Responsible Business Center Announces 2024 Fellowship Recipients

In support of its objective to engage stakeholders with an interest in aligning business interests with responsible business practices, the Gabelli School’s Responsible Business Center awarded five financial fellowships to undergraduate and graduate students. The annual fellowships are bestowed upon applicants whose career interests focus on responsible decision-making in modern business.

Walder Almeida is a Full-time M.B.A. student from Brazil, focusing his studies on finance and sustainability. He is a co-president of Fordham Graduate Net Impact, vice president of corporate affairs in the Management Consulting Club, and a board member of the Green Business Club. Almeida earned an L.L.M. in International Human Rights with honors from the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 2020 and has practiced law in Brazil and in the U.S., including at the International Legal Foundation. “Being a Responsible Business Center fellow will allow me to explore my interest in ethical issues surrounding the use of technology in financial institutions, and the ways technology will have an impact on people’s lives,” he noted.

Chloe Mathewson is a senior pursuing a B.S. in Business Administration with concentrations in finance, social innovation, and global business, and minors in economics and environmental studies. She’s a member of the Undergraduate Dean’s Council and has studied in Costa Rica and London, interned at Changing Our World, and provided financial planning services for Doctors Without Borders. Currently, Mathewson is interning at the Women’s Business Collaborative and Cultivate:Good. “This fellowship is the culmination of my academic, leadership, and internship experiences, which have fueled my passion for purpose-driven business practices,” she stated.

Shaurya Thakur is an M.S. in Quantitative Finance student from India. Throughout his career, he explored the potential of AI and fintech in driving inclusive growth and the complexities inherent in AI systems, including ethics and biases. His career as a financial data analyst has involved contributions to enhancing financial forecasting and investment strategies through machine learning algorithms. “As a Responsible Business Center fellow, I will merge my quantitative finance skills with my understanding of technology’s role in society to ensure a future where business practices are economically sound and ethically responsible,” he noted.

Isabella Vallory is a Professional M.B.A. candidate who specializes in sustainability and finance and the intersection between ESG factors and credit risk. She delivers climate and credit risk management solutions for diverse institutions. Earlier in her career, she contributed to product development and analytical innovation in the U.S. public finance segment. Vallory completed a postgraduate teaching course and earned a bachelor’s in International Affairs, summa cum laude, from the University of Salvador in Buenos Aires. “My research interests are centered around identifying risks and opportunities associated with a climate transition, and this fellowship will allow me to have an impact during the next phase of my career,” she said.

Syed Ali Zeidi is an M.S. in Business Analytics student from Iran who earned a B.A. in Italian Language from Azad University and a B.S. in Strategic Sciences from the University of Turin, Italy. He’s interned at U.N. headquarters in New York and at the U.N. Office in Iran, later holding administration, management, and consular affairs roles at the Dutch and Finnish embassies in Tehran. He then joined the U.N. Department of Safety and Security in Tehran, specializing in security risk assessment and crisis and incident management. “This fellowship offers a unique platform that will allow me to apply my diverse experiences in a way that will advance the field and serve as a catalyst for responsible global change,” he asserted.