Tackling Climate Solutions With Heather Takle, President & CEO, PowerOptions
2025-10-16 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | JCC 170, 177 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Join us in a fireside chat with climate entrepreneur, Heather Takle. With 20+ years of leadership and innovation experience, Heather Takle is a dynamic executive and veteran leader in the climate and energy sector. She has a track record of driving innovation, business growth, and operational excellence with a mission-driven focus on climate change impact. Her deep industry experience includes investing in, innovating and scaling businesses and products including solar + storage, microgrids, grid-interactive buildings and efficiency, waste-to-energy, vehicle electrification, and software-enabled solutions. Throughout her career, she has focused on both energy independence in North America and in achieving access in the developing world.
This is an Inside the Classroom event hosted by Professor Moneer Azzam, who teaches ENT101 Entrepreneurship and Business Planning. Moneer himself is a serial climate entrepreneur and is currently the Founder and Principal of Beacon Climate Innovations.

"All Profits To Nonprofits": How Cummings Foundation Supports 1400+ Local Organizations
2025-10-20 15:00 - 16:15 | First Floor Lobby, Joyce Cummings Center, 177 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Join us for a fireside chat with Joyce Vyriotes, Executive Director of Cummings Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in New England and learn why Cummings Properties donates all net income each year to Cummings Foundation, which supports 1400+ local organizations with their local grant program.
Joyce Cummings and Bill Cummings (A58, H06, J97P, M97P) established Cummings Foundation, Inc. in 1986. Woburn-based Cummings Foundation has awarded $ 600 million in grants to greater Boston nonprofits alone. Its giving is concentrated in Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties plus several abutting communities in Norfolk county, and it benefits a broad range of causes.
The Cummings also have a special interest in Rwanda, where the Foundation collaborates with Partners In Health and a limited number of other organizations to aid in that East African country’s post-genocide recovery and rebuilding.
The Cummings quietly contributed to the local community for many years. Then, in May 2011, they joined The Giving Pledge, an organization founded by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet through which some of the world’s wealthiest individuals and couples have publicly pledged to donate at least half of their assets for philanthropic purposes. Bill and Joyce had already donated 90 percent of their wealth.
This is an Inside the Classroom speaker event hosted by Professor Usha Pasi who teaches ENT142 Nonprofits, Philanthropy and Impact at Tufts University.
About Joyce Vyriotes
Vyriotes came to the Cummings organization as marketing manager in 2010 and, over the years, established a communications department that supports both Cummings Properties and Cummings Foundation. During much of this time, she also served as deputy director of the Foundation, and was one of the chief architects of its major annual grant-making initiative and volunteer program.
In 2021, Vyriotes became the third executive director in the Foundation’s history. She is, however, still employed by Cummings Properties and retains her responsibilities as director of communications and marketing for the commercial real estate firm.
Vyriotes began her business career doing sales and marketing for Boston Duck Tours, before moving to Arizona, where she spent a decade in fundraising and patient services for nonprofit organizations. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, she also earned a master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University. Vyriotes was raised in Melrose and currently resides in Reading with her husband, Paul.
About Usha Pasi
Usha Pasi has spent her career serving as an advocate for donors and institutions pursuing their philanthropic and programmatic aims, and she has advised boards and organizations about best practices in governance. Her experience includes increasingly responsible roles at Columbia University, Yale University, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Facing History and Ourselves, the Cambridge Community Foundation, and consulting roles with local and international organizations including Stanford University. Her consulting practice includes work as an executive coach, development and governance guidance, scaling of entrepreneurial organizations, and counseling on building inclusive organizations.
She serves on the boards of the Boston Book Festival, Be Well Be Here, the Arlington Libraries Foundation, and she is also a member of the Harvard Graduate School of Education Alumni Council. Usha is committed to expanding professional development opportunities for her colleagues in the field, and as a board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals served as a mentor in AFP’s Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship program. She also served as President of Women in Development of Greater Boston.
Usha holds an Ed.M. degree from Harvard University and her undergraduate degree from SUNY-Binghamton. She was awarded a Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship in Improved Fundraising Capabilities. In addition, she holds an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Harvard Kennedy School and a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.

