Will Pundyk '20 and Greg Chung '20 • Will is a co-founder of Pandemic Relief Supply responding to the COVID-19 crisis • hired classmate Greg Chung to support the dramatic growth of the company in 2020
Dionisio D'Aguilar '86 • Minister of Tourism and Aviation for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Ezra Cornell '70 (right) • Life Trustee of Cornell Univ Board • Partner Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors (shown with Sigma Phi's Bob Harrison '76 (Chairman of Cornell's Board of Trustees)
Greg Schvey '09 • Founder and CEO Axoni • Greg is a repeat entrepreneur and drives Axoni’s strategic execution. He previously co-founded TradeBlock and worked as a fixed income analyst at Citigroup.
Kwame Griffith '02 • President • OneGoal • former exec Teach for America
Larry Tanenbaum '68 Chairman Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment; winner of 2019 NBA Championship with Toronto Raptors • Philanthropist • Chairman Kilmer Ltd • Honored with "Order of Canada" Award
Seth Flowerman '09, left, President of PLT Health Solutions (serial entrepreneur ) and Devin Stagg '07, Chief Operating Officer
Jay Walker BS '74 • Chairman and CEO ApiJect • Founder of Priceline.com • Chairman Walker Digital • Curator of TEDMED • 2009 Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year
Jordon Andino '10 – Chef extraordinary • Owner. Flip Sigi restaurants • TV Personality
Alex Ponomarenko '94 • Retired Real Estate Finance • Taekwando World Champion
Peter Kaestner '76 • World Bird Species Life List (9,290) • Retired State Dept Diplomat
In 1989, while on a birding expedition in Colombia, Peter Kaestner '76 discovered a new species, the Cundinamarca Antpitta (Grallaria kaestneri).
Robert Harrison BA '76 Cornell Board of Trustees Chairman • CEO Clinton Global Initiatiave
Pablo Navas '72 • Rector, University of Los Andes (Colombia SA)
Chris Oddleifson '80 • President & CEO Independent Bank
Peter Orthwein '68 MBA '69 • Co-founder and Chairman Thor Industries • RV Hall of Fame Inductee • Recipient of the Johnson College of Business 2019 L. Joseph Thomas Leadership Award
Thor Industries, co-founded by Peter Orthwein '68, is the world’s largest manufacturer of recreational vehicles.
George Simian '73 • Owner Simian Photography
The amazing photography of George Simian '73 • "Red Flight"
Reuben Munday '69 • JD Univ of Michigan • Chairman, Lewis & Munday • Detroit
Steven Silverstein '81 • President and Chief Executive Officer of Spencer Spirit Holdings • Spencer Gifts & Spirit Halloween
Bob Henrickson '78 • Veterinarian All-Almerican First Team Lacrosse (2) • US Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inductee
L Brad Perkins '67 • Principal and Executive Director • Perkins Eastman Architects
Brad Perkins is founder of a firm with 700 architects and 13 offices around the world.
David Gordon 1982, Partner and Vice Chair, Latham & Watkins
Diego de Sola '95 • MBA NYU • CEO Inversiones Bolivar • El Salvador
Stu Flack '82 • Senior Fellow at The Invisible Institute, a not for profit Journalism Production company.Former Partner McKinsey & Co. • Playwright and artist
Will Pundyk '20 and Greg Chung '20 • Will is a co-founder of Pandemic Relief Supply responding to the COVID-19 crisis • hired classmate Greg Chung to support the dramatic growth of the company in 2020
Dionisio D'Aguilar '86 • Minister of Tourism and Aviation for the Commonwealth of The BahamasMr. D’Aguilar was appointed as the Minister of Tourism and Aviation for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas on 15 May 2017.Mr. D’Aguilar also serves as the Member of Parliament for the Freetown constituency. He is also the current Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization.Prior to his election to the Parliament of The Bahamas on 10 May 2017, Mr. D’Aguilar served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Superwash Limited, Nassau’s largest chain of self service laundromats – a position he held from 1993…..some 24 years!Under his stewardship, Superwash grew to ten locations employing over 100 Bahamians and became a well recognized household name.Prior to joining Superwash, Mr. D’Aguilar qualified as a Certified Public Accountant and worked in public accounting (with KPMG) for five years.Mr. D’Aguilar attended Cornell University, ranked in the top 15 universities in the United States, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration and a Masters in Business Administration.Mr. D’Aguilar also held the following directorships:Chairman of the Board of Directors of AML Foods Limited (owner of Cost Rite, Solomon’s, Fresh Markets, Domino’s and Carl’s Jr.).Chairman of Insurance Company of the Bahamas.Director of J.S. Johnson Insurance Agents and Brokers.Director of BahamarDirector of The Bahamas Electricity CorporationHonorary Consul for The Kingdom of The Netherlands.Mr. D’Aguilar represented the business community as a very vocal and active President of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce from 2007 to 2009.Mr. D’Aguilar was born in Nassau
Ezra Cornell '70 (right) • Life Trustee of Cornell Univ Board • Partner Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors (shown with Sigma Phi's Bob Harrison '76 (Chairman of Cornell's Board of Trustees)Ezra graduated from Cornell University and began his career in banking in 1971. Prior to joining Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors, Inc. as President, he was a vice president and financial advisor at Smith Barney for nearly twenty nine years. Throughout his career, he has been active with several community not-for-profit organizations and he is currently a member of the board of Cornell University.
