David Azerrad

David Azerrad devotes his time and research at The Heritage Foundation to increasing public understanding of America’s founding principles. As director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics, Azerrad teaches the tenets of the American political tradition to policymakers, political leaders and the public, while connecting the nation’s first principles to the thorny questions of the day.

In November 2015, Azerrad also became Heritage’s first AWC Family Foundation fellow. The Nashville-based foundation has supported Heritage’s work to defend and promote founding principles since 2009. A popular speaker, Azerrad gives talks around the country on topics related to the American Founding, constitutionalism, modern liberalism and conservatism, and the American Dream. He has spoken on many college campuses and addressed audiences in more than 25 states From 2010 to 2013, Azerrad was assistant director and then associate director of the Center for Principles and Politics. Before joining Heritage in 2010, he spent two years at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni promoting civic literacy and working to shake up higher education. In 2007, he held a Publius Fellowship at the Claremont Institute in California.

His writings have appeared in various publications and online outlets, including The Claremont Review of Books, The Weekly Standard, National Affairs, First Things, The Times (of London), Real Clear Politics, National Review Online, The Washington Times, The Federalist, Public Discourse, The National Interest, and Interpretation: A Journal of Political Philosophy. He is a regular contributor of commentary to The Daily Signal, Heritage’s multimedia news organization. Azerrad received a doctoral degree in politics from the University of Dallas, where he wrote a dissertation on the foundations of John Locke’s political thought. He also taught a course, “Principles of American Politics,” to undergraduates. He currently teaches a class on conservative political thought at the American University in Washington, D.C. A native of Montreal in Canada, Azerrad received his master of arts degree in political science from Carleton University in Ottawa. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from Concordia University in Montreal. He currently resides in Washington, D.C.

Oren Cass is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, where he focuses on energy, the environment, and antipoverty policy. He was domestic policy director of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in 2011–12. In that role, Cass shaped campaign policy and communication on issues from health care to energy to trade. He spoke regularly on behalf of the campaign, including in debates at Harvard University on health care policy and at MIT on energy and environmental policy. Since then, Cass has outlined conservative policy approaches on poverty, climate change, environmental regulation, and international trade. Cass has briefed members of Congress and congressional staff in both the House and Senate and his essays and columns have been published in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, National Affairs, City Journal, National Review, Investor’s Business Daily, and Washington Examiner.

Prior to joining MI, Cass was a management consultant for Bain & Company in the firm’s Boston and New Delhi offices, where he advised global companies across a range of industries on implementing growth strategies and performance-improvement programs. He holds a B.A. in political economy from Williams College and a J.D. from Harvard University, where he was an editor and the vice president of volume 125 of the Harvard Law Review.

Sean Clifford received his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. While enrolled, Sean served as the Vice President of the Innovation and Design Club and as co-founder and co-president of the Wharton Adam Smith Society. Following graduation, Sean joined Skills Fund (a FinTech company with aspirations to revolutionize higher education) as Vice President of Partnerships and Growth. He currently resides in Austin, TX, where he serves as one of the chairs of the SmithSoc professional chapter. Prior to pursuing his MBA, Sean crafted corporate strategy and managed public affairs campaigns as Vice President of Baron Public Affairs. Clients included some of the nation’s top companies, foundations, and advocacy organizations. He interned for the White House at the Council of Economic Advisers during Ben Bernanke’s tenure and served as a field director on a congressional campaign in Colorado. Sean received his BA in Political Economy from Williams College and his MA in “The Great Books” of Western Civilization from St. John’s College. He hails from New Mexico and has been married to his wife, Meredith, for ten years. Together, they are the proud but exhausted parents of three joyful children: Eliana, Jack, and Levi.

Serge Eygenson 

Born in the Soviet Union, Serge Eygenson experientially knows the value of capitalism and free markets because he’s tried the alternative. At age 7, Serge immigrated to the United States and immediately fell in love with America’s people, culture and values. Today, Serge is a proud U.S. citizen who has lived across the country (Chicago, Boston, DC, central Virginia, central Florida) and the world (London, Zurich, Sydney). After completing his undergraduate studies in International Relations and Entrepreneurship at Tufts University, Serge pursued his passions for policy and business through a career at the intersection of the public and private sectors. Serge’s experience included working for several Members of Congress, as well as UPS Public Affairs, where he helped lead international trade policy advocacy and emerging markets growth strategy for the world’s largest logistics company. From 2015-2017, Serge attended the University of Virginia Darden School of Business on a full academic scholarship. At Darden, he was actively involved with the Adam Smith Society, served as Vice-President of the Jewish Student Association, founded the Forecasting Club, and taught entrepreneurship skills to inmates at a local correctional facility through the Darden Prison Program. Today, Serge serves as Assistant to the Chairman at Raymond James, one of the nation’s largest off-Wall Street financial firms. In this role, Serge works directly with the CEO, Chairman, and other senior leaders on company-wide strategic initiatives. In his free-time, Serge enjoys exploring the great outdoors, listening to podcasts, and manning the grill at BBQs with friends.

