Fresh from the Hill: Inside Stories of Noteworthy Cornellians

Did you know Cornell has its own Black Alumni Association (CBAA)? And did you know it’s become the model for other diverse alumni groups across the country? Hear from the CBAA President and your host for the next few episodes: John Rawlins III ’06. An exciting kickoff to our new series amplifying our Black alumni voices! “As Cornellians across the board, we are leaders in our field, we are leaders...

What does it take to be on Cornell’s Board of Trustees? Four Cornell degrees? Not necessarily. But Doug Mitarotonda’s decade plus (yep! undergrad, two masters’ and a PhD) as a Cornell student gives him a unique perspective on the Board. Tune in to hear his journey from student to Trustee and why you should vote for your next alumni-elected trustee. Learn about the candidates and cast your vote tod...

For Inauguration Day, we are rebroadcasting this episode featuring Meghan Dubyak '04, originally aired on December 26, 2018. Please enjoy! __________________________________________ On this episode of Fresh from the Hill , you'll hear from Meghan Dubyak '04, current chief spokesperson and Associate Vice President for Communications and Creative Services at Georgetown University and former Press Se...

In pursuit of scholarship funds for his Cornell education, Karim Abouelnaga ’13 was challenged to find a solution to the achievement gap. Taking immediate action, he founded his company Practice Makes Perfect (PMP) at age 18. PMP has since supported thousands of low income children and Abouelnaga has become an acclaimed leader in the fields of education and entrepreneurship. Tune in today and be s...

If you’re familiar with Finger Lakes wines, you’ve heard of Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery. For Meaghan Frank ’11 MPS ’16, this is her family’s business, yet it was Cornell’s infamous Wines class that cemented her choice to pursue wine as a career. Hear the fascinating story of the winery and how they’ve pivoted during this pandemic. “I absolutely loved my time at Cornell. It was just a really wonder...

Drew Bonfiglio ’03 made his passion his day job. Hear about his non-traditional career path from construction to aerospace and defense engineering to founding his company Emzingo, where he trains leaders to address global challenges and unlock the talent of organizations. Plus some bonus tips about working remotely! “We need to be working on this journey to get to a point where we’re continuously...

There’s no Cornell experience without Collegetown Bagels (CTB)! And for Lindsey Brous Gitlin ’12, CTB is the family business. After a stint in NYC and Boston, Lindsey has returned Ithaca to oversee some major changes at the shop. From the pandemic response to new spaces/renovations, hear what’s next for this Ithaca institution. What if CTB came to a location near you?! Tune in to hear more. “We’ve...

Farther Farms builds technologies to improve the way food is made. Hear about Co-Founder and CEO Mike Annunziata's path to starting Farther Farms, the ways in which they are using technology to make food processing more sustainable, and how Cornell propelled him to where he is today. From an undergraduate degree in ILR, to working for Cornell, to earning his MBA from Johnson, Mike has a long histo...

Our next series (and thus our next host) is here! Tune in and meet author, podcast host, and President & CEO of The XLR8 Team, Inc. Andrew Brady class of 2010.  Hear how Andrew chose Cornell, how he got into podcasting, what exactly conscious capitalism is, and how he became involved with the movement.  Check out Andrew's podcast For the EVOLution of Business and stay tuned to upcomi...

Check out this very special cross-over episode of Fresh from the Hill , originally featured on Lou Diamond's podcast Thrive LOUD ! Donna Korren is the founder and CEO of Change , a women owned payment processing company. A seasoned and well regarded professional in her industry, Donna works with business owners and c suite executives to ensure that they retain more of every dollar they earn. A lar...

We are PUMPED to bring you this very special International Podcast Day episode, where we'll highlight a collection of podcasts that are produced, hosted, and/or created by some pretty talented Cornellians. Check out the full list of all the podcasts to learn what Cornellians are involved and where you can listen. Also read up on some of the featured podcasts here .  *If you're sensitive...

Hilary Lashley Renison '05, MEng '07, MBA '09 knows resiliency. Though she was one of three African American women in engineering during undergrad, she stayed at Cornell for almost a decade pursuing a bachelor’s, masters in engineering, and an MBA. Yep, that makes her a triple red! Now at the top of her game at General Electric and founder of her own company Tinker and Fiddle—promoting STEM educat...

