George Talks Business 2022

2022 Events
Explore the Archive

Couldn't attend in person or online? In this archive, you'll find detailed information — plus the full video — from every George Talks Business event in 2022.

Fall 2022

October 17, 2022 - New York City Real Estate Market Panel with Charles R. Bendit, Jonathan Iger, Josh N. Kuriloff and Evan Pariser

 

 

On Monday, October 17, we spoke with GW alumni for a special edition of the George Talks Business series focused on the New York City real estate market.

Charles R. Bendit (BBA ’75), co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Taconic Partners and GW Board of Trustees member, moderated a panel discussion with Jonathan Iger, chief executive officer of Sage Realty Corporation and GW School of Business Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis (CREUA) board member, Josh N. Kuriloff (BBA ’81), executive vice chairman at Cushman & Wakefield and GW School of Business Board of Advisors member, and Evan Pariser, senior managing director of Capital Markets at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). Welcome remarks were provided by GW School of Business Dean Anuj Mehrotra, Ph.D.

The panel discussion was followed by a reception for GW students and alumni and their guests. This event was hosted by the Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis (CREUA), the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, and the GW School of Business.

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Iger joined Sage in 2010 as the fourth generation of the Kaufman family and became CEO in 2014. He develops, implements and oversees Sage's corporate strategy, operating strategy and investment initiatives and provides leadership and guidance to all departments across Sage. His mission is to create value for all stakeholders. Prior to joining Sage, Jonathan served as Vice President at P&L Investments, LLC, a boutique real estate investment and asset management firm, and was founder and CEO of UrbanGradRealty, a boutique residential brokerage company that focused on the recent college graduate submarket. Jonathan is active on industry boards. He serves as chairman of the board of the Meatpacking Area Business Improvement District, a board member of the Downtown Alliance, and a member of the advisory board for the Center of Real Estate and Urban Analysis at George Washington University. And in keeping with the Kaufman family tradition, Jonathan is a proud supporter of many of New York's major institutions in the fields of the arts, healthcare, and education, including serving on the Board of Trustees of The Town School.

 

 

Josh N. Kuriloff is a 35-year veteran of the commercial real estate industry and one of the highest-ranking brokerage professionals at Cushman & Wakefield. Mr. Kuriloff is executive vice chairman and member of C&W’s Global Advisory Board. In 1998, 2009, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2021 he earned the distinction of being recognized as C&W’s top brokerage professional worldwide. In 2015, Mr. Kuriloff was ranked #1 in Real Estate Forum’s Top U.S. Brokerage Professionals feature.

 

 

Evan Pariser is a senior managing director in the New York office of JLL Capital Markets, Americas. He joined JLL as part of the HFF acquisition and has more than 25 years of experience in commercial real estate finance. He was a founding member of HFF's New York office, which opened in 1994. Evan's focus involves debt and equity placement transactions, including fixed-rate, floating-rate, construction, capital, equity joint ventures and structured finance. Throughout his career, he's raised more than $10 billion of real estate capital on behalf of institutional and entrepreneurial clients.

Before joining HFF, Evan was a managing director at Walter & Samuels, Inc., and a vice president with the Real Estate Capital Group at Bear Stearns & Co.

 

 

Charles R. Bendit is the co-chief executive officer of Taconic Partners. Taconic an owner, operator, and developer of commercial and residential real estate, from adaptive reuse and urban revitalization to luxury residential development. Since 1997, Taconic has successfully acquired, developed, redeveloped, and repositioned over 15 million square feet of office, mixed-use, and retail space and more than 3,000 units of for-sale and multi-family rental housing in New York City with select projects in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.

A graduate of the George Washington University, Mr. Bendit sits on the Executive Committee of the Board of Advisors of the George Washington University School of Business and is a member of the Advisory Board of the University’s Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis. Mr. Bendit is very involved in the educational community having served two terms as the Manhattan representative to the Board of Regents of the New York State Education Department, he also served as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of PENCIL, an organization that creates and supports partnerships between public schools and private enterprises. PENCIL serves schools in 5 cities in the US. Currently, Mr. Bendit serves on the board of directors for The Bank Street School. He is also an active member of The Partnership for NY, serving as trustee for the Fund for the Partnership for NY.

