Executive-in-Residence Panel with Ali Heron, Jordan Hoffner and Anja Kaspersen
On December 2nd, 2024, the Fubon Center partnered with NYU Stern Careers and Corporate Relations to host a panel of NYU Stern Executives-in-Residence Ali Heron of GrowthCurve Capital, Anja Kaspersen of IEEE, and Jordan Hoffner of AlphaStudio, moderated by Fubon Center Director, Arun Sundararajan. The panel captivated a packed audience of over 100 students and alumni as they shared their own career paths and offered actionable insights on how to thrive in a rapidly changing future of work.
Discussing her lifelong desire to understand the computer science and technology ecosystem as a critical career catalyst, Ali Heron reflected on the powerful influence of her decade at Microsoft and her role in delivering large-scale streaming for HBO. She described her recent shift to private equity as an exciting opportunity for “give and take,” where she now works closely with CEOs to build teams and set strategic goals that align vision with execution.
Citing her deep curiosity about the world, Anja Kaspersen explained how the question, “Are we asking the right questions?” has shaped her multidisciplinary career spanning international diplomacy, economics, and global security. She emphasized the importance of ensuring that technological progress benefits everyone equitably and shared how her role at the world’s largest technical professional organization requires balancing the intricacies of policy work with active engagement.
Jordan Hoffner reflected on the early days of MSNBC and YouTube and his current work leading partnerships and strategic investments at a venture studio. Drawing on his extensive experience in digital media, digital advertising, and business development, he expressed his belief that now is the ideal time to harness data and AI to transform companies and drive growth for the next decade.
In reflecting on key life lessons, the panelists found meaningful common ground. They emphasized the value of investing in authentic connections rather than focusing on transactional networking. “The world is about compounding,” Hoffner observed, underscoring the long-term power of nurturing genuine relationships. Heron encouraged attendees to embrace curiosity and let it guide their decisions, while Kaspersen advised, “Identify patterns and use that self-reflection to inform future decisions.”