OUR FOUNDATION
The Student Agencies Foundation is the non-profit arm of Student Agencies that empowers Cornell students to grow as leaders and entrepreneurs through hands-on experience and targeted support. We provide Scholarships & Grants to help students pursue innovative ideas and academic excellence, promote Entrepreneurial Learning through mentorship and real-world business operations, and build impactful Partnerships with organizations that share our mission of student success. Guided by our dedicated Board of Trustees and engaged Foundation Members, we invest in the next generation of entrepreneurs, leaders, and changemakers.
SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS
We provide financial support for students interested in business and entrepreneurship
SAF is a long-time provider of scholarships and grants for students looking to pursue business and entrepreneurship through our contribution to the Cornell Scholarship Endowment. Today, the scholarships funds have a market value in excess of $500,000.
Former SAI President, Fiona Yu presenting a check for $25,000 to
David Skorton, former Cornell President.
CAMPUS-WIDE INITIATIVES THAT ADVANCE ENTREPRENEURIAL LEARNING
eHub works to create the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders:
a premier program designed to foster, encourage, and support entrepreneurship among Cornell students, alumni, faculty, and staff
incredible facilities are the epicenter for entrepreneurial “doing” with cross-campus support and leadership
The Student Agencies Foundation sponsors the Entrepreneurship at Cornell Annual Celebration. This highly anticipated two-day, campus-wide event that unites more than 700 entrepreneurially minded students, alumni, faculty, and staff to share ideas, information, and inspiration via networking, panel discussions, and presentations.
The Cornell Entrepreneurship Summit NYC is a one-day marquee event at the Times Center in the heart of New York City, open to anyone interested in entrepreneurship. The 2018 Summit featured Robert Nardelli, former CEO of Home Depot and GE Power Systems, Hayley Barna, founder of Birchbox and partner at First Round Capital, and Barry Beck ('90), co-founder and COO of Bluemercury.
PARTNERSHIPS
Powered by SAF, non-profit organization Life Changing Labs (LCL) supports Cornell's top entrepreneurially minded students. LCL focuses on numerous initiatives throughout each year such as Cornell's summer incubator, the Cornell Entrepreneurship Kickoff event, and the Big Idea Competition. Pitch competitions are held almost every month, giving companies the opportunity to share their ideas and network over dinner. Founders, including Suna Breakfast and Response, developed their ideas and received expertise from mentors in a variety of fields over the course of eight weeks during the 2018 LCL Summer Incubator.
SAF established eLab in 2008 in collaboration with Entrepreneurship at Cornell. The eLab program provides business acceleration services and mentorship to Cornell student entrepreneurs who have viable business ideas and want to explore entrepreneurship outside of the classroom.
eLab has worked with hundreds of students to refine their business concepts and has helped launch several successful startup businesses.
PRESIDENT & CHAIRWOMAN OF STUDENT AGENCIES FOUNDATION
Sharon is the current chair of SAF and served as a Johnson School Graduate Fellow for Student Agencies, Inc. in 1992. Her consulting projects included construction of the new (now current) 409 College building.
Today, Ms. Dauk is a Principal in Dauk/Wagner Investments, a private investment company based in Ridgefield, CT which focuses on early stage investments and real estate development. Ms. Dauk is also an Executive Coach, Mentor and Strategic Advisor to successful leaders and entrepreneurs and their teams in a wide variety of industries whose companies range from early stage to Fortune 100. She formerly worked for Smith Barney and Morgan Stanley in their Corporate Finance Departments specializing in both mergers and acquisitions and real estate finance.
Ms. Dauk has remained very active within Cornell University. She serves on the Entrepreneurship at Cornell Advisory Council. Beyond her work with Student Agencies Foundation, she also serves on the boards of Student Agencies Inc. and Student Agencies Properties.
CURRENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES
From 2006-2007, Nathaniel served as General Manager of Big Red Shipping and Storage (SAI business), and President of Student Agencies, Inc. He majored in History in the College of Arts & Sciences at Cornell University.
Recently, Mr. Weiss worked as the Director of Strategy at True Religion Jeans. Previously, he was a Consultant with Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm, in the firm’s New York and Brussels offices.
