The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/tag/johnson_school/)
“Given I had never worked for a really large company, I had the image of these large firms as really well-oiled machines where everything was operating smoothly. It was reassuring and almost calming to see that there are mistakes along the way and no one’s perfect.”
BR MicroCapital, a microfinance business started at the Johnson Graduate School of Management, announced on Jan. 20 that it would offer lending and business support services to help microbusiness development in Tompkins County.
In a press release, Mike Pezone, grad, director of operations for BRM, explained that BRM’s work is fulfilling a local need by providing specialized, targeted support for microbusinesses, which are small businesses typically operated from the owner’s home.
The stated goal of BRM is to encourage development and inclusive wealth creation while at the same time assisting efforts to further local economic development.
In the midst of the country’s economic recession, the Johnson Graduate School of Management’s Cayuga Fund, a hedge fund run by faculty and students, reported a 0.42 percent gain for the 2008 business year.
Although the fund’s investments decreased by 1.29 percent in the fourth quarter, this $12 million hedge fund, finished the year ahead, especially relative to the performance of its benchmarks. Indexes like Hedge Fund Research Equity Hedge Index and the Hedge Fund Research Equity Market Neutral Index reported 25.45 percent and 1.16 percent losses, respectively, in 2008.[img_assist|nid=34404|title=Cayuga MBA Fund Returns|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=|height=0]
In an effort to increase the sustainability of the Cornell community and the world, the Johnson Graduate School of Management and the School of Hotel Administration have teamed up to create a course for all students, Sustainable Global Enterprise Practicum in the Hospitality Industry. This course gives both undergraduates and graduates the chance to learn about sustainability and, in conjunction with HEI Hotels & Resorts, perform fieldwork and research in the real world.
Former president Jeffrey S. Lehman issued a call to action during his tenure as University President, which spanned from 2003 to 2005. Increasing sustainability would be one of his three overarching goals.
In its 2008 ranking of the best business schools in the United States, BusinessWeek ranked Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management 11th — a two-spot promotion from its 2006 ranking. In comparison to its peer institutions, the business school overtook Dartmouth and remains ahead of Yale, but trails Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia.