CORE TEAM
RABBI ELAN BABCHUCK
He/Him
Founding Director
Rabbi Elan Babchuck is committed to leaving behind a world that is more compassionate and connected than the one he found. In pursuit of that commitment he serves as the Executive Vice President at Clal, the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, and the Founding Executive Director of Glean Network, which partners with Columbia Business School. He was ordained in 2012, and earned his MBA that year, as well.
A sought-after thought leader, he has delivered keynotes at stages ranging from TEDx to the US Army’s General Officer Convocation, published in The Atlantic, The Guardian, Washington Post, and Religion News Service, has a column for The Wisdom Daily, contributed to Meaning Making – 8 Values That Drive America’s Newest Generations (2020, St. Mary’s Press) and is the co-author of the forthcoming book Picking Up the Pieces: Leadership After Empire (2023, Fortress Press).
He also serves as:
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a Founding Partner of Starts With Us, a movement to counteract toxic polarization in America,
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A founding Research Advisory Board Member of Springtide Research Institute, which focuses on spirituality, mental health and Gen Z,
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a founding board member of Beloved Network, a network of startup Jewish communities, and
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a founding member of the Board of Advisors of the Changemaker Initiative.
He lives in Providence, Rhode Island with his wife, Lizzie Pollock, and their three children: Micah, Nessa, and Ayla. In his spare time, he is an avid rock climber and constant gardener.
MINAHIL KHAN
She/Her
Communications Strategist
I'm a data-driven creative that loves to explore the various avenues through which we create and share information. I come to Glean with the hopes of not only broadening my understanding of the intersection between innovation and faith, but also documenting our journey in a plethora of ways. I recently obtained a BBA in Marketing and a minor in IT from The University of Massachusetts-Amherst, but my academic interests also include FinTech and Islamic Law. You can always find me talking world affairs, reading Emily Dickinson, or producing disruptive art - whatever that may look like.
WORK WITH US
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Careers at Glean Network
There are no current openings. We are always looking to meet with individuals who are passionate about spiritual entrepreneurship and motivated by our mission, vision, and values. Contact Us.
SANDY HONG
He/They
Assistant Director
Sandy Hong is a facilitator and a strategic consultant, with a background in digital strategy & community organizing. Prior to joining Glean Network’s Core Team, he was a participant in Glean’s 2020 START program, focusing on developing offerings that center justice, belonging, liminality and spirituality within the Korean diaspora.
Sandy is passionate about building resilient systems of care and accountability that shape organizations and their commitments from the inside out. A self-described "network nerd", Sandy is passionate about decentralized networks and their potential to create deep, broad, transformative change starting from the individual, their values, and their embodiment.
SHELLI ADERMAN
She/Her
Director of Program Administration and Operations
Shelli Aderman, she/her has been fortunate to work as a theatrical stage manager, Jewish educator, and synagogue administrator for over thirty years. Her diverse career complements her role at Clal, where she is responsible for the logistical and administrative aspects of Clal's varied projects including, The Belonging Project, Stand and See, Rabbis Without Borders, Glean Network, and Spark, among others. Shelli continues to be an active lay leader and educator at Town and Village Synagogue, and she resides with her wife, Narda E. Alcorn, and their children in New York City.
START FACULTY & COACHES
DR. JACK MCGOURTY
He/Him
Founder, Venture For All®
Director of Community and Global Entrepreneurship, Columbia Business School
Dr. Jack McGourty is an entrepreneur, educator, applied psychologist, and author. He is an adjunct business professor at Columbia Business School, teaching applied classes in entrepreneurship and innovation. He founded Venture for All®, a global entrepreneurship company offering educational programs to entrepreneurs, business owners, and corporate innovators seeking to apply entrepreneurial thinking and contemporary innovation practices in academic and professional environments.
Before joining the Columbia Business School, Dr. McGourty was Vice Dean for Columbia's Engineering School. For almost 25 years, he has been an active member of the University's entrepreneurial community. Dr. McGourty has taught over 7500 students in the core and advanced courses ranging from engineering design to managing emerging technologies, established an undergraduate minor in entrepreneurship, and launched the Columbia-Harlem Small Business Development Center in 2009. In addition, he has been an active instructor in the University's High School Academic Program, Teacher's College clinical psychology program, and, more recently, in Executive Education hosted by the Business School. Dr. McGourty is the recipient of the Columbia Engineering School's Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award and Columbia Business School's Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence. He was a nominee finalist for the University's Presidential Teacher Award in 2006 and was awarded the IBM Education Innovators Award in 2011. In addition, he is a co-author of the Wiley publication, Patterns of Entrepreneurship Management, 6th Edition, published in 2020.
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SARAH BESTON
She/Her
Instructor, Venture For All®
Sarah Beston is an entrepreneur, yoga and meditation teacher, inner wellness coach, and writer based in Los Angeles. Sarah's Body Wisdom coaching programs and retreats blend ancient wisdom with modern science while pulling from the traditions of yoga, spiritual healing, positive psychology, somatics, and mindfulness. Through her teachings and guidance, Sarah hopes to inspire others to overcome self-imposed limitations, helping them to uncover their individual truths and (re)discover their most authentic selves. Sarah is an instructor at Columbia Business School's Venture for All program, where she teaches courses on spiritual entrepreneurship and venture creation.
RODNEY ERIC LÓPEZ
He/Him
START COACH
Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Rodney Eric López is a seasoned and sought-after educator, artist, and non-profit leader. His diverse professional background includes successful tenures in teaching artistry, training, coaching and facilitation, corporate communications and public relations, and nonprofit leadership.
Rodney holds a B.S. in Communications Studies from New York University, where he was a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar. He is also a member of the Glean Network's START Cohort 4 and was proud to serve on its team of alumni coaches this year.
PASTOR YANI DAVIS
She/They
START COACH
Iyana “YaNi” Davis, is a graduate of Claremont School of Theology with her Masters of Divinity. Rev. YaNi received her B.A. from Spelman College, with an English degree. YaNi has always been passionate about the impact of words, storytelling, truth-telling and the therapeutic nature of writing one’s words and sharing one’s story.
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YaNi is the founder of, My SupaNatural Life, an organization that provides education and wholistic care for people living with disabilities and their caregivers. YaNi has founded several spiritual communities/churches around the country, is the author of, Love Poems for Peace, is a kidney transplant survivor and near completion of a second masters (Professional Studies-Business of Art and Design) via Maryland Institute College of Art. YaNi is the essence of peace personified!