Thank You
Thank you for the impact you’ve made on Columbia Business School.
The 2024–2025 academic year was one of momentum and meaningful transformation. This has been the School’s strongest fundraising year to date, thanks in large part to a transformative matching gift that will expand access through financial aid and ensure more students can pursue a CBS education. If you would like to know more about the CBS Scholarship Match Campaign, please call Talya Westbrook at 212-853-4599.
Despite volatility in the higher education landscape, CBS continues to move forward—with strong academic programs, resilient enrollment (MBA applications reached an all-time high), and a clear vision for the future of business education.
The 2024-2025 academic year also marked several important milestones and strategic developments:
- Continued emphasis on Artificial Intelligence across research, teaching, and industry engagement
- Expansion of Entrepreneurship offerings in the curriculum to meet student demand, including collaboration with Mendelson Center for Undergraduate Business Initiatives through courses such as Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA)
- Renewed focus on Finance and Investment Management within the curriculum and career placement
- Launch of the MS in Climate Finance program, with the first class enrolling in September
Looking ahead, we remain focused on advancing our mission with clarity and purpose. CBS is uniquely positioned to lead at the intersection of business, technology, and societal impact—areas that will define the global economy for years to come. Through initiatives in artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, investment management, and the business of healthcare, we are preparing students not only to navigate change, but to drive it.
Our alumni, donors, and partners remain instrumental in making this progress possible. Thank you for being an essential part of the CBS community.
All the best,
Costis Maglaras
Dean and the David and Lyn Silfen Professor of Business
Your Gifts in Action
At Columbia Business School, we’re not just preparing students for the future of business—we’re helping them shape it. Innovation is at the heart of everything we do. From forging powerful industry partnerships to exploring bold new ideas, we equip our students to lead in a rapidly evolving world. On campus, they dive into a vibrant ecosystem of events, speaker series, and mentorships with pioneering entrepreneurs and executives. These experiences spark lifelong connections and open doors to opportunities beyond imagination.
Our cutting-edge curriculum empowers students to customize their learning journey, whether they’re passionate about finance, technology, sustainability, or social impact. From their very first day, they apply what they learn in real-world settings, gaining the skills, insight, and leadership to drive meaningful change.
Your generous support makes all of this possible. Thank you!
Total Gifts
$173.6M
Total Donors
4,592
Help Tell the Story. Why Do You Support CBS?
Thank you for your continued support of Columbia Business School. Help us inspire others to give by sharing your story. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected].
The Annual Fund
Your support of the Columbia Business School Annual Fund plays a vital role in sustaining the School’s excellence year after year. Your gifts provide flexible resources that power student scholarships, fuel groundbreaking faculty research, and strengthen dynamic, industry-connected programs. Contributions to the Annual Fund allow the School to respond to emerging needs, pursue new ideas, and invest where the impact is greatest.
As we look ahead, your ongoing commitment will ensure that our students and faculty are equipped to lead, innovate, and drive change in an ever-evolving world. Thank you for your continued generosity.
By The Numbers
Total Unrestricted Gifts
Total Unrestricted Donors
Unrestricted Donors by Giving Level
Your Gifts Have Impact
Each October, the Columbia community unites for 24 hours of impact, giving to the schools, programs, and causes that matter most to them. Join CBS for this year’s Giving Day on October 21, 2025. Your gift supports students, strengthens academic programs, and helps shape the next generation of business leaders. Every contribution makes a difference.
Supporting Veterans through the Yellow Ribbon Program
Columbia Business School continues to proudly support those who have served our country by expanding access to a CBS education through the Yellow Ribbon Program. In partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, this Annual Fund program provides financial assistance to military veterans pursuing their MBAs. Veterans enrich the CBS community with their leadership, resilience, and global perspective, and we are honored to welcome them into our classrooms and community. Your continued support ensures that these extraordinary individuals can thrive at CBS and beyond, strengthening our mission to educate leaders who make a difference in the world.
