Proud to BU

Leaving the field to take a corporate job at HBO wasn’t an easy decision for Jay Roewe (COM’79). Looking back on it today, he says it was one of the best decisions he’s ever made. Jay graduated from BU’s College of Communication in 1979 with a degree in television. Today, he serves as Senior Vice President for West Coast Productions at HBO and is a driving force behind some of the network’s most groundbreaking and successful shows. On this episode of the podcast, Jay sits down with Rukia Magege (COM’20) to talk shop and explore the future of the entertainment industry. 

About our guest host: Rukia Magege (COM’20) just graduated from BU with a degree in film and television. During her time as a student, she was an integral part of the team working behind the scenes to produce Proud to BU. We are so grateful for all the work that Rukia put in to make the podcast a success and we wish her the best of luck as she embarks on her next chapter. 

This episode also marks the end of the second season of Proud to BU and we would love to hear what you think about the show. What do you like best about the podcast? What do you wish we did differently? And of all the podcasts you could be listening to, what made you choose Proud to BU? You can email your thoughts directly to our host, Jeff Murphy,  and our sincere thanks to all our listeners. For more information on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu. 

Ivellisse Morales (COM’12) is on a mission to build a national network of creatives who can help illuminate the important issues that need attention and action in America. She is the founder and CEO of bombilla, a branding and design firm with an intentional focus on reimagining the creative agency model and embodying representative storytelling to advance social change. After earning her bachelor’s degree from the College of Communication in 2012, Ivi honed her skills at world renowned firms and organizations like IDEO, Year Up, Cone Communications, and Ogilvy. Two years ago, she launched her own firm and has been making waves in the world of social entrepreneurship ever since.

On this episode of the podcast, Ivi walks us through her unique journey to entrepreneurship and she shares her vision for a future in which bombilla scales up to become a socially-conscious creative enterprise celebrated as “a Pixar for progress, an IDEO for inclusion”. 

Please note, this interview was recorded in May 2020 prior to the nationwide demonstrations in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

If you’d like to learn more about bombilla, visit their website, bombilla.co. If you’re interested in connecting directly with Ivi, you can find her on LinkedIn. As you’ll hear, this episode of the podcast is hosted by Dan Gardiner (Questrom’20) from the alumni career programs team. For more information on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu. 

Hyeji Byun (Pardee’11) is a licensing project manager at Big Hit IP. One aspect of her dynamic job is to find meaningful ways to bring the South Korean boy band sensation, BTS, closer to their fans. From animated characters to pop-up stores around the world, there is no shortage of opportunities to expand the reach of this cultural phenomenon. On this episode of the podcast, Hyeji shares her story and identifies the common threads between her current career and her childhood dream of becoming a Korean diplomat. 

Hyeji is one of our 1,900+ alumni living in South Korea and she is also an active volunteer member of the BU Alumni Association of Korea. To learn more about this group and to become a member, join the BUAAK Facebook group today!

To learn more about Hyeji, you can connect with her on LinkedIn. As you’ll hear, this episode of the podcast is hosted by Yoona Lee (Questrom’14) from BU Alumni Relations. Yoona oversees our efforts to keep alumni in Asia-Pacific connected to BU and to each other. For more information on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu. 

As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are joined on the podcast by Bryan Murphy-Eustis (SPH’04), a public health practitioner with unique insights to share. Bryan earned his MPH from Boston University in 2004 and went on to found his own public health consulting practice, BME Strategies. He also served as the Executive Director of Partners in Health Liberia where he coordinated the NGO’s West African response to the Ebola crisis. Today, Bryan works to develop and deploy new global health technologies through Global Good at Intellectual Ventures. He joined us on Proud to BU to talk about his background and his perspective on our collective path forward through this pandemic.

To learn more about Bryan, you can connect with him on LinkedIn. For more information on the BU School of Public Health’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit their website. Finally, for more information on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu. 

From the age of 15, if you asked Shraddha Bhansali (Questrom’14) what she wanted to do when she grew up, her answer was steadfast: open a restaurant. She graduated from the Questrom School of Business in 2014 having studied both business and hospitality management. Today, she is the owner of Candy & Green, a vegetarian restaurant and bar in Mumbai, India focused on clean eating and local ingredients. She joined us on the podcast to explore her tenacious entrepreneurial journey and share how she’s adapting and keeping busy amidst the pandemic.

To learn more about the restaurant, be sure to follow Candy & Green on Instagram. If you’d like to read more about Shraddha’s remarkable story, check out her 2018 profile in Forbes India when she was named one of their 30 under 30 in food and hospitality.

