Executive Board
Board Summary | Individual Biographies | Past Boards
The HUWIB Executive Board is comprised of the Co-Presidents, the Secretary/Treasurer, and the Chairs of the seven committees. The Executive Board oversees the events and services offered by HUWIB, confirming that they reflect the organization's mission while also ensuring that they meet the interests and needs of HUWIB associates.
Executive Board 2010-2011
Co-Presidents: Amy Chen and Tessa Lyons-Laing
Secretary/Treasurer: Alexa Rahman
Business Education Chair: Danielle Kolin
Corporate Development Chair: Jessica Dias
External Communications Chair: Regina Escamilla
Fundraising Chair: Neeral Gandhi
Intercollegiate Business Convention Chair: Elizabeth Ahern
Internal Events/Recruitment Chair: Mary Caroline Szpak
Outreach Chair: Ashley Prince
Individual Biographies
Co-Presidents: Amy Chen and Tessa Lyons-Laing
Amy Chen, Co-President, is a junior in Kirkland House studying Economics with a language citation in Chinese. Born in Newton, MA, Amy grew up training to become a classical clarinetist at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She also pursued an active academic high school career at Phillips Academy Andover, where she graduated cum laude in 2007. Further exploring her interest in business at Harvard, Amy has held a variety of positions within Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business and founded the Harvard Media Ventures Consulting Group. Outside of her college pursuits, Amy has also maintained an active music career, performing with Yo-Yo Ma in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights last spring and serving as Principal Clarinetist of the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra. This past summer, Amy interned at Value Partners, a value-investing hedge fund in Hong Kong, and looks forward to spending this summer working in investment banking in New York City. In her free time, Amy enjoys learning new languages, tasting exotic foods, and playing RockBand with her friends.
Email: aychen@fas.harvard.edu
Tessa Lyons-Laing is a junior in Adams House concentrating in Social Studies with a citation in French. Now serving as Co-President, Tessa was previously the Intercollegiate Business Convention Chair (2009) and the Director of Publications (2008). On campus she is also active in the Harvard College Consulting Group and has previously worked with the Fellows Program at the Institute of Politics and on the Business Board of The Harvard Crimson. Tessa spent the summer of 2009 in Los Angeles working for the Acquisitions Division of Focus Features, the specialty film unit of NBC Universal. Tessa is originally from Canada and enjoys sailing and power yoga.
Email: tlyons@fas.harvard.edu
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Secretary/Treasurer: Alexa Rahman
Alexa Rahman is a sophomore in Quincy House. She is a history concentrator also pursuing a secondary field in economics. Alexa is currently the treasurer of HUWIB and previously served as Philanthropic Director on the Business Education Committee. On campus, Alexa has served as treasurer for the Harvard Islamic Society and Co-Chair of the Student Advisory Committee for the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations. She is very interested in exploring social entrepreneurship and merging her interests in business and community empowerment. Last winter she conducted research in Bangladesh to write an impact assessment for Phulki - a local NGO which provides daycare facilities to garment factory workers. Outside of school she enjoys spending time in her hometown of Weston, Massachusetts, reading poetry, and hiking with her family.
Email: arahman@fas.harvard.edu
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Business Education Chair: Danielle Kolin
Danielle Kolin is a sophomore in Kirkland House concentrating in Applied Math with a focus on Economics and pursuing a secondary field in Government. As HUWIB Business Education chair, she oversees the Philanthropy Director, Business School Director, and NWIB Directors to manage educational programming, a social entrepreneurship business plan competition, and the National Women in Business summit. Last year, as HUWIB Outreach Fundraising Director, Danielle helped secure corporate sponsorship for New York and Seattle Outreach trips and for the 2009 Intercollegiate Business Convention.Outside of HUWIB, Danielle has written over 50 articles for the Harvard Crimson as a News writer covering House Life. In addition, she has served as an Equity Analyst for the Harvard Financial Analysts Club and was a member of the Institute of Politics Women’s Initiative in Leadership program. She spent last summer working for a federal criminal defense law firm. In her free time, Danielle enjoys spending time with friends, traveling, and reading.
