Emerging Leaders Council

The Responsible Business Center, part of Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, has formed an Emerging Leaders Council to support the efforts and further the mission of the Center.

The Council is currently comprised of Gabelli School alumni, who are passionate about responsible business and sustainability. We encourage you to learn more about our Council members below.

If you would like to get involved with the Emerging Leaders Council, please email: [email protected].

Brendan Charles Batcheller ‘18, ‘19

Brendan Batcheller is a senior manager in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ International Tax Services group, where he has spent six years. Along with client service, he has designed tax compliance technology and has led technical trainings around the globe, which have taken him to PwC’s offices in Buenos Aires, Bangalore, and Mexico City. He is a double-Ram who earned both a Bachelor’s in Public Accounting and a Master's in Taxation from the Gabelli School. In addition, he is a licensed CPA in the State of New York. Originally from Michigan, he now calls Brooklyn home, where he lives with his fiancée and their miniature dachshund, Rey.

Mary Katherine Bedway '22

Mary Katherine Bedway is an ESG Analyst at Warner Music Group, where she supports the company’s social and environmental responsibility efforts through innovation across artists, products, and supply chains. With a career rooted in the creative and fashion industries, her work has focused on strategic innovation, facilitating industry collaboration, and responsible supply chain management.

Mary Katherine specializes in strategic storytelling, helping shape clear and compelling narratives around environmental priorities and corporate sustainability strategies. She is passionate about strengthening corporate accountability through sustainable business practices and using creative communication to encourage cross-functional action and long-term environmental impact.

Mary Katherine graduated magna cum laude from Fordham University with a BA in Communications and Anthropology and a minor in Bioethics. During her time at Fordham, she was deeply involved in community service, serving as President of the university’s chapter of A Moment of Magic Foundation and Vice President of the St. Jude Fordham chapter. Through these roles, she dedicated more than 400 hours of service to medically vulnerable youth.
She currently lives in New York City.

Laura Capasso ‘23

Laura Capasso is a finance professional with 10+ years of experience in financial analysis, stakeholder management, and performance analytics. She graduated from Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business with an MBA in Finance and Global Sustainability and was awarded the Dean's Award for Excellence in May 2023. Capasso is passionate about sustainable business and Jesuit education. Prior to joining the Fordham community, she studied at the University of Scranton and earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Italian. She is currently a lead program manager at National Grid, where she manages capital forecasts and budgets for gas construction operations. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, playing volleyball, and getting together with friends and family.

Colleen Cochran ‘21

Colleen Cochran is a sustainability consultant, community organizer, scientist, and activist. In her role as a sustainability consultant at Agendi, Cochran works with corporations and organizations to develop and implement sustainability strategies toward a net-zero future. Outside of consulting, she volunteers as Remake's co-community organizer in NYC, where she focuses on activism, community building, and event planning to advocate for climate justice and fair pay in the fashion industry. Cochran has been a climate activist and scientist for over 10 years, producing research publications in ecology and environmental policy. She also is a waste expert, holding certifications as a TRUE Zero waste advisor and master composter. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fordham College at Rose Hill with a BA in Economics, and minors in environmental studies and sustainable business. Her expertise in carbon accounting, ecology, composting, sustainable fashion, and environmental communication enables her to galvanize communities and drive positive change.

Caroline (Demeter) Edwards ’23

Caroline is an execution lead on the S&P Global Ratings Sustainable Finance Team, overseeing strategic sustainable finance initiatives and new product launches. During her 10 years at S&P Global Ratings, Caroline was the chief of staff to the Head of Public Finance Ratings and held global roles in Business Management, and Operations. In 2023 Caroline was named the Women’s Bond Club Rising Star for S&P Global Ratings due to her achievements and potential as an emerging leader. Caroline is passionate about creating a better world through sustainable and responsible business practices as well as finding creative solutions to funding the Climate Finance Gap.

Caroline holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an MBA in Global Sustainability and Management from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business.

Russ Lindell ‘16

Russ Lindell completed his MBA at the Gabelli School of Business in 2016, graduating in the top 10% of his class. He has worked in New York, Australia, Singapore, and Spain. With a background in SaaS, Russ now works in cleantech and sustainability, with a focus on building electrification and corporate decarbonization. He attended undergraduate school at SMU in Dallas, and lives in Brooklyn with his wife and dog.

Monica Palaia ‘12, ‘13

Monica Palaia has over 10 years of work experience that includes public accounting, state and local financial services, sales and use tax, financial forensics and forensic accounting, and business valuation. She started her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and is now an Experienced Manager at Baker Tilly in their Forensic, Litigation, and Valuation Services practice.

Monica is a two-time Fordham University alumna having received her Bachelor of Science in Public Accounting and her Master in Science in Taxation both from the Gabelli School of Business. She received a second Master of Science from Columbia University in Applied Analytics from the School of Professional Studies. She is now back at Fordham University School of Law as a Juris Doctor candidate.

Luis Pinto '24

Luís Pinto completed his MBA in Finance and Global Sustainability at the Gabelli School of Business in 2024, where he was a recipient of the James and Dolores Fernandez Endowed Fellowship, served as Co-President of the Graduate Net Impact Club, and worked as a Graduate Assistant at the Responsible Business Center. With over a decade of experience spanning corporate law, M&A, and finance, Luís has worked in Brazil, New York and London, and now works in finance at American Express. He also holds an LL.M. with Honors from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Luís is passionate about clean energy and the circular economy, two areas he sees as concrete levers for building a more sustainable economy.

Robert Strang ‘23

A native New Yorker, Robert Strang started his career at The Wall Street Journal after graduating from Penn State University in 2016. He began working on the corporate communications team for WSJ's parent company, Dow Jones. From there, he joined the Memberships Team, followed by the Lve Journalism team. In 2022, he secured a position at Google, as a strategist for the Google Customer Solutions team. In May of 2023, Strang graduated with an MBA from the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business and returned to The Wall Street Journal in July of 2023.

The Emerging Leaders Council oversees the greater Emerging Leaders Network.