Michael Leffell is the chairman and founder of 10 East, Canoe Intelligence, and Portage Partners, a privately held firm focused on alternative asset investments. Before his retirement in 2010, he served as deputy executive managing member of Davidson Kempner Capital Management, a multi-strategy, event-driven hedge fund. Michael and his wife Lisa oversee the Lisa and Michael Leffell Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting Jewish education and enhancing the security and vibrancy of the State of Israel. He is President Emeritus of the Board of Trustees at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, Chairman of Commentary magazine, a trustee of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), and a Wexner Heritage Fellow. Michael earned his JD from Columbia Law School in 1984.
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Finance, Football, Family: Alex Swieca
Alex Swieca is an investor focused on the future of sports, media, and technology. He serves as Strategic Advisor to Avenue Sports, a division of Avenue Capital Group, and is the founder of QB1 Ventures, which invests in early-stage U.S. and Israeli startups. He is also a principal at Talpion Fund Management, a multi-strategy family office. Alex previously led the Family Office business at Coatue Management. He serves on the board of the Swieca Children Foundation, is a member of the Milken Institute’s Young Leaders Circle, and is a Venture Partner at Stand Together. Alex holds degrees in Psychology and Business from the University of Michigan, where he was also a walk-on quarterback.
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Guidance, Governance, Giving: Doug Korn
Doug Korn is the founder and Managing Partner of Victor Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity firm. Previously, he played key roles in building three other firms as an early-stage Associate and Vice President at The Blackstone Group, a founding Managing Director at Eos Partners, and a Managing Director at Irving Place Capital. Doug is actively engaged in philanthropy, currently serving as the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Advisors at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, Chair of the Private Equity Division and Board Member at UJA Federation of New York, and co-founder and longtime board member of Youth Renewal Fund/Darca. He was also a Presidential appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. Doug earned his MBA with high distinction as a George F. Baker Scholar from Harvard Business School and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
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Activism, Accountability, Awareness: Jacki Karsh
Jacki Karsh is a six-time Emmy-nominated multimedia journalist covering Los Angeles County for LA36's LA County Channel, where she reports on social and humanitarian issues. For nearly a decade, she has also served as anchor and moderator of MontyTV at the annual Montgomery Summit in Santa Monica, interviewing leading voices in tech, business, and finance. Jacki sits on the Board of Directors of the Columbia University Alumni Association of Southern California and the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. She previously served on the boards of Columbia College Women and the Columbia University Young Alumni Fund Advisory Board. She earned her M.S. in Broadcast Journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in 2014 and graduated from Columbia College in 2013 with a B.A. in English and Comparative Literature.
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Ambition, Affinity, and Asia: Dr. Allan Zeman
Dr. Allan Zeman is the Chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Holdings and Wynn Macau, as well as the owner of Paradise Properties Group, a real estate developer in Thailand. A Hong Kong resident for over 50 years, he has played a prominent role in both government and community affairs. Dr. Zeman served as Chairman of Hong Kong Ocean Park from 2003 to 2014 and was a member of the Airport Authority of Hong Kong from 2015 to 2022. He is a member of the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Council of Advisors and the Culture Commission. Since 2015, he has also served on the board of the Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund established by Alibaba Group. In recognition of his contributions to business and the community, Dr. Zeman has received honorary doctorates in Business Administration from the City University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Open University of Hong Kong.
Isaac Raskas Ohrenstein, a Harvard student and WJC-Lauder Fellow, sits down with leaders and changemakers in the Jewish world to explore their impactful work across business, politics, academia, and philanthropy. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, and the World Jewish Congress website.
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