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Haas Center for Public Service

Distinguished Visitor Program

The Mimi and Peter E. Haas Distinguished Visitor Program invites local entrepreneurs and changemakers to campus during winter and spring quarters to co-teach a class and meet with members of the Stanford community. The goals are to:

  • facilitate student learning and exposure;
  • provide professional advancement and networking opportunities for Distinguished Visitors;
  • create space for reflection, planning, and personalized support;
  • foster academic collaboration;
  • allow the visitors to share their expertise with the wider community; and
  • offer teaching opportunities.

For additional information about the program, please contact Katie Avila, director of community partnerships at the Haas Center for Public Service.

Clockwise from top left: Josh Nesbit, Alex Bernadotte, Jaime-Alexis Fowler, and Amanda Renteria.

On March 5, this year's Distinguished Visitors participated in a panel discussion about their work using technology for social change. Check back soon for a recording of the event.

To inquire about meeting with our Distinguished Visitors, contact Katie Avila.

The theme of the 2024 Mimi and Peter E. Haas Distinguished Visitor Program was environmental sustainability. The Haas Center and the Doerr School of Sustainability co-hosted four environmental justice change makers: Angela McKee-Brown, Jason Su, Cecilia Taylor, and Violet Wulf-Saena. In this video, they reflect on their time at Stanford, along with faculty, staff, and students who interacted with them.

2025 Distinguished Visitors

Join our Distinguished Visitors on March 5, 2025 for a panel event entitled Innovation for All: Empowering Communities through Tech. The panel will discuss their work leveraging technology and human-centered design to tackle systemic inequities, empower communities, and drive scalable social change. Check back soon for registration information. 

Alex Bernadotte is the founder and CEO of Beyond 12, a nonprofit that combines personalized coaching with mobile technology to help traditionally underserved students graduate from college and achieve meaningful careers. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Stanford University, Alex has received multiple awards recognizing her leadership and contributions to education and social justice.

Jaime-Alexis Fowler is the founder and executive director of Empower Work, a nonprofit that has supported over 400,000 workers with resources to navigate workplace challenges and improve their economic and emotional well-being. Jaime-Alexis draws on a deep commitment to community and innovation to leverage technology and human connection to create effective support systems and drive systemic change for workers nationwide.

Josh Nesbit is the technologist in residence at Emerson Collective, a company that invests in civic-minded entrepreneurs and innovators. Previously, he co-founded and served as CEO of Medic, leading the creation of open-source software that now empowers over 160,000 frontline health workers worldwide. Josh is currently preparing to launch a new project focused on prosocial AI—technology that helps people help people.

Amanda Renteria is the CEO of Code for America, a nonprofit that partners with governments and community organizations to leverage technology for a more equitable, accessible, and efficient government. Amanda has also served as chief of operations at the U.S. Department of Justice, national political director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential campaign, and the first Latina chief of staff in the U.S. Senate.