Join host Christopher Reichert, MSc ’04, in a candid conversation with Jawad Ahsan, MIT Sloan Executive MBA alum, as they discuss the transformative power of an MBA, Ahsan's career growth from GE to entrepreneurial ventures, and the role MIT Sloan played in shaping his path. Discover how System Dynamics and MIT Sloan's collaborative ethos inspired Ahsan to pursue a portfolio career, balancing corporate success with creative storytelling and societal impact. Reichert and Ahsan talk about...

On this episode of Sloanies Talking with Sloanies, host Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, interviews Ian Barkin, MBA ’06, co-founder of 2BVentures.  Barkin discusses his experience at MIT Sloan and how it influenced his career in consulting and outsourcing. He also talks about the concept of robotic process automation (RPA) and its role in intelligent automation. Barkin shares insights from his book Intelligent Automation and discusses the democratization of technology tools and the importance...

A conversation with Yda Bouvier, MBA ’98, on her new book, Leading from the Right Brain, gleaned from her studies in applied physics, and years of coaching executives seeking to strengthen and transform their leadership style. Yda discusses how many leaders are especially capable in left-brain functioning, which serves them well in building strong strategic, problem solving, and goal-achievement track records. And yet, when left-brain functioning gets stuck, it can only be unlocked through...

A conversation with Shawna Young, EMBA ’15, on her experiences from North Carolina to Cambridge, from teaching high school to reinvigorating the Scratch Foundation at MIT and advocating for her community.  A graduate of Howard University, Shawna tells us about being in a space where her classmates could be themselves, “unapologetically black and ambitious.” It set her on a path to focus on the access to advanced learning opportunities for children of color early in their educational journey. ...

A conversation with Alexander Borschow, SB ’06, MBA ’14, on his journey from Puerto Rico to MIT undergraduate studying chemical biological engineering in Course 10B, then on to New York as a banker at BNP Paribas. On a trip in 2011 to northern Argentina, Alexander had a life-changing realization that the global food system was not sustainable. He returned to MIT Sloan for its strong program in sustainability. While at MIT Sloan, Alexander was president of the Food and Agriculture Club. After...

A conversation with Roberto Rigobon and Juan Pablo Armas, on the 10th Anniversary of the MIT Sloan Latin America Office.  Professor Rigobon and Juan Pablo share the experiences of creating and building the Latin American office, the first of its kind, the challenges of creating a unified and impactful venue for sharing ideas on such a large continent, with disparate economies, education systems, and politics.  They share how Andrónico Luksic pitched the idea to the Dean, and how local...

A conversation with Ricard Huguet, MOT ’04, from his start as Director of Innovation for the City of Barcelona, to following his vision of leveraging LEGO robotics for innovation in STEM education in both classrooms and executive suites. Ricard speaks about listening to his customers for ideas, the pivot he made in his company in 2008—in the face of the global economic downturn—and the latest addition of an online platform that has extended his reach exponentially. Ricard also talks about the...

Naji Gehchan, EMBA ’22 joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to talk about the life experiences that led him to study medicine, and eventually start Sohati, a comprehensive website in Arabic that provides information about the health medical field, and informs his oncology work at Eli Lilly.  Naji talks about his chronic condition, which he calls “Impatientitus” and how he balances purpose with speed to build a team culture where he is striving to get things done fast while at the same way the...

Captain Brian Erickson, SFMBA ’21, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to talk about his career from a 17-year-old service member in the Coast Guard to its first Chief Data Officer. Capt. Erickson explores leadership and innovation in a 233-year-old organization. He talks about growing up in a small town in Washington State, and the opportunities and experiences of serving in the U.S. Coast Guard for over 30 years. He’s been an engineer and pilot and had participated in the rescue of over 35...

Ohad Tzur, MBA ’12, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to talk about his startup Kahoona (www.kahoona.io) which is dedicated to helping individuals and companies traverse the disruptive online changes for online privacy and data mining. Ohad talks about growing up in Israel, the transformational experiences of serving in the Israeli Defense Force, working at Google and learning to manage and embrace the sometimes-overwhelming opportunities at Sloan, in particular Action Learning. Ohad...

