Jennifer and Brian
Current Fellows
Aleka Calsoyas 2010 | James Bender 2010
Abi Ridgway 2011 | Alvaro Koechlin 2011 | Gwyn Jones 2011
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 underprivileged students. 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. 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 am the newest civilian at the Haas School of Business. Nine years spent in service as a Naval Aviator gave me a wide array of experiences. From instructing nascent aviators to delivering relief supplies in the wake of the Indonesian tsunami, the challenges I faced were non-traditional in comparison to most MBAs. Brian and Jennifer's story is simply amazing and inspires me to emulate their entrepreneurial spirit as I strengthen my business educational foundation. I hope to build on my leadership experience by completing my MBA and embracing the Maxwell Fellowship entrepreneurial mindset. No matter where my MBA takes me, being a Maxwell Fellow is an ever-present reminder to take advantage of opportunities to induce positive change in my future 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.