Northeastern Next Podcast

”Anything Is Possible if you Will It”: A Regulatory Affairs Conversation feat. Dr. Nash Hernandez

Meet Dr. Nash Hernandez, GC’07, MSc’07, PhD’09! With a career spanning nearly three decades, Dr. Nash is currently a member of the board of directors for GloboScience, a pharmaceutical and medical technology consultancy. Focusing on rare diseases, gene therapy, cell therapy, and advanced tissue products, Dr. Nash has utilized his unique background of marketing and biology to bring health products from a mere idea to an entrepreneurial reality. Learn more about Dr. Nash’s Northeastern journey as a triple husky and how he plans to expand his business by creating health products using new technology like Artificial Intelligence.  

Website: https://globoscience.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelh/

A Conservation Conversation feat. Rishya Narayanan

Meet Rishya Narayanan, MS’19! With a passion for environmental science and fighting climate change, she is currently the climate change communications strategist for the Conservation Law Foundation nonprofit in Boston. Pivoting from her initial career aspirations of becoming a therapist, Rishya has spent time advocating for environmental nonprofits like the New England Aquarium and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, all without losing sight of her professional goal to help others. Learn about Rishya’s love for the Northeastern graduate program, as well as the issues our climate is facing today and how we can use our voices to solve them. 

Links:

masspocie@googlegroups.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/professionals-of-color-in-the-environment-pocie/

Empowering Women Through Safe Makeup Options feat. Michelle Calderon

Meet Michelle Calderon, MBA’21! A winner of the Northeastern Women Who Empower Innovator awards in 2021, Michelle has recently soft launched her company Addition Beauty, a makeup brand that uses high-quality formulations that are safe and free of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. With the introduction of three new shades of lipstick and a roadmap to expand product offerings, Michelle is ready to make her mark in a multi-billion-dollar industry while simultaneously making contributions to women’s health. Learn about Michelle’s entrepreneurial journey, including when she decided it was time to leave her job behind to become a full-time entrepreneur! 

Website: additionbeauty.com

Instagram: @addition.beauty 

TikTok: @additionbeauty 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/addition-beauty/

A Triple Husky’s Co-op Journey feat. CJ Grasso

Meet CJ Grasso, B.A.’16, M.S.’17, MBA’22. CJ began his journey at Northeastern as a business major. However, during his first co-op at a small law firm, he realized the need for change and found a new passion in community resilience and homeland security. A triple husky, CJ stays in touch with his co-op coordinator and continues to visit the university—he acts as a resource to co-op students by providing advice on topics such as effective interviewing and workplace leadership. Learn more about CJ’s experiences throughout his time at Northeastern and how they’ve positioned him for success within his current role at the management consulting and leadership development firm McChrystal Group.  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophergrasso/ 

If you’re interested in becoming a co-op employer, email alumni@northeastern.edu to get started.  

Standing Up for Comedy feat. Elke Thoms

Meet Elke Thoms, a graduate of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities in 2018 and currently a stand-up comedian and writer based in Los Angeles. Elke's comedic journey began during her time at Northeastern after taking classes at Improv Boston, igniting a passion for the art of comedy. With a captivating stage presence, Elke has been performing standup all over the country at venues including The Comedy Store, Second City, Laugh Factory, and Boston Improv. Her creative expression also extends to the realm of poetry, with a selection of her poems having been published in esteemed Boston-based publications. Learn more as we dive into Elke’s journey from a tour guide at Northeastern University to an exciting career in stand-up comedy, while hearing her take on the Hollywood writer’s strike as it extends well into its second month.  

Website: Elkethoms.com 

Instagram: @elkethoms 

Tiktok: @elkethoms 

YouTube: @Elkethoms 

The Spirit of Radio: The Story of Rush and Women in Media feat. Donna Halper

Meet Donna Halper, LA’69, MEd’70, MA’73! A remarkable trailblazer in the world of radio and music, Donna made Northeastern history in 1968 as the first female DJ of WRBB. One of Donna's most significant contributions came in the early 1970s when she played a vital role in discovering the legendary rock band Rush. Recognizing their immense talent, Donna championed their music and gave them their initial airtime on US radio waves. Donna's passion for music and broadcasting led her to work as a DJ across the United States, music director, radio consultant, and media historian. Learn more about how this future Massachusetts Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame Pioneer Award-winner utilized her experiences learned early-on at Northeastern to help shape her journey as a pioneer for women on the radio, and how she’s continuing to amplify the voices of women in media today.  

 

Image courtesy of Lesley University  

Think Outside the Box(y) feat. Hannah Ung

Meet Hannah Ung, DMSB’23! The founder of one of Boston’s most innovative startup companies, Boxy, Hannah has been helping college students find storage through a host’s underutilized space since 2022. With the support of Northeastern’s entrepreneurial network, Hannah has grown Boxy through market research and building a rapport with customers in the area, all of which helped her win a Women Who Empower Innovator Award this year. Learn more about her entrepreneurial journey, the impact of her Northeastern experience, and the exciting future of Boxy.  

Website: www.storewithboxy.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahung/ 

Compound Interest: The Eighth Wonder of the World feat. Mike Troxell

Meet Mike Troxell, DMSB‘10, Principal and Founder of Modern Financial Planning. After working in finance and wealth management, Mike opened a financial planning business in 2018 that serves millennials and Gen X in the tech industry. He completed two co-ops throughout his time at Northeastern, including one at Merrill Lynch on Wall Street during the peak of the 2008 financial crisis. Mike talks about the impression Merrill Lynch’s then-CEO made on him while on co-op and how that impression has stuck with him today. His work has garnered a lot of attention from the industry, including being named a Top 100 Financial Advisor of 2022 by Investopedia. Listen as Mike discusses the importance of compound interest, diversifying your portfolio, and establishing cash reserves.  

Modern Financial Planning: https://www.modernfp.com/ 

Mike Troxell (podcast & more): https://www.MikeTroxell.com 

Newsletter: https://www.TheWeeklyVest.com 

 

All the (Paris) Possibilities feat. Gina V. Dunn

Meet Gina V. Dunn, CSSH'06, CPS'13! A double-husky, Gina lives by the philosophy of to not just learn for school, but for life. Being a self-described lifelong learner, Gina has an eclectic resume and diverse career history—from surviving the 2008 recession to writing Paris Possibilities, her new innovative and informative guidebook for those visiting the city for the first time. Learn how Gina used her Northeastern experience as a vessel for different career paths. 

 

Paris Possibilities: ParisPossiblities.com 

Instagram: @the_paris_connect 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginavdunn/ 

A Side Hustle Trifecta feat. Ben Brakenwagon, Bella D’Ascoli and Ye Tian

On this special episode of Northeastern Next, meet three entrepreneurs with exciting side hustles! Our first guest, Ben Brakenwagon, transcends the typical entrepreneur convention through his own personal side hustle selling rock climbing equipment, his work at a tech startup, and everything in between. Following Ben, current Northeastern student Bella D'Ascoli celebrates the legacy of her late friend Samantha Hemphill by offering an opportunity to purchase Sam’s exemplary artwork, with all profits donated to a charitable foundation started by her family in her honor. Finally, meet our third guest, Ye Tian, the founder of Crafts Zone Studio. Tian has his very own brick and mortar craft studio in Brookline, MA where you can create personalized, one-of-a-kind gifts with your loved ones.  Learn about how he uses Northeastern’s vast alumni network to grow his business.  

Ledge Climbing: https://ledgeclimbing.com/ 

SamScribbler: https://samscribbler.com/ 

Crafts Zone Studio: https://www.crafts.zone/ 

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