Celebrating 200 Years: GW's Impact on Entrepreneurship
Location
To access this virtual event, you must register. After registration, you will receive an email with a unique link to join the event. Be certain to check your email promotions tab or spam folder if you do not see a link by the time of the event.
If you have not received your unique link to join the event by 12:00pm EDT on Monday, May 24, you may use the link below to join the event.
go.gwu.edu/entrepreneurshipevent
For questions, please contact Stephanie Medwid at smedwid@gwu.edu or alumni@gwu.edu.
Event Description
The GW community has become a hub for innovation, imagination, and collaboration for those interested in entrepreneurship, new ventures, startups, and social and civic enterprise creation. Join us as we meet four extraordinary alumni business leaders who share how their GW experiences shaped their professional journeys.
Rodger Berman, GWSB BBA '90, GWSB MBA '91, serves as co-CEO of the Rachel Zoe Collection, a lifestyle brand, and CURATEUR, a luxury fashion, beauty and lifestyle membership subscription service. Berman oversees the investment strategy of the company through Rachel Zoe Ventures, in which he currently serves on the advisory board for several tech start-up companies. Previously, Berman was an investment banker for eight years and co-founder and president of Recognition Media, a leading owner and producer of internet-media, advertising industry awards, programs, and events including the Webby Awards and Internet Week.
Tom Cortese, CCAS BA '02, is co-founder, COO, and head of product at Peloton. He is responsible for driving operational cohesion against critical initiatives to drive growth and further excite Peloton’s growing and loyal member base. Cortese heads up Product Development overseeing Peloton’s global consumer product roadmap while managing Peloton’s hardware and software innovation teams – all with a dedicated approach to highly addictive, user-centered experiences across all Peloton Member touch-points. Prior to Peloton, Cortese held product management and executive roles at IAC/InterActiveCorp and Revolution Health Group.
Khang T. Vuong, GWSPH MHA '18, is the founder and CEO of Mira Health, a NYC-based digital startup helping uninsured individuals access affordable healthcare. He serves on the Board of Advisors at Ekahi Health, a $40M medical group based in Hawaii. Vuong’s work in healthcare has earned him many awards and recognitions including a Forbes 30 under 30 2021 nomination, and most recently, a $2.7M investment from Flybridge Capital Partners, Newark Venture Partners, City Light Capital, Precursor VC, and Plug and Play Capital – making Mira one of the top healthcare startups in the U.S. Vuong was an Administrative Corporate Fellow within the executive team and the Board of Directors at the Bon Secours Health System, a 100-year old health system with over $10B – 48 hospitals – under management as present.
Rachel Zoe, CCAS BA '93, is a distinguished designer, CEO, creative director, philanthropist, author, TV personality and entrepreneur renowned for her effortless take on glamour. As a designer, Zoe makes her exceptional taste accessible as creative director of the Rachel Zoe Collection, comprised of ready-to-wear, footwear, and accessory lines available online and in more than 200 stores worldwide. Zoe is the founder and chief curator of the luxury fashion, beauty and lifestyle membership, CURATEUR (fka Box of Style), and serves as founder and editor-at-large of online-style destination, The Zoe Report, which reaches more than 14 million monthly users worldwide. Zoe recently added Parrish LA, the luxe sweater and knitwear collection brand, to her portfolio. Through her career as a world-renowned stylist, Zoe has revolutionized the styling business, inspiring future generations of stylists.
Moderator: Jim Chung is the associate vice president for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at George Washington University, and a Co-PI for the NSF DC I-Corps Node. He was previously a VC/Private Equity investor and M&A professional. Chung has been an academic researcher at MIT, Harvard, and the University of Tokyo. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Stanford University and was a Ph.D. candidate at MIT.
The George Washington University’s bicentennial is an incredible, historic milestone. With 27,000+ students from more than 135 countries, a worldwide community of 300,000+ living alumni, and thousands of faculty and staff, the GW community is coming together to celebrate 200 years of phenomenal growth.