169. Ian F. McNeely, Historian of Knowledge and Dean
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Ian McNeely talks about his academic path, including a PhD in History from the University of Michigan and a position in the Society of Fellows at Harvard. He met his wife at Harvard, and they both found work at the University of Oregon where they became professors. They raised a family and lived there for 24 years. In 2024, Ian moved to UNC Chapel Hill, where he continues as a professor of history and oversees undergraduate education. The Society of Fellows When asked about the Society of Fellows, Ian explains that he thought of it as a mystique during his undergraduate...
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168. Peter Schmidt, From Math to Neuroscience
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Peter Schmidt talks about his senior year during the Iraq War, and how the news on the problem of jobless recovery led him to consider graduate school. The Journey from Student to Dean Peter studied biomechanics at Cornell, focusing on the mathematics of biological systems and modeling clinical trials in orthopedics. He was admitted into a fellowship program in New York at an orthopedic hospital where he worked on total joint replacement. His career path led him to neuroscience, where he led clinical research and worked for a nonprofit before becoming the...
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167. Lauren Messmore, From Banks to Boards
The 92 Report
Show Notes: From Hiking to River Cruises Lauren Messmore opens the conversation by sharing her experience of hiking Hadrian's Wall in England with her husband, which she describes as a highlight of her international travels. She explains that her husband, an anglophile, had the idea and that she enjoyed the travel and training for the hike, and that she had also lived in England for a few years in the ‘90s. Lauren details her training routine, including walking six to seven miles two to three times a week and using hiking sticks. They used a service called Mac Adventure for the hike,...
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166. Miguel Sancho, Executive Producer, Showrunner, & Author
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Miguel Sancho shares his background, mentioning his small-town roots in eastern Kansas and his education at Harvard and Phillips Andover Academy where he studied government and history. He discusses his initial plan to pursue a PhD and become an academic but instead moved to New York City to try his hand at music. Miguel transitioned from music to journalism, starting in 1993, and worked in various roles, including as an investigative journalist for Inside Edition, and 20/20 a prime time show on ABC News, and CBS News. Launching a Production Company Miguel talks about his...
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165. Bridget A. Lyons, Author, Adventurer, and Artist
The 92 Report
Show Notes: In this conversation, Bridget Lyons describes her experience with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), which led her to a three-month course in Alaska. She shares her initial struggle with the urban environment of Cambridge after her wilderness experience. Bridget discusses her involvement with the Harvard Outing Club and her decision to teach in Marin County, California. From Teaching to the Tetons Bridget explains her transition from teaching to working full-time with NOLS, teaching various outdoor activities. She describes her lifestyle during this period,...
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164. John Milbauer, Pianist and Conservatory Leader
The 92 Report
Show Notes: John Milbauer explains that, although he didn't graduate from Harvard, his education and career followed a unique path involving music and academia. John reflects that his focus has been a combination of music and ideas, but the structure of academia often separates the two. He mentions his role as Dean of the School of Music at DePaul University in Chicago where they are bringing the two together to provide musicians with a more holistic approach to creative development and expression. Choosing a Career Path At 17 John was accepted into both Harvard Summer School and Aspen Music...
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163. Elisabeth (Weinberg) Tavarez, From Finance to Higher Ed to Politics
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Elisabeth Tavares (Weinberg) describes her journey post-graduation, dividing it into three main chapters: private sector, higher education, and government sector. Travelling to Egypt, Israel, and Spain Elisabeth shares her initial post-graduation plans, including travel to Egypt and Israel, and her work with American teenagers abroad in Ireland and Spain. She discusses her passion for international travel and her decision to learn Spanish at Harvard, which later led to teaching Spanish. Elisabeth explains her motivation for learning Spanish, including her background in European...
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162. Liam T.A. Ford, From Journalist to Non-profit Startup Leader
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Liam T.A. Ford, also known as LTAF, shares his initial career plans after graduation. After writing for the Crimson at Harvard, he initially considered a career in academia, but pivoted to journalism. He discusses his first job at the Montgomery Advertiser, where he covered crime and interviewed notable figures including the man who headed the pulpit committee that hired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his pastorship in Montgomery. Liam recounts his transition to Chicago, where he became a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, covering notable events like Barack Obama's election to the...
