About Us
The Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize is made possible through a generous gift from Barry and Marie Lipman and reflects their strong commitment to socially responsible organizations and action. The Prize is administered by the University of Pennsylvania through the Wharton School and engages faculty, staff, and students from across the University.
The work of the Prize resides within the McNulty Leadership Program and is conducted with the support of other university institutes and centers, such as the Wharton Social Impact Initiative, the Center for Leadership & Change Management, the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, the Center for High Impact Philanthropy and the Master of Science Program in Nonprofit/NGO Leadership.
“Our goals for the prize are to expand the benefits of social impact organizations using competition to identify and reward excellence, to inspire Penn students to enter the field, and to facilitate the transfer of successful methods of operation to other organizations.”
Barry Lipman, W ’70
Barry & Marie Lipman
Barry and Marie Lipman have served their San Francisco community as philanthropists, board members, and volunteers deeply involved in the social sector for more than 25 years. With sweat equity and strategic leadership they both have contributed directly to the sustainable growth of several nonprofits in the Bay Area. The Homeless Prenatal Program and San Francisco Zoological Society are just two groups benefitting from the Lipmans’ generous support.
A commitment to the greater social good is what led Barry, W’70, and Marie to create this prize. The global nature of the prize and its focus on knowledge dissemination align perfectly with the institutional assets and goals of the University of Pennsylvania. It is here, at Barry’s alma mater, they are building a lasting legacy of societal contribution through collective learning.
Penn’s Tradition of Service
The Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize takes its place in a rich tradition of innovative leadership and service at Penn — a tradition rooted in the founding visions of both the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School.
In 1740, Benjamin Franklin founded the College of Philadelphia, which subsequently became the University of Pennsylvania, as an institution dedicated to education for citizenship and service. The development, “of an inclination joined with an ability to serve” was, for Franklin “the great aim of an end of all learning,” as well as the mission he set for Penn.
In 1881, Joseph Wharton founded the world’s first collegiate school of business at Penn with a similar focus. Graduates of the Wharton School would become “pillars of the state, whether in public or private life.”
Both Ben Franklin and Joseph Wharton also believed that knowledge was to be useful and produce, in Wharton’s words, “solutions to the social problems inherent to our civilization.”
Through the Lipman Family Prize, the University of Pennsylvania continues to realize its potential to promote dialogue and discovery across disciplines and to “bring the benefits of Penn’s research, teaching, and service to individuals and communities at home and around the world.
Steering Committee & Staff
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee for the Barry and Marie Lipman Family Prize includes Barry Lipman, the founder of the Prize, as well as faculty and staff from across the University of Pennsylvania, chosen for their expertise and experience in the areas of business and non-profit leadership and cross-sector collaboration. They are deeply invested in thinking carefully about how best to activate the University of Pennsylvania’s vast resources in service of change-makers, and how to meaningfully partner with the broader social sector at large.
They represent the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, the Center for Leadership and Change Management, the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, the School of Social Policy & Practice, and the Wharton School.
Barry Lipman
Former Partner, Goldfarb & Lipman
Founder, Lipman Family Prize
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Barry began his professional career in 1975 as an attorney. In 1981, he was a founding partner in Goldfarb & Lipman. His area of expertise was real estate, particularly housing. His clientele included developers and non-profit sponsor organizations, and he was a pioneer in creating and employing unique legal structures to make housing available and affordable to families, the disabled, seniors, and low-and-moderate income owners and tenants. Among the legal structures were the limited equity cooperative, the multi-use vertical subdivision, the live-work unit, and the tax-free or tax-deferred transfer of a residence to housing that included life-care.
In the mid-1990s, Barry transitioned from the law to becoming an investor/philanthropist deeply involved in the social sector. He has contributed to the sustainable growth of several non-profit organizations in the Bay Area and other locales, while serving as a board director to three for-profit and four non-profit entities. The Homeless Prenatal Program, the San Francisco Zoo, the UCSF Medical Center, and Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City are among the organizations that have benefited from his support.
