Bea Field Alumni Podcast

About Bea Field Alumni Podcast

Telling Tulane stories through the voices of our alumni. Brought to you from the Tulane Office of Alumni Relations & the Bea Field Alumni House. Hosted by Nina Riffaud

Publisher

Nina Riffaud

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Mar 2025

Latest episode

5 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

19 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Oct 2026

   KC Charette (NC '06)

   Dr. KC Charette is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist located in South Florida. As a Psychology major at Tulane University, Dr. Charette’s commitment to working within the field of psychology was solidified during Hurricane Katrina, after witnessing first-hand the mental health impact on her fellow students, professors and the residents of New Orleans. Upon graduation, Dr. Charette went on to pursue her Doctorate in Psychology and currently owns & operates a private practice in Boca Raton, Florida where she provides individual, couples and group therapy. Outside of working with patients, Dr. Charette wrote a children’s book to normalize and de-stigmatize the experience of “Going to the Psychologist!”

2. 

   2 Sept 2026

   Rebecca Villalpando (SLA '17, SLA *22)

   Rebecca Villalpando is an Advancement Professional, Art Historian, writer, and proud double alumna of Tulane University. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Rebecca currently lives in New Orleans and works as a fundraiser for Tulane on the Undergraduate Reunions team. Rebecca graduated from Tulane in 2017, majoring in English and Art History with a minor in Africana Studies. After graduation, Rebecca returned to Los Angeles and began her career working at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on the museum's Major Gifts fundraising team. After three wonderful years immersing herself in the art world, museum culture, and fundraising 101, she returned to New Orleans and Tulane in 2020 to pursue a master's degree in Art History. Upon completing her MA, Rebecca provided curatorial assistance at the New Orleans Museum of Art before becoming Senior Researcher and Writer at local fine art and antique gallery M.S. Rau. Now she is back at Tulane for a third season — this time as a member of the staff. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys cooking and throwing dinner parties, visiting museums and galleries, spending time with her family (especially her niece Posey Lu), traveling to see friends in LA and New York, and experiencing all the joys of New Orleans with her friends in the city.

3. 

   10 Aug 2026

   Forbs West (SSE '20)

   Forbs West is a creative and analytical go-getter who got his start in the music industry taking an Intro to Music Business course at Tulane University taught by Grammy Award Winning Producer Chris Finney. Forbs is an anomaly in that during his undergraduate career at Tulane he was able to garner 7 internships in the industry including at Live Nation, TikTok, SiriusXM, Red Light Management, Irwin Entertainment (under NBC—Tonight Show with Lilly Singh), Warner Music (Atlantic Records), and WVUE Fox 8. He graduated in 2020 developing a self-designed double major in Mathematics and Music Business. In order to create this double major, he had to petition to the Dean of the School of Liberal Arts (3 times) on why this would help not only his academic and career aspirations but the creative artists industry as well. With the support of the fabulous Tulane alumni network, he was able to hustle to garner these opportunities even during the pandemic which made him become more resilient. Upon graduating in 2020, he landed a job at William Morris Endeavor in the Music Touring department working under Ashley Gonzeles (agent for Shakira, Daddy Yankee, Empress Of, HIRIE, etc.) before transitioning to SiriusXM where he worked in music programming department for both SiriusXM and Pandora. When starting at SiriusXM full time programmed content for The Music Business Channels on SiriusXM. Then, Forbs transitioned to working for Pandora under SiriusXM curating content in the EDM, Gospel, and Kids and Family Genres. This interest of working with artists and in curation also stemmed from his leadership positions through college radio at WTUL where he held various leadership roles such as the Sponsorships and Underwritings Director, Promotions Director, and On-Air Host for the Friday Jazz Show (DJ WestCoast Dawg). Presently, Forbs is the curation lead for the Kids and Family genre for Pandora as well as Mixtapes (playlists for brand partnerships). He has lead content strategy ideas from developing Pandora’s Top 15 EDM gaming station, Power On: Gaming Music to an education suite of content titled Study Jams: Elementary, Middle and High School to other stations including PE Pump and 2000s Disney Nostalgic Hits. Additionally as a side hustle, he manages 2 artists including 2x Grammy Nominated fiddle player and violinist Lily Honigberg (Shaboozey, Dasha, Myles Smith, Adrien Nunez), and country pop singer/songwriter Sami Siteman in Los Angeles. Forbs has amassed more than 11K followers via LinkedIn and has been featured in Yellowbrick's 40 Under 40, VoyageLA, Bold Journey, and ShoutoutLA. Forbs has also been a panelist for the Tulane Alumni Association and the Tulane Campus Programming Board and presently sits on the advisory council for the Metronome inNew Orleans. On top of consulting and managing entertainment talent, Forbs just obtained his MBA from NYU Stern triple specializing in Finance, Strategy, and Entertainment, Media, and Technology.

