Industry Panel: Making a Difference in Nonprofits
Accomplished Mills College and Northeastern alumni shared their experiences of building and navigating meaningful careers in the nonprofit world.
Feb 18, 2026
News and Stories
From Northeastern student to coffee executive and social impact leader
When Helen Russell, DMSB’88, studied in Snell Library nearly four decades ago, she never imagined she’d one day return as the co-founder of a $35 million coffee empire, or that she’d be fueling the entrepreneurial dreams of future students. But that’s the full-circle story unfolding through her company’s Legacy Blend partnership and Brewing Connections, a global initiative connecting entrepreneurs across the university’s network.
These women show ‘superpowers’ through courage, curiosity and bold ideas
The 2025 Women Who Empower Summit on November 13 honored 31 innovators, celebrating human leadership, resilience and community in an AI-driven era.
She’s turning her family’s ranching legacy into a force for sustainable change
Bella Wood, MPA'26, chose her family’s New Mexico cattle ranch over diplomacy and is now reimagining the future of American agriculture.
Mindfulness changed her life. Now she’s changing classrooms
From personal healing to purpose, Lee Sowles, Marymount'06, MPH'13, Roux Founder Residency'25, launched Kind Mind to bring mindfulness and wellbeing practices to children, teachers and families.
Her sudden loss launched a virtual cardiac care startup
Empallo, launched by Claire Beskin, a 2025 Innovator Fellow, offers faster, longer cardiology appointments through a virtual platform.
Northeastern student Khushi Shah turned a middle school science project into Drizzl, a smart irrigation startup fighting water waste
Drizzl combines weather data, soil sensors, and predictive technology to automatically control sprinklers and irrigation systems so that water is only used when it’s needed.
Schools in India don’t teach soft skills. This entrepreneur does
Northeastern student Anjali Laddha won an Innovator Award for helping Indian students boost careers with AI-driven tools.
The ABCs of speech therapy
Sarah Martins, a Northeastern University graduate, is building a speech therapy curriculum startup to help schools provide equal, effective support.