Women in Entrepreneurship
2025-10-21 18:00 - 19:15 | JCC 260, 177 College Ave, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
In support of Women Entrepreneurship Week (October 19-24), DEC will be hosting women leaders in our “Women in Entrepreneurship” panel, where they will share how they apply the entrepreneurial method in their respective roles.
Our confirmed panelists are drawn from different settings, spanning startups, small to medium businesses, nonprofits, and established corporations. Confirmed panelists include:

Abbeygale Anderson, Founding Partner, Cross Impact Capital
Jazmine Colman, Cofounder, QuiltHealth
Julia Hallman, Owner, Formaggio Kitchen
Moderator: Julia Giatrelis, A24, MSIM25, Product Marketing Associate at CarGurus

This is an Inside the Classroom event hosted by Professor Betsy Goodrich, who teaches ENT100 Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking.
About Abbeygale Anderson
Abbeygale is the Founder of Cross Impact Capital. Previously, Abbey was an Investor at Stone Point Capital, where she focused on investing in businesses within the global financial services industry.
About Jazmine Colman
Jazmine Coleman, Co-founder of Quilt Health and Boston native, is dedicated to transforming the healthcare experience. Throughout her career, she has driven healthcare innovation and championed a more patient-centered future.
About Julia Hallman
Julia Hallman is the owner of Formaggio Kitchen, a specialty food store dedicated to discovering and providing the finest artisan cheese and specialty foods available domestically and abroad.
About our moderator, Julia Giatrelis, A24, MSIM25
Julia Giatrelis is a double Jumbo who is currently a Product Marketing Associate at CarGurus. She is also the Founder & CEO of GlutenFreedomForAll, a gluten free snack company for people with celiac disease.

Fireside Chat with Gabi Zijderveld
2025-10-22 18:00 - 19:15 | JCC 260, 177 College Ave, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
In celebration of Women Entrepreneurship Week, please join us for a fireside chat with Gabi Zijderveld, Cofounder of Blue Tulip Ventures, an VC firm that invests in early stage startups building human-centered AI.
Blue Tulip Ventures is cofounded by Gabi and Rana el Kaliouby, two women power houses who had already built a successful startup, Affectiva, before generative AI came about. Learn about the in’s and out’s of the fundraising process not just from the startup founder’s perspective, but from the perspective of first-time VC’s with a strong track record and ambitious vision, who are raising their first fund in a crowded market.
This is an Inside the Classroom event hosted by Professor Joe Volman, Partner and Co-Chair of the Boston Office of Blank Rome LLP. Joe teaches ENT163 Entrepreneurial Business Law.
About Gabi Zijderveld
Gabi is a seasoned technology executive, innovator and startup mentor with 10+ years building and commercializing AI products. She has decades of operating experience at 7 startups and two public companies, including IBM. She has led product and marketing teams, and built partnerships and ecosystems. She has created new technology categories, devised go to market strategies and launched numerous v1 products. Gabi loves mentoring early stage AI startups in all aspects of growing their business.
About Josef Volman
During his 30-year career, Joe Volman has become known as a go-to lawyer in the middle-market community, particularly with respect to mid-market mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”). Through his creative, results-driven approach, Joe partners with his clients as a strategic adviser, and leverages his vast network to help clients source deals and raise capital in order to effectively drive growth and maximize returns on their investments.
He is particularly skilled in negotiating in a constructive and collaborative fashion, made evident by an illustrious career grown through referrals of past clients and industry-leading companies seeking his proficiency with buy- and sell-side transactions. On the sell-side, Joe helps clients prepare for the sale process, including tax and other structuring. He assists strategic and financial acquirors with tax, structuring, and negotiating transaction documents.
Joe is a deal maker and is known to take a highly commercial approach to move transactions over the finish line. He constantly strives to be the lawyer clients call to solve their problems, operating as if he is in the office next door and available to help when needed. His sell-side clients know that he treats their business as if it were his family business—he cares very deeply about them, their family, and their business. They know he has their back and that he’s going to help them achieve their wealth and liquidity goals. On the buy-side, private equity (“PE”) firms trust him to help them make the best choices, acquire the right companies, to achieve success for their limited partners. As a firm leader, he is also able to command the best resources for their transactions.
In addition to his M&A work, Joe represents entrepreneurs and investors, startups and emerging companies, and PE / venture capital funds through all phases of the fundraising and investment process. Joe also has significant experience representing small and mid-cap public companies and investment banking firms that work in the small and mid-cap markets. He helps early-stage companies with formation and financing, and guides venture funds with the structure and negotiation of venture capital financings. For small and mid-cap public companies, he helps them comply with securities laws, attain public and private financings, and execute M&A transactions.
Joe has a deep understanding of several dynamic sectors, including technology (particularly software as a service (“SaaS”) and FinTech companies), business services, professional services, consumer businesses, life sciences, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, sports, food & beverage, and hospitality.