David Fischer

Dave Fischer is a second-year MBA student at Indiana University Kelley School of Business studying data analytics and marketing research. Prior to pursuing his graduate studies, he served six years as a Navy Supply Corps Officer overseeing shipboard logistics and Naval Aviation contract funding efforts across several tours of duty in the San Diego, CA and Washington, DC areas. A native of Minneapolis, MN, he currently resides in Bloomington, IN with his wife where he is an avid long-distance trail and ultramarathon runner. His interests include public health, nutrition, clean energy, visiting national parks, practicing French, and perfecting his homebrewed kombucha recipe.

Tanya Hoke

Tanya Hoke is the founder and managing director of Belem Group, an international consulting firm specializing in investigative due diligence and risk analysis. She leads Belem Group’s team of expert researchers in the United States and partners with collaborators worldwide to serve clients in a range of industries, including financial services, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing. In her ten years as an investigator, Tanya has managed hundreds of due diligence projects, helping clients to identify business, legal, and reputational risks prior to proceeding with high-value investments. Tanya also founded Galen Diligence, which provides expert due diligence services to investors and operators in the legal cannabis industry. In this capacity, she has advised clients on acquisitions, partnerships, and competitive positioning in both the US and Latin America. She has also spoken on the topic of risk management in the cannabis industry at events hosted by Marijuana Business Daily, the Cannabis World Congress, and WGBH Boston. Prior to founding Belem Group in 2013 and Galen Diligence in 2015, Tanya was a Senior Consultant at Control Risks Group. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Swarthmore College and a Master of International Business degree from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. She is a Certified Fraud Examiner and a licensed private investigator in Massachusetts.

Devesh Kumar

Devesh Kumar, CFA is an MBA candidate at New York University’s Stern School of Business and a finance professional with more than 5 years of experience in Investment Research and Market Analysis. Previously, as the Assistant Manager of Investment Research team of Netscribes in Gurgaon, India, Devesh supervised equity research and financial modeling projects for investment banks, asset management firms, brokerage houses, and financial advisory firms. Devesh started his career at S&P Capital IQ in a research role working on business research for companies across industries, size, and geography. Devesh has written more than 100 articles for TheStreet.com focusing on investment research and market and economic analysis. He completed his undergraduate degree in Business Studies from University of Delhi and is also a CFA charter holder. At NYU Stern, Devesh is the Co-President of the Investment Management and Research Club. He is also working with Professor Edward Altman of Altman Z Score as a Graduate Research Fellow and is the Teaching Fellow of Professor Robert Whitelaw. Additionally, Devesh is Managing Editor of the Stern opportunity newspaper, Leadership Fellow, Career Fellow, and an active member of the NYU Stern Chapter of the Adam Smith Society. Away from work, Devesh enjoys discussing economic and political issues, following global markets, trekking, and photography. Finally, Devesh is an ardent supporter of animal welfare and environmental causes.

Austin Lewis

Austin Lewis is a driven, curious-minded individual passionate about technology, politics and international affairs. Born in Austin, Texas, he is the oldest of Todd and Lisa Lewis’ four children. Since he was a child, Austin has enjoyed reading, being outside and building things with others. As he matured, this translated into a love for learning about current events and science, traveling and hiking, and business development. He attended undergrad at Texas Christian University and graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Geology and Energy Technology. At TCU, he was heavily involved in student organizations with various leadership roles related to risk management, operations, and finance. After graduation, Austin traveled in Europe prior to beginning at Baylor University in the Fall of 2016. He is an MBA and M.S. in Information Systems candidate scheduled to graduate in the Fall of 2018. After hearing about Janise Marvin and Andrew Donsbach’s mission to start an Adam Smith Society chapter at Baylor University, he decided to run for VP of Operations. His leadership and communication abilities, complimented with his experience managing logistics and operations in other large student organizations, makes him well suited for the role.

Will Morgan

Will Morgan is pursuing his MBA at the University of Texas at Austin, the McCombs School of Business, focusing in strategy and operations. This summer, he worked at Amazon as a senior operations manager intern. Prior to business school, Will was an engineer with Baker Hughes, an energy services company. He likes to play and watch sports, and he spends most of his time outside of school and work with his family – his wife, 7-month old baby girl, and his pup.

