Robert M. Bakish '89
Donnel Baird '13
Donnel Baird '13, founder of BlocPower, received the Distinguished Early Achievement Award, and Robert M. Bakish '89 ('85SEAS), a CBS board member and president and CEO of Paramount Global, received the Distinguished Leadership in Business Award. Baird was celebrated for the innovative work of his Brooklyn-based company, BlocPower, which replaces antiquated fossil fuel energy systems in aging residential buildings with new electric technology.
The idea began with Baird's dream to provide safer and more cost-effective ways to heat and cool buildings in underserved communities while also creating jobs. That dream has come true, and now he plans to scale the technology for commercial buildings. Baird envisions entire cities converting to clean energy systems to reduce carbon emissions. He already has taken steps toward this goal with the government of Ithaca, New York. BlocPower is working to decarbonize the city's 6,000 buildings to help it reach its target of 100 percent decarbonization by 2030.
“Donnel's work combines three of the key tenets of what we talk about at the School: thinking about entrepreneurship, thinking about what businesses can do to improve society, and thinking about climate change and how we should be addressing that challenge,” said Dean Costis Maglaras at the event.
Baird also serves on the CBS Lang Fund advisory board. Bakish was honored for his work harnessing technology to advance multiplatform brands. His work at Paramount Global, and Viacom before that, has shaped the media industry with visionary acquisitions: streaming services Paramount+ and Pluto TV; Paramount Pictures; and television networks CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, and Telefe.
As president and CEO of Viacom, the precursor to Paramount, Bakish led the key acquisitions of the Gen Z-focused brand Awesomeness; influencer marketing firm WhoSay; and VidCon, the world's largest convention to celebrate online video culture with influencers, creators, and fans. In addition to serving on the CBS board, Bakish is on the board of Columbia Engineering and the Digital Future Initiative advisory board.
“Bob has been leading through his participation in our curriculum, talking to students, talking to alums, and doing high-profile events,” Maglaras said. “He's a true friend of Columbia University.” In the fall, Bakish visited the School's Manhattanville campus to deliver a Silfen Leadership Series lecture on the challenges of navigating an evolving media industry. The September 26 event was moderated by Divya Walia '24, co-chair of the Silfen Leadership Series.