Civil engineers help society. How can one ensure their infrastructure is safe and benefiting everyone in the community? This is Erica Fischer '07's mission. Hear about her journey from an undergraduate at Cornell to her current role as a Civil & Construction Engineering Assistant Professor at Oregon State University. Oh, and she’s part of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and Virtu...

The world is better when women succeed. Joanna Dai’s eight year finance career in New York and London instilled a sense of effortless style with cool attitude, but lacked the comfort and ease from her Californian upbringing. Yet, when it came to workwear shopping, she felt increasingly discouraged by a market where fabrics restricted movement, designs lacked function and versatility, and quality m...

Wall of Wonder is a book written and published by three remarkable class of 2020 Engineering grads: Madeline Dubelier, Catherine Gurecky, and Abigail Macaluso.  Listen in as Fresh from the Hill producer Amanda Massa sits down with Madeline, Catherine, and Abigail to discuss how the book came about, what it was like to write and publish a book while still in school AND during a global pandemic...

Academy Award winning filmmaker Ryan Silbert '02 is a writer, author, producer, and founder of Origin Story Entertainment, a multi-platform entertainment company with a global focus on storytelling. Silbert is also the co-creator of the New York Times bestseller Stan Lee’s Alliances: A Trick of Light , an original, first-of-its kind audio storytelling event produced by Amazon’s Audible Studios and...

Imagine turning a hobby into a successful business and your full-time job. Sounds amazing, right? Get inspired as we talk to Katie Bartels ’06, jewelry designer and owner of her eponymous brand Katie Bartels . Starting through Etsy, her colorful pieces gained traction and have led her to opportunities like curating the Edward Metzger Gem Collection at Cornell’s very own Johnson Museum. Tune in and...

Diversity. Inclusion. Sustainability. What do they really mean and how do they intersect? Listen in as we chat with Kamillah Knight ’13, MPA ’15 about her goal to change the way people look at and interact with the environment. As a leader at Unilever, Kamillah advocates for corporate responsibility and credits her time at Cornell for turning a passion into a career. And did we mention she’s curre...

Admit it. We are consumers and We. Love. Stuff. But what happens when we’re done with it? Arthur Huang ’02 founded his company Miniwiz to turn your trash and recyclables into resources for the future. Listen to his chat with host BJ Siasoco ’07 as he reflects on his time at  Cornell, his advice for fellow architects, and his partnership with Jackie Chan. Yes, that Jackie Chan. "We need to cha...

Pulitzer Prize winner? Check. Reporter for the LA Times? Check. Cornellian? Check! Tune in as we chat with Molly O’Toole ’09 about her award-winning work on the “ Out Crowd ” podcast--investigating the Trump administration’s policy on asylum officers and asylum seekers. Joined by host BJ Siasoco ’07, we dig into her career, her thoughts on media in society, and of course, her love for Cornell. “I...

This is not your typical "meet the host" episode. What was supposed to be a 5-10 minute mini episode turned into a 25 minute epic (edited down from over 40 minutes) with a fake out ending and a fun conversation between two old friends about podcast surprises, people who inspire us, outlooks on life, and more. Read the episode transcript . Created, produced, and hosted by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia...

We're so excited to bring you brand new episodes of Fresh from the Hill starting May 13! In the meantime, catch up on past episodes and stay up-to-date on all of Cornell Alumni Affairs digital offerings at our Connect Online website . Read the episode transcript. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu . Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expr...

Tune in to a fascinating discussion with Ben Ortiz, Assistant Curator for the Cornell Hip Hop collection. Why are musical archives important? How does Cornell’s collection partner with the likes of HBO, Neflix, and the New York Times ? Learn more as host Juliana Garcia ’14 dissects Ben’s work in and outside of the office. “Being a lifelong hip hop nerd is not something I would ever thought would e...

During this time of crisis and uncertainty, we lean on our local communities for support. Fresh from the Hill host Juliana Garcia ’14 is doing her part as an active member of Mutual Aid Tompkins - a grassroots organization responding to community needs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Tune in as she talks to our producer, Amanda Massa about how to organize, identify existing resources, and gain support...

Tune in as we talk to Alina Kim SHA ’03, owner and operator of Ithaca’s premier karaoke bar . Alina chats with host Juliana Garcia ’14 about her entrepreneurial spirit and the science behind karaoke and how it brings people together. “On certain nights when karaoke is really lively ... it’s like this positive energy that you can almost soak in.” Read the episode transcript. Episode recorded at the...