Northeastern Next Podcast

Meet Magda Pavlak-Chiaradia, S'99! The author of "This Wasn't the Plan (and That's the Point): Real Lessons for Career Pivots, Professional Growth, and Navigating What You Didn't Plan For," Magda joined the Northeastern Next podcast to discuss her time at the Global Leadership Summit, working and living abroad, and the inspiration for writing her book.  Purchase your own copy here: https://www.ama...

Meet Sarela Bliman-Cohen, E'93! The founder of QNEST—Queers Never Experiencing Shame and Traum—she has made a name for herself in the nonprofit community. QNEST strives to support homeless LGBTQ+ in the Boston area. Hear about her career beginnings as an engineer and why she decided to make a change to the nonprofit sector. Learn more about QNEST: https://qnest.org/ QNEST on Facbook: https://www.f...

Meet Puneet Kohil, Khoury’98! Puneet joins the Northeastern Next podcast to reminisce about the impact the computer science program had on him as an undergraduate, how AI is innovating and changing the tech world, and the striking similarities between Northeastern's co-op program and Rocket Software's NextGen program. 

Meet James Eggers, SSH'12! Currently a Lieutenant in the United States Coast Guard, James has dedicated his life to serving others. From his time at Teach For America and a Fulbright Scholarship that lead him to teaching English in Brazil, to recently being named a McCain Institute Global Leader, he seems to have done it all—and he's nowhere near finished. Connect with James: https://www.linkedin....

Meet Kerstin Haskell, DMSB'03! The president of World BioHazTec, Kerstin strives to keep her firm true to its mission—to promote health and safety in an ever-changing world. We'll discuss her Northeastern experience, how World BioHazTec came to be, and why it's important to leverage your personal network. Learn more about BioHazTec: https://worldbiohaztec.com/

Meet Emily White, SSH'05! Emily is the host of the hit podcast "How to Build a Sustainable Music Career and Collect All Revenue Streams," as well as a high-profile public speaker. She joins the Northeastern Next podcast to discuss her beginnings in the music industry, why she started her podcast, and why it's important for members of our university's community to attend a Northeastern-based confer...

Meet Sara Alaoeasheg, CPS'25! The founder of Lillian Prep, Sara looks to harness what she learned during time at Northeastern and convey it into the principles of her new nonprofit. We'll discuss her co-op experience, her interest in human resources and social work, and the mission of Lillian Prep. Learn more about Lillian Prep: https://www.lilianprep.org/

Meet Meet Shah, MS'19! Drawn to Boston’s powerhouse biotech ecosystem, Meet chose Northeastern to immerse himself where scientific discovery meets real-world execution. After launching his career through the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, he focused on one of medicine’s most transformative frontiers: engineering immune cells to fight cancer. Now contributing to next-generation allogeneic cell...

Meet Raymond Tay, MS’24! A transport network engineer, Ray shares his journey from over a decade in the global telecom industry to pursuing a master’s degree at Northeastern University. He discusses how the Gordon Institute of Engineering Leadership helped him transition his role, how his perspectives on global connectivity developed, and how AI is transforming the future of telecommunications inf...

Meet Jenny Taconet, MS'25! A data scientist for Meta, Jenny explains the process of how she was hired for one of the most prestigious tech companies in the world. Additionally, she talks about how her experience at the Khoury College of Computer Sciences impacted her professional development, as well as her thoughts on the integration of Al in the workplace.

Meet Scott Kerman, the co-author of the book The Duke: Weekly Conversations with the Last Honest Politician! A comedian, Scott takes us on the journey of his relationship with Governor Michael Dukakis that inspired him to author this book. Plus, we'll talk about the Governor's continued relationship with Northeastern University. Purchase your very own copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Duke-Convers...

Meet Helen Russell, DMSB'88! Shortly after graduating, Helen moved to the Bay Area and decided to forge her own path as an entrepreneur. After co-founding Equator Coffee in 1995, she and her team have grown it from a small business in a garage to having their blends sold in Whole Foods and Kroger's—even opening a shop in Snell Library. Plus, Equator Coffee has recently launched the Northeastern Le...

