Winter 2017

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Omar Jimenez ’15

Omar JimenezWhen Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005, “I remember turning to CNN,” says Omar Jimenez. Years later, he interned with CNN in the New York and Atlanta bureaus. After graduation, Jimenez went to work for WBAL-TV in Baltimore. Now he’s back at CNN as a national correspondent for CNN Newsource, based in Washington, D.C. He covers stories around the country for local stations that may not be able to send one of their own reporters. “Being back at CNN, it’s kind of come full circle for me,” he says. (See “The Road Ahead: The Creatives,” summer 2015.)

Sherry Lansing ’66, ’95 H

Former actress and film studio executive Sherry Lansing was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in September. After a trailblazing career at 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures, Lansing left the film industry in 2005 to launch the Sherry Lansing Foundation, which supports cancer research and public school programs. The foundation’s flagship program is PrimeTime, which connects retirees with volunteer opportunities, especially in Los Angeles–area public schools. Other initiatives include EnCorps STEM Teachers Program, which seeks to increase the number of math and science teachers by recruiting and training veterans and former corporate executives for the classroom. (See “Moviemaker Moves to Prime Time — of Life,” winter 2007.)

BEN WEISS ’17

Ben WeissJust nine months in, Ben Weiss and his recruiting startup have already partnered with 14 percent of all Power 5 football programs. Zcruit, which uses predictive analytics to optimize the college recruiting process, recently introduced its second product offering: Zmail. This new tool provides recruiters with daily emails on target prospects, allowing them to track the recruiting activity of individual players, rival schools, geographic regions and position groups. Zcruit has also added Twitter data to its suite of innovative features, automatically notifying clients when a prospect tweets out a recruiting update. Weiss founded Zcruit out of The Garage. (See “From the Ground Up,” spring 2017.)