Mr. Bendit lives in Manhattan, where he has resided for 35 years. He is married and has two daughters.

October 12, 2022 - Barbara Humpton, President and CEO, Siemens USA

On Wednesday, October 12, Barbara Humpton, president and CEO of Siemens USA, joined us for a conversation about what it takes to drive the transformation of industry and infrastructure from the lens of a leading technology company, including how Siemens incorporates diversity, equity and inclusion into its core business strategy. Barbara was interviewed by Dr. Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the GW School of Business.

 

 

 

Barbara Humpton is President and CEO of Siemens Corporation, where she guides the company’s strategy and engagement in serving the company’s largest market . Siemens USA employs approximately 40,000 people serving customers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico and generated $17 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2020. She views the true purpose of technology as expanding what’s humanly possible. She’s also passionate about diversity, STEM education, and what she calls a "worklife blend" that honors her priorities both at Siemens and as a grandmother.

Most recently, Humpton served as president and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. (SGT), a leading integrator of Siemens’ products and services for federal government agencies and departments. In this role, Humpton also served as an officer/direc tor member of the board of directors of SGT.

Prior to joining Siemens in 2011, Humpton served as a vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton where she was responsible for program performance and new business development for technology consulting in the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. Earlier, Humpton was a vice president at Lockheed Martin Corporation with responsibility for Biometrics Programs, Border and Transportation Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection, including such critical programs as the FBI’s Next Generation Identification and the TSA’s Transportation Workers’ Identification Credential.

Humpton is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Barbara is Chairman of the Siemens Corporation Board, the Siemens Foundation and of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA). She serves on the board of directors of the Triumph Group, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP), Economic Club of Washington, D.C. and the Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association. She resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband David.

 

October 3, 2022 - Durreen Shahnaz, Founder and CEO, Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) and IIX Foundation, and James C. Polan, Vice President of Development Credit, The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation

On Monday, October 3, changemaker and impact investing pioneer Durreen Shahnaz, founder and CEO of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) and IIX Foundation, winner of the 2017 Oslo Business for Peace prize, and named member of the 2021 Forbes 50 Over 50: Investment list, and James C. Polan, vice president of development credit at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), discussed the role of innovative finance in international development and share how capital markets tools can be harnessed for development goals and expanding development finance capacity. They were interviewed by Dr. Alyssa Ayres, dean of the GW Elliott School of International Affairs, and Dr. Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the GW School of Business.

 

 

 

 

 

Durreen Shahnaz is a global leader of social impact and pioneer in impact investing. She is also the founder of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) and IIX Foundation. IIX is the home of the world’s first social stock exchange and one of the world’s largest crowdfunding platforms for impact investing. IIX is also a leader in impact assessment methodology and innovative financial structures such as the world's first gender focused social bond, Women's Livelihood Bond Series. The company connects the Back Streets of underserved communities to the Wall Streets of the world by changing financial systems and innovating solutions for women empowerment, climate action, and community resilience, thus driving forward the Sustainable Development Goals. IIX and IIX Foundation’s work has unlocked over US$250 million of private sector investment capital and impacted over 100 million direct household lives.

Shahnaz is the recipient of UN Women’s 2020 Asia-Pacific Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP) award, the 2019 Sustainability Superwoman award from CSR Works, 2017 Oslo Business for Peace Award, often referred to as the ‘Nobel Prize for Business’, the 2017 Global Steering Group for Impact Investment Impact Market Builder of the Year award, the 2016 Asia Society Asia Game Changer Award, in addition to the prestigious 2014 Joseph Wharton Social Impact Award given by the Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania. Recently, Shahnaz was named in the Forbes 50 over 50 list as a notable leader in the financial industry.

Shahnaz holds a BA from Smith College as well as an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MA from the School for Advanced International Studies at John Hopkins University.

 

 

 

 

James C. Polan serves as vice president of development credit at U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

Mr. Polan had served as vice president for small and medium enterprise finance at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), before its transformation to DFC, since July 2003. Between 1995 and 2003, he was a senior investment officer and managing director of project finance at OPIC.