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161. Elijah Siegler, Religious Studies Outside the Classroom
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Elijah Siegler recalls the day of graduation on June 5, 1992, and the prominent promotion of the movie Patriot Games, which seemed at the time an ominous omen, as graduates began to navigate their post-grad journey. Elijah shares his advice to his kids and students: "You don't need to have your whole life post-college figured out. You just need one cool thing lined up, and that'll lead to another cool thing." Elijah describes his first post-graduation job as the editor of the Greece and Turkey book for Let's Go travel guides, which he found out about due to a last-minute...
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160. Tobey (Weintraub) Collins, Energy Transaction Expert and International Enthusiast
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Tobey Weintraub Collins pursued a master's degree in international relations at Georgetown, where she met her husband who joined the US Foreign Service. Tobey worked in project finance in Brazil and Venezuela, focusing on energy projects, and later worked for AES Corp in the US and Chile. She eventually moved back to the US and has been at Astris for the past 13 years, specializing in energy and infrastructure investment banking. Life in Venezuela Tobey describes Venezuela in 2000-2001 as relatively normal, with the US still influential, and her work focused on Central America and...
info_outlineShow Notes:
From Hiking to River Cruises
Lauren Messmore opens the conversation by sharing her experience of hiking Hadrian's Wall in England with her husband, which she describes as a highlight of her international travels. She explains that her husband, an anglophile, had the idea and that she enjoyed the travel and training for the hike, and that she had also lived in England for a few years in the ‘90s. Lauren details her training routine, including walking six to seven miles two to three times a week and using hiking sticks. They used a service called Mac Adventure for the hike, which provided luggage transport and accommodations. Lauren mentions that after the hiking adventure, she and her husband have shifted to less arduous travel, such as river cruises. She describes a river cruise on the Danube, ending in Budapest, and an upcoming trip to France and Normandy.
Starting a Career on Wall Street
After graduation and a brief backpacking trip to Europe, Lauren launched into her career as an investment banking analyst on Wall Street. She talks about the challenges and excitement of her first day on the job. She contrasts the investment banking culture with her academic experience at Harvard, noting the strict adherence to rules and lack of creativity in the banking world. Lauren discusses her experience working in London and Madrid, including the unique challenges of being an American woman in a male-dominated field.
A Career Shift to M&A in Madrid
Lauren describes the transition to Madrid, where she worked on a mix of mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions. Lauren highlights the millennium bug and the subsequent acquisition of her office by Citigroup, which led to her move to Spain. She shares her experience of learning Spanish on the job and the importance of being fluent in English for international transactions. She also talks about the cultural and personal differences she experienced in business transactions and expectations while working at Citigroup and the difficulties she faced when she decided to leave Citigroup.
Launching an Investment Banking Boutique
Lauren talks about starting her own investment banking boutique in 2002. She explains the challenges of working in a small market like Spain and the cultural clash with the American banking model. Lauren describes the success of her boutique, which focused on private equity clients and independent advisory work. She mentions the financial crisis of 2008 and the impact on her business, leading to a liquidity event and her return to the United States.
Returning to the U.S.
Lauren talks about her return to the United States and the financial crisis's impact on her business, including the divestment of her solar farms. She describes the decision to cash out and the subsequent reinvention of her career in Boston. Lauren took a year off to recharge and plot a new course, eventually finding a strategic consultant role at a community bank. She became the CFO of the bank, which underwent a significant acquisition and went public, marking a shift from advisory to operational roles.
The Current Career Path
Lauren explains her current career path, focusing on creating a portfolio of Board of Directors positions. She describes the process of building this portfolio over three years and the satisfaction of having a busy but less demanding workload. Lauren emphasizes the importance of taking time off to recharge and plot a new course, especially after significant life changes. She shares her approach to setting New Year's resolutions, focusing on easy but impactful habits like daily flossing, drinking two cups of water, and daily stretching.
Harvard Reflections
When asked about a compliment she has never forgotten, Lauren shares a memory of being told she was a leader, which changed her self-perception. She emphasizes the importance of betting on oneself and encouraging others to do the same. She shares a few simple New Year's resolutions and reflects on the importance of small, repetitive routines and their cumulative impact over time.
She mentions taking Spanish at Harvard, which turned out to be the most useful course for her career.
Timestamps:
03:52 Lauren's Journey and Hiking Adventures
08:45: River Cruises and Early Career
13:14: Experience in London and Madrid
21:15: Starting Her Own Investment Banking Boutique
25:25: Return to the United States and New Career Path
32:51: Current Career and Board of Directors Positions
33:19: Offbeat Questions and Final Thoughts
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-messmore/
Solar farm video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kI_s7NntQg
This episode on The 92 Report:
*AI generated show notes and transcript