Spenser Peterson

Spenser Peterson was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where his mother was a graduate student at the University of North Carolina. His family moved to Maryland when he was three, where he spent his formative years. Spenser went on to attend the University of Maryland where he was a member of the Gemstone Program (an exclusive subset of the Honors College) and majored in Finance and Accounting. Following graduation, Spenser accepted a position with Deloitte & Touche in its public accounting practice, performing financial statement audits for publicly-traded companies and private companies with significant debt obligations. His clients included companies in the software, aerospace & defense, beverage distribution, biopesticides and pharmaceutical industries. After five years with Deloitte, Spenser decided to return to school to further his education. In 2015, he enrolled as a dual degree student at Georgetown University, pursuing a Master of Public Policy degree from the McCourt School of Public Policy and Master of Business Administration degree from the McDonough School of Business. In 2016, he was named the McCourt School’s Whittington Scholar, awarded each year from a fund created by the Whittington family to a second-year McCourt School student who excels academically and is committed to service. Spenser lives with his wife, who he married this past summer, and their two cats. He enjoys playing sports in his free time, including football, baseball, golf, basketball, and tennis. Additionally, he volunteers with Capital Partners for Education, where he is a founding member of the Mentor Fundraising Council.

Mike Pintar

Mike Pintar is the COO and co-founder of NETenergy, a thermal energy storage company based in Chicago, IL.  His technology provides electricity cost savings to business owners by taking advantage of price differences in electricity markets.  His technology stores energy at night when prices are low and uses it during the day when prices are high to provide an ROI to business owners in three years or less.  He has led his company to win numerous competitions and has amassed $700,000 in prize money. Mike strongly believes that entrepreneurship is typically the best path to solve many problems in society by incentivizing people to take risks to create value for themselves and others.  Mike is a strong advocate for entrepreneurship in Chicago and advises and mentors aspiring entrepreneurs in the community. When not trying to change the world through entrepreneurship, Mike is often found in the mountains hiking and skiing, on the court shooting jumpers, or in a coffee shop reading a nerdy book. Mike holds an MBA with honors from Chicago Booth and a BS with honors from The Ohio State University.  He is the recipient of the 2016 Mueller Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Chicago Booth.

Sarah Shumway

Sarah Shumway is an MBA student with a focus on organizational behavior and human resources, and plans to utilize her degree to help companies create the best work environments for their employees. She became interested in this realm after managing a journal at Harvard Business School, where she was responsible for working with several hundred authors and reviewers to create a high-quality publication. She also enjoyed learning how to create an effective learning and development environment for her students while working as a graduate English instructor at Boston College. This past summer, Sarah worked at General Electric, where she consulted several engineering organizations on improving employee morale, increasing efficiency of their organizations, and rebuilding trust between regions. She is also interested in business’s capacity for social good and is currently seeking to persuade manufacturing companies to invest in shuttle systems for prospective refugee employees who do not have a means of getting to work. She hopes that this project can increase the amount of jobs for refugees in her local area, while simultaneously helping these manufacturers fill their job vacancies. Sarah is also very interested in public policy. While an undergraduate, she worked as a research and editorial assistant at the American Enterprise Institute, and she would often frequent the Harvard Kennedy School lectures while working as a Harvard employee. As someone who will be working in human resources and who is currently researching solutions to increase refugee jobs in my area, she is very interested in automation’s impact on job creation.   

George Thampy

George Thampy is a St. Louis, MO native and passionate about building the future of the healthcare industry in the United States. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Stanford GSB. He began his career in investment banking at William Blair & Company in Chicago. Following that, he spent two years investing in private equity at Concentric Equity Partners in Chicago. He also worked in Indianapolis in marketing for Eli Lilly and Company. His summer internship was in life sciences investing at General Electric’s venture capital group. He now chairs the Adam Smith Society’s San Francisco professional chapter, and is pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities within the healthcare/biopharma industry in the San Francisco Bay area.

Vinayak Uppal

Vinayak Uppal has spent much of the last ten years working and living across the world, covering four continents and multiple cities. He completed a Master’s Degree in Economics, focusing on international development, from Oxford, and began his career as a civil servant in the fledgling Government of South Sudan. After spending two years enjoying the delights of travel in single engine prop planes and working in a steel container, he moved to the more familiar environs of Delhi, to work with an international development agency. Following this, he moved back to Oxford to work with Oxford Policy Management, a development consulting firm, leading their financial inclusion and private sector development practice. Vinayak has just completed the first year of his MBA at Wharton and is looking forward to another fun year split across Wharton’s San Francisco and Philadelphia campuses. He spent the summer working with McKinsey at their San Francisco office, focusing on financial institutions.Vinayak is an avid art fan and loves exploring interesting museums, long distance running, and travel in strange places, ideally all at the same time.