Fresh from the Hill: Inside Stories of Noteworthy Cornellians

In its 45 years of existence, CBAA (Cornell Black Alumni Association) has had 16 presidents. We’ve gathered them together for a couple of lively roundtable discussions. Hear about their experiences at Cornell as students, as alumni, and as trailblazers for the Black community. These conversations were so incredible, we’ve split them into two episodes. "It's about connection and care. We care about each other and we look out for each other" - Michelle Brown-Grant '88 Featuring: Michelle Brown-Grant '88 Regina Little '78 Katrina James '96 Marlon Brownlee '84 Kevin Montgomery '75 Dennis Williams '73 Sandra Black '73 Read the episode transcript.  Hosted by John Rawlins III '06. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

In 1969, every Black student at Cornell knew all of the other Black students on campus. They were a small, but powerful community and Irene Smalls '71 advocated for the group to create a legacy beyond graduation. She and four other founding members created CBAA: the Cornell Black Alumni Association. Forty five years later, the CBAA legacy is stronger than ever and we’re so fortunate to chat with the founders today.  Featuring Irene Smalls '71, Carlton Holmes '72, Sandra Black '73, Dr. Renee Alexander '74, and Conway Boyce '75.   “CBAA was a way to normalize, to connect Cornell’s past, and all the sacrifices and the commitment we had made into a concrete future. It was meant to be a conduit. That we could heal, that we could come together, we could laugh, we could reminisce, we could be ourselves.”  - Irene Smalls '71  Read the episode transcript. Hosted by John Rawlins III '06. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

How am I supposed to Adult? We all attended Cornell as a result of our hard work and dedication, but once that diploma is in hand… what’s next? Tiffany Southerland ’06 looked for a syllabus on All The Things: career, relationships, mental health, etc. Now a coach and motivational speaker, she has practical insight and positive perspective to share in the fourth episode of our CBAA series.  Check out Tiffany’s podcast How Does She Do It? Connect with Tiffany on LinkedIN. “One of the things that I’ve always been able to do is find the practical and the positive perspective, even through the most challenging aspects of life.” Read the episode transcript.  Hosted by John Rawlins III '06. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

Did you know the first intercollegiate historically African American Greek-lettered fraternity was founded here at Cornell? Now 114 years old, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has grown to 706 chapters across the country. Hear from Alpha Brothers Eric Elmore '86, JD '89 and Ernie Jolly '09 about the impact this organization had on their Cornell experience and how they view and serve in the world today. “Almost at our inception we were about developing leaders and lifting our community and we have continued to do so today.” - Eric Elmore “One of the things Alpha Phi Alpha is known for is developing leaders. Look to any industry, you’re going to find an Alpha somewhere leading an organization or making history somehow.” - Ernie Jolly Read the episode transcript.  Hosted by John Rawlins III '06. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

“Am I the one who doesn’t belong here? Did they make a mistake?,” Ahmed Ahmed ’17 wondered after his first semester at Cornell. We’ve all been there, right? But Ahmed’s tenacity and grit led him to greatness as a Cornell undergrad, as a Rhodes Scholar, and now as a medical student at Harvard. Tune in to hear his fascinating story! Read the episode transcript. Hosted by John Rawlins III '06. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

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 in our communities, we do a lot of work to support the individuals that are around us, and I truly believe that that is the same for our Cornell Black alumni if not even more so.” Learn more about CBAA. Read the episode transcript.  Hosted, created, and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by the individuals featured in this episode do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

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 today! 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 expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

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 Secretary to Vice President Joe Biden and Special Assistant to President Obama. She'll chat with host Alex Zalben '99 about how she chose to work in political communications, her experiences outside the classroom and how they helped her grow at Cornell, her work with Steve Israel, Sherrod Brown, and Joe Biden, similarities (and differences) between work in politics and what's depicted on TV shows like "Scandal" and "The West Wing," how Joe Biden is the most "memeable" politician, her involvement in the “Cancer Moonshot” and “It’s on Us” campaigns, and her advice for young people wanting to get into government work. Read the Episode transcript. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. Episode transcribed by Cait Collins. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

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 sure to check out Karim's new book The Purpose-Driven Social Entrepreneur.  “How do you actually move your profits to do something meaningful?” Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Andrew Brady '10. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by the individuals featured in this episode do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

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 wonderful experience from start to finish.” Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Andrew Brady '10. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by the individuals featured in this episode do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

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 getting better.” Read the episode transcript.  Hosted by Andrew Brady '10. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by the individuals featured in this episode do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

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 been in Ithaca a long time and feel passionate about the Ithaca community.” Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Andrew Brady '10. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by the individuals featured in this episode do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

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 history on the hill. Learn about the different entrepreneurship programs that Cornell offers to students of all backgrounds looking to pursue their own unique ventures, and how success is often linked to the people you surround yourself with. “I always had an affinity for food and really what it represents in bringing people together, creating opportunities for engagement and to build relationships.” Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Andrew Brady '10. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by the individuals featured in this episode do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

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 upcoming episodes of Fresh from the Hill to hear from some exciting guests who exemplify what conscious capitalism is all about. Read the episode transcript. Created, produced, and hosted by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by the individuals featured in this episode do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

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 large part of her motivation for launching Change is to attract more women professionals to this field. Her recent Tedx talk, “The Newest Workforce Disruptors are Over 50!” sheds light on the increasing number of professionals launching new businesses and creating second careers later in life. Her digital platform, Empty Quester™ for empty nesters on a quest for their bold next chapter, includes a video series and articles of interest for empty nesters. Donna writes, speaks publicly and consults with companies that are interested in the 50+ demographic. She connects with Lou Diamond '92 on Thrive LOUD. Read the episode transcript.  *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.