An Insider's Guide to Product Management
2026-01-15 15:00 - 16:15 | JCC 180, 177 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Curious about product management but not sure what the role really is? In this dynamic panel, senior product leaders from consumer tech, fintech, and edtech share what product managers do, how the role varies across industries, and how students can get started.
Our confirmed panelists include:

Nakul Arora, Senior Product Manager for Stays Search at Kayak. Nakul has a wealth of experience in the travel and hospitality sector, including founding the Hotel Silver Palace, a 30-room hotel catering to 18,000 guests annually. Nakul holds a BS of Technology in Mining from Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University.
Alo Mukerji, Senior Vice President of Product Management at US Bank. Alo has led product teams across industries, including Constant Contact (marketing SaaS), Buildium (property tech), Toast (retail point of sales) and many more. Alo holds a BS in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Chimuanya Okoro-Dorisca is the Group Product Manager at Meazure Learning. She also teaches EM51 Engineering Management at Tufts. She has also worked in diverse sectors, from Paytronix (a marketing platform for restaurants and convenience stores) to edX (edTech – online learning platform) and Examity, now part of Meazure Learning (edTech – proctoring software). Chimuanya holds a BA in Computer Science and American Studies from Wellesley College.
This panel is moderated by Professor Elaine Chen, a hardware startup veteran who has run numerous engineering and product management organizations prior to joining Tufts. Elaine holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.

This is an Inside the Classroom event hosted by Professor Elaine Chen, who teaches ENT162 Bringing Product to Market at Tufts University.

Hybrid Event: The Side Hustle LaunchPad
2026-01-29 12:00 - 13:00 | MA
There have never been more opportunities to explore entrepreneurship than there are today. From solopreneurship, to technology startups, to hyper-niche service providers, and product-based businesses, there are an abundance of opportunities to transform your ideas, skills, and expertise into a meaningful line of income.
And, in the climate of economic uncertainty that is 2026, as the dynamics of the workplace change at an unprecedented rate, the value of developing the skills and knowledge needed to grow new lines of income has never been more valuable.
Introducing The Side Hustle LaunchPad, a FREE 60 minute workshop that will equip you with the knowledge and skills to transform your ideas, skills, and expertise into a new line of income this summer!
On Thursday, January 29th, you’ll join a live training session, where you’ll learn the step by step process you’ll need to validate your ideal target customer, design your side hustle business model and plan the launch of your new product or service. You will leave this session ready to hit the ground running with your side hustle, and you’ll have a clear plan in place to make this the summer of your side hustle!
This session is available for all current students. Registration is now open and space is limited!
Registration link coming soon!
Brought to you by Jeff Mitchell, CEO of Lane Two, in collaboration with Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts and other universities.
About Jeff Mitchell – Side Hustler and Digital Nomad
A former English teacher, Jeff has enjoyed a winding entrepreneurial pathway since diving into the world of side hustling and entrepreneurship in 2012. Early in his journey, he founded an education technology company at the Accelerator Centre in Waterloo, Ontario, then ran corporate innovation and startup programming at various Canadian Innovation Centres. In 2016, he designed an innovative course that upskilled underemployed graduates in ecommerce and digital marketing by pairing them with local small businesses to support their digital transformation through hands-on learning. He led the formation of a partnership with Shopify, Hubspot, and Wilfrid Laurier University, and raised a total of 1.4 million dollars to fund a two year pilot for this program. Since then, he has carved out a niche as a freelance curriculum developer, course creator, coach and consultant.
Today, Jeff has a portfolio of work that includes being the founder of Lane Two, where he helps grassroots entrepreneurs to transform their lives through side hustling. Jeff is a Canadian leader in Side Hustle training, having supported over 2000 people to start side hustles since 2021. Jeff also supports large organizations to test and grow new lines of revenue – he has worked with Canon Canada to develop and launch over 10 online classes. He also engages in freelance coaching with leadership teams, and travels across Canada as a speaker at various entrepreneurship and future of work events.
Based out of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Jeff runs Lane Two with his wife, Laura. They are digital nomads who spend 75-90 days per year living and working across Canada and internationally.

