Sy Syms School of Business Celebrates Women's History Month
Students
Simone Amkraut ’28SB
Major: Strategy & Entrepreneurship
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
Dr. Sharon Poczter is an incredible innovator and advocate for women, as is evident from her founding YUWILL. She is a respected voice on women and work, known for approaching business and policy questions with an independent, economics‑based lens, especially around issues like women’s work and opportunity. Her commitment to mentoring is powerful and she is proud that she is advising students she first taught 25 years ago. I admire her commitment to empowering others.
Current titles:
Student Assistant, Athletic Staff, Yeshiva University ● Public Address Announcer – deliver lineups, scoring, and game operations announcements ● Game Day Graphics and Scoreboard/Clock Operations ● Statistics Aide, Sports Information –use NCAA-approved software to provide postgame reports
Extra-Curricular Activities and Achievements:
TAMID Yeshiva University SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) (2024 - present) Promote communication between athletics administration and student-athletes Solicit student-athlete responses to proposed conference and NCAA legislation. Create a vehicle for student-athlete representation on campus-wide committees government Organize community service efforts to address local needs for food and housing security Team Member, Yeshiva University Maccabees, NCAA Division III (2024 - Present) Basketball, Team Captain (Point-Guard - Winter), Soccer (Goalie - Fall), Softball (Shortstop- Spring) Awarded NCAA Division 3 CSC Academic All-District Team (2024-2025) Finalist for YU Aaron Meyer Award for dedication to university athletic program (2024-2025)
Laura Camargo ’26SB (MBA)
Concentration: Strategy & Entrepreneurship
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
Linda Driver is an exceptional professional who consistently goes above and beyond to ensure project success. Her calm demeanor and remarkable patience make her an asset to any team, and her ability to engage in thoughtful, productive dialogue makes collaborating with her a true pleasure.
Extra-Curricular Activities:
ALPFA
Alexandra Cohen ’26SB
Major: Strategy & Entrepreneurship; Minors: Finance and Biology
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
Professor Sharon Poczter has had the biggest impact on me in the Sy Syms community. In her Principles of Strategy class, she pushed me to think more critically and communicate my ideas clearly. Through business presentations and class discussions, she helped me become more confident presenting in front of a crowd. Her class also changed the way I approach business problems, encouraging me to think strategically which has helped me tremendously with my Mister Brush business venture.
Current titles:
CEO & Founder, MisterBrush
Extra-Curricular Activities and Achievements:
Entrepreneurial Society board member Entrepreneurial Arts and Networking Society member START Science group leader Ping Pong Club member Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honors Society inductee Sy Syms Honors student Dean’s List Chai Lifeline volunteer
Tova Farber ’26SB
Major: Finance; Minor: Marketing
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
Professor Sharon Poczter has had the biggest impact on me in the Sy Syms community. Professor Poczter models both intellectual strength and confident leadership. Taking strategy with her my first semester on campus has shaped how i approach building and scaling my own business. Professor Poczter continues to embody and teach values of being a woman in business. She has inspired me to step confidently into that space myself.
Current titles:
Founder & Owner, Tova Kaitlyn Alterations
Extra-Curricular Activities and Achievements:
Founder and President of Entrepreneurial Arts Networking Society (EANS) Member of Women on Wall Street Society (WOWS) TAMID Consulting Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) International Business Honor Society
Beth Glantz ’26SB
Majors: Finance and Strategy & Entrepreneurship
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
A woman in the Sy Syms community who has had a significant impact on me is Professor Gabriela Coiculescu. While working on preparations for the Florida Investment Conference, I had the privilege of experiencing her mentorship firsthand. Her genuine dedication to helping her students succeed, both academically and in their future careers, is incredibly inspiring. She truly cares about her students and constantly pushes them to grow and reach their full potential.
Current titles:
Student; Incoming advisory associate at KPMG
Extra-Curricular Activities and Achievements:
President of TAMID @YU Co-Founder of YU Women on Wall Street Society Member of Golda Meir Fellowship SGC student ambassador Deans List student
Claudia Levine ’27SB (MSF)
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
Dr. Gabriela Coiculescu inspires me to think through and participate in corporate finance discussions with her, her colleagues and my new peers. I met with her a few months before classes began, and she recognized that I could contribute practical knowledge to the other students in class. She is a genius at academic finance and clearly conveys applications to real-world finance. I appreciate her solutions-focused attitude and her drive to “yield” good results.
Current titles:
Student
Extra-Curricular Activities and Achievements:
The M&A Advisor A Winner of the 12th Annual Turnaround Awards (Violin Memory restructuring and acquisition by Soros Fund Management) for the Information Technology Deal of the Year / Restructuring of Violin Memory, Inc.
Elle Ohayon ’27SB
Majors: Finance, Accounting and Strategy & Entrepreneurship
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
Professor Sharon Poczter has been a mentor and resource for me as well as Professor Gabriela Coiculescu, who taught me a bunch and helped me prepare a ton before the stock pitch competition at the University of Florida where my team won 4th place. Professor Coiculescu stayed up until late hours into the night teaching me the financials and explaining how to use the Bloomberg data terminals.
Current titles:
Student
Extra-Curricular Activities and Achievements:
Sy Syms Student Body Co-President TAMID Member NCAA DIII Volleyball Player (and Captain) + Softball YUWILL/Golda Meir fellowship member Marketing Director and Member of the Asset & Wealth Management Society VP of SAAC Honors Commitiee Member YUNMUN — admin assitant & media center Deans List Richard Joel Leadership Award 2x CSC Academic All District
Alumnae
Ia Bater ’06SB, ’14SB (MBA)
Managing Director Global Head of Product, Marsh Risk
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
Dr. Tamar Avnet had the greatest impact on me during my time at Sy Syms MBA program. Her approach to marketing went far beyond theory—she challenged us to understand how people actually think, decide, and respond to ideas. Through her teaching, I developed a deeper appreciation for the psychological side of strategy and communication. She pushed me to think more critically, and that perspective continues to influence how I approach leadership and product strategy today.