Additionally, Mr. Polan provided leadership on the agency’s African and small and medium enterprise initiatives and played a key role in the creation of OPIC’s Small Business Center, where he served as the approval officer for loan requests.

Prior to joining the agency, Mr. Polan was managing director of Ngami Group Limited in Gaborone, Botswana, served as chief executive officer for Healthcare Holdings (PTY) Ltd. in Gaborone, and was manager of the projects and property development divisions for the Botswana Development Corporation Limited.

Mr. Polan received a B.A. in Business Economics from Connecticut College and an MBA in Finance from the University of London. He also attended the London School of Economics and Political Science.

 

 

September 21, 2022 - Stephanie von Friedeburg, Senior Vice President of Operations, The International Finance Corporation (IFC)

On Wednesday, September 21, Stephanie von Friedeburg, senior vice president of operations at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), was interviewed by Dr. Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the GW School of Business, about the impact of unprecedented global challenges on emerging markets and developing economies. We also discussed opportunities and challenges in creating an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. Stephanie von Friedeburg is IFC’s first senior vice president of operations. She most recently stewarded the institution in the midst of the pandemic and led the implementation of IFC’s strategy to create projects, attract private investment, and ultimately support a resilient and inclusive recovery in emerging markets. Her priorities include increasing opportunities for women, scaling up investments to fight climate change, and promoting digital development. Her career spans almost three decades in the World Bank Group. She started at IFC, where she also served as the first chief operating officer, and has spent more than two decades in investment operations, developing strong expertise in Africa and Central and Eastern Europe and in sectors such as telecom, manufacturing, and a wide array of technologies. In addition to an MBA from the Wharton School, she holds a Master of Arts from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania and an undergraduate degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

 

September 14, 2022 - Frederick S. Humphries, Jr., Corporate Vice President of U.S. Government Affairs, Microsoft Corporation

On Wednesday, September 14, Frederick S. Humphries, Jr., corporate vice president of U.S. Government Affairs at Microsoft Corporation, was interviewed by Dr. Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the GW School of Business, about policy and regulation in the technology sector.

This event was hosted in partnership with the F. David Fowler Career Center at the GW School of Business and the GW Department of Athletics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fred Humphries is corporate vice president of U.S Government Affairs (USGA) at Microsoft. Under his leadership, USGA provides policy and regulatory expertise, political engagement, and outreach that advances the company’s advocacy goals. Mr. Humphries is Microsoft’s chief public policy advocate, internally and externally, on all aspects of federal, state and civic affairs. He communicates with policymakers on Microsoft’s leadership in fostering economic and job opportunities in the U.S.

Mr. Humphries also oversees the Microsoft team responsible for engagement with the United Nations and International Organizations (UNIO), and he chairs the company’s Global Government Affairs Council, responsible for reviewing strategies and initiatives for Microsoft’s government affairs work worldwide.

As part of his stewardship of a broad, multilateral team, Mr. Humphries sets the company’s government engagement strategy on the most pressing policy issues facing the technology industry to earn trust and adapt to regulation, enable inclusive economic growth, and use technology to solve big societal problems. This includes cloud computing, privacy, trade, cybersecurity, education, racial equity, immigration, and emerging technologies.

He proudly serves on the boards of numerous non-profit and public service organizations in the Washington, DC area. Mr. Humphries received a J.D. from Temple University School of Law and a B.A. in Political Science from Morehouse College.

 

Spring 2022

April 25, 2022 - David M. Rubenstein, Co-founder and Co-chairman, The Carlyle Group

On Monday, April 25, David M. Rubenstein, co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group, was interviewed by Dr. Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the GW School of Business.

 

 

 

 

 

David M. Rubenstein is co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest and most successful private investment firms. Established in 1987, Carlyle now manages $301 billion from 26 offices around the world.

Mr. Rubenstein is chairman of the boards of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Gallery of Art, the Economic Club of Washington, and the University of Chicago; a Fellow of the Harvard Corporation; a Trustee of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Institute for Advanced Study, the National Constitution Center, the Brookings Institution, and the World Economic Forum; and a Director of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, among other board seats.