Fireside Chat With Caleb Dean, Writer, Educator, Small Business Owner & Advisor
2026-02-10 10:00 - 11:15 | Nelson 112
Join us in a fireside chat with Caleb Dean, writer, educator, small business owner, and advisor to talk about the critical role that customer discovery and primary market research plays in design, small business creation, organizational transformation and more.
About Caleb Dean
Caleb has worked in rural economic development and conflict resolution with diverse groups of stakeholders in Western Massachusetts, Eastern Oregon, and the interior West. He started and designed a co-working office space in his hometown that’s been in business since 2008. He also runs Cambridge Naturals, a 48 year old natural products retail business with his wife in Cambridge and Boston which they have helped double in sizxe over the last eight years. He has worked with a multitude of creative, passionate individuals, teams, and groups to drive positive change and increase the value of their endeavors.
Caleb holds a BS in Environmental Design from UMass Amherst and an MBA from Presidio Graduate School.
This is an Inside the Classroom event hosted by Professor Elaine Chen, who teaches ENT100 Entrepreneurship and Business Planning.

How Products Get Launched
2026-02-12 13:30 - 14:45 | JCC 180, 177 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
How do products move from being built to being used? In this fireside chat, Julia, a Product Marketing Associate at CarGurus, offers a clear, real-world introduction to how products get launched. She will break down what product marketing is, how it differs from product management, and the day-to-day work involved in bringing products to market.
Our confirmed speakers include:

Julia Giatrelis is a double Jumbo who is currently a Product Marketing Associate at CarGurus. She is also the Founder & CEO of GlutenFreedomForAll, a gluten free snack company for people with celiac disease.

This panel is moderated by Professor Elaine Chen, a hardware startup veteran who has run numerous engineering and product management organizations prior to joining Tufts. Elaine holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.

This is an Inside the Classroom event hosted by Professor Elaine Chen, who teaches ENT162 Bringing Product to Market at Tufts University.

Product Management: Startup vs. Bigco
2026-02-26 15:00 - 16:15 | JCC 180, 177 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
In this panel, startup product leaders share how they work and explore how their work differs from product roles in large companies. The conversation will explore how rapid product iterations works in a startup setting, where the team defines, designs, develops, and launches new products and services without being constrained by legacy products or an existing customer base.
Panelists will discuss how startup product teams operate with lighter, right-sized processes that can be fast-moving, informal, and occasionally chaotic, while still staying grounded in product thinking. Students will gain a clear view of how product roles are implemented in a startup environment–and how those skills translate across career paths.
Confirmed speakers:

Alex Ocampo, A14, Entrepreneurship Minor, Founder & CEO of Ganance, a startup behind a modular wearable that makes every watch a smartwatch.