Julie Feder ’92SB
CEO, Obsidian Therapeutics; Member of the Sy Syms School of Business Board of Overseers (See also in "Board" section below)
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
Marcy Syms - she was a trailblazer and presence for me from the very early days of my time at Sy Syms. She has demonstrated success as a business woman and a true example in philanthropy. Her support of our dear program and students is unparalleled.
Extra-Curricular Activities and Achievements:
Back in the Boardroom Member Treasurer and Exec Committee Chair at the Maimonides School
Sally Poolat ’14SB (MBA)
Regional Director of U.S. Development, Leket Israel - Israel's National Foodbank
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
Professor Tamar Avnet, PhD, had a profound impact on me during my time at the Sy Syms School of Business. Her approach to teaching Marketing at the master’s level was both intellectually stimulating and deeply engaging. She challenged us not only to master the material, but also to integrate our professional and life experiences into our thinking, pushing us to approach marketing with both analytical rigor and real-world perspective.
Extra-Curricular Activities and Achievements:
Volunteer at Sar El in Israel Various volunteering groups in Israel to assist our IDF
Leadership
Dr. Tamar Avnet
Professor of Marketing, Associate Dean, Director of Graduate Programs, Yeshiva University Sy Syms School of Business
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
Marcy Syms has had the greatest impact on me within the Sy Syms community. She represents the kind of leadership that is both pioneering and principled. At a time when the business world was still overwhelmingly male-dominated, she stepped into a leadership role at Sy Syms Corp. and helped run and grow the company alongside her father. Doing so required not only business acumen, but confidence, resilience, and the ability to command respect in spaces where women were often underestimated.
What makes her especially impactful is that her influence extends far beyond corporate success. She has consistently been an advocate for women’s causes and women’s rights, using her platform and resources to support initiatives that create opportunity and equity. She demonstrates that success and social responsibility are not mutually exclusive—they can and should go hand in hand.
Extra-Curricular Activities and Achievements:
I am actively involved in several professional and community activities.
Within my community, I volunteer by knitting for babies and the elderly, contributing handmade items to those in need. I also participate in a discussion group at my synagogue focused on the study of the Prophets, which provides an ongoing opportunity for meaningful learning and reflection. In addition, I am a member of the PIA organization. PIA (Parents in Action) is a community-based organization dedicated to supporting families and strengthening educational and social initiatives within local schools. It works to foster collaboration between parents and institutions, advocate for student needs, and enhance the overall community experience.
Professionally, I am a published researcher in consumer behavior and have served as a guest editor for a special issue examining how AI is transforming consumer platforms. I currently serve as the Director of the Sy Syms Graduate Programs and the Associate Dean.
These engagements reflect both my professional commitment to advancing scholarship and education, and my personal dedication to community involvement and service.
Dr. Sharon Poczter
Director, Sy Syms Honors Program; Founding Director, Lieberman-Mitzner Center for Public Service & Advocacy; Founding Director; Yeshiva University Women’s Initiative for Leadership and Learning; Associate Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
The biggest female impact on me in the Syms community has been my female students. They are constantly pushing me to be better, and inspiring me by their inquisitiveness and desire to achieve.
Board
Teresa Bayewitz
Partner, Mecer; Member, Sy Syms School of Business Board of Overseers
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
I’m constantly inspired by the young women studying at Sy Syms. They’re bright, hardworking, curious, and bring such great energy to everything they do. It’s incredibly rewarding to share my experience with them and watch them grow into the leaders of tomorrow. Being part of their journey-even in a small way-is one of the most meaningful parts of what I do.
Extra-Curricular Activities and Achievements:
Board member Bergen County Jewish Action Committee, Elected member of Teaneck Democratic Municipal Committee
Julie Feder ’92SB
CEO, Obsidian Therapeutics; Member of the Sy Syms School of Business Board of Overseers (See also in "Alumnae" section)
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
Marcy Syms - she was a trailblazer and presence for me from the very early days of my time at Sy Syms. She has demonstrated success as a business woman and a true example in philanthropy. Her support of our dear program and students is unparalleled.
Extra-Curricular Activities and Achievements:
Back in the Boardroom Member Treasurer and Exec Committee Chair at the Maimonides School
Ms. Marcy Syms
President, Sy Syms Foundation; Member, Sy Syms School of Business Board of Overseers
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
There have been many since 1986.
Extra-Curricular Activities and Achievements:
President & Founding Trustee, SY SYMS FOUNDATION A NEW JERSEY NON PROFIT CORP
Founding Board Member, ERA Project Columbia Law School Civil Rights and Social Action
Board Member, NPR Arts and Culture
Board Member, Macaulay Honors College at The City University of New York
Founding Trustee, Sy Syms School of Business
Advisory Board Member, Have Art Will Travel
Board Member, Harvard Unviversity, Kennedy Center, Women's Leadership Council
Staff
Roz Beberman
Director of Institutional Advancement, Sy Syms School of Business
Which woman in the Sy Syms community has had the biggest impact on you and how?
Dr. Tamar Avnet has had a profound impact on the Sy Syms community. I admire her unrelenting commitment to the school and the thoughtfulness she brings to every initiative. She has helped restore a strong sense of enthusiasm and engagement among faculty while also advancing the Sy Syms Graduate Program through new and innovative programming. Her meaningful engagement with alumni and donors helps bring the entire Sy Syms community together in support of our students.