Aditi Javeri Gokhale, SB ’96, MBA ’99, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, for a discussion on her role as the most senior female leader at Northwestern Mutual, where she holds the title of chief strategy officer, president of retail investments, and head of institutional investments. They also discuss her journey from India to MIT, her dedication to leadership and mentoring fellow women, and her commitment to establishing gender equity. Support the show

Rachel Stevens, MBA ’15, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, for a discussion about her journey from corporate mainstream, working at Apple and Tatte; to starting her own business, VIENVIE, a women's fashion marketplace startup that brings together existing designers and consumers—working to solve the problem of fit, style, and discovery for the modern woman.  Support the show (https://giving.mit.edu/sloan/)

Ken Pucker, SM ’90, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, for a discussion about corporate sustainability efforts, climate change, and what he believes needs to be done to address these issues. Currently a senior lecturer at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, Ken shares how system dynamics and his time at MIT Sloan influenced his last decade of working at the intersection of climate and capitalism.  Support the show (https://giving.mit.edu/sloan/)

Jossy Lee, MBA ’12, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to share how her time at MIT Sloan has impacted her current work as a founding member of the New England Innovation Academy, the first middle and high school using human-centered design to prepare future innovators. She is also the founder of Woom, an incubator dedicated to nurturing working moms, and author of "Mommy Goes to Work," a forthcoming storybook celebrating working moms.  Support the show (https://giving.mit.edu/sloan/)

Sunish Gupta, SDM ’12, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to share how his diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa in 2001, as well as his background in technology and engineering, served as his motivation to focus his work on enhancing the design and implementation of assistive technologies for all disabilities. MIT alumni are invited to email Sunish for a complimentary accessibility consultation for their company’s website or app, including a 30-minute Simple Experience Evaluation for...

TJ Leonard, MBA ’08, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to discuss his career in the marketing industry and how that led to his current role as CEO at Storyblocks, a stock media subscription service dedicated to providing accessible, affordable stock for creatives.  Support the show (https://giving.mit.edu/sloan/)

Khalid David, MBA ’19, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to share how his journey working in the construction industry led him to MIT Sloan, where he was able to begin building TracFlo, an online financial tool designed to help contractors manage project risk. Support the show (https://giving.mit.edu/sloan/)

Beta Boom co-founder Kimmy Paluch, MBA ’11, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to detail her work taking on the racially-biased venture capital model to help underrepresented entrepreneurs succeed.  Support the show (https://giving.mit.edu/sloan/)

Daya Fields, MBA ’07, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to discuss her career journey in the world of corporate cosmetics. She shares how a trek she went on while at MIT Sloan led her to begin a career in the beauty and personal care space, where she is now the President of Pipette and Purecane at Amyris. Support the show (https://giving.mit.edu/sloan/)

Edward Crawford, EMBA ’17, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to discuss his role as co-founder and president of Coltala Holdings. He also shares lessons from his time in the Peace Corps, the U.S. Navy, and his experience in the Executive MBA program at MIT Sloan. Support the show (https://giving.mit.edu/sloan/)

Perrin Quarshie, MBA ’16, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to discuss his career evolution from working as a civil engineer to becoming an entrepreneur in the financial services space. He is now the founder and CEO of RealBlocks, a technology...

Christina Gordon, SM ’92, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to discuss her role as Co-Founder and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Boston, a nonprofit organization working to make an impact in the economic empowerment of women and girls in the...

Kaushik Joshi, MBA ’05, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to share learnings from his role as a Global Managing Director at Equinix and provide insight on the future of 5G and the impact it will have across sectors, particularly in tech and real estate.

Ore Adeyemi, SB ’00, MBA ’06, joins Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, to discuss his journey to MIT Sloan and his rise through the ranks at HSBC, where he currently serves as the Global Head and Managing Director for Strategic Innovation of Investments. He...