From 2007 to 2010 I worked in fundraising at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It was an especially exciting time to be at the MFA, during the fundraising, construction, installation, and finally the opening of the beautiful new Art of the Americas Wing. The Wing was designed by Sir Norman Foster and features art from all of the Americas and across time. If you’re in Boston you should check it out!
After an awesome three years at the MFA, I decided to leave the nonprofit and art worlds for business school. To switch things up, I picked the most quantitative program I could find and enrolled at MIT Sloan with fellow ’06-er Sonia Gupta where I’m doing more math than I have since high school!
Sloan has been a wonderful and challenging experience so far. With the intense first semester “core” behind me, I’m looking forward to traveling with classmates to London, Paris and Milan this March as part of a class I’m taking on the European Luxury Goods industry.
On a final note, I won’t be able to come to Reunion Weekend this year, but I have a good excuse: I’m getting married to another Brown Alum, John Lynch, over Memorial Day Weekend! Brown attendees will include Jen Doorly Magaziner and Whitney May as bridesmaids, and Jon Magaziner and Steven Levenson as ushers.
In February 2008 I went to live in Uruguay and in July 2010 I returned home to the United States to begin my MBA at the University of Chicago. While in Uruguay I began a small exporting business called Textura, which retails and wholesales clothing and accessories handcrafted by women knitters (think your grandma. rocking chair. throwback). GOOD Magazine recently ran a story about our new vertically-integrated line, El Origen Wool, which uses only un-dyed mernio wool for its pieces. As I told GOOD and the Brown Alumni Magazine, my work with Textura (and now El Origen Wool) combines my interest in gender equity, craft, and sustainability. It also is keeping me sane as I learn the likes of the Fama-French Three Factor Model.
For the photos, Brown 2006 Alum Annie Costner lent me her beautiful face and Gillian Almy lent me her time and her beautiful city. Another 2006 Alum, Michael Ashton (of Youtube fame), got me hooked up with GOOD and photographer Laura Dart shot the scenes. I thank them all, and welcome you to explore our goods at http://www.texturastore.com/.
Ahh - so i guess it all starts after I got back to Brown from studying abroad in London. Senior year - 2005-06. Fuck that was a great year. Living with all my favorite people, chillin because grades didnt matter as much (taking all of senior spring pass/fail) and enjoying one e-x-t-e-n-d-e-d last hurrah!
After the lovefest senior spring was (including the spring break in DR trip - special shoutouts to the fantastic four and the lovely ladies who joined us...another shoutout to Brugal!), I got some funding from the Dept. of State to go to India for the summer. It was warm in temperature, but going from a place where there's so much love and trust to being in a program with strangers in a community where I knew no one SUCKED. This juxtaposition was my first taste that Brown was truly something special - a period of time I may never get to re-live. So I tried to add highlight's to my hair - add a little Brown to my life. FAIL.
After that, I moved back to London and did a super-easy one year masters degree. Anyone who wants an extra qualification for the resume should think about going to London and getting a quick masters. I know NOTHING. But I am now a master of management. Score. Then I worked out there and basically learn to drink like an Englishman. (Side note: yeah I know - I didn't drink at Brown - but see what parting ways with Brown has done to me?!?!?) I engaged in much cultural exchange with the Brits - including eating fish and chips - and then teaching them beer pong. I am a professional beer pong player. I challenge anyone reading this to a game of beer pong at reunion.
Since quitting my job and taking an 'around the world trip,' I started law school in hella NorCal - come visit me! Brian Korgaonkar already has...
I am writing this to you all whilst in my Contracts class. SNOOZEFEST. First year of law school (in Berkeley, where it was 75 degrees for 3 consecutive days at some point last week) has consumed my life, but I look forward to making new Brown memories with you all at the 5 year reunion! Buy your tickets now!!!!
I thought it would make sense to Tarantino this story by showing you what's happening now and then how we got here.
