Ways to Get Involved
Chef, cookbook author, television personality Aliya LeeKong '07 reflects on the women who paved the way at Columbia Business School.
Give back to Columbia Business School by volunteering: it'll maximize both your personal and professional relationships within the alumni network while strengthening the value and effectiveness of events, clubs, and other alumni initiatives.
Alumni who are part of the Ambassador Program help Columbia Business School increase the size and quality of its program by interviewing applicants and recommending prospective students in more than 50 countries. Volunteering can also help expand your skills. As a club leader you will plan and coordinate student trips and events, while taking part in your reunion committee gives you an opportunity to take mini-courses and network with other alumni.
Alumni Clubs
There are more than 80 alumni clubs around the world, so no matter where you work, live, or travel the Columbia Business School network is there for you. Clubs are led by talented volunteers who organize a variety of stimulating professional and social events, which provide alumni with many opportunities to exchange ideas and network with peers. We welcome you to volunteer with our alumni clubs and help plan industry programming, coordinate activities and student trips, facilitate young alumni events, or serve as a liaison for the Career Management Center. To learn more, please contact [email protected]
Columbia Career Network
The Columbia Career Network is an initiative to strengthen and build upon the School’s extensive global community. It serves as the umbrella identifier for every instance where students will have the opportunity to engage and leverage the Columbia Business School network — including with alumni, faculty members, staff, Executives-in-Residence, and others who are dedicated to the industry and career education of our students.
All alumni will be considered members of the Columbia Career Network and are strongly encouraged to respond to all calls and e-mails from inquiring students, even if just to postpone a brief conversation until it is more convenient.
Reunion Committee
Each year, we are delighted to welcome alumni back to Columbia Business School for a weekend of reconnecting with old friends, networking, and mini-courses. All alumni of the MBA and EMBA programs who are celebrating their first, fifth, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, and 50th years, as well as those members of the Platinum Classes who have already celebrated their 50th, are invited to Reunion weekend. Please email [email protected] if you would like to get involved in your class’ Reunion efforts.
Social Networking with Current Students
Connecting with students provides recent graduates the opportunity to give back to the School by sharing experiences and expertise, which, in return, enhances and strengthens the Columbia Business School network.
If you’d like to make yourself available for current students to contact you with questions about the industry you work in, your career path, or your perspective on how to make the most of the MBA experience, please take a moment to edit your social networking account and switch the default setting so that students are able to contact you.
To change your default settings, please click the account settings link within the Network section of the site.
Student Clubs and Conferences
Alumni are encouraged to keep in touch with the student clubs they were involved in as students. Columbia Business School boasts more than 100 active student clubs and associations. Throughout the academic year, alumni are invited to attend and/or participate in a number of programs hosted by student clubs, including conferences and panel discussions.
Speak at an Event
Are you interested in sharing your experience, knowledge, and expertise at a Columbia Business School event? There are many opportunities to speak with both students and other alumni in a variety of settings (panels, events, conferences etc) and we would love to add your voice to the mix. If you are curious to hear more about these opportunities, please don't hesitate to let us know by contacting [email protected].
Become a Mentor
- Mentor JD/MBA Students
The mentorship program is designed to provide our students with the opportunity to have one-on-one connections with alumni in order to promote the pursuit of careers in business and/or law. For alumni, mentoring reinforces their relationship with the school and provides connections to emerging talent.
To apply to become a mentor, complete the application form on the website for the Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy.
- Mentor Students Interested in Real Estate
Pairing first-year MBA students who have demonstrated interest in real estate with a young alumnus in the industry, the program fosters networking and promotes the pursuit of careers in real estate. The mentor-mentee relationship is designed to last for the entire period of a student’s studies at Columbia Business School.
If you are interested in serving as a student mentor please email Tricia Philip-Rao, Assistant Director, Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate.
Nonprofit Board Leadership Program
The Nonprofit Board Leadership Program (NBLP) at Columbia Business School provides an opportunity for alumni serving on nonprofit boards to reconnect with the School while also providing a valuable resource to the nonprofits with which they are affiliated. The program matches currents students with alumni for a year-long engagement. The students learn about nonprofit board service by attending board meetings, and, in turn, conduct a consulting project for the benefit of the nonprofit organization. The alumni serve as mentors to the students and the projects and are invited to NBLP opening and closing receptions as well as additional networking events.
For more information about NBLP, please contact Gwen Shufro ’06, director of NBLP, at [email protected].