Gabelli School of Business Responsible Business Center Fellows

2023/2024

The Gabelli School of Business Responsible Business Center, awarded five financial fellowships to Gabelli School undergraduate and graduate students in 2024. The fellowships are awarded each year and are bestowed upon applicants whose career interests focus on responsible decision-making in modern business, exploring the intersection of profitability and ethical issues. Congratulations to the 2024 Responsible Business Fellows!

Walder M. de Almeida, Jr. is a Full-time M.B.A. student from Brazil, focusing his studies on finance and sustainability. He is a co-president of Fordham Graduate Net Impact and VP of corporate affairs in the Management Consulting Club, as well as a board member of the Green Business Club. Almeida earned an L.L.M. in International Human Rights with honors from the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 2020. He has practiced law in Brazil and in the U.S., including at the International Legal Foundation. “Being a Responsible Business Center fellow will allow me explore my interest in ethical issues surrounding the use of technology in financial institutions, and the ways technology will have an impact on people’s lives,” he noted.

Chloe Mathewson, is a senior pursuing a B.S. in Business Administration with concentrations in finance, social innovation, and global business, and minors in economics and environmental studies. She’s a member of the Undergraduate Dean’s Council, has mentored first-year students, and also joined the Fordham Women’s Club soccer team this year. She also studied away in Costa Rica and London, has interned at Changing Our World, and has provided financial planning services for Doctors Without Borders. Mathewson currently is interning at the Women’s Business Collaborative and at Cultivate:Good. “This fellowship is the culmination of my academic, leadership, and internship experiences, which have fueled my passion for purpose-driven business practices. I’m eager to continue making meaningful contributions as a Responsible Business Center Fellow,” she stated.

Shaurya Thakur, is an M.S. in Quantitative Finance student from India. Throughout his career, he pursued his interest in the potential of AI and fintech in driving inclusive growth and the complexities inherent in AI systems including ethics and biases. He’s fascinated with blockchain and decentralized finance (DeFi). His career as a financial data analyst has involved contributions to enhancing financial forecasting and investment strategies through machine learning algorithms. “As a Responsible Business Center fellow, I will merge my quantitative finance skills with my understanding of technology’s role in society to ensure a future where business practices are economically sound and ethically responsible,” he noted.

Isabella Vallory, is a Professional M.B.A. candidate focused on finance and global sustainability. Her work has been specialized in sustainability and finance, and the intersection between ESG factors and credit risk. She delivers climate and credit risk management solutions for institutions of varying sizes and specialties. Earlier in her career, she contributed to product development, analytical innovation, and thought leadership in the U.S. public finance segment. Vallory has completed a postgraduate teaching course and earned a bachelor’s in International Affairs, summa cum laude, from the University of Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “My research interests are centered around identifying risks and opportunities associated with a climate transition, and the Responsible Business Center Fellowship will allow me to have an impact during the next phase of my career,” she explained.

Syed Ali Zeidi is an M.S. in Business Analytics student from Iran, who earned a B.A. in Italian Language from Azad University and a B.S. in Strategic Sciences from the University of Turin, Italy. He’s interned at U.N. headquarters in New York and at the U.N. Office in Iran, later holding administration, management, and consular affairs roles at the Dutch and Finnish embassies in Tehran. He subsequently joined the U.N. Department of Safety and Security in Tehran, specializing in security risk assessment, crisis management, and incident management. As a Responsible Business Center fellow, he’ll focus on the impact of new technology in the workplace. “The Responsible Business Center Fellowship offers a unique platform that will allow me to apply my diverse experiences in a way that will advance the field and serve as a catalyst for responsible global change,” he asserted.