In the early 2000’s, Barry wanted to promote and assist those areas of the social sector that found it difficult to attract private capital and governmental assistance. While continuing to support his preferred cultural institutions and his children’s schools, Barry searched for organizations in which neither he nor his family could receive a direct or indirect benefit other than personal satisfaction for having helped them achieve their goals. With that motivation, in 2010 Barry entered into discussions with the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School to create a prize for the benefit of the social sector. The outcome was the Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize, and the first Honorees were chosen in 2012.
Today, the Lipman Family Prize has evolved to what Barry had originally envisioned. It has become a significant means for rewarding and inspiring positive social impact among social sector organizations worldwide, and faculty, students and many others at Penn. It is fully endowed with the intent to sustain and expand positive social impact for as long as necessary.
Barry and his wife Marie love to travel. According to the Travelers Century Club, they have visited and experienced more than one hundred countries. Their goal is to visit as many more as possible in their lifetimes.
Barry is a 1970 graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1975 graduated from Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, California.
Elyse Lipman
Chief Strategy Officer
Lipman Family Farms
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Elyse currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer for Lipman Family Farms, North America’s largest supplier of tomatoes and fresh produce. In her role, she assesses how emerging technologies and shifting business trends are transforming current and potential markets, and in turn how to position Lipman for growth. She is the fourth generation of Lipman family members to join the company, and the first woman on the Lipman executive leadership team.
Prior to joining Lipman Family Farms, Elyse led the World Economic Forum’s programme on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Elyse curated projects and content for the Forum’s emerging technology agenda, which included technologies such as blockchain and the internet of things, and mobilized the Forum’s multi-stakeholder community to address the challenges for emerging technologies to benefit society. Her work spanned global markets, concentrating on the US, China, and Europe with the WEF’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland and Annual Meeting of New Champions in Tianjin, China. She was also named a WEF Global Leadership Fellow and a System’s Leader for Public-Private Cooperation.
Previously, Elyse built her career in journalism, most prominently as a Photo Editor for National Geographic Magazine in Washington, D.C. The Lipman Prize has long been an inspiration, and continues to fuel her work to achieve positive social change. Elyse earned her BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA in Journalism from New York University. She earned her MBA in Innovation Management from Wharton.
Umi Howard
Senior Director, McNulty Leadership Program
Former Director, The Lipman Family Prize
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
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Umi joined the Wharton School in 2011 to establish and serve as Director of the Lipman Family Prize, an annual global competition that celebrates leadership and innovation in the social sector with an emphasis on impact and transferability of practices. As of January 2018, he has taken a new position as Senior Director of the McNulty Leadership Program. Umi is responsible for developing and executing an external strategy for Wharton’s leadership initiatives, in partnership with Wharton Executive Education and Wharton External Affairs. Key components of the strategy include the stewardship of key donors, development of corporate and foundation partnerships, and the design of executive and public programs in support of the School’s revenue-generating and philanthropic goals. He also leads our portfolio of civic leadership programs, including the Lipman Family Prize, the Lipman Fellows Program, and the Nonprofit Board Fellows Program.
Prior to joining Wharton, Umi spent fifteen years working in the social impact sector in a variety of roles, including running a social enterprise, organizational consulting, curriculum design and instruction, philanthropy and board service. Umi is a graduate of Vassar College and received his Master’s from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.
Jeff Klein
Executive Director, McNulty Leadership Program
Lecturer, Management Department
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
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Jeff Klein is the director of the Wharton Graduate Leadership Program and the Wharton Leadership Ventures and a lecturer in the Management Department of the Wharton School. In this role, he is responsible for the portfolio of curricular and co-curricular leadership development programs available to Wharton MBA students and for the leading the creation of the Wharton Global Leadership Institute. Jeff works with hundreds of MBA students and executive clients every year. As a lead Venture Instructor, he supports multiple expedition-based experiential leadership programs each academic year.
Recently, Jeff’s passions and interests have led him to the study of cross-sector collaborations that create sustainable economic and social wealth. He teaches two graduate-level courses at the University of Pennsylvania — Transformational Reasoning and The New Leadership Frontier — which examine the historical and current context of cross-sector collaboration. Jeff has also begun a doctorate in Educational Leadership to further ground his studies and these practice-based courses in interdisciplinary theory.