Email: dkolin@fas.harvard.edu
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Corporate Development Chair: Jessica Dias
Jessica R. Dias is a sophomore in Pforzheimer House, concentrating in Economics and pursuing a language citation in French. As HUWIB Corporate Development Chair, she is responsible for coordinating the professional development of HUWIB’s membership by overseeing the pairing of undergraduate women with corporate firms in the mentorship program and assisting Associates in preparing for their careers through InFocus. Previously in HUWIB, she served as the Fundraising Associate Director, reaching out to sponsors and interacting with several corporate partners. Outside of HUWIB, Jessica is involved in her church as a lector and as a Sunday school teacher. She works at the Harvard Economics Department and is a volunteer for the Duhamel Education Initiative. She was born and raised by her Portuguese parents and older sister in Somerville, Massachusetts. Jessica enjoys traveling, dancing, and spending time with family and friends.
Email: jrdias@fas.harvard.edu
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External Communications Chair: Regina Escamilla
Regina Escamilla is a Sophomore in Winthrop House concentrating in the History of Art and Architecture and pursuing a secondary in Spanish. As External Communications Chair for HUWIB, Regina oversees the website and all publicity needs of the organization. Her committee is responsible for producing HUWIB's yearly magazine, Make It Happen in addition to more frequent newsletters and publications. She previously served as an Associate Programming Director for the 2009 Intercollegiate Business Convention. In addition to her role in HUWIB, Regina is involved with the Harvard Art Museum Undergraduate Connection, translates documents for HSA, and serves as Community Service Director for Harvard's Eleganza Fashion Show. Regina is a proud Texan who loves sports, country music, and painting.
Email: rescamil@fas.harvard.edu
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Fundraising Chair: Neeral Gandhi
Neeral Gandhi is a sophomore in Cabot House concentrating in Economics. She grew up in Marion, Ohio, graduating from Pleasant High School in 2008. As this year’s HUWIB Fundraising Chair, she is responsible for fostering and maintaining HUWIB relations with companies and sponsors. She also manages the interface between sponsors’ and HUWIB’s interests in planning HUWIB events, including the annual New York City Trip and the Intercollegiate Business Convention. Outside of HUWIB, Neeral is an attorney/witness for the Harvard Mock Trial Team and an analyst for Global Platinum Securities, an intercollegiate, student-run investment fund. In addition, Neeral has been involved with the Veritas Financial Group as a private equity associate , Harvard’s South Asian Dance productions, and Harvard’s First-Year Urban Program. Last summer, she worked as part of two student-run campus businesses. In her free time, Neeral loves watching movies, playing tennis, and spending time with friends and family.
Email: ngandhi@fas.harvard.edu
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Intercollegiate Business Convention Chair: Elizabeth Ahern
Elizabeth Ahern is a Sophomore in Adams House, concentrating in History. She hails from San Diego, CA. On HUWIB, she serves as the Intercollegiate Business Convention Chair. Her committee is responsible for planning HUWIB's 6th annual IBC conference, which attracts over 1,000 registrants each year. At Harvard, she also serves as Executive Editor of Harvard's online lifestyle and fashion magazine, Freeze College Magazine, a mentor for Cambridge 1-2-1 and editor for ChickRx.com, an internet startup founded by an HBS student and HUWIB alum.
Email: eahern@fas.harvard.edu
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Internal Events/Recruitment Chair: Mary Caroline Szpak
Mary Caroline Szpak is a junior concentrating in Environmental Science and Public Policy with a focus on Energy and Climate Change. She is originally from Belmont, Massachusetts. As the Internal Events and Recruitment Chair for HUWIB Mary Caroline organizes the WIBternship and internal mentorship program, as well as facilitates alumni relations and WIB associate involvement. In past years Mary Caroline has served on HUWIB committees as the Alumni and Senior Relations Director and as the Job Search and Recruiting Director. Other activities on campus include co-captain of the Crimson Dance Team (with fellow HUWIB board member Ashley Prince) and co-founder and conference chair of the Harvard Environment and Energy Network. A dancer all her life, Mary Caroline danced with the Boston Ballet for 8 years, performed in their Nutcracker for 6 seasons, and has also danced at Jacob’s Pillow. Last summer she worked for NASA in the Applied Meteorology Unit at the Kennedy Space Center.
