The Infinite Careers Alumni Speaker Series launched during the 2017-2018 academic year and comprised 11 local, national, and international alumni from a range of courses and careers, including entrepreneurship, consulting, research, human resources, marketing, the entertainment industry, and policy. Participants included:

• Michael Allshouse, assistant professor at Northeastern University
• Kerry Bowie, co-founder and managing partner at Msaada Partners
• Tarikh Campbell, program manager in human resources and marketing for workplace inclusion at Microsoft New England Research and Development
• Kevin Cedrone, CEO and co-founder of EB Innovations LLC
• Nina Mann, nephrology fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital
• Netia McCray, founder and executive director of Mbadika
• Khalea Ross Robinson, associate producer at Face the Nation on CBS
• Ayanna Samuels, aerospace engineer and international development professional
• Anna Wexler, postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the Perelman School of Medicine
• Ali Wyne, policy analyst with the RAND Corporation’s Defense and Political Sciences Department

Nina Mann ’08, MD Harvard HST ’13 (third from the left going clockwise) advised students to find time to do the things they enjoy and assured them that no one has a perfect linear path, but it all works out in the end.

The final event of the series on May 14 featured consultant, venture capitalist, and award-winning comedian Dhaya Lakshminarayanan.

The goal of Infinite Careers is to highlight non-linear and diverse career paths and facilitate networking between students and alumni. All of the events fostered an intimate setting where up to 13 undergraduate and graduate students connected over a meal and roundtable discussion. In their talks, speakers described how they made academic and professional decisions and discussed the successes and challenges they faced in their careers.

In surveys, students frequently identified the intimate and interactive format as a highlight of the events in addition to the opportunity to hear about the speaker’s path. One student commented, “It was effective to see that it is not always a straight path for careers and you can still be successful after overcoming hardships.” Another student said that the event, “added a new perspective to the way I think about life after MIT.”

Infinite Careers will continue in the fall with a new group of alumni speakers and the team hopes to connect and inspire even more students and alumni!

— Tianna Ransom, Global Education & Career Development