Their Time to Shine
Carnegie Mellon University recognizes the 2025 class of Tartans on the Rise
Cassia Crogan
- Director of Media Relations, Carnegie Mellon University
- Email ccrogan@andrew.cmu.edu
They are artists, engineers and entrepreneurs. They work in government, in health care and for international nonprofits. But these 24 Carnegie Mellon University alumni all have two things in common — they’re members of CMU’s Tartans on the Rise class for 2025, and they’re changing the world.
Now in its fourth year, Tartans on the Rise recognizes CMU alumni who graduated in the last 10 years and are already making an impact in their professional worlds through their talents, their leadership and their revolutionary accomplishments.
“On behalf of the entire Carnegie Mellon University community, I congratulate our newest Tartans on the Rise,” CMU President Farnam Jahanian said. “This group’s dedication to making a difference in their careers and their communities is nothing short of inspiring, and we are thrilled to celebrate both their accomplishments to date and their many successes to come.”
Those accomplishments cover a wide range of endeavors, from protecting the data consumers share with tech giants like Yahoo or Google to leading innovation in the cosmetics industry. This year’s Tartans on the Rise shape policy for secure tech manufacturing and monitor social media video on behalf of brands like Coca-Cola or Delta Air Lines. And they’re writing successful off-Broadway plays and beating out hundreds of world-class musicians for a seat in the New York Philharmonic.
“These Tartans on the Rise embody the best of the Tartan spirit,” said Teresa Violi Trombetta (HNZ 2018), assistant vice president for alumni and constituent engagement. “They’ve accomplished so much in the short time since their graduations, and I am thrilled to be able to celebrate what they’ve achieved so far and where they will go in the future.”
Five of the Tartans on the Rise have had a hand in founding companies, which are building tools to improve dental health, creating a system to make cement less expensive and more sustainable, and providing a banking solution platform for small businesses.
Others have founded nonprofits, including one working to prevent sex trafficking and another that seeks to involve young people in the ongoing discussions about global climate change. Health is a frequent focus, with one member of the cohort studying how to stem diabetes in South Asia; government is another, with one serving as chief of staff for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and another charged with hunting down misinformation.
The cohort members have been lauded by many organizations around the world. One was named chief technology officer of the year by Technical.ly Pittsburgh and was last year’s winner of the 2024 NOMIS & Science Young Explorer Award. One was appointed as a youth delegate to the United Nations climate conference. And the work of another was honored by Tribeca Film Institute with the Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize for screenwriting.
Meet the 2025 Tartans on the Rise:
- Dominic Akerele (MCS 2015), Director of Tech Innovation, L’Oréal Groupe
- Flavia Bleahu (HNZ 2017), Division Director, Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Hub
- Shriya Boppana (TPR 2021), Anti-sex Trafficking Activist
- Sheyda Demooei (ENG 2016, 2016), Co-founder and CTO, ViralMoment
- Adewale Desalu (ENG 2014), Software Engineering Manager, Nike; International Nonprofit Founder
- Karan Dwivedi (ENG 2016), Cybersecurity Expert
- Alison Fierst (CFA 2018), Associate Principal Flute, New York Philharmonic
- Vineet Goel (SCS 2014), Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Parafin
- Chelsie Hall (CMU 2018), Co-founder and CEO, ViralMoment
- Gregory Houchins (MCS 2017, 2020), Founder and CEO, Chement
- Brent Ifemembi (ENG 2018, 2019), Co-founder and CEO, Drūl
- Meela Imperato (DC 2013, 2015, 2015), Brand Builder and Head of Marketing, Cofertility
- Sasha Cohen Ioannides (DC 2020), Sustainability Advocate and Entrepreneur
- Divyansh Kaushik (SCS 2019, 2022), Emerging Technologies Adviser
- Omar Khattab (CMU 2019), Incoming Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT
- Jasmine Kwasa (ENG 2021), Engineer, Neuroscientist and Educator
- Wasi Mohamed (HNZ 2021), Chief of Staff for U.S. Rep. Summer Lee
- Alex Petti (CMU 2015), Composer, Lyricist and Dramaturge
- Annie Pulsipher (CFA 2017), Playwright
- Barry Rabkin (TPR 2014), Director of Marketing, Near Earth Autonomy
- Shaun Ranadé (DC 2014; MCS 2015; ENG 2016), Fulbright Scholar, NIH Public Health Fellow and Medical Student
- Ojas Sawant (CMU 2015), Staff Engineer, Teragonia
- Prasun Shrestha (HNZ 2021), AI/ML Data Scientist, Hala Systems
- Huidi Xiang (CFA 2021), Sculptor