Mr. Weiss has remained active as an alumnus of Student Agencies and Cornell University. Beyond his work with Student Agencies Foundation, he serves on the Board of Directors for Student Agencies, Inc.
Dan graduated from Cornell University with a BS from the College of Engineering in 1971 and received his Masters of Business Administration from Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management in 1973.
Dan Kathan served as CEO of Student Agencies Inc. from 1998-2012, and is currently the Managing Director of Student Agencies Foundation and a Student Agencies Inc. Board Member. He was also greatly involved in Cornell Athletics through his involvement with mentoring the wrestling team.
Prior to joining Student Agencies in 1998, he held progressive positions for Toshiba Display Devices, a manufacturer of large and super large color picture tubes, eventually serving as Vice President of Operations and as an officer of the Company.
After graduating from the Johnson School, Dan began his career with E. I. DuPont at their Engineering Headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware on their corporate procurement team. He later worked for Rockwell International as a financial analyst at the largest truck axle plant in the world, and subsequently served as Materials Manager and then Director of Manufacturing for Precision Filters, Inc., a manufacturer of leading edge signal conditioning equipment. He served for five years on the Board of Directors of Evaporated Metal Films, a thin film coating company, and currently is on the Advisory Board of the Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship affiliated with the Hotel School at Cornell University.
Retired as Director of Entrepreneurship at Cornell in 2013 after 15+ years. He also concomitantly served on the Board of Directors of Student Agencies, Inc.
Prior to assuming his position at Cornell in 1997, he held senior executive positions with a number of entrepreneurial health care companies specializing in addiction treatment, mental health, rehabilitation and long term care from 1984 to 1995.
From 1970 to 1984, Mr. Jaquette helped found and develop North Carolina’s largest community based, hospital centered, alcoholism treatment service system in Wake County (Raleigh). He was the CEO from 1980-84 and the Clinical Director from 1976-80.
Mr. Jaquette has a B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University, an M. Div. and a Th.M. from Duke University Divinity School, and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
In 1974, Lou served as Secretary/Treasurer of Student Agencies, Inc. He majored in ILR at Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
Today, Mr. D'Agrosa is the owner/operator of Bruno Specialty Foods, Inc. located in West Sayville, New York.
Mr. D'Agrosa has remained very active both as an alumnus of Student Agencies and Cornell University. For the past 40 years, he has championed the mission of Student Agencies. Previously, he served on the Board of Directors of Student Agencies Inc. and was the Chairman for the Board of Trustees. Beyond his current work with Student Agencies Foundation, he serves on the Board of Directors for Student Agencies Properties.
From 1986-1987, David served as the CFO and Property Manager for Student Agencies Inc.
He majored in Agricultural Economics at Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Science and obtained his MBA from the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management.
Today, Mr. Lesser is the President of Hudson Bay Partners ("HBP"), an investment firm focused on real estate and alternative energy. As part of his activities with HBP, he serves as Chairman and CEO of Power REIT, a company that invests in infrastructure and real estate related to transportation and energy. He also serves as Chairman and CEO of Millennium Investment and Acquisition Company, a company focused on investments in alternative energy.
Mr. Lesser has remained very active both as an alumnus of Student Agencies and Cornell University. He serves on the Entrepreneurship at Cornell Advisory Council, on the Dyson School Advisory Council and is a member of the Cornell University Council. Mr. Lesser provides summer internships to Cornell students and mentors student entrepreneurs. Beyond his work with Student Agencies Foundation, he also serves on the boards of Student Agencies Properties and eLab LLC.
TRUSTEE EMERITUS
After almost 60 years of service to our organization, Barry Weintrob (’60) retired from Student Agencies in June 2016. Student Agencies is 122 years old, and for almost half of our organization’s existence, Barry was there to lead, support and guide us through good times and very tough times.
Barry was President of SAI from 1959-1960. During this time, SAI was in strong financial shape. However, by the end of the 1960s, SAI came very close to shutting down. In 1968, the SAI Laundromat (SAI’s main business at the time) had closed, there were no tenants in the 409 College Ave apartments, and the SAI office was shuttered and in disarray. Ed Clements (’63), after finishing his M.B.A. studies and learning of SAI’s critical situation, came back to Ithaca to help “restart” SAI. Barry and Fred Cumming (‘55) became co-chairs of SAI and took turns visiting Ithaca once per month to help Ed rebuild SAI. Through the efforts of Ed, Barry and Fred, SAI was put back on solid footing.
