Award-winning actor, producer, and CEO Tracee Ellis Ross helped kick off this year’s Arts, Creativity, and Innovation (ACI) Weekend. She joined Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President L. Hazel Jack for a conversation in Memorial Chapel sponsored by the Kerschner Family Series Global Leaders at Colgate. (Pictured above: Jack [left] interviews Ross.)
Ross, a veteran performer and founder of PATTERN Beauty, explained how her creative background as an actor informs her business leadership. “So much of what I learned as an actor is around giving myself space to play, to learn, to trust my instincts, to not worry about what other people think is so much of what informs how I lead, how I’ve built a team, how I learn and grow as a CEO.”
Throughout the weekend, the community engaged in a robust schedule of performances, lectures, exhibitions, and the 14th annual Thought Into Action (TIA) Entrepreneur Showcase and pitch competition, part of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation program. Networking sessions and panel discussions connected students with alumni, forging professional relationships across various industries.
Madeline Bayliss ’76 and Prof. Joel Sommers participate in the Human Creativity and Artificial Intelligence panel.
Alumni and faculty led panel discussions on the intersection of creativity and industry. Panelists spoke about the seeds that were planted during their undergraduate studies, their professional journeys after Colgate, and the implications of artificial intelligence for creative careers.
“There is no linear path in anything but certainly not in creative fields,” said Imani Ballard ’18, content creator at Tubi and panelist for the Storytellers in Film and Media session. “I want you to know it’s OK to fail. With every role you hold, it gets you closer to the dream you’re forming.”
In Bernstein Hall, scholars from the Benton, Alumni Memorial, Office of Undergraduate Studies, and Lampert Institute presented their research at a poster session.
The weekend’s musical centerpiece was the Barbara Clement Gould and Katharine Elizabeth Gould Memorial Concert, featuring Carole Bufford, the Bosworth String Quartet, and James Langton’s New York All-Star Big Band.
ACI Weekend attendees also enjoyed a conversation with Langton and Buffard on performance, film screenings with Ralph Arlyck ’62 and Kevin Heffernan ’90, P’27, tours of Picker Art Gallery with student curators, an open mic night, and a performance by the Colgate University Orchestra, led by Conductor Marietta Cheng.
Agnes Ndanu ’28 pitches MajiSafi Solutions during the TIA Entrepreneur Showcase.
The weekend culminated with the 14th Annual TIA Entrepreneur Showcase. Gus Coldebella ’91, chief legal officer of Castle Island Ventures, moderated the panel of entrepreneurs, including the Colgate University Entrepreneur of the Year Viraj Puri ’03, co-founder and chief executive officer of Gotham Greens. Other panelists included Lila Sullivan ’17, president and co-founder of Flourish Plant; Sara Brooks, co-founder of Goldilocks; and Heffernan.
Carolyn Strobel-Larsen, director of entrepreneurship and innovation, introduced the Weiner Family Entrepreneur in Residence Jen Martin, co-founder of Pipcorn. Martin leads the TIA program and mentors pitch competition participants. Ventures included EchoScape, founded by Mike Ahearn Wilcox; Hatch Pay, co-founded by Fletcher Goodell ’26 and Anders Larson; MajiSafi Solutions, founded by Agnes Ndanu ’28; and PLNT, founded by Porter Comstock ’26.
After deliberating, the panel awarded the $10,000 cash prize to Comstock with PLNT, a robotics solution to modernize the plant nursery industry’s inventory management
“This year’s ACI Weekend demonstrated the incredible range of arts activity happening at Colgate,” says Christian DuComb, associate dean of the faculty for faculty recruitment and development and associate professor of theater. “All of these events created opportunities for students, faculty, alumni, and distinguished guests to learn from one another and share their passion for the arts. Artists and entrepreneurs have a creativity in common, so there was wonderful synergy taking place throughout the weekend.”