The Yellow Ribbon Program has had a transformative impact on my Columbia Business School experience. By reducing the financial pressure of pursuing an MBA, it has allowed me to focus fully on my academic and professional growth. This support has enabled me to take full advantage of CBS's rigorous coursework, diverse student community, and leadership development opportunities, all of which are key to my goal of transitioning into management consulting. Additionally, it has connected me with a community of fellow veterans, creating a network of peers who understand the unique challenges of this transition. I am deeply grateful to the donors who make the Yellow Ribbon Program possible.
- Daniel Torres, Class of 2026
The People of CBS
Our people make Columbia Business School the world-class institution that it is. The School’s ability to provide adequate financial aid enables the best and the brightest to attend CBS, regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances, and is a top funding priority. We are equally committed to supporting our renowned faculty and amazing staff. We appreciate your continued investment in our community which helps create a uniquely engaging learning environment and an impressive alumni network spread across the globe.
Our Students
Students at CBS are driven, innovative, and globally minded leaders ready to make an impact. Financial aid at Columbia Business School is critical to ensuring the best and brightest MBA candidates have the opportunity not only to attend the program, but also make the most of their experience and fully engage with and benefit from all we have to offer.
Daniel Lo, Class of 2025
“The financial aid award has been incredibly meaningful in my Columbia Business School experience. Beyond its financial relief, the award has reinforced my sense of belonging and recognition within the CBS community. Knowing that my contributions to Cluster Q and the broader CBS ecosystem are valued has further fueled my passion for fostering an inclusive and supportive environment. This recognition has motivated me to invest even more time and energy into initiatives that uplift and empower others, ensuring that CBS remains a place where diversity and allyship thrive.”
Grace Trammell, Class of 2025
“I am incredibly proud to be the first person in my family to earn a master's degree. This milestone represents not only my personal dedication but also the sacrifices my family has made to support my education and ambitions. My financial aid award has played an important role in helping make this achievement possible, as well as allowing me to fully immerse myself in student leadership, my academics and the incredible friendships and connections I have built at CBS. These experiences and relationships have enriched both my personal and professional growth. I am so grateful to have been honored with the Glenn Hubbard Scholarship.”
Hitesh Malla, Class of 2026
“This scholarship didn't just help me attend CBS—it gave me peace of mind. Instead of losing sleep over massive loan repayments, I can now focus on what I came here for: learning, growing, and making the most of this experience. It's allowed me to fully immerse myself—whether that's grabbing coffee chats without worrying about every dollar, exploring leadership roles, or simply enjoying the journey. Coming from a family that fought hard for every opportunity, this financial support means everything. It turned my biggest hurdle into the very reason I can chase my ambitions freely.”
Investing in the Future
Both Eduardo Sanchez ’07 and Gail O’Neill ’76 trace many of the benefits they’ve enjoyed in life back to their Columbia Business School MBAs. Those perks constitute far more than job opportunities, they say.
Sanchez has established a new scholarship, the Sanchez Family Scholarship Fund, while O’Neill is expanding a fund she previously created—the O’Neill Petals Scholarship Fund. Both alumni are deepening their commitment to supporting future CBS students through these philanthropic efforts.
Read the ArticleBy The Numbers
Total Students enrolled in all programs
Total # of Financial Aid recipients
# of Financial Aid recipients - MBA
Financial Aid - MBA
$28.5M
Our Faculty
At Columbia Business School, faculty are not only world-renowned experts—they are trailblazers in redefining business education. Through groundbreaking research and dynamic, real-world teaching, they create transformative learning experiences that prepare students to lead in a rapidly evolving world. The following examples highlight how CBS faculty are bringing bold ideas to life in the classroom—reshaping how and what the next generation of business leaders learn.
Mabel Abraham, Barbara and Meyer Feldberg Associate Professor of Business
Read Testimonial
“My approach to incorporating topics of diversity and ethics into the classroom is to allow for dissenting opinions to emerge while ensuring a productive discussion. I do not take a stance on whether companies should intervene or change their practices. Instead, I help students recognize the less obvious consequences of common practices and foster an open dialogue on whether, when, and how organizations should act. Consistent with my broader teaching philosophy, I am intentional about creating a classroom environment where students feel empowered to participate fully. I realize that discussions on these topics are often initiated by students who hold the view that there is a social imperative for organizations to act. Therefore, I actively encourage counterpoints, validate differing viewpoints, and facilitate discussions that challenge assumptions while remaining constructive. All perspectives are critical to creating a more ethical and inclusive environment, both at CBS and in their workplaces. My goal is for students to leave my course not only with a stronger understanding of power and influence but also with the ability to apply these lessons to simultaneously create more ethical and effective organizations in an increasingly complex and shifting environment. I achieve this goal by building on my tried and true strategies to foster a safe classroom culture characterized by mutual respect.”
.jpg)
Gita Johar, Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business
Read Testimonial
“I introduced a Virtual Reality exercise for my Global Immersion India course so students could experience the country before the trip to India.”
Wouter Dessein, Eli Ginzberg Professor of Finance and Economics
Read Testimonial
“I wrote a new case on the heated competition in cloud computing between Microsoft's Azure, Amazon’s AWS and Google Cloud computing. For this case study, I used a new case study format that takes advantage of state-of-the art AI capabilities, in collaboration with “breakout learning” a hot education-AI startup. The methodology increases student engagement by letting students first discuss the case in small groups of 4-5 students (prompted by specific questions and videos), with AI technology providing feedback both to the students and the professor about their contributions. This is then followed by a regular case discussion in which the whole class participates.”
“I greatly enjoyed taking Economics of Strategic Behavior with Wouter Dessein. I loved delving deep into the strategy cases that the professor so masterfully taught. I learned so much and I hope I will be able one day to analyze similar cases with the same clarity of thought as the professor.” - A Member of the Class of 2025
.jpeg)
Dan Wang, Lambert Family Professor of Social Enterprise
Read Testimonial
“With support from the Digital Future Initiative, I have developed proprietary AI tools to enhance students' personalized learning to prepare for case discussions in class. Specifically, I have developed a text and voice-based platform called CAiSEY, that allows students to engage in a discussion with an AI partner to deepen their engagement with a case as a way of sharpening their contributions in a class-wide discussion and better internalize concepts.”
By The Numbers
# of Full-time Faculty
# of Full-time Staff
Our Alumni
In 2024-25, CBS honored two outstanding alumni for their impactful dedication, innovation, and leadership, exemplifying positive change in their industries and our community.
Leadership and Impact
Columbia Business School’s 2025 Annual Awards Dinner celebrated the leadership and impact of the CBS Board while honoring two extraordinary alumni who truly embody the School’s mission. Li Lu ’96 (’96 CC, ’96 LAW), Founder and Chairman of Himalaya Capital Management, received the Distinguished Leadership in Business Award, and Ju Rhyu ’08, Co-Founder of Hero Cosmetics, accepted the Distinguished Early Achievement Award.
Li Lu ’96 (’96 CC, ’96 LAW)
Founder and Chairman
Himalaya Capital
Distinguished Leadership in Business Award
Ju Rhyu '08
Co-Founder and Former CEO
Hero Cosmetics
Distinguished Early Achievement Award
Leaving a Legacy and Supporting the Future
"Ahead of Her Time"
Frances W. Miller ’40BC ’42BUS was a woman ahead of her time.
When she proposed her graduate thesis topic to Columbia Business School (CBS), Frances chose something close to her heart: marketing her hometown team, the Brooklyn Dodgers, to women to bolster attendance at baseball games.
Her topic was rejected.
Nevertheless, she graduated from CBS with a master’s degree, a life partner, Jerome Miller ’42BUS—whom she met on the steps of Low Library during their first year of business school—and a lifelong affection for Columbia.
Full Bio
Frances and Jerome spent most of their married life in Hawaii, moving to Palm Beach later in life to be closer to family. Jerome passed away in 2009 and Frances in 2023.
During her lifetime, Frances joined the Hilltop Society, whose members make consecutive year gifts to the Barnard Annual Fund, and she made regular gifts to the CBS annual and scholarship funds. In 2005, she joined the 1754 Society, which honors alumni and friends who have made future plans for the University through trust, estate, and other future gifts.
