ALUMNI ASSOCIATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Innovation at PCDN
Catalina Rojas, PhD Conflict Analysis and Resolution '06, was inspired to pursue a career in peacebuilding after witnessing firsthand the unrest in her native Colombia. Rojas had worked in peace advocacy when she was 19, and after earning a master's degree in peace and development from a university in Spain, her peers encouraged her to pursue a PhD in the United States.
At Mason's Institute of Conflict Analysis and Resolution (now the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution), Rojas found a strong community. She worked as a research assistant for Dr. Christopher Mitchell, who became her mentor and helped her develop stronger writing skills-the program was her first experience writing papers in English.
"I wouldn't be who I am without the PhD program," said Rojas. "Academically, it made me a better researcher and writer, but it also allowed me to build myself professionally. The program introduced me to the people who have become an integral part of my life."
After earning her PhD, Rojas found herself working at Women Thrive Worldwide, an NGO focused on bringing gender equality around the world. As the director of global partnerships, Rojas' role focused on building partnerships with women's international development organizations. Rojas also administered a global survey to the network of global women's organizations she had cultivated so Women Thrive Worldwide could advocate for more effective and data-driven policy. The research skills Rojas had developed during the PhD program were absolutely critical for the survey's success.
Now, Rojas is helping the next generation of peacebuilders find their communities. In 2011, she began working with Zelizer on Peace and Collaborative Development Network, one of the first digital networks ever created to connect people working in careers focused on social change. With more than four decades of combined experience between them, Zelizer and Rojas wanted to provide and curate resources to help others develop skills and advance their careers. The network has connected more than 60,000 academics, practitioners, and organizations around the world through its online community.
Rojas is the director of innovation at PCDN, where she leads content development and programming, and manages monetization strategies and partnerships. She is a contributor to PCDN's blog, where she is able to present complex topics in an accessible fashion. Rojas also hosts The Social Change Career Podcast, where she meets with professionals in the social change field to hear about their impactful work. She has even interviewed some of her fellow Carter School alumni.
"I am helping people navigate their careers," said Rojas. "I want the process to be more organized for those that are coming behind me, and through this work, I'm helping those that are changing the world."
Lindsay Angelo, BS Management '06, discovered her passion for entrepreneurship and business at an early age. When she was fourteen years old, she bootstrapped Lindsay's Microwave Mitts, where she made microwave mitts and sold them in her community in Vancouver, British Columbia. A year or two later, she launched another scrappy start-up: Millennium Scarves, where she made and sold silky scarves with "2000" printed on them in glittery script. She knew she had found her calling.
Angelo brought her entrepreneurial spirit to George Mason University and paired it with her love of sports and competition. She transferred to Mason as a sophomore and played NCAA Division 1 women's volleyball, and the team even qualified for the NCAA Tournament during her first season.
"I had always dreamed of being a student-athlete. Being on scholarship from Canada, I loved having that full student-athlete experience," said Angelo. "I think college in the States is an experience unlike anywhere else, so that was a lot of fun. It also helped that I landed the jackpot team: a diverse group of talented, fun, awesome girls, and a wonderful coaching staff."
Her time at Mason, especially as a student-athlete, helped prepare her for a future in business and entrepreneurship. The competition, drive, and time management skills Angelo practiced daily combined with her business classes would prove useful. She also learned the importance of building close relationships and connections with intentionality, to begin developing a network that can help you succeed and vice versa.
"I still have a lot of relationships I built at Mason. They are part of my tribe and have certainly helped in my life and career path, and I think that's one of those things that continues to come up for me," Angelo said. "The camaraderie you build being a student-athlete-with your teammates, coaches, fellow student-athletes-is pretty special."
After graduating from Mason, Angelo began working for an angel investing firm where she worked with start-ups and early-stage businesses to help them refine their business concepts and develop growth strategies. Her professional experiences eventually landed her a position on the strategy team at lululemon athletica. In this role, Angelo explored new marketplace opportunities, crafted global growth strategies, and developed new concepts to expand the company's reach.