Mr. Rubenstein is a leader in the area of Patriotic Philanthropy, having made transformative gifts for the restoration or repair of the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Monticello, Montpelier, Mount Vernon, Arlington House, Iwo Jima Memorial, the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, the National Archives, the National Zoo, the Library of Congress, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Mr. Rubenstein has also provided to the U.S. government long-term loans of his rare copies of the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment, the first map of the U.S. (Abel Buell map), and the first book printed in the U.S. (Bay Psalm Book).

Mr. Rubenstein is an original signer of the Giving Pledge; the host of the David Rubenstein Show and Bloomberg Wealth with David Rubenstein; and the author of The American Story, How to Lead, and The American Experiment.

 

April 13, 2022 - Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM

On Wednesday, April 13, Inderpal Bhandari, global chief data officer at IBM, was interviewed by Dr. Shivraj Kanungo, vice dean for graduate programs at the GW School of Business. We enjoyed a conversation with one of the original pioneers of the CDO role globally and discussed his experience building a data-first culture at IBM, advice on how a company can use data transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create business value, and top trends that will shape the future of data.

 

 

 

 

 

Inderpal Bhandari is the global chief data officer at IMB, where he has leveraged his extensive experience to lead IBM’s data strategy to ensure IBM remains the number one AI and hybrid cloud provider for the enterprise. Under his leadership, the Cognitive Enterprise Blueprint was created, a roadmap for IBM’s clients on their own transformation journeys.

Inderpal brings to IBM more than 20 years of experience in leadership roles at such leading companies as Cambia Health Solutions and Express Scripts/Medco Health Solutions. Prior to joining IBM, Inderpal served as senior vice president and chief data officer of Cambia Health Solutions, where he led the development of Cambia’s data strategy and drove the transformation of the company’s consumer experience strategies.

Prior to that, Inderpal served as vice president of knowledge solutions and chief data officer at Express Scripts/Medco Health Solutions, where he was responsible for maximizing the utility of the company’s data and its readiness to respond to emerging market trends. Before that, he founded Virtual Gold, growing the company into an international market leader for analytics in call centers and professional sports.

Inderpal is an expert in transforming data into business value and improved customer experiences by delivering strategic, innovative capabilities that use analytic insights to enable growth and productivity. In 2017, he was named U.S. Chief Data Officer of the Year by the CDO Club, and has been featured as an industry expert by Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, US News & World Report, CNN and FOX.

Inderpal earned his Master of Science Degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and holds a Ph.D. in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

 

April 7, 2022 - Dr. Mark S. Wrighton, President, The George Washington University

On Thursday, April 7, Dr. Mark S. Wrighton, president of the George Washington University, was interviewed by Dr. Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the GW School of Business. We enjoyed a conversation with President Wrighton about his extensive experience in academia, what attracted him to GW, and his vision for the university. We explored his views on creating innovation around campus and top trends shaping the future of higher education. We also learned about Dr. Wrighton's favorite ways to enjoy Washington, D.C.

This event was hosted in partnership with the George Washington University Department of Athletics.

 

 

 

 

 

Mark S. Wrighton, Ph.D., was elected president of the George Washington University on January 1, 2022. He previously served as the 14th chancellor of Washington University from July 1, 1995, through May 31, 2019. During his tenure as chancellor, Washington University made unprecedented progress in campus improvements, resource development, curriculum, international reputation, and especially in undergraduate applications and student quality.

Wrighton served as a presidential appointee to the National Science Board (2000-06), which is the science policy advisor to the president and Congress and is the primary advisory board of the National Science Foundation. He is a past chair of the Business-Higher Education Forum and the Association of American Universities.

Wrighton has received many awards for his research and scholarly writing, including the distinguished MacArthur Prize. He is the author of over 300 articles in professional and scholarly journals, is the holder of 16 patents, and co-author of a book, Organometallic Photochemistry. His research interests are in the areas of transition metal catalysis, photochemistry, surface chemistry, molecular electronics, and in photoprocesses at electrodes.

