What does it take to build a career without a clear roadmap? For Shelley Stewart III of McKinsey & Company, it took a series of bold pivots and experiments, along with a constant focus on high-impact work.

If you had one shot to build a startup with AI, what would you create? The 2nd Annual AI Startup Challenge tasked 13 teams from Columbia University, Cornell Tech, and @yale.edu with pitching their plans to disrupt today's major industries.

"Knowing your most important values provides something powerful: a clear sense of what matters and the confidence to act on it," writes Professor Paul Ingram. "In a world that rarely slows down or simplifies itself for us, that clarity is essential." https://bit.ly/4wbS7uN

Private credit is booming—but is the industry a risk to the bigger financial system? New research from Professor Tomasz Piskorski suggests private credit may be more stable than traditional banking, but there's a catch. Transparency is limited, and risks don’t disappear—they shift.

This one is for the gamers: In an experiment with more than 300,000 global players, CBS researchers found that lowering a game’s difficulty significantly increased player engagement and retention. Harvard Business Review takes a closer look in this research roundup: https://bit.ly/4ewY8f5

💡The Startup Columbia Competition is where big ideas get their start. This year, CBS founders earned first place across every category track. Congratulations to all of the winners and runners-up! Learn more about all of their incredible ventures here: entrepreneurship.columbia.edu/2026/04/29/c...

Think top MBA candidates are all about the numbers? Not quite. New research from CBS reveals two paths to success: analytical skill and social intelligence—and it’s the latter that most strongly predicts leadership qualities: https://bit.ly/4tTp6m4

"To the budding entrepreneurs in this room: if I were sitting here as an incumbent to capital industry, I would be thinking about native AIs I can build now that these major industries will be too slow to move on."

"We need to build to adapt, not build to last." Companies have more intel and data than ever. But the real challenge? Acting on it faster than the competition. Panelists during a recent Operational Innovation Network summit shared their insights here:

"The reason we’re seeing this increase in the baggage fees as opposed to tickets is because we do compare on the tickets," Vicki Morwitz, the Bruce Greenwald Professor of Business, told USA Today. https://bit.ly/4n66o86

"The geothermal opportunity is simple: use the heat beneath our feet," writes Prof. Gernot Wagner. "The barrier isn’t technical or economic in any fundamental sense. It’s institutional, political, and cognitive." Read his take on the energy possibilities hidden underground: https://bit.ly/4w8q4MQ

"When building relationships, at work and beyond, most people search for deep commonalities," writes Paul Ingram, the Kravis Professor of Business. "That may be wrong." In a hybrid world, relationships don’t happen by accident. They’re built intentionally. https://bit.ly/3RewY2P

“We are more sensitive to base prices,” Vicki Morwitz, the Bruce Greenwald Professor of Business, told the Huffington Post. “I think we are seeing more [price increases] because of inflation,” she added. https://bit.ly/4t7Opzu

“Digital twins are great in terms of understanding humans, but they are biased... Before using this technology in the real world, we should be cautious." Assistant Professor Tianyi Peng investigates the real-life implications of using this technology en masse. youtu.be/IpY01suMgHQ

Co-founder & CEO of K Health, Allon Bloch '97, recently visited CBS for a panel discussion on the "Business of AI & Healthcare." The panel, moderated by Professor Carri Chan, discussed what this widening overlap between AI and healthcare means for providers and patients.

Mark your calendar—Reunion Weekend is almost here. 🎉 June 5–6, we’re welcoming back CBS alumni from class years ending in 1 and 6—plus recent grads from ’22–’25. Come back, catch up, and celebrate! business.columbia.edu/alumni/reunion

Announcing Tech Week 2026! Connect with industry leaders and hear from creators shaping the future of machine learning. This year, CBS will join top companies and institutions to bring a week of cutting-edge programming to the Big Apple. Register for our June 3 event: partiful.com/e/xsONW2ZNe8...

Think bonds are a safe haven in war? Think again. New research from Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, the Earle W. Kazis and Benjamin Schore Professor of Real Estate, shows that during wars, bonds often lose real value, as inflation rises and governments use debt and policy to fund massive spending.

"Could AI become a source of emotional support or a new form of dependency?" This is the question that sits at the core of Assistant Professor Dante Donati's research. AI's constant presence in our lives has the potential to help or harm our collective health—but that choice remains a human one.

MBAs today have a unique challenge ahead of them: preparing for roles that may not exist yet. Professor Brett House and Associate Dean Gracy Sarkissian sat down to discuss how students can master AI while navigating a jobs market that is still taking shape: business.columbia.edu/insights/AI-...

"What the Fed was designed for is not principally the way you think about it today." Shoutout to Dean Emeritus Glenn Hubbard for stopping by Professor Kevin Yuan's Capital Markets and Investments course to deliver a guest lecture on the upcoming challenges facing the Federal Reserve.

What if protecting life on Earth started with valuing it properly? 🌱 This Earth Day, we're rethinking the role markets play in safeguarding biodiversity.

What does it mean to be a global university in 2026? Join Columbia President Emeritus Lee C. Bollinger, Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz, and Adam Tooze, chair of the Committee on Global Thought, for a conversation on rising geopolitical tensions. Register now: bit.ly/4t7eiQ9

Keeping secrets doesn’t break trust, but not explaining them does. New CBS research shows that when employees feel left in the dark, trust erodes—and so does performance. However, building that trust isn’t about sharing everything. It’s about how you communicate what you can’t.

