Jennifer and Brian
Alumni
Elizabeth Singleton 2008 | Nick Pearson 2008 | Silvia Lacayo 2009 | Brad Kittredge 2009
Aleka Calsoyas 2010 | James Bender 2010 | Abi Ridgway 2011 | Alvaro Koechlin 2011
Gwyn Jones 2011
Elizabeth Singleton 2008
“I am currently living in Midland, MI where I work for The Dow Chemical Company’s Sustainability group. I am the program manager for Dow’s 2015 Sustainability Goal: Breakthroughs to World Challenges. I have been developing strategy for the company to engage its various businesses and functions in meeting the goal of achieving at least three breakthroughs that will significantly improve the world’s ability to solve the challenges of: affordable and adequate food supply; affordable housing; sustainable water supplies; alternative energy and climate change; or improved health. In addition to working on the strategy for the goal, I have been working closely with Dow’s Ventures & Business Development group on specific projects that have the potential to contribute to the Breakthroughs goal. These dual responsibilities are pushing me to leverage business skills and market forces to bring solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues.
Receiving the Maxwell Fellowship affirmed and furthered my commitment to using innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit to bring about positive social change. Getting to know the Maxwells has shown me what can be accomplished with commitment and perseverance. Jennifer and Brian Maxwell are two fine examples of the kind of extraordinary people that make me believe that change is possible.”
Elizabeth received a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs, where she earned certificates in African studies and environmental studies.
Nick Pearson 2008
"After Haas I moved to Kenya with the Acumen Fund, a venture capital fund that invests in businesses providing vital services to the poor in the sectors of health, agriculture, sanitation and energy. After a year investing in and supporting good businesses, I left to launch my own organization in Nairobi. Jacaranda Health is a social venture whose aim is to reduce high rates of maternal and infant mortality in the region by providing a new model of maternity care for women living in urban areas. We are still in the early days, but we are quickly laying the groundwork for our goal of a self-sustaining network of clinics providing affordable, high-quality care to women in the slums. Jacaranda Health has been named an Ashoka Changemaker for new ideas in maternal health.
For me, the Brian Maxwell fellowship was an opportunity to get to know Brian and Jennifer and draw inspiration from their courage, dedication and desire to give back to the community. The experience emboldened me to take these first steps toward becoming an entrepreneur myself. Jennifer's stories of persevering with PowerBar out of their kitchen and the back of their van has helped me find the persistence to push through some of the early hurdles that every entrepreneur faces.”
Nick holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Carleton College.
Silvia Lacayo 2009
“Recently transplanted to the East Coast, I’m currently working in Brand Management at Unilever, a global consumer packaged goods company. In this field I get to use my business management training and past experiences to contribute to the growth of one of many brands that aim to meet the everyday needs of people around the world. Motivated by Unilever’s focus on adding vitality to life and creating products that contribute to a better quality of life, I am excited to make my mark within this organization.
As a marketing professional, I draw inspiration from Jennifer and Brian’s dedication to creating a successful and honest brand like PowerBar. As an alum of the Brian Maxwell Fellows program, I look forward to staying connected to the diverse and talented community of Maxwell Fellows.”
Silvia holds bachelor’s degrees in political science and mass communications from UC Berkeley.
Brad Kittredge 2009
"Prior to Haas, I was a Senior Consultant at Deloitte Consulting and following graduation I accepted a position in Corporate Strategy at McKesson Corporation, the largest health care services provider in the U.S. My interest is in using innovative technology to empower doctors and patients by improving cost, quality and access in health care. While at Haas, I worked to start ComplexDx, a Web-based service to connect patients facing complex and difficult diagnoses with the doctors who have the expertise, insight and incentive to correctly diagnose them. Being a Brian Maxwell Fellow inspires me to take chances to use entrepreneurship as a catalyst for positive change. The relationships that I have developed with the other Fellows and with Scott Sowry and Jennifer Maxwell will last a lifetime."
Brad received an MPH from the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley in 2009. Brad holds a BA from UC Berkeley, where he received All-American honors in water polo and swimming, and holds a master's degree in international affairs from UC San Diego.
Aleka Calsoyas 2010
"Before Haas I helped to found a nonprofit that works toward reducing educational inequity in the East Bay by providing academic services to students in high need environments. My work there made me realize how my contributions could be amplified with a more solid grounding in business. I chose to pursue an MBA at Haas because I want to bring the best business practices to my work in social enterprise.
I am currently a partner at The New Teacher Project, a national organization that seeks to end the injustice of educational inequality by providing excellent teachers to the students who need them most and by advancing policies and practices that ensure effective teaching in every classroom. In particular, I work with state governments and districts to retool human capital systems.
As a Brian Maxwell Fellow, I appreciate being part of a community that values, encourages and inspires social entrepreneurs to use the amazing resources at our disposal for the greater good."
