Graduating with Gratitude
Takeaways from a Week at Harvard Business School
Graduations come in all shapes and sizes — and this month, I celebrated one of my own: from the International Women’s Forum fellowship program!
When I started this program in October, in Washington, D.C., I believed we’d ride the wave of the first female president of the United States. When that didn’t happen, my cohort persevered through the mayhem that politics has created in our professional and personal lives. We completed this program at Harvard amid Trump's despicable efforts to ban international students from the institution. It’s been a wild 9 months that felt like years.
This program for women globally went from being something normal in the U.S. to something “controversial,” that certain companies no longer want to touch.
But when women unite, we rise together. We, the 31st IWF Fellows cohort, are rising to meet the moment in inspiring ways. I approach my leadership with an entirely new lens, toolbox, and sisterhood, thanks to IWF.
I hope you enjoy these highlights from my week at Harvard Business School in the Executive Education Program!
The Harvard Method
As I never attended business school, I was unfamiliar with the case model of learning — now I’m enthralled! You’re provided with pre-reading, and then you discuss decisions you’d make if you were the executive in charge, during a time of crisis or challenge.
Our case studies ranged from the quiet, heroic leadership of Rachel Carson, to Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham, to Arctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, to the CEO of a bullet train in Japan, to the NASA crew behind the failed Columbia mission. One professor said, “I study the past so I can help leaders of the present shape the future.” Now I’m thinking of adding history podcasts and/or memoirs to my list…
My Favorite Case Study
I loved Professor Kathleen McGinn’s session on “Influencing for Success,” which studied the career of Pat Fili-Krushel, a media executive. I walked away with these tactics for influencing a negotiation/decision. “Be firm on needs and flexible on means” is a great mantra for an everyday problem-solving mindset.
My Wake-up Call
On a scale of 1 to 5, how much have you embraced Generative AI — 1 being “I’m old-school,” 5 being “ChatGPT is my personal assistant”? I’ve been hovering around a 1.5. But a session on AI at Harvard convinced me: with the right prompts and training, AI can save hours — freeing you to focus on strategy, relationships, and your zone of genius.
To keep learning, I signed up for a free Coursera online class, “Learning AI for Social Impact Organizations”. Let me know if you’d like to take it alongside me!
My Gratitude
If you know me well, you know I credit my scholarship from New York Women in Communications (NYWICI) for catalyzing the first 20 years of my career. On May 20, I celebrated 20 years since winning a NYWICI Scholarship — and the newest class of all-star students! — with fellow alumni and mentors, at the 55th Matrix Awards.
For illuminating my next 20 years, I thank the Women’s Forum of New York for giving me a $30,000 scholarship. They made the International Women’s Forum fellowship possible for me. (Applications open again on June 1, 2026 if you’re interested!).
Women's networks have changed my life, and if that's how you identify, I hope you have one (or more!) you love.
My Philanthropy Picks:
The New Era of Philanthropy (April 2025) by Dimple Abichandani is an essential read for funders and foundation trustees who want to embrace more progressive, effective giving. Dimple also helped me see a new goal for myself: I want to volunteer on a foundation board, where I can use my nonprofit expertise to strengthen grantmaking practices. If you can help me find a great match, let’s connect!
I know several people hoping to pivot to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) careers. You may find Tiana Austel’s Resource Guide helpful. My favorite newsletters for job postings are the McPherson Memo & Interested???
Go see &Juliet on Broadway! This feminist musical is filled with repurposed pop music — and donations from merch have raised $15,000+ for She’s the First!
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