Greg Schvey '09 • Founder and CEO Axoni • Greg is a repeat entrepreneur and drives Axoni’s strategic execution. He previously co-founded TradeBlock and worked as a fixed income analyst at Citigroup.
Kwame Griffith '02 • President • OneGoal • former exec Teach for AmericaIn 2002, shortly after graduating from Cornell University, Kwame made the decision to join Teach For America's Houston corps. His experience drove his conviction that every student and community needed and deserved great teachers and leaders, and thus, he joined the Teach For America recruitment team. He became a recruitment director focusing on schools in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where he increased applications by more than 40% each year and drove a 70% increase in corps members from Cornell, making it the second highest producer of corps members in the nation. Kwame continued his work to serve as the Executive Director of Teach For America's Metro-Atlanta region for four years, during which time he worked diligently to develop and empower the leadership of over 500 corps members and more than 600 alumni in the Atlanta area as a force for short-term and long-term change. Continuously driven by his deep belief in children and communities and desire to grow his own impact, Kwame took on the role of Senior Vice President of Regional Operations in July of 2011, a position where he managed six regions across the country and also acted as a primary architect for the framework to drive the vision-setting and strategic planning process. Since March 2013, Griffith has served as the Executive Vice President, responsible for the field operations of all Teach For America regions and manages the work of six senior vice presidents who support and manage the 45+ Executive Directors across the country. Kwame is a Fellow of the 10th class of the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Larry Tanenbaum '68 Chairman Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment; winner of 2019 NBA Championship with Toronto Raptors • Philanthropist • Chairman Kilmer Ltd • Honored with "Order of Canada" AwardLawrence M. Tanenbaum OC (Order of Canada) is a Canadian businessman and chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). He owns a 25% stake in MLSE through his holding company Kilmer Sports Inc. In 2019 his Toronto Raptors won the MBA Championship.
Seth Flowerman '09, left, President of PLT Health Solutions (serial entrepreneur ) and Devin Stagg '07, Chief Operating OfficerSeth Flowerman joins PLT after seven years as the founder and president of a start-up firm inthe travel industry, which was recently acquired. Seth has received numerous awards for his entrepreneurial endeavors and was a Global Winner and recipient of the Social Impact award in the 2008 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, known as the "Heisman Trophy" for young business owners. He received the Junior Achievement International Student Entrepreneur of the Year (2004) award, was one of Kaplan's Most Promising Campus CEO's (2007) and was also named to Business Week's 25 Entrepreneurs under 25 list (2008). He has been profiled in Forbes, The Boston Globe, and Yahoo! Finance among other publications. Seth attended The Pingry School, holds a B.S. in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University, and an MBA from the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management, also at Cornell.Paul Flowerman observes that "Seth has grown up in our family business and has in recent years met and even visited some of our closest business associates. He brings his distinctive entrepreneurial experience and analytical skills to the task of continuing to PLT's constantly improving performance. His grandfather would be enthusiastic about his joining us." Seth's new position is Business Development Associate.
Jay Walker BS '74 • Chairman and CEO ApiJect • Founder of Priceline.com • Chairman Walker Digital • Curator of TEDMED • 2009 Cornell Entrepreneur of the YearJay Walker is Chairman of Walker Digital. He is one of America’s best-known business inventors and entrepreneurs, has founded multiple successful start-up companies that today serve more than 75 million customers in 15 different industries.