Eric Olson, Assistant Director of Product at Center for Open Science, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting open science practices in research.
Xiao Zhou, MSIM ’23, Founder of HIPOND, a startup that helps international students and newcomers to a city furnish their spaces.
Anica Zulch, A23, Product Manager, Quantified AI, a startup that provides an AI role play solutions for sales teams.

This is an Inside the Classroom event hosted by Professor Elaine Chen, who teaches ENT162 Bringing Product to Market at Tufts University.

Building, Scaling, and Reinventing: Lessons from a Full-Stack CEO
2026-03-05 13:30 - 14:45 | JCC 180, 177 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Join us for a fireside chat with Matt Blumberg, CEO of Markup AI, as we explore how AI is transforming customer discovery, market research, and early‑stage venture building. Matt will share practical insights for founders and student entrepreneurs on using AI to test ideas faster, understand users more deeply, and build stronger organizations from day one.
This is an Inside the Classroom event hosted by Professor Moneer Azzam at Tufts, who teaches ENT100 Entrepreneurship and Business Planning.
About Matt Blumberg
Matt Blumberg is a veteran tech entrepreneur, board leader, and author who has spent his career helping startups scale with clarity and discipline. Before founding Markup AI, he led Return Path and Bolster, supporting thousands of founders and executives in developing their leadership and operational strategy. At Markup AI, he focuses on empowering teams with responsible, human‑centered AI tools that accelerate learning and decision‑making.

Inside Early Stage Investing With Jackson Saunders and Khat Zorig
2026-04-07 10:00 - 11:15 | Nelson 112
Join us for a fireside chat with early stage investors, Jackson Saunders and Khat Zorig, as they demystify how venture capital works and when it matters for founders.
Not all ventures need VC funding — but for those that do, understanding the path from angel investment to exit is key. Both speakers are founders turned investors who have sat on both sides of the table. Jackson, a Double Jumbo (ENT minor + MSIM), invests in robotics and AI at Cybernetix Ventures. Khat, an MIT alumna, co-founded a mental health startup at MIT Sloan and now invests in early stage ventures.
Learn what investors look for and how today’s fundraising landscape works.
This is an Inside the Classroom event hosted by Professor Elaine Chen at Tufts, who teaches ENT101 Entrepreneurship and Business Planning.

Legal Essentials For Founders with Michael Douglas
2026-04-09 15:00 - 16:00 | JCC 170, 177 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
We’re pleased to welcome Michael Douglas, Partner at Gennari Aronson, LLP and a trusted advisor to founders, growth‑stage companies, and investors. A Tufts graduate with a B.A. in Psychology; Michael went on to earn his J.D. from Boston College Law School before building a career in corporate and transactional law. With deep experience in mergers and acquisitions, securities, and venture financing, he brings a practical, founder‑focused perspective to the legal challenges of starting and scaling a business. Our fireside chat will explore his path from Tufts to corporate attorney and the legal insights every entrepreneur should understand.
This is an Inside the Classroom event hosted by Professor Moneer Azzam, who teaches ENT101 Entrepreneurship and Business Planning at Tufts University.

Fireside Chat with Mike Curry, Co-founder, Life After Prison
2026-04-16 15:00 - 16:15 | MA
Join us for a fireside chat with Mike Curry, Co-founder and Executive Director, Life After Prison.
Mike Curry, a native of the Dorchester section of Boston, has always had a natural talent for writing. He is the author of the compelling “3 Pounds of Pressure” series, which vividly portrays life growing up in the inner-city of Boston.
In addition to his writing career, Mike is also a dedicated business mentor and coach. He thrives off of organizing, strategic planning and executing. However, his true passion lies in helping individuals who have been incarcerated to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society. He firmly believes in providing support and guidance to returning citizens, allowing them to regain their footing and create a brighter future.
This is an Inside the Classroom event hosted by Professor Moneer Azzam at Tufts, who teaches ENT100 Entrepreneurship and Business Planning.