He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the American Philosophical Society. Active in public and professional affairs, he has served on numerous governmental panels and has been a consultant to industry. He is an active member of numerous professional organizations and serves as a director on the boards of national companies and St. Louis organizations.

From 1990 until 1995, he served as provost and chief academic officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A member of the MIT faculty from 1972 until 1995, Wrighton became a full professor of chemistry in 1977. He was named Frederick G. Keyes Professor of Chemistry in 1981 and became head of the Chemistry Department in 1987. In 1989 he was named the first holder of the Ciba-Geigy Professorship. Wrighton received his B.S. degree with honors in chemistry from Florida State University in 1969 and his Ph.D. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1972.

 

March 30, 2022 - Anthony Shop, Co-founder, Social Driver, and Chairman, The National Digital Roundtable

On Wednesday, March 30, Anthony Shop (MBA ’11), co-founder of Social Driver and chairman of the National Digital Roundtable, was interviewed by Dr. Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the GW School of Business. This in-person conversation focused on a successful entrepreneurship journey and how winning the GW New Venture Competition played a role in starting a digital marketing company in Washington, D.C. We also discussed top trends in marketing, the “tech for good” entrepreneurial movement, and what it takes to be named the #1 LGBTQ-owned D.C. business.

This event was hosted in partnership with the GW School of Business Diversity Council.

 

 

 

 

In an era of digital transformation and disruption, Anthony Shop is a refreshing optimist and proven innovator in the field of digital and social media. As a convener, entrepreneur and educator, Anthony champions a digital mindset to create bottom-up strategies that unleash the energy in people. He has demonstrated that by putting people before technology, organizations can achieve results that seemed unimaginable a few short years ago.

Anthony is chairman of the National Digital Roundtable, the premier convener of digital innovators, leaders and policy shapers. Through his off-the-record roundtables and public forums in partnership with premier NGOs, educational institutions, and embassies, Anthony has developed an innovative perspective that transcends industries and borders. His views on digital thinking and trends have been featured by the BBC, CBS, Bloomberg, and Al Hurra, and at conferences across the globe.

In 2011, Anthony co-founded Social Driver, a digital services firm, to help companies and non-profits establish winning strategies with social media, websites, content, and advertising. The firm quickly established itself as a leader and was named the “7th fastest growing agency in the United States” by The Agency 100, “Supplier of the Year” by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, “DC’s Coolest Company” by DC Inno, and the “#1 LGBT-Owned Business” by The Washington Business Journal. In only eight years, the firm’s proven digital solutions have revolutionized how hundreds of leading organizations manage issues and reputations, market products and services, and build engagement and relationships with people ranging from customers to policymakers. Social Driver has earned its place as the trusted partner time and again by delivering game-changing results for Honda, Cigna, Sprint, Goodwill, ADA, and more.

Anthony offers a global perspective on the digital future from his experience as a citizen diplomat. An Eisenhower Fellow and a German Marshall Memorial Fellow, he has researched global marketing communications trends, the world-wide fight against false news and misinformation, and China’s vastly different digital and social media landscape. As a member of the US Department of State Speakers Bureau, his talks have been simulcast to dozens of American embassies around the world. Anthony is frequently called on to host international delegations visiting the U.S. He serves on the board of Global Ties Foundation and a trustee for People to People International.

Through his use of proven frameworks and compelling storytelling, professionals around the world have embraced Anthony’s message to drive their social media and digital strategies. He has given keynotes for dozens of prominent organizations, including NASA’s Johnson Space Center, The New York Times, and Communication University of China. Anthony has been recognized as an “OUTstanding LGBT Role Model” by The Financial Times and “40 Under 40” by The Washington Business Journal. A former newspaper reporter, Anthony was the first new media professional elected to the prestigious National Press Club’s Board of Governors.

Prior to founding Social Driver, Anthony served as press secretary for a top U.S. congressional race and as a journalist. He earned his MBA from The George Washington University School of Business, where he teaches as an adjunct lecturer, and his BA from William Jewell College as a Truman Scholar.

