Stern alumna Chavon Sutton (MBA ’12), senior investment director in the Sustainable & Impact Investing Research Group at Cambridge Associates, discusses the motivation behind launching the Stern Corporate Ambassadors (SCA) program and highlights its importance in fostering stronger alumni connections and building a lasting bridge between current students and graduates.

What prompted you to put in motion the Corporate Ambassadors Program at Stern?

"I remember my first role after Stern and being frustrated by how hard it was to find Sternies at my firm. I heard this from others who wanted to be better connected and feel a bit more support where they worked. SCA was born during the pandemic from that desire to build the support I wanted for myself. The program is alumni centered because we are the heartbeat of the Stern brand and I believe that brand grows in strength the more Sternies feel truly connected to the School."

Why is the Corporate Ambassadors program important for alumni?

"It is a bridge that keeps us connected to the School well after we graduate and fosters deeper, stronger Stern communities in the places we work. There’s nothing better than entering the workforce knowing you have a formal structured network you can call your own, call on for advice or call on for your next role. I strongly believe this enhanced sense of belonging has the power to improve performance, bolster retention, and ultimately increase alumni willingness to give back (both time and money) to Stern."

There's a student-alumni connection with the program. Why did you feel that was important?

"We are one Stern, whether you’re a current undergraduate or graduate student or alumnus, and there’s no better way to foster that than through programming that supports that continuity. For example, we’re piloting a Speaker’s Bureau whereby we help to facilitate Stern alumni speaker introductions to undergraduate student clubs. Not only does this help the current students produce excellent programming, but it also provides speaking opportunities to our vast body of talented alumni. It’s critical that current students see the power and engagement of our alumni network in order to get excited about becoming strong engaged alumni in the future."

How are you hoping the program will evolve and grow?

"My hope is that this program lives on well beyond my tenure on the Alumni Council and grows in size and scope, reaching more companies and more industries over time. Success looks like a virtuous cycle of connection, deep engagement, and giving that inspires more alumni to stay connected in a meaningful way to the School."