The Low Down

Columbia Professor James Shapiro '77CC is no stranger to Shakespeare. He has lead lectures and seminars at Columbia about the bard since 1985 and has written several books on the subject. The talk we recorded specifically references his newest book, "The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606."

In this talk, Shapiro discusses the significance of that year, the events that influenced Shakespeare’s writing, why he chose to focus so intensely on Lear in this new book, and when his fascination with Shakespeare first began. So, curl up in a cozy armchair with a nice cup of tea and enjoy.

This is part 3 in a 3-part series on career transitions. Click here to listen to part 1.

A major career change can happen by either being "pushed" by problems with a current situation or "pulled" by the promise of greater opportunities. Either way, this choice is never an easy decision and is often accompanied by fear and stress. To better understand how decision making can impact a career, hear a psychological explanation from Professor Elke Weber (Columbia Business School), expert on behavioral and neural models of judgment and choice under uncertainty and time delays. Understand how to differentiate between different decision modes to help resolve your own internal conflicts as you continue on down your own career path.

This is part 2 in a 3-part series on career transitions. Click here to listen to part 3.

A change can only happen when you decide to take a chance. Career coach Eric Horwitz '90 CC will share stories about his several career shifts and provide ten takeaway tips on the necessary steps you need to really embrace a career transition. Transitioning to a new career requires a mixture of faith, courage, inspiration and support. The end results are exciting and unpredictable. And like the quote from the The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, "Everything will be alright in the end if it isn't alright it's not the end."

This is part 1 in a 3-part series on career transitions. Click here to listen to part 2.

The opportunity to switch a career path might happen when you least expect it. If you are on the cusp of making a transition, get inspired by hearing a personal story about an alumnus who shifted from being a Wall Street finance professional to an emerging entrepreneur in the automotive industry. In this episode, Bill Haney '81 SEAS (Chief Risk Officer of FlexPath Capital Inc) shares what it was like to make a change out of necessity and shed light on the reality of being a self-starter.

True-crime stories are taking the country by storm and the latest successful project, Making a Murderer, is the brainchild of two talented Columbia alumni. 

Catch up on the latest news from your Columbia alumni community this week.

Every year, Forbes publishes their 30 Under 30 list -- a curated selection of the year's innovators and game-changers across 20 different industries, from media to social entrepreneurship.

We know that Columbians are precocious and inspiring - both things that this list celebrates - and so are naturally well-represented among the year's young standouts. Even the editor of Forbes 30-under-30 list is a Columbia J-school grad.

Presenting the Class of 2016: 600 of the brightest young entrepreneurs, breakout talents and change agents in 20 different sectors.

-Caroline Howard '01JRN
Forbes 30-under-30 editor

Read on to see more outstanding young Columbians recognized this year.  And if you know of any who we left out, please help us update the list by e-mailing the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) at [email protected]. 

Columbia will be at the center of it all at this year's Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, celebrating the accomplishments of our talented alumni filmmakers.

Steve Blank, Senior Fellow for Entrepreneurship at Columbia, will speak on January 12 on "Hacking NYC: Beyond the Rise of the NYC Startup Ecosystem." 

The current state of New York City's entrepreneurship ecosystem is widely considered a modern marvel.

Blank, along with Executive Director, Columbia Technology Ventures Orin Herskowitz, will discuss how much of this success can be attributed to former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, how has this progress evolved under Mayor Bill de Blasio, and how NYC compares to other startup hotspots including Silicon Valley, Boston, and Tel Aviv. 

RSVP for the event here and read some top business insight for the new year from Blank's previous Columbia talks: 

It's hard to remember a time before apps. And yet, that time was...only 8 years ago!

Ever since they first emerged in 2008, app popularity hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. As of June 2015, over 100 billion apps have been downloaded from the Apple App Store. It's not that surprising, considering all that apps can do. Nowadays, you can use apps to do something as challenging as learning a new language, something as mindless as popping virtual bubble wrap, and everything in between.

Columbians have been contributing the app store catalog since it began. But, ever since the Columbia Startup Lab opened in 2014, it seems as though app development by Columbians had really taken off. Whether you're looking to train your palate, help children in need, give your dog an online presence, or all of the above, there’s an app for that. Here are our favorite apps from Columbia alumni (in no particular order):