs. She emphasizes that ESG integration is not about exclusion but about enhancing portfolio performance through consideration of long-term factors. McQuillen provides examples of successful ESG investments, such as Costco, which demonstrates strong employee practices and operational efficiency, and SanDisk, where engagement on sustainability issues led to improved water management and employee retention.

McQuillen discusses the evolving landscape of ESG investing and notes that the sector is often held to a different standard, partly due to misconceptions about performance and the diversity of ESG approaches.

For aspiring ESG investors, McQuillen highlights opportunities in portfolio management with an ESG focus, emphasizing the importance of understanding companies' long-term strategies and sustainability commitments. She reflects on her career, noting that while it wasn't always easy, the growing body of research supporting the financial benefits of ESG integration has helped validate the approach. McQuillen's experiences demonstrate the potential for a fulfilling career that combines financial performance with positive impact, offering valuable insights for those interested in sustainable investing.

• Mary Jane McQuillen '07

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More MPE is co-hosted by Sandi Wright and produced by The Podcast Consultant. Special thanks to executive producer Hannah Slow and student producers Sofia Martins '26 and Dominica Wambold '26.

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In this episode of More MPE, hosts Ray Horton and Sandi Wright speak with

Daniel Nissenbaum '88, CEO of Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), one of the largest of a special kind of nonprofit organization known as Community Development Financial Institutions. As such, LIIF is able to aggregate funds from all levels of government, banks, and foundations to make targeted investments in low-income communities.

Nissenbaum graduated in 1983 from Grinnell College, where he first developed an interest in urban economic development. After graduating from Columbia Business School in 1988, he worked for six Wall Street firms building the skills, experience, and networks that prepared him for the leadership of LIIF.

Among the topics discussed in this episode is the importance of mentors in Nissenbaum's career from his time at Columbia Business School through every stop in his career. He also discusses why he chose the MBA over the MPA, the "zip code as destiny" hypothesis, and why LIIF's strategy of supporting racial equity may be threatened in 2025.

• Daniel Nissenbaum '88

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More MPE is co-hosted by Sandi Wright and produced by The Podcast Consultant. Special thanks to executive producer Hannah Slow and student producers Sofia Martins '26 and Dominica Wambold '26.

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In this episode of More MPE, hosts Ray Horton and Sandi Wright speak with Lindsay Kruse '06, CEO of All Means All, an organization dedicated to transforming education to be more inclusive.

Kruse shares her inspiring journey from management consulting to becoming a passionate advocate for equitable education, especially for students with disabilities and other marginalized groups.

Kruse discusses how her personal experience as a parent of children with learning differences became a catalyst for founding All Means All. She explains the organization's unique approach, which focuses on working with school and system leaders to create inclusive educational environments.

Throughout the conversation, Kruse highlights the importance of data-driven impact and details how All Means All has helped schools improve academic outcomes for marginalized students and reduce disciplinary disproportionality. Kruse also discusses the organization's growth trajectory, aiming to create a tipping point where inclusive education becomes the norm rather than the exception.

The interview delves into All Means All's funding model, which combines earned revenue from tuition with philanthropic support. Kruse explains the benefits of their fiscal sponsorship arrangement and offers valuable insights for aspiring social entrepreneurs. She emphasizes the importance of building something worthy of scale before expanding and the value of learning from other entrepreneurs in the field.

Kruse concludes with inspiring advice for the next generation of social entrepreneurs, encouraging them to pursue this challenging yet rewarding path. She highlights the unique opportunities provided by Columbia Business School and New York City for those interested in social enterprise, emphasizing the importance of following one's passion and taking advantage of networking opportunities.

We are delighted to announce that Lindsay Kruse '06 will accept the 2025 Social Enterprise Leadership Award at the Tamer Institute's Annual Awards Breakfast in April. More details can be found on the event website.

• Lindsay Kruse '06

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More MPE is co-hosted by Sandi Wright and produced by The Podcast Consultant. Special thanks to executive producer Hannah Slow and student producers Sofia Martins '26 and Dominica Wambold '26.

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In this episode of More MPE, hosts Ray Horton and Sandi Wright speak with Phoebe Boyer '93, president and CEO of Children's Aid — one of the oldest and largest of New York City's nonprofit social welfare agencies.

Before joining Children's Aid a decade ago, she spent 15 years in the foundation world giving money to nonprofits.

The way the foundation experience prepared Boyer for running a complicated organization is one of the topics discussed in the episode. She also discusses how her family and religion steered her toward a career in social enterprise; how misapplying some things she learned in Business School helped precipitate a crisis in her leadership of Children's Aid; why she wanted to rebrand a highly successful social welfare agency and how she overcame the opposition; and finally, Boyer voices her concerns about the possible effects of the Trump presidency on the work of Children's Aid.

• Phoebe Boyer '93

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More MPE is co-hosted by Sandi Wright and produced by The Podcast Consultant. Special thanks to executive producer Hannah Slow and student producers Sofia Martins '26 and Dominica Wambold '26.

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In this episode of More MPE, hosts Ray Horton and Sandi Wright speak with Kesha Cash '10, founder and general partner of Impact America Fund.

Cash's journey from humble beginnings to becoming a trailblazer in impact investing is a testament to her resilience and vision. She was the first in her immediate family to attend a four-year college and her experiences growing up in a low-income household — witnessing the challenges faced by small business owners — shaped her perspective on economic disparities.

After graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in applied mathematics, Cash worked on Wall Street as an M&A analyst. However, her desire to make a broader impact led her to pivot towards helping small businesses in underserved communities. This experience revealed the need for more substantial support and resources for these entrepreneurs, prompting Cash to pursue an MBA at Columbia Business School.

During her time at Columbia, Cash co-founded Jalia Ventures, focusing on mission-driven entrepreneurs of color. This laid the foundation for her to launch Impact America Fund in 2013. The fund invests in companies that create positive impact for low and moderate-income Americans, aiming to prove that it's possible to generate strong financial returns while doing good for communities.

Cash's investment approach is exemplified by Care Academy, a portfolio company that provides education and training for home care workers. This investment addresses the critical shortage of home care workers while aiming to improve their economic mobility and dignity. Cash's strategy involves identifying opportunities that combine financial potential with meaningful social impact.

Throughout her career, Cash has benefited from and emphasized the importance of mentorship. She attributes much of her success to the guidance and support she received from various mentors at crucial junctures in her journey. Now, she actively mentors others, particularly those interested in impact investing and social enterprise.

For aspiring social entrepreneurs, Cash advises ensuring personal financial stability before pursuing impact-focused work. She encourages focusing on one or two passionate areas rather than trying to solve all problems at once. Cash also emphasizes the importance of building and engaging with like-minded communities and balancing profit-making with social impact in a dual-mission approach.

• Kesha Cash '10

Subscribe to More MPE wherever you get your podcasts. Visit morempe.com, or drop us a line at [email protected].

More MPE is co-hosted by Sandi Wright and produced by The Podcast Consultant. Special thanks to executive producer Hannah Slow and student producers Sofia Martins '26 and Dominica Wambold '26.

Learn more