Through a bequest, Frances left a lasting legacy to both Columbia and Barnard by creating endowed scholarships for students. Each scholarship carries the same name: the Jerome and Frances W. Miller Scholarship at CBS and the Jerome and Frances W. Miller Scholarship at Barnard.
Frances W. Miller
’40BC ’42BUS
“Part of My Family for 50 Years”
During her lifetime, Susan Alexion ’79BUS called Columbia her “second home.”
Susan began her Columbia career in the offices of the Engineering School (today, the FU Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science). After that, she went to work at the School of Nursing, where she became assistant dean to Mary Crawford.
When Dean Crawford encouraged her to pursue a degree in business, Susan went on to earn an Executive MBA from Columbia Business School (CBS) where, she said, she “gained more in self-confidence than in book learning.”
“Columbia has been part of my family for more than 50 years, both as a staff member and as an alumna,” she said.
Full Bio
After graduation, she maintained those close ties by staying in touch with classmates, serving on Reunion committees, and joining the Women’s Circle, which seeks to be the bridge between graduation and retirement for the more than 14,000 CBS alumnae.
After leaving Columbia, Susan worked for various consulting firms for more than 15 years, eventually starting an information technology consulting firm of her own. A lifelong New Yorker, Susan remained in the city she loved until her passing at 80 years of age in January 2023.
Susan was a regular donor to the CBS Annual Fund and named Columbia the sole beneficiary of her estate, designating her gift to support fellowships and scholarships which provide students with equal access to all CBS has to offer. When she made her gift, Susan explained to Columbia, “I want to ensure that future students are afforded the same opportunities that I had.”
Susan Alexion
’79BUS
By The Numbers
Total Alumni
# of Alumni Donors
# of Alumni Volunteers
Alumni Donors by Decade
Curricular Innovation and Thought Leadership
Columbia Business School scholars and practitioners produce ideas that impact people’s lives and the ways we think about the world. The School’s cutting-edge curricula, research, and programming equip our graduates with the tools to address issues that drive the economy across all industries.
China Study Tour
To position CBS at the forefront of global business innovation, Dean Maglaras is committed to exposing our faculty to leading business innovators worldwide and enriching their scholarly expertise. By fostering these connections—with a focus on pioneering business practices in China—we are enhancing the educational experience for our students and ensuring that the valuable insights gained by our faculty flow back into the classroom for their direct benefit.
A highlight of the past academic year was the inaugural faculty study tour to China in June 2024, which included visits to 11 different companies across five cities. The following video demonstrates how this trip will enhance our curriculum and empower students with a deeper understanding of international business dynamics.
AI@CBS
Columbia Business School has been a longtime trailblazer within the digital space and our Digital Future Initiative continues to take that reputation up a notch. With artificial intelligence (AI) advancing so quickly, CBS is committed to thoughtfully staying ahead of this evolving landscape, to ensure that digital transformations lead to better outcomes for everyone. In addition to AI technology’s growing impact on the student experience, more than a third of our faculty members now conduct AI research and the media mentions CBS AI initiatives on a near-weekly basis.
Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change
The business community is uniquely positioned to improve a host of complex societal problems. At Columbia Business School, the Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change stands at the forefront of these public interests, advancing research, coursework, and experiential learning opportunities focused on using markets and management skills to optimize areas that include climate change, post-incarceration employment prospects, economic expansion in Columbia’s Harlem neighborhood, and so many more.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
CBS is widely known for teaching and incubating entrepreneurship. Our students and alumni have successfully launched innovative new ventures, with entrepreneurial interest skyrocketing in just the past few years alone. 2025 marks the 25-year anniversary of the School’s Eugene M. Lang Entrepreneurship Center, which has helped launch countless influential brands, including Betterment, Beyond Meat, Skip Hop, Flexport, Happy Family, IT Cosmetics, and Siggi’s Yogurt, as well as more than 800 venture-backed businesses.
Thank You!
All of this was made possible because of you. Your dedication, partnership, and belief in our mission continue to shape the future of business education and our global community. Thank you for being an essential part of our journey.