“In healthcare, accountability is non-negotiable.” So what happens when decision-making shifts to AI systems that can fail or be manipulated? Assistant Professor Xuelin Li unpacks the hesitation surrounding AI adoption in medicine—is there a hidden cost to waiting? https://bit.ly/4sGliTR

"2026 is the year of accountability." Assistant Professor of Business Dante Donati sat down with us to detail the impact social media has on users, particularly youth, which is a focus of his research on mental health and surging internet usage. https://bit.ly/4tTGpTC

"We were promised Terminators, and we got ChatGPT." #AI is trained to know everything. But in the healthcare space, simply knowing isn’t always enough. We spoke to Prof. Hongseok Namkoong about how to bridge the AI gap between factual regurgitation and situational nuance in high-stakes settings.

The race to power the future is on. 💡 Join us for the 2026 Climate Business & Investment Conference to hear from climate leaders across investing and business exploring how energy innovation is unlocking new opportunities—and redefining what’s possible. Register today: https://bit.ly/4co8TNX

Why don't facts about #climate change seem to be enough to drive action? Human behavior—not knowledge—seems to be the real bottleneck. We spoke to Professor Gernot Wagner about how revelations in behavioral science can be the key to unlocking major shifts toward a more climate-friendly world.

What if the secret to high-performing teams isn’t better management—but better team structure? A new study by Jonathan Glover, the George O. May Professor of Financial Accounting, shows that many teams don’t fail because of a lack of talent or leadership, but because of design.

“ChatGPT fed his students easy answers, so he built an app to argue with them." @washingtonpost.com dug into Professor Dan Wang’s AI tool CAiSEY—CBS’s argument-driven antidote to the #AI models that have taken over campuses. It’s now being used by students across the country.

🎓 Introducing our 2026 #CBSGrad distinguished alumni speakers: Deepak Narula ’89 and Cyrus Massoumi ’03. Join us on May 16 as we celebrate the Class of 2026 at this year’s Recognition Ceremonies. Explore the day's planned events here: students.business.columbia.edu/graduation

Before e-commerce was a given, it was a gamble. Federico Marchetti '99 launched YOOX when the majority of luxury brands didn’t believe in selling online. The pattern behind his success? Learn fast, move early, and embrace risk.

Artificial Intelligence helps medical professionals spend time where it matters most—with patients—by handling clerical tasks like scheduling, but can the tech do more to broaden these time-saving margins?

Interested in joining a #nonprofit board but don’t know where to start? The 2026 Nonprofit Board and Volunteer Showcase is an opportunity for CBS alumni and students to explore nonprofit board service by connecting directly with mission-driven organizations.

"Good fashion never dies." The Tamer Institute recently hosted a fireside chat with Federico Marchetti ’99, founder of YOOX and former CEO of YOOX NET-A-PORTER Group, where he discussed his new book, The Geek of Chic, which features major takeaways from his career in sustainable fashion.

The best way to understand artificial intelligence? Build with it. CBS recently hosted a student-led AI #Hackathon, where hackers of all skill levels joined forces to bridge the gap between idea and prototype.

Would you describe yourself as a detail-oriented thinker or a big-picture thinker?

“Around 35% of the US population lives in areas without any mental health providers and as a result doesn't have access to in-person mental health services,” says Assistant Professor of Business Boaz Abramson.

Equal Pay Day is here—a day that symbolizes how far into the new year a woman must work to earn the same amount a man would in the previous year. But what would it take to eradicate the need for this metaphoric calendar marker? 💡 Hint: It’s more than compensation alone.

How does a 175-year-old institution thrive in the digital age? President and CEO of @nytimes.com, Meredith Kopit Levien, describes The Times’s success in establishing itself as the largest standalone journalism subscription business and how it’s navigating AI's role in journalism today.

Over two days, the Build with AI Hackathon welcomed 600+ builders across 70 teams, with 8 outstanding finalists, including several CBS students, and even some first-time #hackers to Manhattanville from across the Tri-State area.

"We needed to figure out how to pivot and pivot fast."

Congrats to the CBS founders named in Poets & Quants' Most Disruptive MBA Startups Of 2025! Jiaxin Zhang '25, co-founder of Sara Technology, gives us an inside look at how CBS served as "both a launchpad and a community that keeps us inspired.” https://bit.ly/4sINwgW

During a recent installment of the Distinguished Speaker Series at Columbia Business School, Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group, reflected on his decades-long career pioneering digital transformations within major entertainment brands.

“How do we use AI to track symptoms over time? How do we use AI to help people get better?" These are the questions posed by Sandra Matz, the Lulu Chow Wang Professor of Business, when analyzing how AI can be applied to support mental health services. https://bit.ly/3Nq20U7

Congratulations to Columbia Business School's newest cohort of EMBA-Global graduates on their Recognition Ceremony, which recently took place in Manhattanville! 🎓

Women’s #sports are entering a new era, and the Sports Business Association at CBS is creating the space to learn it, understand it, and shape what comes next. Join us for the 3rd annual Women's Sports Summit on March 27. https://groups.gsb.columbia.edu/sba/rsvp_boot?id=129410

"Consumers are already moving the needle [on AI] ... and the hospitals are going to have to play catch-up." According to experts at CBS's 22nd Annual Healthcare Conference, to uncover AI’s true potential, the #healthcare industry must overhaul its infrastructure and governance.

"Private equity guys are a dime a dozen," but a strong operator who knows how to turn around a business can effectively "set his or her own terms" in today’s market, says George A. Bitar ’91, managing partner at Rho Acceleration.