Gail Makode’s Post

Meet our keynote speakers for Monday's master recognition and doctoral hooding ceremonies... Master's speaker Neil Cohen, Engr ’83, is founder and chairman of venture capital firm Emerald Development Managers LP. He is also co-founder, co-CEO, and a member of the Executive Committee of American Rock Salt Company LLC, the largest salt mine in the U.S. Cohen is chairman of ETCH Inc., sits on the board of directors of Babson Diagnostics Inc., Proscia Inc., TBT Pharma Inc., and is a board observer for LifeSprout Inc., Torigen Pharmaceuticals Inc., and WATT Fuel Cell Corporation.  Cohen is a member of the advisory boards for the Whiting School of Engineering, the Institute of NanoBioTechnology, the Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute, and the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics. He holds a master’s in management from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a Bachelor of Engineering Sciences in mathematical sciences from Johns Hopkins. Doctoral speaker Mack Makode, Engr ’94 (MSE), ’95 (PhD), is vice president and treasurer for Under Armour. As treasurer, Makode is responsible for capital markets, foreign exchange and interest rate risk management, working capital optimization, cash forecasting, and treasury operations. Prior to joining Under Armour, Makode worked as vice president and assistant treasurer at Mylan for almost three years and at General Electric (GE) for almost 10 years. He received his PhD in structural engineering from Johns Hopkins and an MBA in finance and marketing from the Wharton Business School. He was a professional badminton player early in his career and lives in Clarkesville, Maryland, with his wife and two sons. #JHU2024

What an incredible ‘Jewels of Asia’ gala night celebrating the shining stars of the AANHPI business community! From visionary leaders to innovative entrepreneurs, we celebrated the outstanding achievements of Asian American Executives and Entrepreneurs. Their dedication and impact inspire us all. Congratulations to our esteemed honorees: Elite Titan Awardees: David Yang, John Sun, LEED AP,Sumeet Shrivastava, Apoorva Gandhi, Anil Sharma, Kyu Jung, Gautam Ijoor, Kendee Yamaguchi, Annie Yu, Joy Park, Minh Nguyen, Ph.D, Jessica Blazer, Mack Makode,Atif Chaudhry, Tah Yang, Vid Desai Member of the Year: TRONG KHUONG BUI at Vidoori Inc. Small Business Award: Dua DC Coffee Corporate Social Responsibility Award: Verizon Chamber Partner of the Year: Dominion Energy, Tysons Corner Center Champion of Diversity Award: PNC International Business Award: QBurst, FPT Software, VINFAST It was more than just a Gala; it was a gathering of true leaders building bridges with each other. Thank you to everyone who made this unforgettable evening possible. Here's to continued collaboration, growth, and empowerment within the AAPI business community! 🙏🏼 #JewelsOfAsia #AAPIExcellence"