My full time gig is at a live music venue in New York City called SOBs (Sounds of Brazil), where I'm the Director of Marketing & Publicity (just a fancy way of saying that I try to make sure press & fans come to the shows). SOBs features many genres like Latin, World Music, Hip-Hop, R&B & more. I started working there as an intern in 2008 and eventually became my predecessor's successor (with his blessing...maybe because he dates a Brown Alum...).
SOBs does some very cool shows...like this one.
Nneka @ SOBs (2010)
When Im not at SOBs for shows, instead of moonlighting as Batman, Im part of the band Andy Suzuki & The Method, composed entirely of Brown people.
Andy Suzuki & The Method play 'Fairytale (Acoustic)' for BalconyTV
Senior year at Brown a mutual friend introduced me and Andy Suzuki, Class of 2009 & it was love at first sight...actually what happened was that we hit it off immediately & vibed real well.
I eventually found out that Andy was a paino-playing, aspiring singer-songwriter and I mentioned that I was a (lapsing) hand percussionist/djembe player.
Andy suggested that we jam at some point (taking inspiration from his favorite singer-songwriter, Jason Mraz who often played with only a Djembe player, Toca).
Jason Mraz & Toca Rivera play 'You & I (Acoustic)'
We met in a cramped practice room in Steinart, and it only took one perfect musical moment for us to decide to give playing together, regularly, a try (that first meeting consisted of many sh*tty musical moments).
Since that fateful first meeting in The Gate (I had a turkey sandwich...Andy probably ate some carrots), we have evolved into the band And Suzuki & The Method.
Andy's senior year he met a scarily good, classically trained (and Suzuki method-trained) Freshman violinist, Jason Gorelick (Class of 2012) aka Jason G., who is also part of the band.
The band self-released a CD entitled '300 Pianos' in 2009 and we're currently working on an EP as a follow-up to be released this year. The first single is 'Take Care Of Me'.
We've played shows all over the place (ask me about some of the wilder ones when you see me in person...there was once a Tapas bar we played in & we've done our fair share of Irish Pubs...).
Our next show is a headlining performance on March 26th at Joe's Pub, a respected New York venue that we sold out last summer. Tickets to this one are still available, but grab 'em quick here.
If you've never been to Joe's Pub, you should check it out. Great spot. The last show we had there was pretty amazing. Heres some footage...
Andy Suzuki & The Method, Live @ Joe's Pub
Right after graduation I took a job as a 'counselour/teacher/unofficial psychiatrist' of 'high-achieving' Middle School students in a program called JrNYLC (Junior National Young Leaders Conference) in Washington, D.C...its a miracle that neither I nor any of my students suffered lasting physical injury from this [Ask me in person why they let me influence the impressionable youth...]
After that summer I ended up working at a financial bank in some financial capacity in Boston, my hometown (please remember that I went to Brown & had not done any serious Math since my voice first started changing in Middle School...). Ask me about my year there when you see me in person...pretty wild adventures.
Oh, another very important update is that Im still dating my (painter) girlfriend from freshman year, Lauren Gidwitz (Class of 2006); which basically means that she's eligible for sainthood, because most humans can't deal with me that long (8 years...you guys only had to do 4). We first met on Pembroke Field on the first day of school, introduced by Laurabeth Greenwald (Class of 2006), and then smiled coyly at each other at Wayland Arch, Keeney, Andrews, The V-Dub, The Gate, Sayles & Jo's for the next few weeks. I'll let her tell you her story about where she is right now and where she's been (I promise you, its really really interesting).
Basically, Brown is still a very major part of my life. I hang out with Brown friends every day, and Im affected by Brunonians constantly. I know that Im right where Im supposed to be, because of my experiences at Brown and because of its most important resource, the people that went there...