Jeff graduated with honors from both the Wharton School (MBA, Entrepreneurial Studies) and Penn State University (BS, Finance; BA, Media Studies).
Katherina Rosqueta
Executive Director, Center for High Impact Philanthropy
University of Pennsylvania
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Katherina M. Rosqueta is the founding executive director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania. Before accepting her appointment at the Center in the Spring of 2006, Kat was a consultant with McKinsey & Company. Prior to joining McKinsey, Kat worked in community development, nonprofit management, and venture philanthropy. She has held numerous volunteer and civic leadership positions including board president of La Casa de las Madres (San Francisco’s oldest and largest shelter for battered women and their children); chair of the United Way’s Bay Area Week of Caring; and co-founder and executive committee member of the Women’s MBA Network. She currently serves as an advisor to Charity Navigator, America’s largest charity evaluator, and on the University of Pennsylvania’s Social Responsibility Advisory Committee.
Her work and comments have been cited in numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, BusinessWeek, and Miami Herald. She has lectured at the Wharton School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, University of California Haas School of Business, and the University of San Francisco’s Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management.
Kat received her BA cum laude from Yale University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Mike Useem
William and Jacalyn Egan Professor of Management
Director, Center for Leadership and Change Management
Editor, Wharton Leadership Digest
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
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Michael Useem, the William and Jacalyn Egan Professor of Management, is director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His university teaching includes MBA and executive MBA courses on leadership and change, and he offers programs on leadership, teamwork, governance, and decision making for managers in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He also works on leadership development and governance with many companies and organizations in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors.
He is the author of The Leadership Moment; Investor Capitalism; andThe Go Point: When It’s Time to Decide. He is also co-author and co-editor of Learning from Catastrophes, and co-author of The India Way: How India’s Top Business Leaders Are Revolutionizing Management.
Staff
The Prize is managed by a staff with extensive experience in the nonprofit and leadership sectors.
Euria Min
Director, The Lipman Family Prize
McNulty Leadership Program
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
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Euria is the Director of the Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize and Lipman Fellows Program. She oversees the strategy and execution of the annual global social impact competition and partnerships with the wide Lipman Prize community of honorees organizations, nonprofit partners, philanthropic partners, reviewers and selection committee and steering committee members, fellow alumni, and University partners. She also leads the interdisciplinary year-long Lipman Fellows program which engages graduate students from across the University in a learning community immersed in the social sector through the philanthropic process, and in their individual leadership development.
Euria previously served as the Director of Operations for the Fels Institute of Government, Penn’s Master of Public Administration program. Prior to that role, she served as the Director of Operations for the Robert. A. Fox Leadership Program in the School of Arts & Sciences at Penn, helping students identify, develop, and apply their unique skills and passion through developmental research or public service fellowship opportunities and learning trips, both domestically and internationally.
Euria graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a B.A. in Communication Studies and minor in Global Studies, and received her Master’s in Public Administration from Cal State Long Beach. Euria grew up in Chicago and Los Angeles, and now calls Philadelphia home. She aims to be active in the Philadelphia community with her broad range of interests and passions, and has engaged in various volunteer capacities such as serving as judge of elections for her neighborhood polling place, an associate board member for Covenant House PA, community panelist with the district attorney’s office juvenile justice diversion program, and the American Red Cross disaster action response team. She also currently serves as a deaconess at her church in Chinatown. Euria currently lives in the East Kensington neighborhood with her husband, daughter, and rambunctious cat.
Sara L. Mierke
Associate Director, The Lipman Family Prize
McNulty Leadership Program
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
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With over 25 years of experience, Sara brings to the Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize and Lipman Fellows Program a deep commitment to advancing community-driven change and elevating leaders who are shaping a more just and sustainable world.
Prior to joining Wharton, Sara founded AnchorEd, a purpose-driven education and community development consulting firm that supports schools, universities and NGOs globally to become powerful local anchors where students thrive and communities flourish.
