SPS Next

Sharnice Neale-Ottley

Exceeding Limitations: Finding Yourself Beyond Success Timelines

Strategic Communications

Sharnice will discuss the impact of success deadlines and how it affects today's 20-somethings, especially those in the millennial generation. In a world of "20 under 20" and "30 under 30" lists - who are we when we don't meet that criteria? Sharnice will discuss ridding ourselves of society's expectations and deadlines.

Meet Sharnice: Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Sharnice Neale-Ottley is a student in the Strategic Communications Masters program here at Columbia University. Before coming to Columbia, she obtained her Bachelor's degree in Visual Arts Administration and Communications from Baruch College. As a former dancer, Sharnice is motivated by inspiring others through the art of storytelling. As she looks to the future, she is excited by the opportunity to give back, push her community forward, and positively impact the next generation. She credits her commitment to family and community to the powerful Trinidadian women that raised her, Enez and Michelle Ottley.

Aditi Desai

Charging Forward: Electric Mobility For All

MSc in Sustainability Management (SUMA)

Aditi will discuss Voltpost, a climate tech startup founded by two fellow SUMA students, Jeff Prosserman and Luke Mairo. Voltpost was founded to decarbonize mobility by democratizing charging access for drivers. Voltpost plans to do this by making electric vehicle charging as ubiquitous as lampposts.



Meet Aditi: Aditi is pursuing a Masters in Sustainability Management at Columbia University. Aditi is the President of Women & Sustainability, a student group dedicated to empowering female leaders in sustainability and helping them navigate social and environmental inequities by building an inclusive network of diverse professionals. Aditi serves as a Student Representative on her program’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and acts as a liaison between the student body and administration. She is passionate about centering environmental justice and equity in her sustainability work.

Michael Leopold

Early Career Development Meets the Future of Work: Bridging the Gap

M.S. Human Capital Management

Michael is a career coach and education advisor who has discovered a huge gap in the world of work where we are not doing enough as a society to match people to jobs that align with their interests, motivators, and values. Michael will discuss using data and assessment for how we can improve the workforce of tomorrow. 



Meet Michael: Michael is an HR consultant, career coach, and education advisor. He founded Leopold Talent Consulting, a people focused consulting firm offering college and career advising services to individuals and HR services to organizations. Before launching his consulting business, Michael held corporate human resources and HR consulting roles at Xerox, Two Sigma Investments, and Mercer. 



Passionate about the intersection of psychology and business, Michael developed an expertise working one-on-one with high school students and young adults, developing their skills and empowering them in their college and career endeavors. A certified professional resume writer and career services provider, Michael bridges the fields of college admissions consulting and career coaching. He helps individuals understand their interests and skill sets, connecting people to educational and career opportunities that fit their background and goals. He combines data-driven research and psychometric assessments with the human side, helping clients understand what drives them and how their unique strengths can propel them to professional success. 



Raised in the Midwest, Michael now lives in New York City where he is pursuing a M.S. degree in Human Capital Management at Columbia University. He holds a B.S. in Cognitive Science from Yale University, focusing in behavioral economics.

Maryam Rashid

A Holistic and Integrated Approach to DEIA

MS Human Capital Management

Maryam will talk about a holistic and integrated approach to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in organizations. Maryam is passionate about DEIA and has done extensive research on different approaches to DEIA to determine what works in which context and which strategies yield the maximum impact. After her research, Maryam developed an innovative framework for DEIA. This new DEIA framework encompasses a company’s people, processes, products, and places.



Meet Maryam: Maryam Rashid is a Human Resources professional with more than 12 years of experience across different industries including healthcare, management consulting, and the United Nations system where she worked at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). She has worked in three continents – Asia, Africa and America. At present Maryam is Director, Human Resources and Operations at a healthcare company in Connecticut. 



Maryam grew up in Pakistan where she studied Business Administration and English Literature. Maryam attended Harvard University Kennedy School previously, where she completed her Master of Public Administration with a focus on International Human Development. At Columbia SPS Maryam is completing her Master of Human Capital Management. 



Maryam has previously served as Program Manager on a volunteer basis, for New York Women Social Entrepreneurs, a non-profit where she managed an incubator for women interested in starting social enterprises in the New York area. Maryam is passionate about building systems and organizational cultures that enable Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in an organizational setting.