Been There, Done That 2: Navigating Downturns, Crises, and Career Curveballs

Join the Second Decade Society for their second session with alumni who graduated into difficult job markets and faced unanticipated career challenges. Come prepared to listen and ask questions about the choices our panelists made to steer their professional paths around unexpected obstacles.

Please register below to receive the zoom link for the event.

Panelists:

Bennett Degen, A&S 1989: Financial Advisor, The Investment Center, Inc.

Bennett C. Degen is a long-time financial industry participant. Currently, Bennett is a Financial Advisor, affiliated with The Investment Center, Bedminster, NJ. In that role Bennett advises individuals, families and small businesses in the planning and structuring of their retirements, the financial protection of their beneficiaries, and the preservation of their hard earned estates and family businesses.  Solutions that he utilizes include variable and fixed index annuities, life, disability income, health, & long-term care Insurance, and college affordability products. Mr. Degen received a BA in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University and an MBA in Finance/International Business from the Leonard Stern School of Business of New York University.

Melissa Fensterstock, A&S 2007: CEO, Landsdowne Labs

Melissa is a seasoned biotech, medtech and consumer product executive with extensive experience in translating novel technologies into valuable products and brands. Currently, she is CEO and co-founder of Landsdowne Labs, where she secured approximately $3 million of funding for seed round. Landsdowne Labs is a spinout from the world-renowned Langer Lab. The company’s first product, ChildLok™, is an innovative button battery technology designed to deactivate batteries following accidental ingestion, made possible by advanced material science. Melissa has a BA in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins, an M.Phil in Bioscience Enterprise from the University of Cambridge, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Jessica Spiegel, A&S 2003: Vice President, Member Experience, Summus, Inc.

Since 2016, Jessica has served as Vice President, Member Experience at SUMMUS, Inc. SUMMUS informs medical decisions through fast, direct access to the world's best medical expertise. The platform empowers families through navigation support and on-demand access to leading specialists across 48 leading hospitals - within days, from anywhere in the world. Prior to joining Summus, Jessica worked at Gerson Lehrman Group as Vice President, Research and Senior Research Manager, Legal, Economic, and Regulatory Affairs. Jessica graduated from Johns Hopkins in 2003 with a BA in History and received her JD from Fordham University School of Law in 2008.