Beginning in the early 1970s and going into the 1980s, Barry, as Chairman of SAI and President of SAF, set Student Agencies on a path that would completely reshape and solidify its financial future. In the early 1970s, Barry and Ed led Student Agencies to purchase 411 College Avenue. Then in 1975, Student Agencies purchased 413-415 College Avenue. In the late 1980s, Student Agencies redeveloped its building at 409 College Avenue, substantially expanding its square footage. These real estate investments represent the Foundation’s endowment and have created a stream of reliable rental income that has allowed Student Agencies to provide financial support to help thousands of Cornell students over the past decades.
Those of us who worked at SAI since the mid-1960s or were part of the eLab reaped the extraordinary benefits and experience that those organizations were able to provide on the back of Barry’s shoulders. In recognition of Barry’s service, the Foundation Trustees elected Barry as an emeritus member of the SAF Board of Trustees.
Michael is the Chief Executive Officer of Investindustrial Advisers Inc, the U.S. unit of a leading global investment group. Prior to this, Michael was a Managing Director of TowerBrook Capital Partners, a private equity firm. He was formally with Brera Capital Partners and Stolberg Partners, both private equity firms. He also served as head of business development for Advanced Telecommunications, Inc, an integrated communications company, and Chief Financial Officer for GAB Robins, a global insurance services firm. Michael began his career with Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he worked in the Financial Institutions Group of the Mergers & Acquisitions Department, and he also worked for a U.K.-based investment bank, S.G. Warburg (now part of UBS Securities), in both their London and New York offices.
As a student, Michael was President of Student Agencies Inc., 1989–1990; Vice President, 1989; Manager of Refrigerator Agency, 1988–1989; and Assistant Manager of Refrigerator Agency, 1987–1988.
Graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. from the College of Arts & Sciences in 1990, Michael has remained very active with Cornell. Currently, he serves on the Entrepreneurship at Cornell Advisory Council and on the Cornell University Council. He has also served on the Arts & Sciences Advisory Council from 2005-2011. He was the founder of the eLab and led the creation of the eHub.
He was a member of the Board of Directors of SAI from 1988–1994 and again from 1998–present.
He was appointed as a member of the Student Agencies Foundation in 1990. He served as Secretary/Treasurer of Trustees of Student Agencies Foundation from 1999–2012 and the Chairman and President of Student Agencies Foundation from 2012-present.
OUR FOUNDATION MEMBERS
Student Agencies Foundation (SAF) is a membership corporation, an entity not focused on profit generation. Historically, the members were comprised of past Presidents of Student Agencies Inc. and were responsible for electing the Board of Trustees and ensuring the advancement of our mission.
As the Student Agencies family has grown, membership has expanded beyond the dedicated group of SAI Presidents to include former eLab students and other individuals who have made substantial contributions to the SAF mission.
Each year, the Board of Trustees may nominate individuals to become members. Selection is based on the individual’s dedicated and sustained contribution to both SAF and Cornell as well as their ability to guide and inspire the lives of current students.
-
Class of 1948
Matthew Doyle
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: CAS, Government ('46)
Class of 1949
Howard Carlson
SAF Affiliation: SAI Sec/Treasurer
College/Major: Hotel Administration ('49)
Angelo Verdi
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: CAS ('49)
-
Class of 1952
John Carpenter
SAF Affiliation: Corporate Auditor
College/Major: CAS, Economics ('52)
Class of 1954
Stanley Beals
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: CAS, Economics ('54)
Fred Lamon
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Sec/Treasurer
College/Major: CAS, Economics ('54)
Henry Thering
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Sec/Treasurer
College/Major: Hotel Administration ('54)
Class of 1956
Norman Turkish
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, SAI BOD
College/Major: CALS (’56), JGSM ('60)
Class of 1958
William Chater
SAF Affiliation: SAI Sec/Tres, Manager Cakes
College/Major: CALS (’58), JGSM ('60)
Class of 1959
David Gowdy
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager CompEd
College/Major: Business Administration (’59), JGSM ('6
-
Class of 1960
Barry Weintrob
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: ILR ('60)
Class of 1962
Benjamin Watson
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: Agricultural Economics (’62) JGSM (’63)
Class of 1963
Edward Clement
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager CompEd
College/Major: CALS ('63)
Class of 1964
Richard Fanta
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: Hotel Administration ('64)
Class of 1965
Joseph Terrell
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: CALS ('65)
Class of 1966
Dennis Kirby
SAF Affiliation: Jr. Manager Birthday Cakes Division, News
College/Major: Agricultural Economics ('66)
Paul Ryan
SAF Affiliation: SAI Sec/Tres
College/Major: ILR ('66)
Nicholas Wood
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: Engineering (’66), JGSM (’69)
Class of 1968
Marcus Einstein
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: ILR ('68)
-
Class of 1971
Cameron Robert
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, GM Refrigerator Rentals
College/Major: Hotel Administration ('71)
Robert Anderson, III
College/Major: Hotel Administration ('71)
Class of 1971
Richard Clarke
College/Major: Engineering (’72, MEng ’73)
Michael Stewart
SAF Affiliation: Manager, Refrigerator Rentals
College/Major: Engineering ('66)
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: Mathematics (’72), JGSM (’73)
Class of 1974
SAF Affliation: SAI Sec/Tres
College/Major: ILR (’74, MBA ’75)
Wilbur Streams
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: JGSM (MBA '74)
Class of 1976
David Albright
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager for Copy/Laundromat
College/Major: CALS ('76)
Douglas Riley
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager for Copy/Laundromat
College/Major: CALS ('76)
Class of 1977
Robin Lang
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: CALS ('77)
Donald Waggaman
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: JGSM (MBA '77)
Class of 1979
John McCarthy
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Sec/Tres
College/Major: Human Ecology (’79, MBA ’85)
Thomas Sprague
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Cap/Gown
College/Major: Engineering ('79)
-
Class of 1980
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: CALS (’80, MBA ’82)
Class of 1982
David A. Gordon
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Cap/Gown
College/Major: CALS (’82)
Christopher Purkis
SAF Affiliation: SAI Sec/Treasurer
College/Major: JGSM (MBA ’82)
Mark Symonds
SAF Affiliation: SAI Sec/Treasurer
College/Major: JGSM (MBA ’82)
Class of 1983
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Laundry
College/Major: A&S, Economics (’83)
Class of 1984
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: Hotel Administration (’84)
Class of 1985
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Consultant
College/Major: JGSM (MBA ’85)
Thomas Mailey
SAF Affiliation: SAI Consultant
Class of 1986
SAF Affiliation: SAI Sec/Tres, Manager Real Estate
College/Major: Hotel Administration (’86, MBA ’87)
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, General Manager
College/Major: Economics (’86)
Class of 1987
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: Engineering (’87, MBA ’90)
SAF Affiliation: SAI CFO, Manager for Real Estate
College/Major: CALS, Economics (’87, MBA ’88)
Class of 1989
Carl Contiguglia
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Real Estate
College/Major: CALS, Government (’89, MBA ’90)
SAF Affiliation: SAI Chief Financial Officer
College/Major: ILR (’89)
-
Class of 1990
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Vice-President, Manager of Refrigerator Rentals
College/Major: A&S, Economics (’90)
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: Architecture, Art, and Planning (’90)
Class of 1991
College/Major: CALS, Government (’91)
SAF Affiliation: SAI Chief Financial Officer
