Feel Me Brave
“Dare to be true” had an appealing ring to it back in my adolescent days. For me, the words summoned the courage to connect with my authentic self — to speak and act and relate to the world from that place. More than 20 years out, I have observed how the motto stands the test of time, though now with some nuance. My younger self tended to connect to this concept of “being true” in a way that felt bold. Applying it had more to do with my academic and professional pursuits. Now, at nearly 40 years old, life has had more of a chance to have its way with me, and in recent years this...
Read MoreTo See Clearly, Rely On “Clean Mirrors”
by Todd B. Bland Recently, a student writing for The Milton Paper asked me about my legacy — how I’d like to be known, once my tenure at Milton is complete. My list of goals is long, as you might imagine. Toward the top of that list is helping us all — as individuals and as an institution — be self-aware. We’d all agree that a data-wise leader is a more effective leader. The same is true for anyone undertaking an important endeavor: The more you know, the better equipped you are to move ahead purposefully, responsibly. Gaining and considering honest, objective...
Read MoreKQED Is Executing a Pivot: Anne Avis ’77
“Part of the value and the beauty of the public media system,” Anne Avis says, “is that it reaches 99 percent of the country through this network of independently run local stations.” Not only in hip, urban centers but in remote, rural areas, NPR stations air news that is intensely local, as well as regional, national and global.“We need all of that news,” Anne says, “to make real and important decisions about the people and issues that affect our lives. That’s why public media is so important to democracy.” Anne recently completed eight years as a board member at KQED and...
Read MoreDiscovery: A Personal Model, a Business Model Ashley Fouts ’94
Last December, Ashley Fouts moved away from a lab bench. That is, away from her own lab bench. At Genentech, she began a new job keeping track of a molecule and the teams working on it. As a project manager, she facilitates the myriad decisions that are necessary to turn breakthrough science at the bench into life-changing drugs for patients. Genentech’s business is discovery. Genentech wants to be “the leading biotechnology company, using human genetic information to discover, develop, manufacture and commercialize medicines to treat people with serious or life-threatening medical...
Read MoreIn Sight, Spring 2015
Beatnik Nanseera Wolff, Class IV, Robbins House. Photo by Michael Dwyer.
Read MoreRecraft a Company to Create a Lifestyle Brand: David Pun ’99
Everyone has a favorite pair of jeans. Whether it’s a worn pair that has seen better days or a designer pair that fits just right, jeans are a personal wardrobe staple. David Pun’s jeans are works of art. He is the enthusiastic chairman and CEO of Evisu, a Japanese lifestyle fashion brand best known for producing jeans with high-quality craftsmanship, vintage buttons and hand-painted details.Six years ago, David was working for a private equity firm and Evisu was one of the portfolio companies. According to David, Evisu was “grossly mismanaged and the brand had lost its identity.”...
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