Proud to BU

S2 E24: Top HBO Executive, Jay Roewe (COM’79), on the Importance of Staying Hungry

Leaving the field to take a corporate job at HBO wasn’t an easy decision for Jay Roewe (COM’79). Looking back on it today, he says it was one of the best decisions he’s ever made. Jay graduated from BU’s College of Communication in 1979 with a degree in television. Today, he serves as Senior Vice President for West Coast Productions at HBO and is a driving force behind some of the network’s most groundbreaking and successful shows. On this episode of the podcast, Jay sits down with Rukia Magege (COM’20) to talk shop and explore the future of the entertainment industry. About our guest host: Rukia Magege (COM’20) just graduated from BU with a degree in film and television. During her time as a student, she was an integral part of the team working behind the scenes to produce Proud to BU. We are so grateful for all the work that Rukia put in to make the podcast a success and we wish her the best of luck as she embarks on her next chapter. This episode also marks the end of the second season of Proud to BU and we would love to hear what you think about the show. What do you like best about the podcast? What do you wish we did differently? And of all the podcasts you could be listening to, what made you choose Proud to BU? You can email your thoughts directly to our host, Jeff Murphy,  and our sincere thanks to all our listeners. For more information on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu [http://www.bu.edu/proudtobu]. Support the show [http://www.bu.edu/give] (http://www.bu.edu/give)

S2 E23: Learning to be “Lit on Purpose” as a Social Entrepreneur

Ivellisse Morales (COM’12) is on a mission to build a national network of creatives who can help illuminate the important issues that need attention and action in America. She is the founder and CEO of bombilla, a branding and design firm with an intentional focus on reimagining the creative agency model and embodying representative storytelling to advance social change. After earning her bachelor’s degree from the College of Communication in 2012, Ivi honed her skills at world renowned firms and organizations like IDEO, Year Up, Cone Communications, and Ogilvy. Two years ago, she launched her own firm and has been making waves in the world of social entrepreneurship ever since. On this episode of the podcast, Ivi walks us through her unique journey to entrepreneurship and she shares her vision for a future in which bombilla scales up to become a socially-conscious creative enterprise celebrated as “a Pixar for progress, an IDEO for inclusion”. Please note, this interview was recorded in May 2020 prior to the nationwide demonstrations in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. If you’d like to learn more about bombilla, visit their website, bombilla.co [https://bombilla.co/]. If you’re interested in connecting directly with Ivi, you can find her on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivellissemmorales/]. As you’ll hear, this episode of the podcast is hosted by Dan Gardiner (Questrom’20) from the alumni career programs team. For more information on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu [http://www.bu.edu/proudtobu]. Support the show [http://www.bu.edu/give] (http://www.bu.edu/give)

S2 E22: Licensing Consumer Connections between Fans and the World’s Biggest Band: BTS

Hyeji Byun (Pardee’11) is a licensing project manager at Big Hit IP. One aspect of her dynamic job is to find meaningful ways to bring the South Korean boy band sensation, BTS, closer to their fans. From animated characters to pop-up stores around the world, there is no shortage of opportunities to expand the reach of this cultural phenomenon. On this episode of the podcast, Hyeji shares her story and identifies the common threads between her current career and her childhood dream of becoming a Korean diplomat. Hyeji is one of our 1,900+ alumni living in South Korea and she is also an active volunteer member of the BU Alumni Association of Korea. To learn more about this group and to become a member, join the BUAAK Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/BUAAK/] today! To learn more about Hyeji, you can connect with her on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hyeji-byun-8823a7b1/?originalSubdomain=kr]. As you’ll hear, this episode of the podcast is hosted by Yoona Lee (Questrom’14) from BU Alumni Relations. Yoona oversees our efforts to keep alumni in Asia-Pacific connected to BU and to each other. For more information on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu [http://www.bu.edu/proudtobu]. Support the show [http://www.bu.edu/give] (http://www.bu.edu/give)

S2 E21: Building Resilient Communities in the Face of Global Pandemics

As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are joined on the podcast by Bryan Murphy-Eustis (SPH’04), a public health practitioner with unique insights to share. Bryan earned his MPH from Boston University in 2004 and went on to found his own public health consulting practice, BME Strategies [http://www.bmestrategies.com/]. He also served as the Executive Director of Partners in Health Liberia where he coordinated the NGO’s West African response to the Ebola crisis. Today, Bryan works to develop and deploy new global health technologies through Global Good at Intellectual Ventures. He joined us on Proud to BU to talk about his background and his perspective on our collective path forward through this pandemic. To learn more about Bryan, you can connect with him on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-murphy-eustis-34a92a33/]. For more information on the BU School of Public Health’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit their website [https://www.bu.edu/sph/covid-19-response/]. Finally, for more information on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu [http://www.bu.edu/proudtobu]. Support the show [http://www.bu.edu/give] (http://www.bu.edu/give)

S2 E20: Forbes India's Restaurateur on Striving for Perfect Harmony in Mumbai

From the age of 15, if you asked Shraddha Bhansali (Questrom’14) what she wanted to do when she grew up, her answer was steadfast: open a restaurant. She graduated from the Questrom School of Business in 2014 having studied both business and hospitality management. Today, she is the owner of Candy & Green, a vegetarian restaurant and bar in Mumbai, India focused on clean eating and local ingredients. She joined us on the podcast to explore her tenacious entrepreneurial journey and share how she’s adapting and keeping busy amidst the pandemic. To learn more about the restaurant, be sure to follow Candy & Green on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/candyandgreen]. If you’d like to read more about Shraddha’s remarkable story, check out her 2018 profile in Forbes India [https://www.forbesindia.com/article/30-under-30-2018/shraddha-bhansali-promoting-healthy-clean-food/49355/1] when she was named one of their 30 under 30 in food and hospitality. As you’ll hear, this episode of the podcast is hosted by Kati Reusche from BU Alumni Relations. Kati oversees our efforts to build strong alumni networks worldwide. For more on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu [http://www.bu.edu/proudtobu]. Support the show [http://www.bu.edu/give] (http://www.bu.edu/give)