College/Major: Engineering (’91)
Class of 1992
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: Sociology (’92, MBA ’95)
SAF Affiliation: SAI President
College/Major: Business Administration (’92, MBA ’96)
SAF Affiliation: JGSM Fellow
College/Major: JGSM (MBA ’89)
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, GM Campus Promotion
College/Major: Government (’92)
David Drinkwater
SAF Affiliation: former SAI Board Member
Thomas Niederkorn
SAF Affiliation: former SAI Board Member
Class of 1996
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, GM Hired Hands
College/Major: CALS, Business Mgt and Marketing (’96)
Class of 1998
Katherine Fuller
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, GM Tuxedos, Laundry
College/Major: CALS, Applied Economics (’98)
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Mile High Laundry and Campus Promotions (founded WallStreet Bytes)
College/Major: CALS, Applied Economics (’97)
-
Class of 2001
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, GM Big Red Shipping
College/Major: CALS, Business Mgt and Marketing (’01)
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, VP, Manager Human Resources and Real Estate
College/Major: ILR (’01)
Class of 2003
June Carroll
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, VP, Manager BRSS
College/Major: Human Ecology, Policy Analysis and Management (’03)
Allison Harwood
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, VP, Manager BRSS
College/Major: CALS, Communication Arts (’03)
Class of 2004
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Research
College/Major: CALS, Applied Economics (’05)
Class of 2005
Christopher Hur
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Real Estate
College/Major: Hotel Administration (’05)
SAF Affiliation: SAI Asst Manager Big Red Shipping
College/Major: Hotel Administration (’05)
Class of 2006
SAF Affiliation: former SAI CEO, Current MD of SAF
College/Major: Engineering (’70, MBA ’73)
Class of 2007
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Big Red Shipping and Storage
College/Major: ILR (’07)
Class of 2008
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Big Red Shipping and Storage
College/Major: History (’09)
Class of 2009
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Hired Hands
College/Major: CALS, Biological Sciences (’09)
-
Class of 2010
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Big Red Shipping and Storage
College/Major: CALS, Applied Economics (’10)
Class of 2011
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Campus Promotion
College/Major: Human Ecology, Human Development (’10)
SAF Affiliation: SAI Board Member
Class of 2012
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Big Red Shipping and Storage
College/Major: Human Ecology, Policy Analysis and Management (’12)
SAF Affiliation: SAI Chief Financial Officer
College/Major: Hotel Administration (’99)
Class of 2013
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Campus Promotions
College/Major: Hotel Administration (’14)
SAF Affiliation: former Director of eLab
SAF Affiliation: former Director of Entrepreneurship At Cornell
SAF Affiliation: member of eLab program in 2008
College/Major: Hotel Administration (’08)
SAF Affiliation: Director of Entrepreneurship At Cornell
Cornell Class: (’87), Cornell Law School (’90)
Class of 2014
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Hired Hands
College/Major: Environmental Engineering (’14)
SAF Affiliation: SAI CFO
College/Major: Applied Economics and Management (’15)
CEO/Founder, RosieApp
SAF Affiliation: member of eLab program, 2012-2014
College/Major: JGSM ('14)
Class of 2015
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Campus Promotions
College/Major: Industrial and Labor Relations (’15)
SAF Affiliation: Chair of SAP, Member of SAI Board of Directors
College/Major: Architecture, Art, and Planning ('96), Cornell Law School ('00)
SAF Affiliation: JGSM Fellow
College/Major: JGSM ('09)
Class of 2016
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Big Red Shipping & Storage and Real Estate
College/Major: Arts & Sciences, Economics (’15)
Class of 2017
SAF Affiliation: SAI CFO
College/Major: Arts & Sciences, Economics (’93), MBA ('10)
SAF Affiliation: SAI President, Manager Campus Promotions
College/Major: ILR ('17)
Class of 2018
Lucas Bushner (’18)
SAF Affiliation: SAI President; Manager, Big Red Shipping & Storage
College/Major: ENG/Operations Research & Information Eng
Class of 2019
Lucas Goldman (’19)
SAF Affiliation: SAI President; Manager, Hired Hands Moving Company
College/Major: Applied Economics and Management
-
Class of 2020
Peter Gribizis (’21)
SAF Affiliation: SAI President; Director of Field Logistics, Big Red Shipping & Storage; Mentoring Manager, Student Agencies Tutoring
College/Major: Eng/Operations Research & Information Eng
Class of 2021
SAF Affiliation: President, Student Agencies, Inc.; General Manager, Student Agencies Tutoring; Assistant Manager, Campus Promotions
College/Major: Industrial and Labor Relations