 

March 8, 2022 - Globant Women in Technology Award Winners Panel with Teneika Askew, Suuchi Ramesh and Jeeva Senthilnathan

The GW School of Business is a proud sponsor of the Women That Build awards, sponsored by Globant, a global technology and IT organization. Tuesday, March 8 featured a panel discussion with the 2022 Women That Build award winners, who advance careers in technology, manage innovation and collaboration, and promote diversity and inclusion. We explored specific challenges they have faced in their careers — and the strategies they used to overcome those challenges and become extraordinary women that build.

Panelists

• Teneika Askew, Director of the Data Science and Analytics Enablements, U.S. Navy (Digital Leader Award Winner)
• Suuchi Ramesh, CEO and Founder, Suuchi Inc. (Tech Entrepreneur Award Winner)
• Jeeva Senthilnathan, Founder, Privando (Rising Star Award Winner)

Moderator

• Liesl Riddle, Ph.D., Vice Dean for Strategy, The George Washington University School of Business

 

 

 

 

 

Teneika Askew is the director of the Data Science and Analytics Enablements at the U.S. Navy, where she is the product manager and Agile coach for the Data Science as a Service portfolio that delivers data science and AI/ML solutions to transform the Department of the Navy by accelerating the delivery and adoption of advanced analytics and AI to achieve mission impact at scale.

Teneika received the Values in Practice (VIP) award in her position at Booz Allen for her contributions and excellence in client service, philanthropy, and consistently demonstrating Booz Allen values. She went on to support the launch of the Stem Girls for Social Good program, guiding SG4SG to receive two Booz Allen Excellence Awards, and she personally received the WOC STEM Technology All Star Award. She is certified in Agile/Scrum, Tableau, Power BI, AWS and more. At Deloitte, she received several performance and team awards from leadership and peer awards from firm initiatives. She has led the development of strategy and analytics solutions for 10+ organizations, increasing their fundraising targets or capital by $6M+ total.

Teneika founded her first non-profit, Ribbons of Beauty, to provide mentorship to high school women, delivering seminars focusing on ACT/SAT preparation, managing finances, higher education, and building personal brands. Ribbons of Beauty has impacted the lives of over 200 women and led to the start of BiCTech, a nonprofit focused on providing economic advancement for minorities. Outside of these initiatives, she is passionate about the economic advancement and stability of women- and minority-led nonprofits and organizations.

 

 

 

Suuchi Ramesh founded Suuchi, Inc., a supply chain technology platform, five years ago after a 10+ year career in technology and predictive data analytics. Before starting Suuchi, Inc., she scaled the B2B side of multiple tech startups, helping them achieve unicorn status. Suuchi now plans to do the same with the GRID, an intuitive software solution that digitizes the entire supply chain, empowering participation and providing a single source of truth across suppliers, factories, brands, retailers, warehouses and customers.

 

 

 

Jeeva Senthilnathan is a young Indian American who ran for office in Parker, Colorado at the age of 18. Senthilnathan was born in Chicago but was brought up in one of the most conservative counties in the state of Colorado, Douglas County. Jeeva is known for her activism in climate change, mental health, and teacher pay alongside the policies she has helped pass in gun safety with State Representative Tom Sullivan. Jeeva is an undergraduate sophomore student at the Colorado School of Mines, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. She currently is pursuing research in balance control strategies for balance therapy with gesture-controlled rehabilitation robots and is also running her organization, Privando, to help solve the India’s crisis of being the most dangerous country for women through education, legislation and technology.

Jeeva has received multiple national recognitions, becoming a 2021 Global Teen Leader from Nile Rodger’s We Are Family Foundation, a 2021 Diana Awardee from Princess Diana, a 2020 Presidential Volunteer Service Awardee, and a DNC Delegate for Senator Bernie Sanders in 2020.

March 2, 2022 - Joseph F. Klimavicz, Managing Director of CIO Advisory, KPMG

On Wednesday, March 2, Joseph F. Klimavicz, managing director of CIO Advisory at KPMG, was interviewed by Dr. Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the GW School of Business.

