David and Lyn Silfen Distinguished Leadership Series

Vice president, direct-to-consumer services
NBC Sports

The George Owens Trailblazer Award, named for George Owens ’50, the first Black president of Tougaloo College in Mississippi, known for empowering underserved communities, was presented to Portia Archer ’98, a former BBSA president who is a transformative senior leader of the G League of the National Basketball Association.

Former President and Chief Executive Officer
Paramount Global

Robert M. Bakish oversaw one of the world’s leading producers of media and entertainment content, driven by a global portfolio of powerful consumer brands, including CBS, Showtime, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central and Paramount Pictures. In that role, which he assumed in December 2019, Bakish was responsible for growing the company’s creative assets and capabilities to serve important and diverse audiences in more than 180 countries.

Founder and CEO
Closed Loop Partners

Ron Gonen is invested in ushering out one aspect of business that he argues is no longer tenable: companies offloading their waste onto the public. After serving as the deputy commissioner of sanitation, recycling, and sustainability for the Bloomberg administration, Gonen founded Closed Loop Partners to invest in building the circular economy.

President and Chief Executive Officer
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE)

Carim V. Khouzami '02 is the president and chief executive officer of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), the nation's first gas utility. Khouzami oversees safety, reliability, customer service, financial performance and BGE's commitment to creating an inclusive culture. BGE is Maryland’s largest electric and natural gas utility, employing about 3,200 people and serving 1.3 million electric and more than 700,000 gas customers in central Maryland.

President, Chief Executive Officer, & Board Member
LeafLink

Artie has a distinguished and impressive background encompassing various mainstream tech leadership positions. Before joining LeafLink, he founded 715 Capital Partners, which provides early-stage capital and advice on strategy and operations to technology-enabled subscription businesses. Other notable past roles include serving as co-CEO, President, COO, and CFO of WeWork, CFO of Time Warner Cable, and COO and CFO of AOL.

Managing Director, Head of Global Public Policy and Political Risk
Warburg Pincus

Jake Siewert is based in New York as a Managing Director and the Head of Global Public Policy and Political Risk at Warburg Pincus, where he also oversees environmental, social, and governance strategy. Jake joined Warburg Pincus in 2021 from Goldman Sachs where he was a Partner and directed the firm's global communications, content, and marketing efforts.