Alex Carter

The answer is no, I pushed myself. And initially, I pushed myself because I thought it would be a challenge. So one thing that I have to say that I've always been good at is putting myself forward for a challenge. So whether that was in eighth grade, deciding I am going to enter this speech and debate contest. And Maybe it's going to be difficult, but this is going to be good for me.

The answer is no, I pushed myself. And initially, I pushed myself because I thought it would be a challenge. So one thing that I have to say that I've always been good at is putting myself forward for a challenge. So whether that was in eighth grade, deciding I am going to enter this speech and debate contest. And Maybe it's going to be difficult, but this is going to be good for me.

Or in college when I arrived and I felt so shy about meeting people and I thought to myself, I'm going to run for student government and I'm going to knock on every door in the freshman class and ask people for their vote. And Ilana, I would knock on every door go into the bathroom, cry, wash my face, and then go to the next floor and knock on every door there.

Or in college when I arrived and I felt so shy about meeting people and I thought to myself, I'm going to run for student government and I'm going to knock on every door in the freshman class and ask people for their vote. And Ilana, I would knock on every door go into the bathroom, cry, wash my face, and then go to the next floor and knock on every door there.

And so it was a bit of maybe taking a leap and saying, this is something that I think I can do deep down, and it might be a challenge, but I'm going to push myself, bet on myself, and see what happens.

And so it was a bit of maybe taking a leap and saying, this is something that I think I can do deep down, and it might be a challenge, but I'm going to push myself, bet on myself, and see what happens.

I do. You know, I had some difficult times as a child. My parents went through a really rough divorce. And I remember in particular, looking at my mom and how she was feeling. And at times in court, it felt like she was at a real disadvantage. And I was there in court as a child, sometimes watching it happen. And I remember telling myself, this is not going to be me.

I do. You know, I had some difficult times as a child. My parents went through a really rough divorce. And I remember in particular, looking at my mom and how she was feeling. And at times in court, it felt like she was at a real disadvantage. And I was there in court as a child, sometimes watching it happen. And I remember telling myself, this is not going to be me.

I'm going to equip myself to make sure that I am empowered and I can always speak up for my own interests. You know, my mother put us first, her children, for many years. And I'm fortunate now to be in a time where I am the mother of a teenager, right? I am the wife of a I am very empowered in my career. And I go out and I show my daughter that you can do both.

I'm going to equip myself to make sure that I am empowered and I can always speak up for my own interests. You know, my mother put us first, her children, for many years. And I'm fortunate now to be in a time where I am the mother of a teenager, right? I am the wife of a I am very empowered in my career. And I go out and I show my daughter that you can do both.

Yes. So interestingly, I am the child of a lawyer and a teacher. So here I am now as a law professor. I looked back on that many years later and just laughed to myself like, boy, was that my biological destiny here, my genetic destiny. I absolutely love law teaching. It's wonderful. But

Yes. So interestingly, I am the child of a lawyer and a teacher. So here I am now as a law professor. I looked back on that many years later and just laughed to myself like, boy, was that my biological destiny here, my genetic destiny. I absolutely love law teaching. It's wonderful. But

In my work at Columbia, because I have both a day job and I'm an entrepreneur, as you know, and in my work at Columbia, I'm a law professor, but I teach mediation. Mediation is the art and science of helping people to negotiate and resolve disputes outside of court. And so amazing that I became a lawyer in part because I said to myself, I will not be taken advantage of

In my work at Columbia, because I have both a day job and I'm an entrepreneur, as you know, and in my work at Columbia, I'm a law professor, but I teach mediation. Mediation is the art and science of helping people to negotiate and resolve disputes outside of court. And so amazing that I became a lawyer in part because I said to myself, I will not be taken advantage of

And yet I found myself to the place where creativity, psychology, and healing meet the law and where people can take agency and find their voice to settle their disputes before it goes to a judge.

And yet I found myself to the place where creativity, psychology, and healing meet the law and where people can take agency and find their voice to settle their disputes before it goes to a judge.

Oh, every day, Ilana. I learned mediation before I studied negotiation. The result of that is that by the time I was studying negotiation, I was oriented toward how can I use my words to bring people together? How can I think about what the person across from me needs? What's motivating them? What's keeping them up at night?

Oh, every day, Ilana. I learned mediation before I studied negotiation. The result of that is that by the time I was studying negotiation, I was oriented toward how can I use my words to bring people together? How can I think about what the person across from me needs? What's motivating them? What's keeping them up at night?

What are the words I hear them using over and over again that seem to have meaning to them? And how can I frame what I'm asking for in a way that hits those words for them? And so it was... 20 years almost as a mediator helping thousands of people in it with them, helping them to negotiate some of the biggest, thorniest, highest stakes disputes that I realized there's another way to do this.

What are the words I hear them using over and over again that seem to have meaning to them? And how can I frame what I'm asking for in a way that hits those words for them? And so it was... 20 years almost as a mediator helping thousands of people in it with them, helping them to negotiate some of the biggest, thorniest, highest stakes disputes that I realized there's another way to do this.