As you’ll hear, this episode of the podcast is hosted by Kati Reusche from BU Alumni Relations. Kati oversees our efforts to build strong alumni networks worldwide. For more on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu. 

Allen Wan (CAS’90) never thought he was going to be a journalist. He graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1990 with a degree in political science and sought out numerous opportunities to expand his worldview while strengthening his communication skills. Today, he is Deputy Bureau Chief in Bloomberg's Shanghai office and will be opening Bloomberg's first office in Southern China in the coming months. He joined us on the podcast to explore his unique BU experience and provide insight into what it’s like to be a journalist embedded within the “black box” of China. 

If you would like to read a few of Allen’s most recent articles, check out his page on Bloomberg News. 

As you’ll hear, this episode of the podcast is hosted by Yoona Lee (Questrom’14) from BU Alumni Relations. Yoona oversees our efforts to keep alumni in Asia-Pacific connected to BU and to each other. For more on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu. 

As a vice president and senior economist at Goldman Sachs, Karen Fishman (CAS’12, GRS’12) spends her days wrestling with really big questions. Karen graduated from BU in 2012 with both a bachelor’s and master’s in economics. She was recently named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list as a trailblazer in the world of finance. On this episode of the podcast, Karen shares the story of her success thus far and she provides her best advice for finding and fulfilling your passion.

As you’ll hear, this episode of the podcast is hosted by Dan Gardiner (Questrom’20), a member of the career programs team in the Office of Alumni Relations.

To learn more about Karen, view her profile in Forbes and to see all nine Terriers who were named to a Forbes list in 2020, read this article from Bostonia. For more on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu.

Bill Cohen (Questrom’74) founded Cohen Caregiving Consultants, LLC, to provide advice and counsel to families who are grappling with a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s. His work with caregivers follows a fascinating career that included time in hospitality, financial services, and state government. He joined us on the podcast to talk about the personal loss that inspired his "second act" or "encore career" and to provide a roadmap for other alumni who are looking to make a career change but aren’t quite sure how to get started. 

To learn more about Bill’s consulting practice, visit cohencaregivingsupport.com. You can also join his Facebook group which brings together caregivers from around the world: Dementia Support Group for Caregivers with Bill Cohen. 

As you’ll hear, Bill is also a member of our Claflin Society and if you’d like more information about supporting BU with a planned gift, please visit bulegacy.org. For more on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu.

A transcript of this episode is also available. Please note, transcripts may be edited for clarity and do not represent a verbatim record of dialogue.

Cari Giannoulias (COM’96) has a knack for trusting her gut and following her passion. After graduating from BU, Cari built a tremendous career in the world of marketing for the entertainment industry. She worked at Creative Artists Agency, Jersey Films, Universal Pictures, and even collaborated with the Sex Pistols, before deciding to blaze her own trail as an entrepreneur. Cari founded her own interior design firm in Chicago, aptly named Cari Giannoulias Design. On this episode of the podcast, Cari details the twists and turns of her journey and shares the joy she’s found through entrepreneurship. 

As you’ll hear, this episode of the podcast is hosted by Corinne Tramuta (MET’17), Assistant Director of Alumni Networks at BU. 

If you’d like to learn more about Cari’s design firm, visit her website, www.carigiannoulias.com, and be sure to follow her on Instagram as well. For more on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu. 

Alex Tanguay (Questrom’02) is a Senior Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Boston. Alex earned his bachelor’s degree from the Questrom School of Business in 2002 and was recently named one of Forbes’ “Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors” under 40. Alex is deeply engaged in the Alumni Association; he serves on the BU Alumni Council and is working to build a strong alumni network at Merrill as well. On this episode of the podcast, Alex shares insights on the future of his industry and he reflects on the dividends he’s realized from investing his time and energy to build a strong Terrier network.

Listener note: This conversation was recorded in February 2020. We understand that in the weeks since this interview, the state of the global economy fundamentally changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and our thoughts are with all those affected by this crisis. For more information about BU’s response to COVID-19, please visit bu.edu/covid-19-information. 

This episode is hosted by Gabe Bolio (MET’16), Associate Director of Alumni Networks at BU. As you’ll hear, Gabe and Alex are working to build a powerful alumni network within Merrill, Bank of America, and Bank of America Private Bank in Boston. If you are interested in being part of this community, reach out to Gabe at [email protected].

For more on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu.