Simmons Entrepreneurs
Simmons Entrepreneurs
Heatherjean MacNeil, MBA '08
Founder and CEO, Proxy Apparel
After years of working in the Peace Corps with women starting small businesses in rural areas of Latin America, Heatherjean returned to the U.S. inspired to start her own mission-driven company, Proxy Apparel. Like many Simmons women, Heatherjean wants to "do well while doing good": in her case, to create great fashion delivered via the web while providing economic opportunities to women fighting poverty with their sewing and textile cooperative organizing skills.
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Ashley Lucas, MBA '08
Founder and CEO, Diffuse 5
With the support of partnerships formed through Simmons both as a student and alum of the MBA program, Ashley launched Diffuse 5, a vibrant, hip online resource for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.
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Katinka Stenius, MBA '09
Founder and CEO, Modio Ventures, Inc.
Founder and CEO, Modio Ventures, Inc. Winner of the 2010 Silverman Business Plan Competition. No one could question Katinka's success, or intelligence. With a PhD in Cell Biology from Yale and an entrepreneurial streak, Katinka had already successfully launched her own technical consulting company before getting her MBA. She joined the Simmons program to gain both the financial expertise and deep strategic thinking she needed to start her next venture. The customized support she received enabled her to launch Modio Ventures, a service-based firm offering highly customized risk, financial and valuation modeling services for managers and investors in the life sciences industry.
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Areen Shahbari, MBA '11
Founder, Palestinian TV (PTV)
Areen is an innovative international broadcast media professional and was the first Palestinian employee for Israel's largest TV station. A Fulbright scholar fully committed to improving the health and happiness of Palestinians in Israel and building peaceful relations between Jews and Palestinians. Areen's amibitions led her to the Simmons MBA program, where she competed in the annual Silverman Business Plan competition to launch her own television venture. PTV Channel is the first Palestinian television channel in Israel.
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Marzia Akbari, MBA '08
Director of the Investment Promotion, Department at the Ministry of Afghanistan
"I came to Simmons with a very big dream -to rebuild my home country of Afghanistan through entrepreneurship, which I believe is a main driver of economic growth. Simmons helped me map out a course and build a foundation for my future."
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Sumana Ramayanam, MBA '07
Healthcare Technology Consultant
Sumana is a seasoned information technology professional holding a strong interest in the application of technology in the healthcare field, specifically data warehouse and analytics to support medical researchers. With her MBA working in conjunction with an engineering degree achieved in her native India, Sumana joined Partners Healthcare Systems.
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