4. 

   11 Jun 2026

   Miguel Solis (PHTM '21)

   Miguel Solis is a cybersecurity consultant and web application ethical hacker with over eight years of experience helping companies uncover and fix security vulnerabilities. His work focuses on both technical threats and human factors, especially the psychology behind social engineering attacks. Miguel regularly advises organizations on how to build stronger security cultures through education, awareness, and smart policies.

5. 

   26 May 2026

   Jessica Katz (PHTM '14, PHTM *15)

   Jessica is the Founder & CEO of The Partnership Lab, where she helps public, private, development, and philanthropic actors design and deliver cross-sector partnerships for health and business impact. With over more than a decade working at the intersection of global health and the private sector, Jessica has advised companies, multilaterals, and foundations on partnership strategy, stakeholder engagement, and market-shaping initiatives. As a Partner at Rabin Martin, a global health consultancy, Jessica led a multi-million-dollar portfolio of private sector clients, including leading pharmaceutical and technology companies. In this role, she counseled senior executives on global health strategy and partnership design, building deep expertise in how companies evaluate global investments and make decisions under commercial, political, and reputational constraints. More recently, Jessica worked inside the multilateral system at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, where she joined the Private Sector Partnerships & Innovation team and led private sector fundraising efforts during a pivotal strategic period for the organization. In this role, she helped shape and operationalize how Gavi engages companies and private philanthropies by defining business-aligned / mission-aligned value propositions, introducing more deliberate targeting and engagement approaches, and translating Gavi’s mandate into executive-ready narratives that resonated with key decision-makers. This experience provided first-hand insight into how multilateral organizations operate, as well as the structural and operational barriers that can make private sector engagement complex—highlighting where traditional partnership models often struggle to convert corporate interest into sustained commitment and investment. Jessica founded The Partnership Lab to bridge these worlds. Drawing on experience on both sides of the table, se launched the Lab in response to a changing global health landscape—one defined by constrained public funding, increased competition for private sector resources, and growing demand for partnerships that move beyond alignment to execution. The Partnership Lab helps organizations translate public mandates into business-relevant propositions, reduce friction for private sector engagement, and build partnership models that are practical, credible, and built to deliver results and improve public health impact in low and middle income countries.

6. 

   16 Apr 2026

   Dave Cariello (TC '03)

   Originally from Long Island, David Cariello came to New Orleans in 1999 to attend Tulane University. After graduating in 2003, he became the third owner of Campus Connection, continuing the 40+ year tradition of serving the Tulane community. David currently resides in Old Metairie with his wife, Erin, and two children, Dylan and Blaire.

7. 