Sara has designed and led programs at the intersection of education and social justice in the U.S., Central Asia, South and East Africa, China, and Southeast Europe. Her varied leadership roles include lead consultant on a youth climate entrepreneurship initiative for the World Bank in Central Asia, Global Programs Director at African Leadership Academy in South Africa, Director of the Sally & Bob Gries Center for Experiential and Service Learning at Hawken School in Ohio, and Regional Technical Advisor and Education Network Leader for Catholic Relief Services/Europe in North Macedonia.
In recognition of her dedication to grassroots leadership and local impact, in 2015 Sara received the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Neighborhood Leadership Award from University Circle, Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio.
Sara has also served on the Board of Directors of the Independent Schools Experiential Education Network (ISEEN) and the International Advisory Board of International Partners in Mission (IPM). She holds a BA with honors in Anthropology from Amherst College, an MA in International Development and Social Change from Clark University, and an MSEd in Education Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania.
Tunisia Meek
Program Manager, The Lipman Family Prize
McNulty Leadership Program
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
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Tunisia co-manages the logistics and operations for the Lipman Family Prize and Lipman Fellows Program. Prior to joining Wharton, Tunisia worked at the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, where she provided administrative and operational support for the Education Team in the Impact Department, reviewed grant applications and handled reporting. She also served as a Special Projects Coordinator at The Philadelphia Tribune where she co-run special events.
Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Tunisia stayed in her hometown for higher education receiving her Bachelor’s degree in English from Temple University. She is a founding Steering Committee member of the Philadelphia Black Giving Circle and hopes to continue her professional journey along the philanthropic path.
Kimberly Leichtner
Program Manager, The Lipman Family Prize
McNulty Leadership Program
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
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Kim manages the relationships and partnership benefits for the Lipman Family Prize winner community. Her experiences are in nonprofit management and leadership development. Kim is a trained facilitator and moderates civic dialogues with undergraduate students and adults through Keystone Civic Ventures. She has been a High Performing Team Facilitator for Wharton undergraduates, observing and coaching them on effective teamwork. Previously, Kim has led research on the role of State Chief Administrators and worked with hospital physician leaders on medical workforce issues.
Kim grew up outside of Boston and received her B.A. from Harvard College in Biological Anthropology, and her Master’s in Public Administration from the Fels Institute of Government. She was an inaugural Lipman Family Prize fellow and is thrilled to support the winner community that has grown since she was a fellow!
Kate FitzGerald
Marketing Director
McNulty Leadership Program
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Kate FitzGerald is a Director of Marketing & Communications for the McNulty Leadership Program and has been with Wharton since 2007. Kate is responsible for all marketing and communications activities across the Center, McNulty Leadership Program, and the Lipman Family Prize. This includes development and implementation of a strategic marketing plan and overall brand identity. She oversees the ongoing maintenance of multiple media channels, including the Center and Program websites, the McNulty Leadership and Lipman Prize social media presences and the photography and video creation needed to promote the brand and programs..
Kate holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of San Diego and an M.A. in Marketing and Advertising from Emerson College. She is graduating in May of 2020 with a Masters in Science of Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. Kate comes from a 20+ year career in corporate marketing, with a focus on identity branding and messaging. Prior to coming back to her home base of Philadelphia, she spent several years living in Europe and Asia. Kate lives outside of Philadelphia and cherishes her time with her two children, Erin and Brendan. In her “free time”, Kate is an avid runner, having completed five marathons and many sprint triathlons.
Lipman Fellows Program
Lipman Fellows are invaluable members of the Lipman Family Prize community. Through the year-long fellowship, the Lipman Family Prize invests in nurturing the next generation of social impact leaders. We believe that direct experience getting immersed in learning about those driving innovative change on the frontlines will enable students to better understand and uproot complex social problems throughout their professional lives. Our commitment to student learning and leadership is setting the stage for future innovation. Our student fellows are building a network of relationships and resources that they’ll take with them wherever they go, and apply to whichever cause they champion next.
