Episode 3: Chance Encounters
Bear witness to the unplanned encounters that changed the lives of alumni in the fields of design, film, animal behavior, education, and business.
Ralph Bietz 91MBA
Fortune 500
Studied: Business
Ralph Bietz is an award-winning executive quoted by The Wall Street Journal (Executive Education Innovation), Harvard Business School, University of Cambridge-UK, and Emory University. He is currently the CEO and Founder of BioRev, LLC, and has previously served in director or c-suite level roles at Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Univera, and more. His wife, Ginger Bietz, is the CFO at BioRev, LLC.
1. Tell us about your journey from graduation to your current role.
2. What does creativity and living a creative life mean to you?
3. What drives you and keeps you going even when you receive pushback?
4. What advice do you have for your younger self?
Would you like to read Ralph's interview transcript? Here's the full interview.
Lillian Ciardelli 10C
Animal Behavior
Studied: Psychology, Animal Behavior, and Conservation
Lillian Ciardelli is a Behavior Consultant and part-owner of Behave Atlanta, LLC in Atlanta. She graduated from Emory in 2010 and received a Masters in Animal Behavior and Conservation from Hunter College in 2016.
1. Tell us about your journey from graduation to your current role.
2. What does creativity and living a creative life mean to you?
3. What were things that were unplanned/unexpected but meaningful to your growth?
4. What advice do you have for your younger self?
Would you like to read Lillian's interview transcript? Here's the full interview.
Sedrick Lakpa 07C
Film Set Dresser
Studied: Film Studies
Sedrick Lakpa is an Atlanta native and filmmaker who loves Atlanta. He is a storyteller, director, set dresser, and preservationist.
1. Tell us about your journey from graduation to your current role.
2. What does creativity and living a creative life mean to you?
3. What advice do you have for your younger self?
Would you like to read Sedrick's interview transcript? Here's the full interview.
Brittany Nguyen 17B
UI/UX Designer
Studied: Business
Brittany Nguyen became a product designer because she saw the intersection of her core interests: digital content, art, business, and empathy. Before design, she was in brand marketing - at the time, she remembers feeling so jealous of the designers she worked with. She knew she wanted to be a part of creating the product, not just selling it. After that realization, she quickly transferred that experience to her UI/UX skillset to help build the right products for the right user.
1. Tell us about your journey from graduation to your current role.
2. What were things that were unplanned/unexpected but meaningful to your growth?
3. What advice do you have for your younger self?
Would you like to read Brittany's interview transcript? Here's the full interview.
Christine Ristaino
Senior Lecturer, Italian Studies
Studied: Business and Italian Studies
Christine Ristaino is a college Professor of Italian Studies at Emory University, as well as an Atlanta author whose memoir, All the Silent Spaces, has earned numerous book awards in the categories of Inspirational Memoir, Social Change, and Women’s Issues. Her book confronts the topics of discrimination and overcoming violence.
In addition, Ristaino has published articles in the Guardian, Pacific Standard, the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on child advocacy, coping with violence, and diversity. Ristaino is also an award-winning advisor and teacher.
1. Tell us about your journey from graduation to your current role.
2. What does creativity and living a creative life mean to you?
3. What were things that were unplanned/unexpected but meaningful to your growth?
4. What advice do you have for your younger self?
Would you like to read Christine's interview transcript? Here's the full interview.
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