The Harvard Business School Club of New York (HBSCNY), the largest alumni organization of Harvard Business School (HBS), is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has elected Deborah Farrington and Zameer Kassam to the roles of Board Chair and Director respectively, effective July 1, 2022. Ms. Farrington succeeds outgoing Chair Mark Tatum.
Both leaders illustrate the Club’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to driving lasting social and economic change in the Greater New York City community. With Ms. Farrington’s appointment, the Club has, for the first time, a woman in the Board Chair role and, with the election of Clare Peeters as President in 2021, women in both the Board Chair and President positions.
Deborah Farrington is Co-founder and Managing Partner of StarVest Partners LP, a New York City based venture capital firm investing in technology-enabled business services with a focus on software-as-a-service, data & analytics, and internet marketing. Founded in 1998, it is one of the largest women majority-owned venture capital firms in the US. Ms. Farrington has been named multiple times to the Forbes Midas 100 list of top venture capitalists, twice as the top woman on the list, and received the Foreign Policy Association Medal for Achievement in Financial Services in 2018. She is a graduate of Smith College where she served as a Trustee and chaired its Investment Committee.
She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School where she has endowed a “Fellowship for Women Entrepreneurs” and served on the Visiting Committee and as a Vice President of the Alumni Board. She has served on the Club board since 2008 and chaired its Leadership Dinner in 2016 and the HBS New York Women’s Leadership Accelerator conference in 2019. She is a board member of the American Friends of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Business Committee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Ms. Farrington stated, “The HBS Club of New York has built a remarkably vibrant community. I’m proud to be associated with an organization that enables our alumni to use their leadership and business skills to make such a meaningful difference.”
Zameer Kassam is a jewelry designer, entrepreneur, and storyteller who has emerged as one of the global jewelry industry’s most innovative thinkers and artists. He is the Founder and CEO of Zameer Kassam Fine Jewelry, which he launched in 2011. While the business began as a passion project, it tapped into a growing demand for personal design and thoughtful experiences, gaining substantial press and industry accolades. In the fall of 2020, Harvard Business School published “Zameer Kassam Fine Jewelry: Engaging Clients,” a case study profiling his unique business model and how it was modified during the worldwide pandemic. The case is currently being taught to MBA students, Executive Education participants, and members of the YPO (Young Presidents Organization), among others. Mr. Kassam has been featured in publications including the New York Times, VOGUE and CNBC. He is a Friend of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and currently the subject of a BBC documentary.
Mr. Kassam commented, “The HBS Club of New York is a unique and powerful platform. I look forward to building on the existing foundation, with a special focus on creative entrepreneurship and deepening relationships with LGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented alumni groups.”
The Harvard Business School Club of New York is HBS’ largest alumni organization globally. Founded in 1920, the Club’s mission is to make a difference and to support Harvard Business School by engaging alumni, impacting community, and fostering leadership and lifelong learning.