THE 2025 LIPMAN FELLOWS PROGRAM APPLICATION IS CLOSED
Join our community to get the latest updates on our prize and program.
A Unique Opportunity for Students
Organizations applying to the Prize are working on universally experienced social challenges in public health, educational equality, economic development and beyond. Each year, students have opportunities to help refine the execution of the Prize and its ability to leverage the many Penn resources to support the work of world-class social sector organizations. Lipman Fellows support the selection of the Prize winners and develop their leadership skills while learning about the social sector. With the guidance and support from Penn staff and key partners, student fellows from across the University review applications, analyze data, prepare materials for the Prize Committee, meet with the leaders of winning organizations, and participate in the annual awards ceremony
Commitment
The 12-17 fellows participate for a full academic year between late September and May. This is an intensive learning community experience that requires on average 5-7 hours of work per week, several mandatory weekend trainings, and weekly meetings throughout the year. The months of October, November, February and March are typically the busiest.
Eligibility
Any current graduate student who is studying at the University of Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia main campus is eligible, including students in one-year programs and first and second year MBAs. We do not require previous experience with nonprofits, philanthropy or social enterprises. Regardless of past work experience, fellows must demonstrate a current interest in the social sector and in their personal leadership development.
The Experience
The goals of this fellowship is for students to learn about the social sector through the philanthropic process, immerse themselves in a learning community, and invest in their leadership development. The Lipman Fellows’ team structure offers students the chance to explore the leadership dimensions of communication, teamwork, group decision-making and emotional intelligence while employing technical skills like data analysis and project management. The multidisciplinary composition of the Lipman Fellow community allows students to collaborate and challenge themselves in a safe learning environment.
Lipman Fellows Experience Series
Get to know some of our Lipman Fellows in the videos below!
View the rest of the Lipman Fellows Experience Series HERE!
2019 Lipman Fellows Experience
Jenny Kim | 2019 Lipman Fellow
Adamseged Abebe | 2018 Lipman Fellow
Cynthia Degros | 2019 Lipman Fellow
Meet our 2025 Lipman Fellows
Agnes Wang
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 2025
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Agnes Wang MSE’25 is a master’s student in Data Science at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Agnes is passionate about using data analysis and AI to tackle healthcare challenges and advance personalized care solutions. She has worked as a consultant at Canopy Innovations, where she developed technologies to overcome clinical communication barriers for linguistic minorities. She has also completed data science internships at Cencora and Cardinal Operations, focusing on supply chain optimization. Agnes holds a B.A. in Linguistics and Mathematics from Haverford College.
Alessandra Pelliccia
The Wharton School & Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, 2026
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Alessandra Pelliccia MBA’26/MA’26 is a first-year MBA candidate at Wharton and an MA candidate at the Lauder Institute, focusing on Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors for Business. As a Fulbright Fellow in Mexico City, she supported social enterprises across Latin America while working at Fundamental Impact Venture Studio. Previously, Alessandra worked in government consulting for Mathematica Policy Research, where she contributed to proposals and projects in the international affairs and climate business units. She also has experience in grant writing and fundraising for early-stage ventures. Alessandra holds a B.A. from Occidental College where she studied international relations, Spanish, and economics.
Alex Liu
The Wharton School, 2026
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Alex Liu MBA’26 is a first-year student at The Wharton School, studying Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Business, Energy, Environment, and Sustainability. Alex joined DoorDash during its startup years in 2015 where he grew his engineering and entrepreneurial career. Afterwards, he took what he learned and founded two startups. The first startup combated the loneliness epidemic by facilitating in-person meetups, and the second targeted waste reduction and efficiency improvement in the chemical manufacturing space. He graduated with honors from Rice University, earning a B.S. in Computer Science with a concentration in AI and machine learning.