Aleka has a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley in mathematics and French and a PhD from UC Irvine in French with an Emphasis in Critical Theory. She has taught in the Humanities Core Course at UC Irvine and was Director of Operations and Finance at Aspire Education Project.
James Bender 2010
"I moved to Seattle to join Amazon's General Management rotational program. As a Senior Vendor Manager, I am exercising daily the principles and lessons learned at Haas. Amazon is the perfect opportunity to sharpen my business acumen and take advantage of my Naval Aviation leadership experience at a fast growing tech company. It is strange, but each day I am encouraged to take risks and fail in order to learn and grow the business. This is a fundamental mindset departure from flying a plane onto a carrier! I am constantly forced to make P&L decisions with ambiguous information. However, I am encouraged by the odds Brian and Jennifer surmounted in building PowerBar. Brian and Jennifer's story is simply amazing and inspires me to emulate their entrepreneurial spirit as I strengthen my business educational foundation. Being a Brian Maxwell 
Fellow is an ever-present reminder to take advantage of opportunities to induce positive change in my workplace, home and community."
James was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for delivering more than 1,000,000 pounds of relief supplies after the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. He earned his undergraduate degree from the United States Naval Academy, has achieved a national #1 ranking as an amateur cyclist and is a fund-raiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Abi Ridgway 2011
"Being selected as a Brian Maxwell Fellow is a tremendous honor for me, but most importantly a reaffirmation of my career goals to improve health care. In the fall 2009, I will begin my studies in Haas's MBA/MPH dual degree program, a unique program in which I hope to gain the skills necessary to minimize disparities in health care. The fellowship support inspires me, motivates me and gives me a redoubled sense of responsibility to make sure that my education is an investment in a better future of health care. The warm welcome that I have received from the entire Maxwell community has left me enthusiastic to develop relationships with Jennifer Maxwell, Scott Sowry and the other Fellows."
Abi is from Jackson, Wyoming and spent her summers growing up working on her family's ranch in Sunlight Basin. At Dartmouth College, she studied economics and worked as a volunteer ski patroller. Abi's previous work experiences have been as a macroeconomic analyst at the Federal Reserve Board and a health policy analyst at Harvard's School of Public Health. Prior to coming to Haas, Abi lived in Mexico City as a Fulbright Scholar in Binational Business where she worked for Ashoka evaluating entrepreneurs who create innovative solutions for social problems in Mexico and Central America. Abi enjoys skiing, snowboarding, running, horseback riding, backpacking, tennis and travel. Before coming to Haas, Abi traveled in China to see her sixth total solar eclipse.
Alvaro Koechlin 2011
"Prior to Haas, I have been involved in two entrepreneurial projects: an Internet-based export company specializing in Peruvian natural food supplement products; and a reforestation company that plants trees in deforested areas in the Amazon Jungle. I can say that being an entrepreneur has been more difficult than expected, but as a Brian Maxwell Fellow, I have a fresh entrepreneurial pulse. Brian Maxwell was a great entrepreneur and his legacy can inspire anybody! Being a Brian Maxwell Fellow is a life experience opportunity, but also a huge responsibility. Emulating Brian and Jennifer's contributions is not an easy task, but as a Brian Maxwell Fellow, I feel part of an amazing, talented group of collaborative people driven by the same values and entrepreneurial spirit that drove Brian and Jennifer to pursue their dreams. The Haas MBA program will provide me with a frontier of knowledge and management education within an environment that is constantly in contact with markets far more developed than those in Peru. Being a Brian Maxwell Fellow inspires me to live my passions, to reflect the fellowship values in everything I do and to make a difference in my workplace, community and country."
Alvaro is an economist from the Universidad del Pacifico in Lima, Peru. Since graduation, Alvaro worked in a power generation company as a financial analyst and project developer. Alvaro established an Internet-based export company KOECH and the reforestation company RAMSA. Alvaro is planning to return to Peru after Haas to apply all of his new management skills in the development of his companies.
Gwyn Jones 2011
"Becoming a Brian Maxwell Fellow is a great privilege and honour for me. I appreciate Brian and Jennifer Maxwell's story and I was simply amazed. By becoming a Brian Maxwell Fellow, it will help spur me on to achieve my aspirations with the characteristics and indefatigable nature that Brian possessed. My aspirations are to work in renewable energy technology and to make a positive and lasting impact in this area and in my community by emulating and reflecting the values of the Brian Maxwell Fellows program."
Gwyn has a master's of engineering degree with first class honours from the University of Wales and a PhD in physics from the University of York. Prior to Haas, Gwyn worked at Silvaco and Spansion as a semiconductor device engineer and holds several U.S. patents in this area, in addition to holding industry advisor roles in venture capital. Gwyn enjoys spending time with his family and is an avid sailor and marathon runner. Gwyn also is a charity fundraiser for the Rainbow Trust Children's Charity in the United Kingdom.