Meet Maarten Eenkema van Dijk, E’14, MS’15! Maarten has been making an impact in his field since his time at Northeastern—whether it’s by building structures in Hudson Yards, taking a co-op to design luxury villas on the island of Mauritius, or leading the largest recycling systems supplier in North America as they help New York City sort their waste. Additionally, he recounts his experiences at t...

Meet Elizabeth Gurian, MS’06! Elizabeth was recently named a Charles A. Dana professor of criminology and criminal justice at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. She joins the Northeastern Next podcast to discuss why she chose serial murderers to be her academic focus, why people are drawn to true crime media, and to announce the launch of her data-driven project, the Murder Matrix. Learn m...

Meet Brigham Hyde, S'04! Combining his passion for chemistry with his instinct for business, Brigham co-founded Atropos Health—an AI-driven healthcare company that helps those in the medical field make informed decisions on their patients. In this episode, we'll discuss his Northeastern co-op experience, why he started Atropos Health, and his favorite management style. Learn more about Atropos Hea...

Meet Chloe Gold, Khoury'22! Chloe is currently a product manager for an advertising firm in New York City, and credits her co-op experience with helping her begin her professional career. We'll discuss the impact of being a well-rounded Northeastern student, helping students find the perfect co-op, and what makes a great resume.

Meet Peter McKay, DMSB'86! The CEO of the AI-powered security platform Snyk, Peter was recently named a Boston Globe Tech Power Player for 2025. In this episode, we'll discuss his impactful co-op experience, the best management skills needed to be a CEO, and advice for those looking to start their own venture. Learn more about Peter and Snyk: https://snyk.io/contributors/peter-mckay/

Meet Alex Duffy, E'19! Currently the head of AI for Every, Inc., Alex has a long history with the field. As his career has developed, he has worked his way from teaching children about artificial intelligence at a programming bootcamp to consulting media giants like The New York Times on how to properly instill the technology. We'll discuss his overall Northeastern experience, what initially attra...

Meet Ashley DiLorenzo, AMD'25! About to embark on her professional journey with Disney Cruise Line, Ashley has seen both ends of the spectrum in the entertainment industry—from her time at the Huntington Theater to media giant NBCUniversal. We'll talk about why she chose Northeastern, the skills she learned during her co-op experiences, and how she networked her way to Disney.

Meet Chinonso Morsindi, DMSB'25! A 2025 Compass Award winner, Chinonso made an important impact during her five years on campus. We'll discuss how the co-op laid the foundations for her career aspirations, her involvement with the Black Business Student Association, and her enticing capstone project on economic development in Africa.

Meet Ralph Cabana, BHS'75! Ralph is preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his Northeastern Commencement ceremony as a Golden Graduate with his fellow graduates from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. We'll discuss how Northeastern prepared him for his career, how the university has progressed since graduating, and why he is excited to be a Golden Graduate! 

Meet Samuel Akinin, E'16! An accomplished entrepreneur, Samuel's businesses span across the country of Namibia, providing Namibians with everything from easy bank access to affordable housing. Hear how his Northeastern experience influenced him to become an entrepreneur and shaped his business acumen!  Learn about JabuPay: https://www.gojabu.com/ Learn about Atenu Developments: https://www.atenude...

Meet Jenna Capuzzo, BHS'20, MPH'21, and Alan Sun, DMSB'17, two active members of Northeastern's flourishing young alumni community. We'll discuss their roles in the Young Alumni Advisory Board, how Northeastern prepared them for postgrad life, and the significance of Giving Day and giving back to the university. Connect with Jenna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-capuzzo-mph-cph-1b3936151/ Conne...

Meet Daria Koshkina, MPS'23! An award-winning digital artist, Daria is consistently on the quest to push the boundaries of her art and the digital world through real-life experiences. Learn about her Northeastern experience and how her professors impacted her, the ethics of AI as a digital art form, and her future projects.  Vote for Daria here: http://dhawards.org/dhawards2024/voting/ Visualize D...

Meet Alex Eaves, AMD'99 and Derek "Deek" Diedricksen, AMD'00! After many near misses on campus, these two Huskies finally met at the Stoughton Farmers Market where Alex was selling his reuse clothing brand, Stay Vocal. Combining their shared interest in sustainability and Deek's background in building tiny houses, the two created The Box Truck out of an old shipping truck. Learn more about their w...