Bessy Crentsil
Penn Carey Law School, 2025
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Bessy Crentsil LLM’25 is an LLM student at Penn Carey Law School. Previously, she was a Legal Associate at B&P Associates, a corporate law firm in Ghana. She led the firm’s pro bono team where she helped organize legal outreach, clinics and fundraising activities. She also co-hosted the firm’s podcast series, “Community First,” which discussed social and legal issues. Outside of legal work, she runs the Ruby Osmo Girls Foundation, an NGO geared towards period poverty eradication, which has directly improved the lives of many Ghanaian girls through monthly outreach programs. Bessy received her undergraduate degree in law from Central University in Ghana.
Carlos Jarquin
School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, 2025
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Carlos Jarquin MSE-IPD’25 is a Master of Science in Engineering, Integrated Product Design candidate at the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences. He is an interdisciplinary designer who champions empathetic design thinking across health, consulting, and startup spaces to empower communities through thoughtful interventions. Carlos previously worked with the Government of Alberta to reimagine opioid prevention and intervention tools. He currently serves as a Collaborator with the World Design Organization’s Young Designer Circle. Carlos recently completed a Strategic Design internship at BCG X specializing in digital strategy roadmapping, digital maturity assessment, and product development. He holds a B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering – Biomedical and a B.A. in Design, both from the University of Alberta.
Elaine Vernoff
The Wharton School, 2026
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Elaine Vernoff MBA’26 is a first-year student at The Wharton School, studying Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship. Elaine is deeply passionate about improving healthcare access for low-income and immigrant communities and plans to make social impact an integral part of her career. Prior to Wharton, Elaine was a Consultant in Deloitte’s Human Capital practice where she specialized in Digital HR Strategy, Future of Work, and the Workforce Experience. Elaine is also a co-founder of Unmasked, a mental health startup focused on providing an anonymous support community for those affected by mental health challenges. She holds a B.B.A. from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.
Fionnuir Ni Chochlain
Perelman School of Medicine, 2025
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Fionnuir Ni Chochlain MPH’25 is a second-year Master of Public Health candidate concentrating in Global Health. Fionnuir attended the University of Pennsylvania and majored in Health and Societies before submatriculating into the MPH program. As an aspiring global health professional, she is passionate about addressing health disparities and implementing equitable public policy. While at Penn, Fionnuir worked with the Netter Center for Community Partnerships to provide trauma-informed care to West Philadelphia school staff, the Penn Medicine Social Needs Response Team to meet health-related social needs for patients, and the Medical Financial Partnership at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to build patient wealth through tax filing and financial education.
Jasmine Anklesaria Maloney
The Wharton School & Graduate School of Education, 2026
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Jasmine Anklesaria Maloney MBA’26/MS’26 is pursuing an MBA at Wharton and a MS in Education Policy at the Graduate School of Education. Jasmine is part of the Applied Insights Team with Wharton People Analytics, researching upskilling in the workforce. Prior to Wharton, Jasmine was the founding Executive Director of Access Distributed, a nonprofit startup focused on helping students from non-elite universities break into the historically gate-kept finance industry. Previously, she was a Major Gifts Officer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she launched the recent alumni leadership and major gift strategy. Jasmine holds a B.A. in Communication with a minor in Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Volunteerism from the University of Southern California.
Jessie Ping
The Wharton School, 2025
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Jessie Ping MBA’25 is a second-year student at The Wharton School studying Business Analytics. Prior to Wharton, Jessie was a consultant at Bain & Company, where she advised companies across a broad range of industries on strategy development and implementation. She has leveraged her consulting skills to assist NGOs including G(IRLS)20 and Mother’s Choice in Hong Kong. Jessie holds a B.B.A. in Global Business and Economics from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Joann Akpan
Perelman School of Medicine, 2025
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Joann Akpan MPH’25 is a public health professional with a decade of clinical research experience, specializing in health disparities. She has a proven track record of designing and implementing culturally competent interventions to enhance health outcomes for underserved populations. As a second-year MPH student at the Perelman School of Medicine, Joann is passionate about advancing health equity and is dedicated to developing health programs that not only improve health outcomes, but also inform public health laws and policies. Joann also holds a B.S. in Public Health from Temple University.
