Week 2: Jay Jakub, Economics of Mutuality Foundation
Jay has been working on the Economics of Mutuality (EoM) since its inception, first as part of the leadership of the Mars, Inc. internal think tank ‘Catalyst’ from 2007-2020, then as the chief advocacy officer of the movement 
(2020-2022), and presently as Executive Director of Economics of Mutuality Foundation and Chief of Staff of Mutual Value Labs and Mutual Value Investments.
He has been involved in developing and managing many of the Economics of Mutuality Alliance’sexternal thought partnerships and education initiatives, including the flagship relationship with Oxford University’s Said Business School since 2014.
Jay is the co-author (with Bruno Roche) of the first book on EoM, Completing Capitalism: Heal Business to Heal the World (Berrett-Koehler, 2017 & CITIC Press Beijing in Mandarin, 2018), and is a contributing co-author of Putting Purpose into Practice: The Economics of Mutuality (Oxford University Press, 2021). He is also the author of Spies and Saboteurs (Macmillan & St. Martin’s Press, 1999).
Jay is a frequent international speaker on EoM, guest lecturing at leading universities, keynoting at conferences, forums, and other professional gatherings, appearing as a panelist, serving as a moderator, and overseeing the organizing of EoM forums.
An American based in the Washington, DC area, Jay’s doctorate is from Oxford University (St. John’s College); his M.A. is from the University of Lancaster; and his B.A. is from American University. He is married to Eleni and has two children.
Week 4: Abby Rapoport ’08, Executive Director, Impact Media Funders
Abby Rapoport serves as the executive director of Media Impact Funders, a network of grantmakers strengthening media in the public interest through convenings, research and a highly collaborative community. MIF works across silos to bring together funders from a broad range of issue areas, program sizes, and levels of experience to expand the resources, reach, and resilience of our information ecosystem. By connecting the dots across a diverse field, MIF helps funders learn from one another, discover aligned opportunities, and invest in media that informs, engages, and inspires.
Abby’s work has focused on the relationship between communities, media and storytelling. In 2018, she cofounded Stranger’s Guide, a publication that explores how politics, power and culture shape daily life across the globe.
It has won numerous recognitions including four National Magazine Awards. She has served on the board of many non-profits and philanthropies including the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation, the Texas Democracy Foundation, the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and TYPE Media. Abby began her career as a political reporter at the Texas Tribune, and subsequently worked as a staff writer on politics and policy for the Texas Observer and The American Prospect before serving as Acting Publisher for the Texas Observer. Her writing has also appeared in Glamour, The National Journal and The New Republic among other places.
Week 5: David Kurzman ’96, CFO Exergy Energy
David Kurzman is a finance executive who has dedicated his career to the world of cleantech. He is the Chief Financial Officer at Exergy Energy, an early stage company focused on helping companies manage their transition from carbon-emitting energy sources to renewables and other carbon-neutral sources. 
Prior to co-founding the firm in 2018, he was Director of Project Finance for Amp where he oversaw credit reviews, underwriting, sourcing debt and equity capital, and guiding projects from concept through to operation. Additionally, David headed NewPath Energy Capital LLC, a private equity and financial advisory firm where he launched, managed, and oversaw all aspects of NewPath’s pools of industrial equipment for investors. He has held several leadership roles as Portfolio Manager at the Leuthold Weeden Capital Management, Managing Partner of a CleanTech hedge fund, and he has held several research positions for private firms, investment banks, and a Registered Investment Company. David earned his B.A. from Grinnell College, completed additional classes in accounting at Drake University, and holds an active Series 7/Registered Representatives license.
And if that’s not enough… David serves on Grinnell’s Alumni Council, and from time to time conducts a webinar for Grinnellians on the subject of personal financial literacy.
Week 6: Wissam Kahi, co-founder Eat Offbeat and Principal, Odyssey Lead Consulting
Wissam Kahi is the co-founder of Eat Offbeat, a NYC-based mission-driven venture creating economic opportunity for refugee chefs. He is also a Board Member of Conscious Capitalism – New York Chapter, where he organizes and moderate sessions on AI ethics and responsible business.
Wissam has twenty-five years of strategy, transformation, and operational leadership across five continents — from a decade at Booz & Company through independent advisory work, to seven years as Digital Transformation & Sustainability executive at United Rentals, North America’s largest equipment rental company. He combines rigorous strategic frameworks with operational depth: AI deployment at enterprise scale, commercial excellence, organizational design, and sustainability.
Week 7: Rick Genzer, management consultant and venture investor/advisor
Rick as been involved in business leadership and technology since 1986 in roles ranging from software engineer to executive vice president and CTO. Direct functions and activities during this time include hands-on software development, systems architecture, product & project management, online services, business development, financial services, monetizing web-content, electronic commerce, due diligence for M&A activity and leadership in various content-orientated and high technology application development initiatives.
From 2000-2016, he wove together proven leadership skills, business acumen and deep technology experience into a successful management consulting practice serving a wide range of technology companies throughout the US. After seven years working at Ben Franklin Technology Partners, an economic development non-profit, Rick is back focusing on management consulting. Today, his practice leverages the years spent as an entrepreneur along with his time as an investor while working at Ben Franklin.
Week 8: Tristan Louis, CEO, Casebook, a public benefit technology company
Tristan Louis is an Internet veteran who has co-founded six companies, two of which went public and three which were acquired.
He currently serves as president and CEO for Casebook PBC, the leader in SaaS software for social services.
Mr. Louis advises a number of startups and corporations and continues to write about technology for publications like The New York Times, The (London) Times, Fast Company, and Forbes He’s also a sought-after speaker and TV commentator, frequently appearing on the likes of the BBC, NPR, CBS, and others to help the public understand technological developments.
Week 9: Alina Shkolnikov, Chief Partnership Officer, Polly Labs
Alina Shkolnikov is Polly Labs’ Chief Partnership Officer, an incubator that uses a blended capital approach for start-ups that repurpose existing technologies for social good.
Alina is an impact expert with a proven track record of driving strategic innovation and purpose-driven growth. She excels at leveraging catalytic and blended capital models to address systemic challenges via multi stakeholder collaborations. She has advised
advised government ministries, funds, foundations, companies and NGOs on aligning financial growth opportunities with social and environmental challenges.
Her vast global experience in both the private and public sectors has included positions at the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation, where she served as head of the Impact Entrepreneurship Department. Alina served as the Global iCoach Program Manager for Hewlett Packard Enterprise, during which she managed 60+ mentors. Prior to that she was the Director of Content and Programs at PresenTense, and as the European Program Director as well, she established various social and business innovation programs in Israel, Russia, and Latvia, and led multidisciplinary projects, budgets, and teams. In 2022, Alina founded TAI Consulting, which defines social and environmental impact strategies for investment funds, multinational corporations, and foundations in an effort to align impact and ESG policies with top organizational priorities.
Alina is a graduate of the MUWC of India, and holds a Bachelors in communication and media from Reichman University and Master in Security Policy and Strategy from Tel Aviv University. Alina is also a board member for Seeds of Peace and Forum Deborah.