Tamer Institute

Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio member Tough Leaf, founded by Amir Zahlan, ’22BUS; Wissam Akra, ’22BUS; and LF Finney, was included in this list of 100 Highest Funded MBA Startups, having raised $7.79M. The venture facilitates a diverse and thriving environment where contractors can seamlessly meet and exceed their disabled-, minority-, and women-owned business goals on their construction projects.

Columbia University was ranked number five in Inc. and Fast Company's global list of schools with the biggest impact on the businesses and ideas that define the future. These rankings recognize fifty academic institutions around the world producing the IP, partnerships, and people with the greatest impact on entrepreneurship and innovation right now.The Tamer Institute was included in the ranking for bridging business and social impact by fostering entrepreneurs who prioritize both profit and purpose.

In a recent interview, Yussre ElBardicy '24 reflected on her favorite professor while at Columbia Business School. She said that our very own Sandra Navalli OAM '03 "embodies the values I hope to emulate as a business leader. I appreciated her ability to clearly help us understand the threads between business knowledge and social problems. She is someone who sees the big picture, helps her students understand the big picture, and has been a trusted mentor and resource during my time at CBS. During a car ride back from a correctional facility where we co-taught a class, I had a conversation with her about everything from prisons to family to the state of the world that will always be a core business school memory for me."Sandra teaches the ReEntry Acceleration Program (REAP) Immersion course.

In a discussion moderated by Professor Gernot Wagner at Columbia Business School during Climate Week NYC, the newly reappointed EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra stressed the need for better alignment between Europe and the United States, the challenges of global competition, and the role of carbon pricing in reducing emissions.

Women’s lost earnings due to pay inequality amounted to $1.7 trillion in 2023. S. Mona Sinha '93 — a champion for gender equality and institute advisory board member and global executive director of Equality Now — asks how the next administration will close this gap and address this stark gender inequality.

Motivated by her research and personal experiences as a parent and founder of Happy Family Organics, Shazi Visram '04 founded Healthybaby in 2021, launching a business that has set a new standard for clean baby products.

Kinara Capital, a leading fintech driving MSME financial inclusion in India founded by CEO Hardika Shah '09, won two prestigious international awards at the Global SME Finance Forum 2024: A Platinum Award in the "SME Financier of the Year – NBFI, MFI, Fintech Global" category and a Silver Award in the "SME Financier of the Year – Asia."

Chairman and CEO of ReNew, Sumant Sinha, visited Columbia Business School during Climate Week to discuss with Professor Bruce Usher India’s role in the global clean energy transition and the practical challenges of scaling renewable energy. In his introductory remarks, Dean Costis Maglaras highlighted the opportunities to be found in helping to find solutions to these pressing problems.

Phoebe Boyer '93 wrote a letter to the editor that was published in Crain's NY Business in response to their recent report on NYC nonprofits. She addressed the portrayal of New York City’s nonprofit sector as lacking oversight and emphasized that — while there are always challenges — the truth is that most nonprofits uphold rigorous standards of transparency and accountability. Phoebe is president and CEO of Children’s Aid. 

In this mini case study written by Professor Gernot Wagner, two Columbia CaseWorks case studies on green hydrogen and iron ore electrolysis are referenced. Professor Wagner is leading an incredible team of Columbia students in the Climate Knowledge Initiative, a new climate project telling the kind of decarbonization success stories that help spur action.