Revisiting Leaders Experience 2025
Leaders Experience 2025 was a great success. The almost 600 attendees represented all of Columbia’s schools and made the trip to New York from 25 countries. They returned to campus ready to network, learn, and develop new leadership skills alongside their fellow alumni.
Chair Carlos Cuevas ’05CC, ’12SIPA, ’12PH and Co-Chairs Maryam Hassan ’20CC and Rumaasha Maasha ’94SEAS led a dedicated committee of alumni in planning the event. The conference covered a range of topics, including AI, building teams, and updates from University and Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) Leadership.
The committee’s goals were to craft content of particular interest to today's leaders, expand the number of first-time participants, and acquaint recent graduates with the benefits of Columbia Alumni Leaders Experience. As Rumaasha says, “in bringing together remarkable Columbia alumni from all its schools, across many graduation years, and from all over the world, the Columbia Alumni Leaders Experience weekend offers an unmatched opportunity to meet, network and share ideas with fellow Columbians one might otherwise never cross paths with in regular life.”
Their efforts were successful, and the conference had over 200 first time attendees and over 150 from classes graduating within the last ten years. As Maryam noted, “as a recent alumna, I am particularly excited by the recent graduate population that decided to join us and invest in the future—of themselves and of Columbia. Together, I firmly believe we can build spaces for each other, create belonging wherever we are, and go beyond what we might believe to be possible."
The conference kicked off on Friday, September 26 with alumni and students gathering for two panel discussions, Tackling the Challenges of Leading Boards and Committees with Professors Beth Fisher-Yoshida and Basil Smikle Jr. ’96SIPA, ’18TC, ’19TC, and Building a Winning Team Culture where Megan Griffith, head coach, Columbia University Women’s Basketball; Chris Washburne, Chair of the Music Department; and Harry West, Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, offered insights on team building from the worlds of sports, jazz, and design.
The panels were followed by a reception in the lobby of the Lee C. Bollinger Forum on the Manhattanville campus. ROAR-EE was on hand to help build team spirit among the volunteers!
On Saturday, attendees reconvened in Alfred J. Lerner Hall on the Morningside campus for breakfast and a thought-provoking panel on how Columbians are leading in the artificial intelligence space. It featured CEO and co-founder of CTRL-labs Thomas Reardon ’08GS, ’13GSAS, ’16GSAS; S.T. Lee Professor of Business Sheena Iyengar; and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center Vice-Chair of AI, Data Science, and Engineering Research Despina Kontos, discussing AI’s broader impact on daily life and society.
The rest of the morning was filled with breakout sessions that explored a diverse range of leadership topics, from a discussion of the impact of Columbians to creating your personal narrative to how to lead with honor, humility, and humanity. Additional sessions explored celebrating individual accomplishment and fostering connections across schools.
The Alumni Leaders Luncheon began with the 2025 CAA Clubs of Distinction award, recognizing the Columbia Alumni Association of Houston and the Columbia University Alumni Association of Hong Kong, for their extraordinary efforts in uniting alumni in their areas. Next up was a celebration of the 2025 Alumni Medalists, who had been honored during the University’s 2025 Commencement, highlighted by a special video presentation of their many contributions to Columbia.
The luncheon concluded with a conversation between Acting President Claire Shipman ’86CC, ’94SIPA and CAA Chair Lanny Breuer ’80CC, ’84SIPA, ’85LAW, where they shared insights about the current state of University and higher education and what they’ve learned since assuming their positions.
As Chair Carlos Cuevas said, “the weekend demonstrated the power of our community. The connections we fostered will continue to support and uplift us and our Columbia community, both now and into the future.”
The CAA looks forward to welcoming you to Columbia Alumni Leaders Experience 2026 next year.
Learn more about Columbia Alumni Leaders Experience and volunteering for Columbia.