The topic of discussion was "The Evolving Cybersecurity Landscape: What Is Our Response and Is It Enough?" This event was part of the series STEM Policy and GW: An Industry Perspective, and the event was hosted in partnership with the GW Office of the Vice Provost for Research.

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Joseph Klimavicz joined KPMG, LLP as a managing director in March 2020. In this position, he leads the public sector Chief Information Officer (CIO) Advisory practice and helps government clients develop and implement digital transformations, and deal with rapidly changing technology, growing complexities from budget constraints, competing agendas, and continuous attacks on their information infrastructure.

Mr. Klimavicz previously served as the Department of Justice (DOJ) Deputy Assistant Attorney General and CIO from May 2014 until March 2020. In this position, he provided leadership and oversight of the Department’s information and technology programs and implemented large-scale and complex digital transformations. He also served as DOJ’s Chief Data Officer, Senior Agency Official for Geospatial Information, and executive responsible for both radio frequency spectrum and all technical standards. In addition, he served as vice-chair of the Federal CIO Council.

Mr. Klimavicz’s 37-year career in the federal government began with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as an imagery scientist. He subsequently served in line management positions within the CIA and the Department of Defense (DOD) leading information technology programs, to include serving as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Deputy CIO. Mr. Klimavicz also served as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) CIO and Director, High Performance Computing and Communications from January 2007 until May 2014.

 

February 2, 2022 - Sirisha Bandla, Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations, Virgin Galactic

On Wednesday, February 2, Sirisha Bandla (MBA ’15), vice president of government affairs and research operations at Virgin Galactic, was interviewed by Dr. Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the GW School of Business.

 

 

 

 

 

Sirisha Bandla is the vice president of government affairs and research operations at Virgin Galactic. In this role, Sirisha oversees legislative, regulatory, and government business priorities for the company, as well as work with research customers to fly science and technology experiments on VG’s SpaceShip class of vehicles.

Previously, Sirisha served as the associate director for the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, an industry association of commercial spaceflight companies. At CSF, Sirisha worked on various policies with the aim to promote and enable the then emerging commercial space industry. Before CSF, she worked as an aerospace engineer designing components for advanced aircraft at L-3 Communications in Greenville, Texas.

Sirisha has a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Purdue and a Master of Business Administration from the George Washington University. Sirisha serves on the boards of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, the American Astronautical Society, and the Future Space Leaders Foundation. Sirisha also helps to organize the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program, an internship and mentorship program that provides summer opportunities to current college juniors, seniors, and graduate students passionate about commercial spaceflight.

January 20, 2022 - Muriel E. Bowser, Mayor of the District of Columbia

On Thursday, January 20, 2022, Muriel E. Bowser, mayor of the District of Columbia, was interviewed by Dr. Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the GW School of Business.

 

 

 

 

 

Muriel Bowser is committed to making sure every Washingtonian gets a fair shot in a growing and prosperous Washington, DC. Her administration is focused on making DC’s prosperity more inclusive, advancing DC values, and building safer, stronger, and healthier neighborhoods across DC’s eight wards.

Washington, DC is unique in the American political system — the mayor, DC’s chief executive, functions as a governor, county executive, and mayor. Like governors, Mayor Bowser runs Medicaid, issues driver’s licenses, and has tax authority. Like county executives, Mayor Bowser runs the local jail, and, unlike most mayors, also oversees the public school system. In 2020, Washington, DC is home to 705,000 people across 68 square miles, has a AAA bond rating, and an annual budget of more than $15 billion.

On November 6, 2018, Muriel Bowser became the first woman ever re-elected as the Mayor of Washington, DC and the first mayor to earn a second term in 16 years. Since taking office, the Mayor has taken bold steps to reset DC’s global and national competitiveness, speed up affordable housing production, diversify the DC economy, increase satisfaction in city services, and invest in programs and policies that allow more families to live and thrive in DC.

Mayor Bowser earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Chatham University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from American University, and received honorary doctorates from Chatham University and Trinity University. With more than 20 years of experience in local government, she first entered elected office as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in the Riggs Park neighborhood.