Six years into her journey at lululemon, Angelo could feel her entrepreneurial spirit calling her to a new opportunity. She felt her skillsets could help more companies be effective in the realm of strategy and story-telling, allowing them to grow and make an impact in the world. She made the decision to follow her curiosities and branch out on her own by starting her own consulting practice three and a half years ago.
"It took a lot of courage to make the leap, but as soon as I did it, I haven't looked back," said Angelo. "It's been an awesome journey. I get to work with a variety of industries, start-ups through to bigger brands, so I'm constantly learning."
In addition to advising clients, Angelo is also a keynote speaker. In October 2020, she achieved a long-time personal goal: Angelo was asked to give a TEDx Talk. In her talk, The Business Model Puzzle: How brands thrive beyond crisis, Angelo explored the future of consumerism and the paradigm shift she refers to as the self-actualization economy, while drawing connections between her work with lululemon and The LEGO Group. Through these connections, she explains how businesses can use impact as a road to profit, and by doing so, solve problems for both their customers and the world.
"Business is the greatest social change agent out there, but it's also very under-utilized right now," Angelo said. "My goal is to close that gap, and the goal of my TEDx Talk was to get out that message and try to serve up an alternative for how businesses can think about growth in a way that also really positively impacts society. It's a for profit, for impact model."
Angelo has worked with local and global clients, from start-ups to fortune 500 companies, in health and wellness, retail, technology and education, among other industries. She loves working with early-stage brands, where she has the chance to hear about their innovations in the industry and navigate their unique problems. Each business is like its own puzzle, and she helps create an environment where the entrepreneur can figure out the answers they need to succeed.
"Entrepreneurship challenges you to develop and be the best version of yourself in a lot of ways. There are lot of ups and down, and I think when you feel like you're at the end of your rope, if you can push through that, there's often gold on the other side."
Job Titles:
- for Communications Executive
- Position of Communications Executive at ECS
For communications executive Suzanne Swistak, BS Marketing '99, George Mason University gave her the chance to begin growing her professional and personal networks before she even entered the workforce.
After starting her college career in a more rural setting, Swistak missed the heartbeat of the Northern Virginia suburbs, as well as the closeness to the city. Her decision to transfer to Mason was the right choice.
Said Swistak, "At Mason, I really started to understand the importance of building your personal network and how that can help you both personally and professionally."
The courses Swistak took in marketing, consumer behavior, and communications were her favorites. She developed skills in a public speaking class that have been helpful throughout her career. Swistak was also involved with the sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, which allowed her to form close friendships and be an active member of Mason's campus community.
After earning her degree, Swistak took on a variety of marketing and business development roles, including a position at Engineering Consulting Services (ECS), a geotechnical, construction materials, environmental, and facilities engineering firm. Throughout her career, Swistak has tried to cultivate strong relationships to create quality work projects and to forge connections to build future partnerships.
"Whenever I can have two people shake hands and make a connection that is going to be valuable and beneficial, knowing that I played a role in that is huge to me," said Swistak. "Whether it's for my own company and helping a client solve an issue, or connecting two developers that might want to discuss a joint venture, just helping others to make those connections is when I feel the most rewarded."
In January 2021, Swistak was promoted to the position of communications executive at ECS, where she oversees all of the firm's internal and external communications. Her team is responsible for supporting growth strategies and strategic partnerships, marketing campaigns for internal and external audiences, and philanthropy and social responsibility initiatives, among other objectives.
One of the initiatives Swistak is most excited to work on is an office branding program. She will look at how the 70 offices at ECS currently represent themselves, and strategize how to brand the office in a way that reflects the culture of the overall company while also incorporating local flair and art influences into the design.
Swistak attributes her early networking and career success to Mason: "I think if you're at Mason, you've made a really wise choice," she said. "There is a lot of quality programming and leadership offered that can really help propel someone's career and education, and there are folks from Mason that I'm still in touch with today."
Davis has been a nurse for over thirty-five years. She earned her associate's degree from Northern Virginia Community College before transferring to George Mason University, where she has earned her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, and the combination of working and learning throughout her career has been invaluable. Before the pandemic, Davis even taught classes on organizational learning and nursing informatics as an adjunct professor.