After graduating from Brown I put my Urban Studies degree to use and went to work for New York City on a fellowship. I ultimately became the Senior Policy Advisor to a Commissioner, which meant I advised the Commissioner on strategy, policy, and programs, helped run the executive office, and was the main writer for the city agency. I was also able to design and manage a multi-million dollar job training and placement program. It was an incredible experience, and I quickly learned how much I enjoyed understanding urban politics and decision-making. In my free time, I ended up digging my heels into local Brooklyn politics. I was one of the founders of Brooklyn for Barack, and ran the Williamsburg/Greenpoint chapter of the local grassroots campaign. Knowing how to register hipsters to vote is like the greatest skill I have.
After the Presidential election I began looking for ways to continue being involved civically and politically in Brooklyn, and realized that the Brooklyn Democrat Party still had features of an old school urban political machine, rife with closed-door, back-room, corrupt politicking. So, along with my boyfriend, I founded New Kings Democrats, a progressive, grassroots political organization that recruits and prepares people to run for local elected office. The idea is to bring transparency and accountability to Brooklyn politics, and to train and nurture a new group of leaders. We've been very successful, running dozens of people for local offices and gaining a good deal of press (we've been written up in the New York Times, the Village Voice, the NY Post, etc.). And we have arguably shifted the political debate in New York State-- to be a viable candidate you have to denounce corruption and offer good government solutions, and federal and state law enforcement are now looking into the politicians that we have been fighting politically.
One of our premier candidates this past September was Lincoln Restler, who is officially a Brown 06.5er (he still counts), and a lifelong Brooklyn resident. I recruited Lincoln to get involved with New Kings Democrats after re-connecting with him at my city agency. Lincoln won a close campaign for District Leader, and beat out the Brooklyn political establishment. Lincoln is a rising star in New York City politics, and I am so grateful that I have fellow Brunonians to fight the good fight with.
At Harvard Law School, where I am a 3L right now, we hear a lot about opportunities for public service in the federal government, but we hear less about the opportunities in local and state government. My experience thus far in New York, however, has been that some of the greatest opportunity to make change is by getting involved locally. If there are any Brown '06ers in Brooklyn, or New York City, who are interested in learning more or getting involved, please email me at Rachel.Lauter@gmail.com. New Kings is also hosting a film screening of Gerrymandering by Jeff Reichert (a Brown alum) on Wed. Feb. 23rd at 6 PM at the Dweck Center at the Brooklyn Public Library. You should all go and check it out.
Looking forward to catching up with you all in May! Rachel
After four amazing years on College Hill, I'm always happy to answer questions about my experience at Brown, whether it's during alumni interviews of high school applicants or while talking with other grad students at the University of St. Andrews this year. But what never ceases to amaze me are the questions that come up:
"Brown... You guys don't get grades, right?"
"Brown... So are you a hippie or something?"
Or my personal favorite, "Brown... That's up by Portland, right?" (This was asked of me when I was back home in Oregon.)
There are, of course, many people who are familiar with Brown's reputation for strong academics and an encouraging learning environment. But at first, I got stuck on the question of whether it's a "good school" (or any one of its variants, whether it's an Ivy, whether it's one of the best colleges, etc.). I don't know about your experience, but this is the single most common question I've been asked. A "no" in response was out of the question. A "yes" seemed snobby and didn't encompass the wonderful time I had as an undergraduate. After all, not only did I take away some of the most challenging and rewarding intellectual experiences of my life, but from ADOCH to Campus Dance, I've always been impressed by the people in the community at Brown. (In fact, I loved the people so much that I will celebrate not only our 5th reunion this summer but my 5th year of marriage with David Gomel '06 as well. We recently moved to Chicago, so if you're ever in the area, please get in touch!) My best friends are fellow Brunonians and some of the people I am most proud of knowing. Just reading through this blog is inspiring! I also can't ignore that a degree from Brown helped me get a great job in San Francisco at a government transparency software company and into a Master's program in Peace and Conflict Studies this year.
So I finally settled on an answer that reflects what I most want people to know about Brown:
