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Rustandy Center Leadership

The Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation is Chicago Booth’s destination for people tackling complex social and environmental problems. Its leadership blends academic expertise with real-world experience at nonprofits, for-profit businesses, and in government. That mix is required, as the lines separating these institutions are blurring—with for-profits adopting social missions, and nonprofits recognizing that business skills are needed to scale their efforts.

Email the Rustandy Center staff with questions or concerns.

Robert H Gertner

Robert H. Gertner

John Edwardson Faculty Director and Joel F. Gemunder Professor of Strategy and Finance

Robert H. Gertner has been on the Chicago Booth faculty since 1986. His research interests include strategic decision making, corporate finance, organization structure, theory of the firm, and social enterprises.

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Marianne Bertrand

Marianne Bertrand

Faculty Director and Chris P. Dialynas Distinguished Service Professor of Economics

Marianne Bertrand is a research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Center for Economic Policy Research, and the Institute for the Study of Labor. Professor Bertrand is an applied microeconomist whose research covers the fields of labor economics, corporate finance, and development economics.

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Christina Hachikian

Christina Hachikian, AB ’02, MBA ’07

Executive Director and Adjunct Associate Professor of Strategy

Christina Hachikian is responsible for leading the center’s work to serve as a destination for people tackling complex social and environmental problems, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to positively impact humanity.

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Caroline Grossman

Caroline Grossman, ’03

Director of Programs and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Strategy

Caroline Grossman leads the center's programming efforts, designed to help students, alumni, and nonprofits make an impact on complex social and environmental problems.

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The Rustandy Center for Social Innovation Staff

Ally Batty

Ally Batty

Associate Director, Marketing and Communications 

Ally Batty leads communications and marketing efforts for the center and its portfolio of programming, highlighting the growing community of Booth students, alumni, and faculty working to address social concerns.

Sarah Dougans

Sarah Dougans

Associate Director, Programs

Sarah Dougans leads initiatives related to nonprofit board service, social sector careers, and impact investing at the Rustandy Center. She also works with nonprofits and social enterprises to support their missions and maximize their impact through Rustandy Center programs. Dougans is on the advisory board of UCAN Chicago.

Will Gossin

Will Gossin

Senior Associate Director

Will Gossin leads the Edwardson Social Entrepreneurship Program and Social Venture Funding programming at the Rustandy Center, including the John Edwardson, ’72, Social New Venture Challenge. He advises and trains teams of students and faculty from across the university in mixed-method research, leadership, and design thinking to maximize the social impact of their work.

Salma Nassar

Salma Nassar

Associate Director, Research Initiatives 

Salma Nassar is responsible for growing and supporting the center’s research agenda, focused on the question of how institutions solve social problems. She coordinates research activities and academic events for the Rustandy Center.

Erica Phillips

Erica Phillips

Senior Associate Director

Erica Phillips is responsible for the events and programs related to nonprofit board service, including the On Board conference, Alumni Board Connect, and Board Fellows. She also facilitates the center’s community engagement events, including the Social Impact Leadership Series. Erica serves on the boards of directors of her synagogue and Shalva Inc. and on the Leadership Council of the Posse Foundation.

Gina Potthoff

Gina Potthoff

Assistant Director, Marketing and Communications

Gina Potthoff assists with communications and marketing efforts for the center and its portfolio of programming in order to promote the growing work of Booth students, alumni, and faculty to address social issues.

Fern Ramoutar

Fern Ramoutar

Research Professional

Fern Ramoutar is the research professional at the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation. She is responsible for supporting academic research projects led by the Rustandy Center and Chicago Booth faculty, focused on addressing complex social and environmental issues.

Cortney Robinson

Cortney Robinson

Associate Director, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Programme on Social Innovation

Cortney Robinson is based in Hong Kong, where she leads The Hong Kong Jockey Club Programme on Social Innovation.
Charisma Thapa

Charisma Thapa

Research and Marketing Manager

Charisma Thapa supports research and marketing initiatives in Hong Kong for the Rustandy Center. Based in Chicago, Charisma helps organize research activities, marketing, communications, and events for The Hong Kong Jockey Club Programme on Social Innovation.

Social Entrepreneur and Impact Investors in Residence

Dave Friedman

David Friedman, ’89

Social Entrepreneur in Residence

David Friedman is the founder and CEO of AutonomyWorks, which employs autistic individuals, who provide cost-competitive processing services to companies. Before starting the company, Friedman spent 25 years assisting retail and consumer organizations in building brands through great customer experiences—digitally, online, and in-store. Most recently, Friedman served as president of marketing for Sears Holdings. Prior to Sears Holdings, he spent 11 years as an executive with Razorfish, one of the world’s largest interactive marketing and technology companies. Most recently he served as president, Americas, leading the Razorfish business in North and South America.

Brian Axelrad

Brian Axelrad, ’09

Impact Investor in Residence

Brian Axelrad is chief investment officer of Beyond Capital Fund, an impact investment fund that invests in for-profit social enterprises throughout India and East Africa. Axelrad also is a partner in the business and finance group at Horwood Marcus & Berk (HMB), a law firm in Chicago. At HMB, he chairs the firm’s venture capital and technology practice, as well as its philanthropy, social impact, and investment practice. In addition to his practice at HMB, Axelrad is a partner at Service Provider Capital, a venture capital fund that focuses on an index strategy for investing in early stage ventures on a region-by-region basis. Axelrad is a managing director of Service Provider Capital’s Midwest fund.

Priya Parrish

Priya Parrish, ’09

Impact Investor in Residence

Priya Parrish is the chief investment officer at Impact Engine, an investment firm managing funds for institutions and individuals that target for-profit, positive impact businesses in private markets. Most recently, she was the chief investment officer at Schwartz Capital Group, a leading single family office investing its capital across public and private markets on a global basis. Previously, she was a senior member of the investment team at Aurora Investment Management, a multi-billion dollar manager of hedge fund portfolios. Priya currently serves as an impact investor in residence at Chicago Booth, where she teaches, mentors, and supports impact investing programs. She earned an MBA from Chicago Booth and a BS from Babson College.

Sundeep Vira

Sundeep Vira, ’10 (AXP-9)

Global Social Impact Practicum Coach

Sundeep Vira, '10 (AXP-9), is a Chicago-based social entrepreneur and chief operating officer for the Academy Group. Vira is also scaling sustainable clean water solutions for excess arsenic and fluoride removal with an international consortium of partners in India. Vira serves on the board of Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust (GIFT), advisory board for Sattva Consulting and member of the INREM Foundation. His prior work in the social impact sector spans five years with projects in Cambodia, India, Nepal, and Vietnam. Previously, Vira had a successful 20-year career in financial investment management, including 14 years with Chicago-based Nuveen Investments and subsidiary NWQ Investment Management, three years with Singapore-based Oclaner Asset Management, and four years with Morgan Stanley’s Consulting Group in Los Angeles. Vira has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Contact the Rustandy Center

The Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
5807 S. Woodlawn Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60637

773.834.2716
rustandycenter@chicagobooth.edu

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