Krista Smith
School of Social Policy & Practice, 2025
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Krista Smith NPL’25 is pursuing a Master of Nonprofit Leadership (NPL) from the School of Social Policy and Practice. Her current NPL practicum is with the United Nations-affiliated University for Peace where she is focusing on social innovation aimed at peace, sustainability, and systems change. Krista’s previous roles include research as a postgraduate associate at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, teaching at a high school in South Side Chicago, and case management assistance for refugee and immigrant clients. Krista holds a Bachelor of Psychology and Bachelor of International Studies from the University of Florida, an MA in Teaching from the Relay Graduate School of Education in partnership with Teach for America, and an MSW from The Ohio State University.
Lakshana Ramakrishnan
Penn Carey Law School, 2025
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Lakshana Ramakrishnan LLM’25 is a post-graduate law student at the Penn Carey Law School. Originally from India, she litigated at the trial courts and Madras High Court in Chennai with a focus on domestic violence, child sex abuse, gender justice and matrimonial law. Lakshana is now eager to learn about impact creation in the social sector and hopes to bring these insights back home to support the prevention of gender-based violence. She holds a B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) degree from National Law University, Delhi in India.
Lauryn McSpadden
The Wharton School, 2025
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Lauryn McSpadden MBA’25 is a second-year MBA candidate at The Wharton School, where she is majoring in ESG and Strategic Management. Passionate about the intersection of business and social impact, Lauryn brings a spirit of curiosity and dedication to community to every endeavor. Before Wharton, she worked in marketing in Nashville’s education sector and at a startup in Indianapolis as an Orr Fellow. Last year, she served on the Dean’s MBA Advisory Council and is returning this year as a Project Lead. Lauryn holds a B.A. in American Culture Studies with minors in Writing and the Business of Social Impact from Washington University in St. Louis.
Lusayo Mwakatika
Graduate School of Education, 2025
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Lusayo Mwakatika MSEd’25 is pursuing a master’s degree in Education Entrepreneurship at the Graduate School of Education. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After completing his undergraduate studies, Lusayo returned to Malawi., his home country, where he played a pivotal role in establishing ACADES Finance, a microfinance organization designed to provide much-needed agricultural loans to rural youth farmers. He later launched the Agribusiness, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship Academy (ALEA), a social enterprise that offers business incubation services to young African agricultural entrepreneurs, helping them scale their ventures and secure investments.
Nene Ibezim
Graduate School of Education, 2025
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Nene Ibezim MsEd’25 is a master’s student in International Educational Development as a Penn Graduate School of Education (GSE) UNESCO Fellow. With five years of experience in education and social development, she founded the Leading Kids Program to empower children in underserved schools. Nene holds a postgraduate diploma in Liberal Studies from Ashoka University, India, and has worked as a project officer at Global Schools, an initiative of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). She has coordinated programs at Slum2School Africa and was a Leadership Development Manager at Teach for Nigeria. Nene was selected as a Teach for All/Oak Foundation Inclusive Education Fellow and a 2023 Teacher Impact Award runner-up.
Raquel Jones
Perelman School of Medicine, 2026
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Raquel Jones MPH’26 is a first-year Master of Public Health student at the Perelman School of Medicine. She is deeply committed to fostering racial health equity across research, policy and community spaces. Her research interests focus on addressing disparities in chronic health conditions, improving access to healthcare, and enhancing health education. Prior to matriculating at Penn, Raquel worked with organizations in the Richmond, VA community to support the development of African-American youth and address racial inequities in education. She also conducted research exploring how African-American women navigate and respond to microaggressions. Raquel holds a B.S. in interdisciplinary science with a minor in business from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Talley Snow
The Wharton School & Harvard Kennedy School, 2026
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Talley Snow MBA’26/MPP’26 is a dual MBA-MPP candidate at the Wharton School and Harvard Kennedy School studying healthcare management and policy. She is passionate about scaling effective, affordable, and equitable healthcare interventions. Prior to Wharton, Talley was a Senior Business Analyst and Fellow with McKinsey & Company serving life sciences and higher education clients. She founded an office-wide affinity group to further McKinsey’s impact at local women-founded and women-supporting organizations. Talley holds a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce.