Hao Shi, PhD ’20, is founder of a Series A startup, Kanvas makes cancer therapy more effective, by improving the gut microbiome, we talked about:
- the importance of the gut microbiome, the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy
- scaling up the startup, from 2 cofounders to 30 employees, with clinical trials on the way
- his personal journey from starting his PhD at Cornell and commercializing his research
(00:00) What is the gut microbiome, and what is cancer immunotherapy (05:00) Gut microbiome is dynamic, important to have a stable therapeutic (07:50) How the pill affects the gut microbiome (10:00) Importance of the imaging platform (13:07) First clinical trial (18:56) Commercializing his PhD research (22:18) How he chose his PhD thesis (27:02) Growing the startup team (33:00) Closing question
Charles Stuppard ’82 is a Leader, in the military and in the Cornell community, we talked about:
- building leadership skillsets, how anyone can become a leader!!
- his personal journey to leadership, from Haiti to Cornell to the Navy and beyond!
- how Cornell became the #1 university for veterans! the Cornell Military Network!
- case studies on leadership, from Abraham Lincoln to leading 25 Cornell volunteers
his new book "Sea Dog: A Seafaring Captain's Lessons in Leadership" is at https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Dog-Seafaring-Captains-Leadership/dp/1394248245
(00:00) What is leadership, how to become a leader (07:44) How to find a good fit between leader and organization (14:18) What makes Abraham Lincoln a good leader (18:25) Charles talks about his personal journey (25:46) How the military teaches leadership (34:41) Career paths in the military (38:23) Cornell is the #1 university for veterans (45:59) Leadership in Cornell volunteering (60:29) Closing question
Laura Schoenle ’06 helps Cornell undergrads do research, we talked about:
- the skillsets developed through undergraduate research!!
- how her undergrad research experience influenced her career path, from high school teacher to PhD and beyond!!
- how undergrads at Cornell can find research opportunities!!
Alex Martin ’89 is a biotech CEO, on a mission to cure a rare disease, we talked about:
- building a biotech company, building the team (20 to 50 people!), fundraising (over $350 million!)
- executive coaching, being a good sounding board, remove obstacles faced by team members
- career path, from a government major at Cornell to a biotech CEO, 1st job, MBA, and more!
Debra Stern ’87 is the founder and executive director of Amani Public Charter School, a K-8 school in Mount Vernon, NY, we talked about:
- importance of education, for equity and opportunities, and for bringing together the community
- how her student leadership at Cornell led to a career in education administration
- leadership opportunities as Cornell alumni, and service on the Cornell University Council!
Maria Fernandez, JD ’92, is New York State's Deputy Secretary for Education!! we talked about:
- the importance of education and public service
- benefits of going to law school, the skillset and the network
- volunteering for Cornell (President's Council of Cornell Women!!)
Molly Morse ’03 is founder of Mango Materials, a Series B startup!! we talked about:
- the science, sustainability, and business model of the startup
- the process of commercializing research, the mindset changes
- how to get more startups coming out of universities