Student Leadership and Ethics Board

The purpose of the center's Student Leadership and Ethics Board is to foster a culture and safeguard a tradition of principled leadership throughout the Columbia Business School community. The Board fulfills its purpose by developing, implementing and monitoring programs that cultivate leadership, build character, and promote ethical decision-making, which, in turn, enable Columbia Business School students to become productive, moral, and caring participants in their companies and communities.

Working with Bernstein Faculty Leaders, staff, alumni, and other student clubs, members of the Board develop, organize, and promote high-profile speakers through the Montrone Seminar Series on Ethics as well as sponsor Leadership and Ethics Week , various panels, and experiential learning activities throughout the year. These programs provide our Board members with the opportunity to interact closely with distinguished speakers, panelists, alumni and professors, as well as directly contribute to the student experience surrounding the topics of leadership and ethics.

If you are interested in applying for the Board, please review our requirements and recruitment timeline. For more information, please contact SLEB@gsb.columbia.edu.

Board Members for 2018-2019

Praveen Aanur EMBA '19

Praveen is a second-year student in Columbia University’s Executive MBA program. Praveen works at Bristol Myers Squibb as a Senior Medical Director. He is a Board Certified physician, with over 10 years’ experience in Oncology research. He previously trained in bone marrow transplant and oncology from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is passionate about bringing new treatments for cancer patients.

Cynthia Allum MBA '19

Cynthia is a second-year MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. Prior to business school, she worked as an editor for Women in the World at The New York Times, where she covered human rights issues. This past summer, Cynthia worked on improving business processes at Apple, and she is currently supporting the United Nations Capital Development Fund. She holds a B.A. from New York University, and she is passionate about technology, media, and global development.

Dhanya Balasubramanian MBA '19

Dhanya Balasubramanian is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. After graduating from National University of Singapore with a Civil Engineering degree, she worked in store operations for a clothing retailer in Singapore. Dhanya then spent time planning and managing private labels at a fashion e-commerce company. For the past two years, she has been actively helping conscious clothing brands, promoting their products and advising on retail strategy. She is passionate about driving fashion businesses towards sustainable community impact.

Gabriel Blau EMBA '20

Gabriel Blau is a nationally acclaimed advocate for civil rights and has served in numerous leadership positions in the LGBTQ movement, including Executive Director of Family Equality Council, Vice President at the Hetrick-Martin Institute, and is Chair of the Board for Equality New York, the statewide LGBTQ organization. Gabriel was co-founder and principal at VisibleU, a digital marketing firm, from 2002-2010. Gabriel’s work has been covered in newspapers and on television, including the New York Times, MSNBC, and Fox.

Anna Boatwright MBA '19

Anna Boatwright is a second-year student in Columbia University’s EMBA program and works at The Frick Collection. Anna has spent the past 6 years working in museum fundraising and administration. Prior to the Frick, she worked in corporate fundraising at the Brooklyn Museum. She has a MA in Art and Museum Studies from Georgetown University and is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, where she studied math and art history.

Shayla Campbell MBA '20

Shayla Campbell is a 2020 MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. She is also pursuing a Masters Degree at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. Shayla’s career began in New York working in marketing and event strategy consulting for a myriad of global clients in the financial services, aerospace, and technology sectors. She then pivoted her focus and joined an alternative investment policy association working on their public affairs team. Shayla has a passion for economic development and social impact initiatives in emerging economies. She has had the opportunity to work on projects in India and Uganda that have focused on financial inclusion, economic empowerment for women, and developing social enterprises. Shayla is interested in the role that ethical leadership plays in sustainability and social impact efforts within corporate governance structures. Shayla attended Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and holds a Bachelors Degree in International Studies and a minor in Philosophy.

Natalia Christenson MBA '19

Natalia is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. After graduating from Barnard College of Columbia University where she majored in Economics, Natalia began her career in Leveraged Finance Capital Markets at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Most recently, Natalia led marketing strategy, including brand positioning and implementations for strategic partnerships and collaborations at IBM Watson. Natalia is passionate about exploring the leading edge of technology and understanding how these innovations can be applied to serve the greater good.

Lawson Curtis MBA '19

Lawson is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School, Class of 2019. Prior to business school he spent three years in Mergers & Acquisitions at Evercore Group's Canadian office and was most recently an Investment Analyst at Picton Mahoney, a long/short hedge fund, for three years. He is passionate about Corporate Governance and the role ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factors have on Boards of Directors and Investors. Lawson holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Queen's University in Kingston, Canada. In his free time Lawson enjoys playing rugby and basketball.

Anita Dutta MBA '20

Anita Dutta is a first-year MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. She spent the past three years working in business development at Dow Jones, where she worked on digital content syndication deals, product partnerships with major technology companies, and innovation projects for The Wall Street Journal. She's passionate about the intersection of media and technology, as well as the impact that the evolution of this relationship has on society. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Anita holds a BA in Political Science from The University of Chicago and is an avid long-distance runner in her spare time.

Michelle Ferber MBA '20

Michelle is a 2020 MBA candidate at Columbia Business School concentrating on digital health and management. After graduating from Northwestern University with Material Science and Biomedical Engineering Degrees, she spent 3 years working in Information Technology for an Electronic Healthcare Record company. Michelle is passionate about exploring innovation in healthcare technology and understanding how these insights can be responsibly used to improve public health.

Samy Fouda MBA '19

Samy Fouda is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. He attended the United States Military Academy and earned a BS in Economics. After graduating, Samy received his commission and served over nine years in the US Army as an Infantry and Special Forces Officer. He deployed three times to Afghanistan in support of combat and special operations. Samy is passionate about ethical leadership in public service and shaping young minds to become ethically minded leaders.

Charles Gariepy MBA '20

Charles is a first year at Columbia Business School, focusing on Media and Technology. Prior to CBS, he was the Director of Content Development at Mic Network, a digital media platform, and contributed to the production and development of documentary series for CNN, SundanceTV, Hulu, Facebook and other social platforms. After graduating from Yale with a degree in English literature, he co-founded the Yale AIDS Memorial Project and has been active in organizations that support LGBTQ issues ever since.

Elizabeth Goodstein MBA '19

Elizabeth Goodstein is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. After graduating from The Johns Hopkins University where she studied Humanities, she embarked on a career in the entertainment industry, bridging the gap between her love of storytelling and business. Most recently, Elizabeth supported the Worldwide Head of Literary at Hollywood talent and literary agency WME|IMG, collaborating with authors, thought leaders, and business leaders throughout the lifecycles of their publishing deals. Elizabeth is passionate about and interested in exploring how for-profit companies can disrupt supply chains and business models in making CSR integral to their business operations.

Lyndsey Hankins EMBA '19

Lyndsey Hankins is a second-year student in Columbia University’s EMBA program. Lyndsey works at The Related Companies, a private real-estate firm based in New York, where she is the Director of FP&A and Special Projects. Lyndsey has spent the past 10 years working in Real Estate, with roles ranging from Operations, Asset Management, Corporate Finance and Management Strategy. She has a BSBA in Financial Services from East Carolina University. Lyndsey is passionate about mentorship, curating initiatives that promote cultural awareness, and value-based leadership.

Kyle Hartman MBA '19

Kyle is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School, Class of 2019. Prior to business school he spent three years at Piper Jaffray, where he was an Associate on the financial services investment banking team. Prior to Piper Jaffray, Kyle spent three years at Sterne Agee, a privately held investment bank acquired by Stifel Financial in 2015. Kyle believes that for-profit companies can and should have a more impactful role in social sustainability and environmental stewardship. In his free time Kyle enjoys reading historical biographies and participating in donut-inspired races.

Julie Joseph EMBA '19

Julie Joseph is an Executive MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. She works as a Medical Director at Anthem-Empire BlueCross Blue Shield in Manhattan. She is a board-certified Internist and Infectious Diseases specialist, with a Master in Public Health. Prior to working at Anthem, Julie worked as an Attending Physician and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at New York Medical College and Columbia University Medical Center. She is passionate about ethical leadership and corporate governance.

Allison Kline MBA '20

Allison Kline is an MBA Candidate at Columbia Business School (EMBA Class of 2020). She is currently the Director of Foundation and Government Relations for Park Avenue Armory, a nonprofit that supports large-scale artistic work by artists of all disciplines and backgrounds. She has been a member of the team since the organization’s first season in 2010-2011 and has enjoyed a variety of perspectives on the Armory’s unconventional model and the needs of its artists, audiences, students, and staff. Prior to the Armory, she was a producer and manager for site-specific, multi-disciplinary productions, including the US premiere of Punchdrunk's Sleep No More (Boston 2009-2010) and public festivals and events with Nuit Blanche New York.

Emmett Lamb EMBA '19

Emmett Lamb, a native of Minneapolis, MN, attended the United States Naval Academy and earned a BS in Political Science. After receiving his commission, he served over nine years in the Active Duty and deployed three times to support theater security and combat operations in the Western Pacific, Middle East, and Central Asia. In addition to being an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School and a Navy Reserve Officer, he works full-time leading project management and training teams at a bespoke technology firm focused on the industrial IoT space. Emmett is passionate about the study of ethical leadership and supporting initiatives within the Columbia University community that promote discussion around that topic.

Adam Lev EMBA '20

Adam is a first-year MBA student at Columbia Business School, focusing on Finance and Value Investing. He has previous experience in management consulting at KPMG helping global companies drive value across different parts of their business, including reducing costs through restructuring and consolidation as well as developing growth strategies. Growing up in Israel, Adam served as an Intelligence team leader in the Israel Air Force and earn his B.A. in Accounting and Economics from Tel-Aviv University.

Daniel Mikhno EMBA '19

Daniel Mikhno is a second-year Executive MBA student at Columbia Business School and a native of Portland, OR where he graduated with a BA in Political Science and Russian Language and Literature from Portland State University. After graduation he began a career with the U.S. Defense Department deploying six times in support of combat operations throughout the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. He continues to serve in the Department as a program manager in support of military operations, assigned to the headquarters element of U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany. Daniel is active in University activities, also serving as the VP of Finance for the Automotive and Transportation Club. He is passionate about ethical leadership in corporate governance and promoting the theme through his activities at Columbia University.

Benjamin Milakofsky EMBA '20

Benjamin Milakofsky is the Chief of Staff at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. He previously worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior where he was the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Secretary and the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary. After working for the Presidential Transition Team, Ben spent nearly three years working in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs. In November 2011, he became the White House Liaison at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Ben was the Department of the Interior's Ex-Officio representative to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council (Board of Trustees). Ben served a three year term on the Board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and was the Vice President for Young Leadership on the Executive Committee in 2016. He was also co-chair of Young Leadership where he served on numerous task forces and committees. Ben currently volunteers with Dorot where he spends time monthly with an octagenerian. He has a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Maryland, College Park. In his spare time, Ben has run two marathons and climbed Mount Rainier in July 2017.

Mickei Milton EMBA '20

Mickei Milton is a first-year EMBA candidate at Columbia University. Ms. Milton holds a B.S. in Political Science/Public Administration from Florida A & M University and a J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law. Mickei has spent the last seven years practicing as In-House Counsel in the Trial Division with Nationwide Insurance. Also, for the last year she has been an Arbitrator with the New York City Courts adjudicating cases filed in small claims court. In both roles, her passion for community, justice, inclusivity, and leadership are at the forefront. Some of her goals include focusing on an executive leadership role where she can continue to foster these passions and advocate for stronger communities, an evolving justice system, inclusivity in leadership roles, and policy making. Ms. Milton was born and raised in Amityville, New York. In her free time, she is an avid gardener, enjoys trying new restaurants and yelping about those dining experiences, worshiping at her church and she also enjoys mentoring.

Gladys Ndagire MBA '19 - MBA Board Vice Chair

Gladys Ndagire is a 2019 MBA Candidate at Columbia Business School. Her career began in private wealth management at J.P. Morgan where she oversaw portfolio construction analytics and digitization for goals-based investing. In 2015, she joined Invest Africa as the head of its US business development strategy. At Invest Africa, Gladys partnered with family offices and corporations on their philanthropic and investment strategies in Africa and also launched Accelerating Africa, an early-stage technology investing forum in New York. Gladys attended the United World College program in Canada and graduated from Brown with a BA in Mechanical Engineering and Anthropology. She was raised in Uganda and is extremely passionate about fostering global partnerships, impacting organizational culture as well as applying data analytics and technology to generating new business.

Julius Ngalim EMBA '20

Julius is an Executive MBA Candidate at Columbia Business School. Julius’ passion revolves around using finance and technology to spur financial development in the developing world. Julius is managing financial accounts at the Blacksmith Institute, Inc.dba Pure Earth. He comes to the Board with an interesting educational and professional background and a great understanding of the world. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Religious Studies from the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome and another BA in Philosophy of Education from the Catholic University of Central Africa. While training for the Catholic priesthood during his undergrad, Julius built strong financial skills by managing seminary accounts and learning more about the finance industry. Unable to merge finance and priesthood in the long run, Julius felt morally obliged joining the finance industry, where he could positively influence more lives. He brings to the board a thorough understanding of ethics and morality When he’s not in class or working for Blacksmith, he’s either watching or playing soccer. He enjoys the company of his lovely wife, Carine and their daughter–Ashé’ri.

Hande Oney EMBA '20

After completing her architecture degree from Pratt Institute and working for Rafael Vinoly Architects in New York, Hande joined her family architecture company based in Istanbul, Turkey. Until beginning the Executive MBA program at Columbia, she held the position as business development and marketing director at Oney Architecture. She is enthusiastic about entrepreneurial opportunities in the intersection of business of architecture. Her future goal is to start her own consultancy company, focusing mainly on architects and designers.

Soohyun Park MBA '20

Soohyun is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. Prior to CBS, she worked at Symantec Corporation, where she began her career in business operations of an enterprise services group. Most recently, she worked in corporate finance, where she led cost restructuring and synergy attainment within shared services, namely Legal, Security, and Public Affairs in connection with M&A and divestitures. Soohyun is passionate about ethical leadership, corporate governance, and diversity and inclusion. She holds a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia.

Luis Ramos EMBA '19

Luis Ramos is a second-year Executive MBA student at Columbia Business School. Mr. Ramos is a native of Lima, Peru, and has developed an extensive career in sell-side research, analyzing different industries and asset classes in the Andean region. He currently serves as Vice-President of Research in LarrainVial, and is responsible for the coverage of the hard-currency debt of the most important banks in the Andean region, as well as leading the equity strategy in the North-Andean countries. Also, in the last six years, Mr. Ramos was Adjunct Professor at the Universidad de Lima, where he taught courses related to Capital Markets, Corporate Finance, and Risk Management. He is passionate about the study of ethical leadership and corporate governance and supporting initiatives within the Columbia Business School community that promotes discussion around that topic. Mr. Ramos graduated from the University of Lima with an Honors degree in Economics and earned a Master's degree in Finance from ESAN Graduate School of Business.

Mars Shah EMBA '19

Mars is the CFO of RideKleen, a steam-based mobile car wash company. The company is based in Philadelphia, but has expanded to 6 other cities and is currently fundraising for a Series A raise. Prior to his entrepreneurial career, Mars spent the last six years of his career in capital markets and M&A. In his free time, Mars loves to spend time trying the numerous restaurants that NYC has to offer and is very big in health and wellness. During his undergrad tenure, Mars walked on the Drexel University Men's basketball team.

Favorite quote, " It's better to surround yourself with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction." -Warren Buffet

Lauren Schmeer MBA '19

Lauren Schmeer is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School, Class of 2019, concentrating on strategy. She spent four years in the publishing industry and most recently led a supply-chain management team for Accenture. She focused on transforming processes through digital solutions and automation and is passionate about making transformative impact for clients. She graduated with honors from the University of Pittsburgh, as a triple major in English Literature, English Writing, and Philosophy, and she is an avid reader of literary fiction.

Juan José Silva MBA '19

Juan José Silva is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School born and raised in Santiago, Chile. After graduating from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile with an Industrial Engineering degree, he worked for BHP Billiton at the Escondida copper mine in the Atacama Desert. Most recently, he spent three years working in Real Estate Investment Banking at Credicorp Capital and American Asset Corporation.

Juan José is passionate about driving change to his community. As an undergraduate, he led several volunteer efforts and was one of the leaders in the Chilean student movement demanding a fairer education system. While working in finance, he participated in pro bono advisory, realizing how much impact can be driven from the private sector. He is deeply interested in impact investing, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.

Anna Smukowski EMBA '19 - EMBA Board Chair

Anna manages the delivery of services for LISC’s Pay for Success initiative, a new financing tool that allows governments and the private sector to partner with and fund nonprofit organizations that have preventive and long-term benefits. Her duties include project management, financial modeling and stakeholder facilitation for three Pay for Success projects. Prior to this role, Anna worked as LISC’s Credit Officer where she structured and analyzed community development investments across the United States. Anna began her career at Deloitte Consulting with a focus in finance, pharmaceuticals and sustainability. Anna holds a B.S. in Finance and Economics from NYU and was a scholar in the NYU Reynolds Program in Social Entrepreneurship.

Paul Trethaway MBA '20

Paul is a 2020 MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. After graduating from Dartmouth College with a BA in English, he worked in the litigation department at Davis Polk & Wardwell before transitioning into investment and trade compliance roles at various hedge funds including D. E. Shaw, Highbridge Capital, and HPS Investment Partners. He currently serves on the Development Committee for 501(3)(c) organization Right to Dream USA and holds leadership roles in the Columbia Student Investment Management Association and Columbia Business School’s Impact Fund, Microlumbia. Paul is passionate about ethical leadership, impact investing, and educational access. He is also an avid reader and writer.

Shravalya “Shravy” Valet EMBA '20

Shravalya “Shravy” Valet is a Program Manager for biotechnology projects supporting the Department of Defense in both developing technology strategy and implementing technology solutions. In her current role, Shravy manages large and complex defense contracts and leads business development efforts for the larger engineering team. She started off her career as a biomedical engineer for the United States Navy and transitioned into management consulting at Deloitte Consulting LLP where she delivered data analytics solutions to clients in various sectors including federal, healthcare, global benchmarking, and commercial sectors. Shravy is passionate about healthcare and technology, and about finding solutions to the tough problems that arise due to the intersection of healthcare and technology. She intends to leverage her Executive MBA education from Columbia Business School and her experience as a management consultant and program manager to design and implement technology strategy objectives at a healthcare/technology firm in her next position. Shravy holds a B.S. and a M.S in Biomedical Engineering from the George Washington University.

Kyle Wetzold MBA '20

Kyle Wetzold is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School, Class of 2020. After graduating from the University of Chicago with a BA in Economics, he worked in private equity before transitioning into predictive analytics, and litigation & management consulting. Kyle is currently a Director of Data & Analytics in FTI Consulting’s New York office, where he specializes in advanced analytics, cybersecurity, and product development. He holds a leadership role in Columbia Business School’s Technology Business Group, and is an active member of the Adams Street Foundation’s Junior Board. Previously, Kyle served on the Arts Board for the Bronx Charter School for the Arts and Read Ahead’s Junior Board. Kyle is passionate about corporate social responsibility and diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and enjoys film, literature, and triathlons in his spare time.

Na'ama Yehezkel MBA '19 - MBA Board Chair

Na'ama Yehezkel is a second-year student at Columbia Business School and the current Chair of the Sanford C. Bernstein Student Leadership & Ethics Board. Na'ama comes to Columbia with a background in technology and management consulting, including stints at the Boston Consulting Group and eBay. Na'ama has also been deeply committed to women's and diversity issues for the past dozen years. She was honored with the Israel's highest National Service Award for her volunteer work in anti-human trafficking. She has continued to advocate for women’s issues in New York, and is currently a volunteer with the National Organization for Women. Na'ama also serves as co-President of the Columbia Women in Business group, the Business School's largest student organization. Na’ama graduated from the University of British Columbia with an Honors degree in Economics with distinction, where she was also the recipient of the International Leader of Tomorrow Award. She completed her high school studies at The United World College of India, a 2-year program focused on personal leadership, diversity, and service.

Connie Zhou MBA '20

Connie Zhou is a first-year MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. After graduating from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business she spent two years at Morgan Stanley in a data analyst role using HR data to create actionable business solutions. Most recently, she spent the past three years working as a management consultant at Huron Consulting Group where she worked on developing technology solutions for higher education institutions. Connie is passionate about the direct impact that ethical leadership has on mutual respect, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.

See Past Board Members