   17 Mar 2026

   Christoph Krey (B '07)

   Christoph Krey is an Executive Director at JPMorganChase in Boston and New York City, where he leads Global Client Service & Solutions for Global Asset Managers within the firm’s Securities Services division. With two decades of experience in financial services, Christoph specializes in managing complex, cross-functional relationships with the world’s largest asset managers. His work focuses on delivering scalable, cost-effective financial and technical solutions while maintaining JPMorgan’s role as a trusted strategic partner. Before joining JPMorgan, he held key roles at Brown Brothers Harriman and has led teams across Operations, Technology, Product, and Client Service. Beyond finance, Christoph is also an accomplished musician and the creative force behind the band MYAI – My Art Intelligence and McAlister Drive. As a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, he has performed in over 1,500 events worldwide and shared stages with artists including Imagine Dragons, Counting Crows, Alabama, The Wallflowers, and Talib Kweli. MYAI’s work explores the intersection of human creativity and artificial intelligence—melding 75% Art Intelligence with 25% Artificial Intelligence to craft a unique sonic experience. McAlister Drive is Rock for people who love Folk, Soul, and Pop. True Americana chameleons of the stage A proud alumnus of Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business, Christoph also pursued studies at Babson College, Wellesley College, and Eckerd College. He currently serves on the Tulane Alumni Board of Directors as the Secretary and Treasury. Christoph values balance and perspective, spending his free time with family, golfing, playing tennis, ice hockey, traveling, and enjoying winter sports.

8. 

   20 Feb 2026

   Alexis Madormo (SSE '17)

   Alexis Madormo is a 2017 Tulane graduate based in New Orleans and a graduate alumna of UT Austin. After working at Tulane in Case Management & Victim Support Services, she made a career pivot that led her to managing a vintage furniture warehouse and later to her current role as an interior design assistant. She recently launched her own business - or as she likes to call it, “wizness” (woman-owned business) - Unexpected Red Creative Studio (https://unexpected-red.com/), focusing on gallery walls, reimagined pieces, and creative spaces. On a typical weekday, Alexis can usually be found making dinner with friends and starting a craft she fully intends to finish one day (maybe).

9. 

   23 Jan 2026

   Chelsea Cipriano (SLA '10, PHTM *11)

   We got to speak with Chelsea Cipriano and learn all about her impressive work within the public health field, as well as her time on campus at Tulane. From the halls of Wall dorm to the halls of government—Chelsea’s journey is one for the books.

10. 

    20 Oct 2025

    Jennifer Mills (NC '01)

    Jennifer Mills shares her experiences arranging music for Green Envy and balancing a demanding pre-med course load before embarking on her career as a physician; this is an interview.

11. 

    2 Oct 2025

    Cat Scibetta (SW*22)

    Cat Scibetta, Associate Director of Programmatic Initiatives, discusses her career path from Art History to Alumni Relations at Tulane University, highlighting the importance of building strong alumni communities; this is an interview.

12. 

    17 Sept 2025

    Alison Midollo (B '16) - Episode 7

    Alison Midollo shares her journey from corporate burnout to becoming a wellness leader, emphasizing the importance of self-care and rest for overall well-being in this interview.

13. 

    4 Apr 2025

    Sophie Bryant (PHTM ’17) - Episode 6

    Sophie Bryant is a New York native who graduated Tulane undergrad in 2017 with a double major in psychology and public health. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and played saxophone in a jazz combo on campus. Sophie absolutely fell in love with New Orleans during her time here and has since moved here with her sister and parents to continue to enjoy everything New Orleans has to offer. Sophie works as a pediatric emergency room nurse at Ochsner and is currently in school at LSU to become a nurse practitioner. Outside of listening to music on Frenchman Street, enjoying crawfish with her family, or dining at delicious restaurants, she loves to crochet and read on her balcony apartment off of Magazine Street. She’s so grateful for Tulane and the friends that it has brought her, including the podcast’s own, Nina Riffaud.

14. 

    4 Apr 2025

    Becca Hildner (B ’17) - Episode 5

    Becca is a social media strategist, a proud Tulane alum, and someone who somehow turned scrolling into a career. Outside of work, you can find her hanging out with friends (and their dogs), drinking the crispest Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand has to offer, and convincing herself that screen time doesn’t count if it’s a rewatch of The Eras Tour Film.

15. 

