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Alan Chen, President
president@sumasa.org | LinkedIn
Alan joined the SUMA program Fall of 2020 and expects to graduate Summer 2022. He holds an undergraduate degree in business management from University of Colorado, Boulder where he developed a passion for corporate sustainability when working on a project with Nike and UN PRME.
He was also the previous Americas Lead of the Hitachi Sustainability Action Network and helped promote sustainable practices for consultants while on the road and their client site. He is currently a sustainability consultant for the National Park Service, working on cleaning up contaminated sites within the national parks.
In his free time he enjoys rock climbing, hiking, traveling, biking, and tennis.
Yoni Ronn, VP of Sustainable Operations
academic-affairs@sumasaboard.org
Yoni began his journey in the film industry before realizing that his true calling was in sustainability. He has experience in sustainable construction and is a partner at Zenigo, an ethical Mexican fashion brand. Currently, he is perusing a Master in Sustainability Management while hopping between NY and Tulum.
Natalie Freeman, VP of Academic Affairs
academic-affairs@sumasaboard.org
Natalie joined the board as VP of Academic Affairs during her fourth and final semester at SUMA. A native Californian, she earned degrees in Economics and French before coming to Columbia. At this point in her journey with sustainability, Natalie is primarily interested in coffee supply chains under climate change, water resource management, and environmental ethics.
When she’s not working, you can find Natalie on a yoga mat, in a cooking class, or on the hunt for the best cookie in the city.
Celine Leroudier, VP of Communications
Celine Leroudier is the new Director of Communications at SUMASA and is currently in her third semester pursuing an MS in Sustainability Management.
Prior to joining Columbia, Celine worked as a Project Manager at the Go Green Initiative, a non profit focused on environmental education in schools and the local community. She is excited to join SUMASA’s mission and continue her journey to exploring the built environment!
In her free time, Celine listens to all kinds of music, mailing handmade cards to her friends, and daydreaming about her next toasted sesame bagel.
Tiffany Hodges, VP of Events
Tiffany joined SUMA in Fall 2021 after completing her studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice where she graduated with honors in economics and environmental justice. During her undergraduate studies she focused on the socioeconomic factors that contribute to environmentally unjust communities. Her sustainability focuses in SUMA include: ocean conservation, food security and healthy communities.
Tiffany is a full-time student and is on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters New York’s Young Professional Committee where she serves as Events Chair. In her free time she enjoys playing tennis, volunteering for various local non-profits, pilates, chasing the sun, and finding the best tacos.
Sophie Berthout van Berchem, Symposium Co-Chair
symposium_chair@sumasa.org | LinkedIn
Sophie joined the SUMA program in the Spring of 2020 and expects to graduate in May 2022.
She is a Swiss born citizen that undertook History studies at a Bachelor level in the city of Bristol (England). After her studies, she moved to London to manage data marketing projects in a technological medium-sized agency. During her time there, she rallied her colleagues around social and environmental projects, organized charity days and increased awareness around recycling principles.
During the summer of 2021, Sophie developed her research skills by taking part in an Earth Institute project regarding bauxite mining in Guinea.
In her free time, Sophie enjoys kitesurfing, wakeboarding, skiing, hiking, diving, listening to podcasts and discovering new cultures.
Alexandra Bagnasco, Symposium Co-Chair
symposium_chair@sumasa.org | LinkedIn
A Kogod School of Business graduate with a concentration in finance and a minor in Spanish, Alexandra began her career at the Boston Consulting Group. As a Senior Financial Analyst, she developed initiatives outside her role focused on professional development for women in the workplace and supported workshops to promote intersectional diversity.
Alexandra joined SUMA in Spring 2021 and currently works on the Sustainability team at L’Oréal’s Research & Innovation center, supporting the company’s 2030 sustainability goals for respecting biodiversity, natural resource preservation, and water conservation.
Alexandra is an avid hiker (with goals to visit every national park in the US), loves to spend time with her puppy, Coquito, reading sci-fi thrillers, and going to the beach.
Mary Ivy Mbayah, VP of Community Outreach
community_outreach@sumasa.org | LinkedIn
Ivy is a Technology Consultant with 7 years of experience at Ernst & Young LLP. She currently works on the Global Innovation team, managing the ESG investment portfolio across Asia Pacific, Europe & Middle East and the Americas. Prior to this role, Ivy advised leading US banks on sustainable finance and climate risk. She leads EYs Americas-Africa Market Network (AAMN), an affinity group focused on being the pre-eminent connector and influencer in the EY US and Africa marketplace ecosystem.
She is pursuing an MS. in Sustainability Management at Columbia University to apply ESG practices to corporate governance, investment strategy and operations.
Prior to joining EY, Ivy worked in global wealth management at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, editorial finance at the Financial Times in London, and communications at the Coca Cola Foundation in South Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with first class honors in Economics from Clark University and the London School of Economics.
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