Jordon Andino '10 – Chef extraordinary • Owner. Flip Sigi restaurants • TV PersonalityBorn in Toronto, Canada, Jordan Andino began his foray into the culinary world at the young age of 9. After moving to Manhattan Beach, CA, he traded in his surfboard to work in fine dining kitchens with his father, and later attended Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. Andino has gained experience working at acclaimed restaurants including The French Laundry and Jean Georges. Jordan has rapidly gained clout as one of the freshest, most notable faces in New York City’s culinary world. His hospitality skills have been an integral part of the opening of his 2nd City USA/Flip Sigi restaurants. These fast-casual Filipino Taquerias resonate his vibrant and vivacious personality via graffiti murals, eclectic music, skateboard-adorned walls, and clean unique flavors. His successes were quickly noticed, leading to countless recognitions, appearances, features, and brand collaborations, including Zagat's 30 Hottest Chefs Under 30, SPAM's Tiny House of Sizzle, and White Castle's For the Love of the Slider.
Alex Ponomarenko '94 • Retired Real Estate Finance • Taekwando World ChampionThe Cornell story of Alex Ponomarenko ’94 is one of pluck and determination. Ponomarenko was a 21-year old Ukrainian student wanting to study in America when he heard about Cornell. Today, he’s retired from a successful career in finance and now is giving back to his alma mater by helping to make a Cornell education more accessible for international students.He is a new board member of the Cornell Club in Miami and is getting more involved with the College of Arts & Sciences, volunteering his time as a mentor with the College’s Career Development office and giving funds to support scholarships for international students.“I’ve fulfilled a lot of the things I’ve wanted to do,” he said. “But when I was younger, I struggled to raise money for my education. And having gone through that, I want to do something for kids who are in the same position. There are lots of foreign students who come and are hungry and want to do well. I think we should support them.”Ponomarenko, right, at Sigma Phi in 1993, with Richard Shriver '55.Ponomarenko’s story starts in the late 1980s, when he met Cornell alum Richard Shriver ’55, who was teaching in the Ukraine and agreed to invite Ponomarenko to visit. Ponomarenko, who paid for the visit by joining an indoctrination trip with the Moonies, met up with Shriver and was able to attend community college in the states. During the summer, he found an internship on Wall Street and applied to Cornell to study economics. Although he was accepted, he still had to come up with tuition money, as financial aid wasn’t available for international students.Not deterred by that prospect, he convinced some of his Wall Street connections to take out a bond on his education, promising to repay them with interest when he graduated. He worked hard during his time at Cornell, at one time sleeping on the couch at Sigma Phi and waiting tables there.“In two years after graduation, I had paid back the $35,000 that I had borrowed,” he said. “I paid everything ahead of schedule, and sent everyone a bottle of Dom Perignon with my last payment because I was very grateful.”Ponomarenko said his economics classes at Cornell prepared him well for his careers and that his experiences at Cornell with people from all backgrounds and interests always paid off for him during job interviews.After working with Credit Suisse for two years, Ponomarenko took a job with Lehman Brothers in leveraged finance, where he worked crazy hours, completed a lot of lucrative deals and was offered a position as an associate after one year. He relocated to London to be closer to family, worked with Goldman Sachs in London and then decided to explore the area of real estate, so he went back to school for his MBA at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.“I learned skills of managing and acquiring real estate, so that when the market went down, I was able to buy properties that turned out to be great investments,” he said.A move to Moscow with Deutche Bank was next, so that Ponomarenko and his wife could be closer to her mother.“Moscow was a wild place, with a completely different set of rules,” he said, adding that he inherited the portfolio there just before the financial crisis of 2008. Ponomarenko has lots of stories from those days, of run-ins with government officers and threats from prosecutors.After being interrogated a dozen times and with a feeling that things were only going to get worse, Ponomarenko asked for a transfer back to London, where he worked for two more years until he decided to retire to Miami to spend more time with his young family and focus on his real estate holdings in Chicago.Today, with a little more time on his hands, Ponomarenko has seriously taken up Taekwondo, holding the current top spot in the world and becoming U.S. and Pan American champion for his age group. He heads to the world championships in July.
Peter Kaestner '76 • World Bird Species Life List (9,290) • Retired State Dept DiplomatPeter G. Kaestner is an American diplomat and amateur ornithologist currently serving as a senior inspector in the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. State Department. From 2006 to 2009 he was the consul general of the American Embassy in New Delhi, India. As consul general, he oversaw consular operations in New Delhi and the U.S. Consulates Generals in Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Hyderabad, and Kolkata (Calcultta).Born in Baltimore, Maryland,in 1953 to Benjamin Henry Kaestner, Sr. and Alice (Reed) Kaestner, he is the middle child of 10 siblings and step-siblings. After spending two years in the Peace Corps in Zaire, Kaestner entered the Foreign Service in 1981, and has been assigned in the past to India, Egypt, Brazil, Guatemala, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Colombia, Malaysia, and Namibia. In 1990 he had his first child with his wife Kimberly Vreeland Kaestner, Katherine Kaestner. In 1991 the couple had a second child, Laurel Kaestner.An avid birder, he has taken advantage of his position as an international diplomat to follow his hobby more avidly than is normally possible. By 1986, he had become the first birder to see a representative of each bird family in the world, though the list of bird families recognized by science has changed considerably since then.In 1989, while on a birding expedition in Colombia, he discovered a species new to science, the Cundinamarca Antpitta (Grallaria kaestneri). (See Formicariidae.) With a life list above 8,200 birds, Kaestner remains one of the most prolific birders in the world, surpassed only by very few, such as Hugh Buck and Jon Hornbuckle and the late Phoebe Snetsinger.