    4 Apr 2025

    Nicole Taffaro Bush (UC ’95, SoPA ’20) - Episode 4

    Nicole Taffaro Bush is the Senior Director of Alumni Career & Professional Development within the Office of Alumni Relations at Tulane University. She has over twenty years of experience as a career consultant. Nicole has earned a variety of coaching certifications – most recently, Certified Executive Coach – ICF Level 2 and Certified Leadership & Resilience Coach. Prior to creating and developing career programming for alumni, Nicole worked with students at the A. B. Freeman School of Business, where she created, developed and taught the first career development class offered by the university and represented the Career Management Center on both undergraduate and graduate level curriculum committees. In 2014, Nicole was elected to serve on the Tulane Staff Advisory Council (SAC) for three years, where she represented staff concerns as a member of the University Senate and served on the SAC Executive Board. She has been actively involved in professional organizations and in her community, currently serving as President of the Alumni Career Services Network. Born and raised in New Orleans, LA, Nicole graduated from Tulane University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She spent several years working for the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida and worked as a Staffing Manager in Atlanta before returning home to New Orleans.

16. 

    4 Apr 2025

    Jered Bocage (TC '00, G *02, B *20, SoPA *23) - Episode 3

    Jered Bocage is a native New Orleanian with four degrees from Tulane! He first graduated in 2000 from Tulane College and has gone on to earn three master’s degrees, one each from the Graduate School, A. B. Freeman School of Business, and the School of Professional Advancement. Before beginning his career at Tulane, he was a teacher in New Orleans public schools as part of Teach for America. He returned to his alma mater as a staff member first in the Board of Tulane office, then Student Affairs, and now currently in Alumni Relations. He is proud to have started many Tulanians’ favorite traditions like the Homecoming Carnival and Crawfest, among many others!

17. 

    4 Apr 2025

    Peter Young (TC '07, SCS *14, B '17) - Episode 2

    Originally from Baltimore, MD, Peter Young came to Tulane in 2003 and moved into the moved to the penthouse floor of Monroe Hall. He graduated from Tulane College with a Bachelor’s degree in political science and then began working at Tulane in 2009. He also earned master’s degrees from the School of Continuing Studies (now the School of Professional Advancement), and the A. B. Freeman School of Business. As a student, he was involved in the Tulane College Senate and Undergraduate Student Government, eventually serving as USG president for two terms, was briefly on the staff of the Tulane Hullabaloo (https://tulanehullabaloo.com/), and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. After graduating, he joined the Tulane staff, first in Student Affairs, and has been with the Office of Alumni Relations since 2013. He manages the office’s budget, data, operations, Bea Field Alumni House, and works with the TAA Board of Directors. Peter loves reading, traveling, and collecting things including: books, bookmarks, tchotchkes from his travels, stamps, postcards, He lives in the Mid-City neighborhood with his partner, Rob, and their dog, Cooper. His favorite color is orange.

18. 

    4 Apr 2025

    Nina Riffaud (SLA '18) - Episode 1

    Originally from New York, Nina found her place when she visited New Orleans for the first time in 2013. Tulane was the first college she got into, and despite the fact that she waited to hear from other colleges, she knew in her heart that New Orleans was the place for her from the second she landed at MSY and saw the giant Louis Armstrong statue - a staple of the old MSY airport. Nina graduated from the School of Liberal Arts in 2018 with a Bachelor's degree in English. When she is not recording the Bea Field Alumni Podcast, she can be found painting, playing piano, singing, traveling, thrift shopping, and hanging with her besties. You can find Nina on LinkedIn to connect with her or on her couch eating pasta in a large t-shirt. At any and all times, she has music playing from the speakers in her home, and has become the resident playlist curator for her friends' parties over the years.

19. 

    21 Mar 2025

    Welcome Episode!

    Welcome to the Bea Field Alumni Podcast where we tell Tulane stories through the voices of our alumni.

Who has been a guest on Bea Field Alumni Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jennifer Mills
• Cat Scibetta
• Alison Midollo

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

17

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Bea Field Alumni Podcast

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.