Email: mcszpak@fas.harvard.edu
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Outreach Chair: Ashley Prince
Ashley Prince is a junior in Eliot House, concentrating in Psychology with a citation in French. As chair of the Outreach Committee, she is in charge of two career exploratory trips – one to New York and one to a location which changes annually – enabling members to participate in talks given by accomplished businesswomen and attend meals with company representatives in popular post-graduation industries. Outside of HUWIB, Ashley is one of two co-captains of the nationally competitive Crimson Dance Team and a research assistant in the Harvard Lab for Developmental Studies. After spending the last summer as one of ten interns in the Goldman Sachs Sophomore Rotational Program, she will return this summer to the firm as an intern in the Global Investment Research division. Ashley is originally from Houston, TX and enjoys traveling to new locations and having long conversations over coffee.
Email: aprince@fas.harvard.edu
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Past Executive Boards
Founding Executive Board 2001-2002
Kristin Meyer (Fundraising Chair), Jennifer Mandel (Mentorship Chair), Patricia Glynn (President), Kelsey Kester (Treasurer), Chia Tsay, Lindsay Hall (Secretary/Admin Chair)
Executive Board 2002-2003
Kelsey Kester (PR Chair), Kate Szostak (Secretary/Admin Chair), Cheryl Mainland (Vice President/Special Events Chair), Jennifer Keiser (Fundraising Chair), Kristin Meyer (President), Elizabeth Shields (Treasurer), Jennifer Mandel (Mentorship)
Executive Board 2003-2004
Joyce Jen (Vice President/Special Events Chair), Jennie Philbric (PR Chair), Anne Doyle (Secretary/Admin Chair), Colleen Horan (Treasurer), Caroline Dixon (Mentorship Chair), Cheryl Mainland (President), Karin Shieh (Fundraising Chair)
Executive Board 2004-2005
Karin Shieh (President), Colleen Horan (Vice President), Samita Mannapperuma (Special Events Chair), Deborah Hsieh (Fundraising Chair), Stacey Borden (Mentorship Chair), Erin Probst (Secretary, Administrative Chair), Stefanie Leigh Plant (Public Relations Chair), Christina McCalla (Membership Chair)
Executive Board 2005-2006
Stacey Borden (President), Deborah Hsieh (Vice President), Ebony Carter (Recruitment/Internal), Tracy Britt (Fundraising), Melissa Trahan (Business Development), Jen Novak (External Relations and Communications), Pia Desai (Intercollegiate Business Convention)
Executive Board 2006-2007
Tracy Britt (President), Ebony Carter (Vice President), Meghan Tieu (Treasurer), Teresa Hsiao (External Communications), Tiffany Niver (Internal Events/Recruitment), Lois Wang (Outreach), Rohini Nair (Fundraising), Andreea Akerele (Intercollegiate Business Convention), Helen Weng (Business Development Chair)
Executive Board 2007-2008
Tiffany Niver (President), Rohini Nair (Treasurer), Kara Culligan (External Communications), Ivy Wu (Internal Events/Recruitment), Meghan Doherty (Outreach), Seema Amble (Fundraising), Colette Hinckley (Intercollegiate Business Convention), Neha Chauhan (Business Education Chair), Nandini Nair (Corporate Development Chair)
Executive Board 2008-2009
Seema Amble (President), Kara Culligan (Vice-President), Nandini Nair (Treasurer), MacKenzie Sigalos (External Communications), Neagheen Homaifar (Internal Events/Recruitment), Roberta Steele (Outreach), Alison Ryu (Fundraising), Ami Nash (Intercollegiate Business Convention), Nimi Katragadda (Business Education Chair), Meicheng Shi (Corporate Development Chair)
Executive Board 2009-2010
Nimi Katragadda and Alison Ryu (Co-Presidents), Neagheen Homaifar (Treasurer), Kelly Peeler (Business Education), Tina Liu (Corporate Development), Winnie Liu (External Communications), Amy Chen (Fundraising), Tessa Lyons-Laing (Intercollegiate Business Convention), Amy Rosenthal (Internal Events/Recruitment), Tiffany Fereydouni (Outreach)
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