Lang Talks
Lang Talks invites highly-accomplished industry professionals to speak with current students and alumni who are interested in topics within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The formats range from roundtable discussions to somewhat larger settings. Participating students are expected to arrive prepared with questions and topics for discussion for fireside chats. Certain Talks are open to the CBS or the Columbia communities-at-large.
Please note: Space for the Lang Talks is limited and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees will be required to cancel their reservation by emailing [email protected] at least 48 hours in advance of the event. Students who are registered but fail to attend will be unable to sign up for future events during that semester. Columbia Business School students and other invited guests may RSVP in via listed event invitation link.
Questions? Contact [email protected].
Spring 2020 Lang Innovation Talks
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Becca Brown '07, Co-founder, Solemates
Becca Brown is the Co-founder of Solemates,an innovative brand that marries the concepts of beauty and cosmetics with the practicality of shoe care.
Friday, March 6, 2020
Connor Wilson '15, Co-founder, Thursday Boots
Connor Wilson is the Co-Founder of Thursday Boot Company, a high-quality footwear brand focused on comfort, durability, and versatility. Thursday is one of the fastest growing consumer brands in the world and recognized by Vogue, Esquire, GQ, and more for their unique spin on everyday classics.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
KJ Singh '11, Managing Director, Techstars
KJ serves as the Managing Director of the Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Accelerator powered by Techstars, responsible for sourcing and screening hundreds of startups. He advises companies on product/market fit, growth tactics, fundraising strategies, and other strategic issues.
Fall 2019 Lang Innovation Talks
Monday, December 2, 2019
Ron Gonan '04, Founder, Closed Loop Partners
While completing his Columbia MBA in 2004, he successfully launched Recyclebank, one of the first and most successful Lang Fund investments. After his career with the Bloomberg administration, Ron founded Closed Loop Partners, a fund dedicated to building recycling technologies and infrastructure.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Sarah Ribner '16, Co-Founder, PiperWai
Sarah is the co-founder of Piperwai, which was featured on Shark Tank in 2015. She was named a member of the Forbes 2018 30 Under 30 Class, and EY’s Entrepreneurial Winning Woman of 2017.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Brian Berger '03, Founder, Mack Weldon
Brian launched Mack Weldon in 2012 to reinvent men's underwear through technical innovation and smart design, and simplify the experience of shopping for it. Since then, Mack Weldon has become a leader within the men's apparel industry, having expanded its product offering from sweats and t-shirts to activewear and accessories.
Fall 2019 Inaugural Event
For its inaugural Lang Talk, the Lang Center hosted world-renowned innovator Ferran Adrià, chef, author, and founder of the elBullifoundation on Wednesday, September 25, 2019. He presented Sapiens–Innovation through Understanding and took us through how to thoroughly understand the subject matter to spur imagination and innovation.
Ferran Adrià joined the staff of elBulli in 1984 and rapidly progressed to become head chef. Famous for his pioneering culinary techniques, he has been applauded and imitated around the world, and won three Michelin stars for elBulli, along with many other accolades.
With his elBullifoundation, opened in 2013, Adrià has created a center for research into gastronomic innovation whose mission is to study and catalogue the entire body of world culinary knowledge.
Adrià was in New York to mark the publication of Coffee Sapiens (Phaidon), a multimedia project created by Lavazza and the elBullifoundation with the aim of promoting experimentation and innovation in the gastronomic field. This opera omnia on coffee is one of the first pillars of what will be the most complete database of the Occidental fine dining restaurant industry, Bullipedia.
Spring 2019 Lang Talks
Monday, April 29, 2019
Jenny Friedman '17, Co-Founder, Supernode Ventures
Jenny is co-founder and managing partner of Supernode Ventures. Previously, Jenny worked for Eniac Ventures, where she focused primarily on early-stage investments in mobile-first technology.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Zachary Prell '05, Founder, ZACHARY PRELL
Over 10 years ago, Zachary Prell made the unconventional leap from finance to fashion and founded his eponymous brand, ZACHARY PRELL while he was a student at Columbia Business School. His menswear brand has evolved from a sports shirt business into a lifestyle collection.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Rachel ten Brink '01, Co-Founder, Scentbird
Rachel co-founded Scentbird, the online fragrance sampling platform, in 2014 and scaled it to over 250,000 monthly paying subscribers, leading marketing, business development, and product development.
Fall 2018 Lang Talks
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Sarah Ribner '16, Co-Founder, PiperWai
Sarah is the co-founder of Piperwai, which was featured on Shark Tank in 2015. She was named a member of the Forbes 2018 30 Under 30 Class, and EY’s Entrepreneurial Winning Woman of 2017.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Jason Ojalvo '98, CEO, Tushy
Jason is the CEO of Tushy. Previously he built and ran several businesses for Amazon for over ten years and has deep experience in entertainment and disruptive innovation.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Erica Duignan Minnihan '04, Managing Partner, 1000 Angels
Erica is founder and managing partner of both 1000 Angels and Reign Ventures. She has 20 years of experience in finance and venture capital, specializing in early-stage venture funds which are focused on Seed and Series A investment rounds.