In 1989, while on a birding expedition in Colombia, Peter Kaestner '76 discovered a new species, the Cundinamarca Antpitta (Grallaria kaestneri).
Robert Harrison BA '76 Cornell Board of Trustees Chairman • CEO Clinton Global InitiatiaveRobert S. Harrison is an American banker, lawyer, and educational & philanthropic administrator.Currently he serves as the CEO of the Clinton Global Initiative and Chairman of the Cornell University Board of Trustees.He received a bachelor's degree from Cornell University in 1976, and subsequently was a Rhodes Scholar at University of Oxford and received a juris doctor from Yale University. At Cornell, Harrison was a student-elected member of the university Board of Trustees, active in student government, a disc jockey at WVBR-FM, and member of the Quill and Dagger society.Previous he worked for Davis Polk & Wardwell and Goldman Sachs and did fundraising for the presidential campaigns of Wesley Clark and John Kerry.
Pablo Navas '72 • Rector, University of Los Andes (Colombia SA)
Chris Oddleifson '80 • President & CEO Independent Bank
Peter Orthwein '68 MBA '69 • Co-founder and Chairman Thor Industries • RV Hall of Fame Inductee • Recipient of the Johnson College of Business 2019 L. Joseph Thomas Leadership Award
Thor Industries, co-founded by Peter Orthwein '68, is the world’s largest manufacturer of recreational vehicles.
George Simian '73 • Owner Simian PhotographyGeorge Simian is a leading corporate advertising photographer who has illustrated over 200 annual reports over the past 25 years, many of which received awards from Mead and AR100. Mr. Simian's clients include AT&T, Fidelity Investments, Georgia-Pacific, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Staples, and Xerox. He received a UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Outstanding Instructor Award in 2007 and serves as National Board Treasurer for the Advertising Photographers of America. Every summer, he leads photography workshops in Bali, Indonesia."I make photographs to meaningfully connect with other people - first with those I photograph, then with those I show the images to. Of course, it helps that I make portraits, and that I most value engagement with my subject - by extension, I want to engage the viewers with the people I've photographed! I teach for the same reason - to become involved with my students, to get a contact high from their excitement upon making images with impact! In a world that is already overflowing with commercial images, I believe there's still room for powerful photographs that can affect how people view the world - and I want my students to believe they can make those images!"To see more work, visit George's website: http://www.georgesimian.com.
The amazing photography of George Simian '73 • "Red Flight"See the amazing photography of George Simian. George is a commercial photographer of people, dancers, kids, CEOs...• currently a leading photographer of dance in Los Angeles• an advocate for photographers' rights (APA: ex-national board, LA board) • an educator (Cornell, Boston College, UCLA, Samy's Photo School, Ubud Bali Photo • Workshops, MAC Group, Phase One, Adobe) and a one-to-one photo coach!You can read an article about George and his unique style in DIGITAL PHOTO PRO magazine:https://www.digitalphotopro.com/profiles/the-art-of-movement/#George's photographs, in over 200 annual reports, have been repeatedly recognized with Mead Paper and AR100 awardsClients include AT&T, CAPITAL ONE, FIDELITY INVESTMENTS, GEORGIA PACIFIC, JOHNSON&JOHNSON, PROCTER&GAMBLE, WARNER MUSIC GROUP, STAPLES, WELLS FARGO living and working in Los Angeles, George shoots in CA, NY, and MAUCLA Extension: Instructor of the Year, December 2000Photo District News Magazine: Best Photo Instructors Nationwide, September 2011Phase One Certified Professional since 2011
Reuben Munday '69 • JD Univ of Michigan • Chairman, Lewis & Munday • DetroitReuben A. Munday is Chairman of the law firm of Lewis & Munday, P.C. in Detroit, Michigan, where he has practiced law since 1977. From 1994 to 2003, Reuben served as President and CEO of the firm. His primary areas of practice include commercial leases, mortgage financing, commercial and industrial real estate development, construction law and municipal corporations. Born in Orange, New Jersey, Reuben was raised in Tuskegee Institute, Alabama, where his parents taught at Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University. He is a graduate of Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School in Kingston, Pennsylvania where he received the Ruggles Award as the outstanding graduating senior. Reuben is married to Dr. Cheryl Casselberry Munday, who is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Detroit Mercy. Reuben and Cheryl have one son, Reuben Ahmed Munday, and one grandson, Reuben Akil Munday.
