Thousands of graduating students, alumni, and their families came to campus at the end of May for the 2026 commencement ceremonies and Reunion celebrations. Among them were over 1,500 MIT Sloan alumni and their guests who attended MIT Sloan Reunion 2026.
MIT Sloan’s role, in the MIT ecosystem, is one of translation. We’re translating MIT’s innovations into really exciting new business models and enterprises. It’s a really interesting moment at MIT, and it’s an amazing moment in the world, because the world needs what we have to offer.
Getting started
Reunion began on Thursday, May 28, with sessions on Action Learning, artificial intelligence, and admissions.
Becca Souza (Director, Action Learning Office) and Lisa Barone (Senior Associate Director, Action Learning Office) informed attendees about how, as alumni, they can stay involved with the school by hosting or mentoring student Action Learning teams. Simultaneously, panelists Robin Ganek, MBA ’15, Luda Kopeikina, SF ’90, Chris Mannion, MBA ’16, and Wendi X. Zhang, MF ’19, discussed strategies for career advancement and talent development in the age of artificial intelligence. Dawna Levenson, SB ’83, SM ’84, (Assistant Dean of Admissions) provided updates on the latest trends in school admissions.
The day ended with faculty sessions by Alessandro Acquisti (T. Wilson (1953) Professor in Management) on personal data collection and monetization; Robert Pozen (Society of Sloan Fellows Professor of Management) on teaching happiness to MBA students; Eric So (Sloan Distinguished Professor of Global Economics and Behavioral Science) on how AI is reshaping human cognition; and Nelson Repenning, PhD ’96, (School of Management Distinguished Professor of System Dynamics and Organization Studies) on dynamic work design.
New learnings
Friday kicked off with “Beyond the Public Eye,” in which Lovisa Afzelius, MBA ’16, Justin Butler, MBA ’11, Ellen Hazen Carpenter, MBA ’96, and Kira Rosoff, MBA ’11, spoke about their experiences at the intersection of capital, strategy, and challenges in private markets. In “The Business and the Case for MIT Sloan,” Kathryn Hawkes (Senior Associate Dean, External Engagement) and Bill Garrett (Senior Associate Dean & Chief Administrative Officer) surveyed the school’s history of financial independence and the impact of philanthropy.
After lunch, Gary Gensler (Professor of the Practice, Global Economics and Management; Professor of the Practice, Finance) explored the intersection of AI and finance in “AI & Money,” and Miro Kazakoff, MBA ’11, (Senior Lecturer, Work and Organization Studies) spoke about the importance of “Communicating with Data” for business professionals. Wong Auditorium came alive the following hour for “Climate at MIT Sloan: From Systems Thinking to System Change,” featuring Jason Jay, PhD ’10 (Senior Lecturer; Director, MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative), Roberto Rigobon, PhD ’97 (Society of Sloan Fellows Professor of Management; Co-Faculty Director, MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative), and John Sterman, PhD ’82 (Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management; Co-Faculty Director, MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative). Lily Russell, MBA ’11 moderated the session.
We think that we have a tremendous chance of having an incredible technology that is going to improve humankind. Therefore, what we have to do is to think about how to implement it.
Jess Galacia, MBA ’16, Melanie Machinea, MBA ’01, DeAndrea Salvador, MBA ’25, and Ambika Singh, MBA ’16, spoke about “The Power of MIT Sloan Women in Leadership.” In “Perspectives from Leaders for Global Operations Alumni,” Caitlin Braun, LGO ’21, Wendy-Kay Logan, LGO ’11, Cheryl Stokes, LGO ’96, and Kerry Weinberg, LGO ’16, discussed the influence of the MIT Leaders for Global Operations program on their careers. The MIT Sloan Physicians Group hosted two back-to-back sessions on “How Doctors Are Leading the Transformation of American Healthcare.” Panelists included Dr. Andrea Doria, MBA ’19, Dr. Joan LaRovere, EMBA ’16, Dr. Roy Schoenberg, Dr. Carl Robert Dahlberg, SF ’17, Dr. Kevin S. Oh, EMBA ’25, and Dr. Umbereen S. Nehal, SFMBA ’24.
Entrepreneurship rounded out the day with “The Entrepreneur’s Journey: Turning MIT Principles into Real-World Impact,” a panel organized by the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, and the annual alumni ideas talks. In the former, Susan Neal (Lecturer; Entrepreneur in Residence) moderated a discussion with Alessandra Henderson, MBA ’16, Rena Pacheco-Theard, MBA ’16, and Anil Dharni, MBA ’06. The latter saw Jon Acquaviva, MBA ’21, Cathy Kang, SF ’06, Charlotte Rocker, MBA ’11, and Mike Sanchez, MBA ’25, take the stage in Wong.
Celebrating the past, inventing the future
On Saturday, attendees rejoined Roberto Rigobon for “The EPOCH of AI,” during which he explored how human capabilities compliment AI through the framework developed with Isabella Loaiza, SM ’19, PhD ’23 (Postdoctoral Associate).
“We think that we have a tremendous chance of having an incredible technology that is going to improve humankind,” said Rigobon. “Therefore, what we have to do is to think about how to implement it.”
Erin Kelly (Sloan Distinguished Professor of Work and Organization Studies; Co-Director, MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research) then presented “Designing Work that Works: Evidence from Tough Settings” to the audience in Wong. Drawing on a large-scale randomized field experiment in U.S. fulfillment centers, as well as nascent research on AI implementation in healthcare, Kelly demonstrated that structured opportunities for employee voice significantly reduce psychological distress and turnover.
“When people have a voice, they’re able to share their wisdom and they feel supported in this change process,” said Kelly.
During a special noontime session, the IDEAS Social Innovation Incubator—housed in the MIT PKG Center for Social Impact—celebrated its 25th anniversary with an alumni panel featuring David Brown, MBA ’25, Aanchal Arora, MBA ’25, Renata Bakousseva, MBA ’16, and Caitlin Dolkart, MBA ’16. A break for lunch followed, which included a luncheon for MIT Sloan Annual Fund Dean’s Circle donors with John C Head III Dean Richard M. Locke, PhD ’89, and other leaders at MIT Sloan.
When people have a voice, they’re able to share their wisdom and they feel supported in this change process.
The afternoon concluded with the return of the En-ROADS Climate Simulator demonstration with Bethany Patten, EMBA ’13, (Senior Lecturer; Executive Director, MIT Climate Policy Center) and a presentation by Dean Locke regarding his vision for the future of MIT Sloan. This was immediately followed by a fireside chat with Dean Locke and Miro Kazakoff, MBA ’11 (Senior Lecturer, Managerial Communications).
“MIT Sloan’s role, in the MIT ecosystem, is one of translation. We’re translating MIT’s innovations into really exciting new business models and enterprises,” said Locke. “It’s a really interesting moment at MIT, and it’s an amazing moment in the world, because the world needs what we have to offer.”
Check out the MIT Sloan Reunion 2026 website to see more highlights and videos.