Steven Silverstein '81 • President and Chief Executive Officer of Spencer Spirit Holdings • Spencer Gifts & Spirit HalloweenMr. Silverstein has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Spencer Spirit Holdings, Inc. since 2003. The company operates two main retail brands, Spencer Gifts and Spirit Halloween. Spencer Gifts is an iconic specialty retailer that focuses on delivering humor and entertainment products for its targeted customers, operating over 600 retail locations in the United States and Canada. Spencer Gifts serves individuals between the ages of 18 and 25. Spirit Halloween operates over 1,000 seasonal, mainly big box, Halloween stores throughout the United States and Canada. From 1992 to 2003, Mr. Silverstein served in positions of increasing responsibility at Linens ‘n Things, Inc., including President. Prior to that, Mr. Silverstein served as a Divisional Merchandise Manager of Bloomingdale’s, Inc. He began his retail career at Macy’s, Inc. in 1981. Mr. Silverstein received an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Economics from Cornell University.
Bob Henrickson '78 • Veterinarian All-Almerican First Team Lacrosse (2) • US Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inductee
L Brad Perkins '67 • Principal and Executive Director • Perkins Eastman Architects As the founder of Perkins Eastman, Bradford Perkins has directed over 500 architectural, planning and interior design projects for a diverse range of clients including many projects in each of the firm’s 12 major practice areas. He is recognized internationally as a specialist in several building types including senior living, healthcare, housing and education, and has authored more than 80 articles and seven books including Building Type Basics for Senior Living—the most comprehensive textbook on senior living planning, design and development. He has directed senior living projects throughout the US. In addition, over the last 15 years much of his work has been overseas including many projects in China, India, Japan and several other countries. His and the firm’s projects have been widely published and have received over 200 awards for planning and design excellence.He has a BA (Magna Cum Laude, Distinction in All Subjects) from Cornell in Latin American History, an MBA from Stanford University and a BArch from City College of New York and Cornell University.
Brad Perkins is founder of a firm with 700 architects and 13 offices around the world.Bradford Perkins FAIA MRAIC AICP, teaches the professional practice class at AAP NYC. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Perkins Eastman Architects, a New York City-based architectural, interior design, and planning firm with a staff of 700 and 13 offices around the world. He has been the principal in charge of a wide variety of architectural and planning projects ranging from the TKTS Booth in Times Square to the master plan for Hanoi, Vietnam.In his 44 year career, he has directed several hundred projects across a dozen building types in more than 25 countries. His work and that of his firm have been widely published and won more than 200 awards for planning and design excellence. He is the author of seven text books and more than 100 published articles and book chapters on architectural and planning matters.
David Gordon 1982, Partner and Vice Chair, Latham & Watkins
Diego de Sola '95 • MBA NYU • CEO Inversiones Bolivar • El SalvadorChief Executive Officer of Inversiones Bolivar, a 50-year-old real estate development firm operating in Central America. His ambition is to foster a more trusting environment in El Salvador and region through his involvement in business and non-profits. He is a Co-Founder and President of Glasswing International, a non-profit social venture promoting volunteerism in education, health and social integration.
Stu Flack '82 • Senior Fellow at The Invisible Institute, a not for profit Journalism Production company.Former Partner McKinsey & Co. • Playwright and artistA former McKinsey Partner, the former Dean of the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies at the University of Chicago, the former CEO of Arts and Social Impact Not for Profits, a nationally produced playwright and sometime Jazz Guitarist. Currently a Senior Fellow at The Invisible Institute, a not for profit Journalism Production company. In 2018/19 I was Interdisciplinary Artist in Residence, the University of Wisconsin. I am formerly a Bolz Center Fellow, University of Wisconsin School of Business; and Senior Fellow, Environmental Law & Policy Center. My work as playwright explores the intersection of: data, policy, citizen science, advocacy and performance and includes recent productions @ the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Texas Performing Arts Center in Austin, Department of Culture Affairs Chicago in collaboration with The Seldoms, a dance/theatre company and a commission from Steppenwolf Theatre. Past Productions @ leading theatres in the US including South Coast Rep (CA), Victory Gardens (Chicago), Culture Project (NYC), Contemporary American Theatre Festival (DC), and Interact (Philly).
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