Three stories in this issue will introduce you to remarkable individuals who work in strikingly different fields but who share a common passion — the pursuit of ideas that are changing the way others think and act.

Gayle Lemmon (MBA ’06), featured on our cover, is one of three alumni profiled by Senior Associate Editor Garry Emmons, who set out to find “change agents” whose work warrants higher visibility. Sharing the spotlight with Lemmon are Richard Bailey (MBA ’81) and Katie Hood (MBA ’01).

Drawing on her experiences in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Rwanda, Lemmon has two big goals: changing the image of women as victims in conflict zones and reshaping development programs targeted at poor countries. As a deputy director at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, she is uniquely positioned to see her ideas through.

Bailey, managing director of six Tahitian hotels and resorts, worked closely with actor Marlon Brando before his death in 2004 to create a development plan for Brando’s 1,500-acre Tahitian atoll. When the forty-unit project is completed in 2012, the resort will be virtually carbon neutral and a showcase for green technologies for the global tourism industry.

Hood, CEO of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, leads an organization considered to be a model among disease-focused foundations that pursue research, therapies, and cures. Under Hood’s guidance, the foundation has helped to streamline medical research and get therapies to market faster.

Associate Editor Julia Hanna’s interview with Catalyst president and CEO Ilene Lang (MBA ’73) reveals how the New York–based global research and policy nonprofit is advancing the cause of women in business.

In the third story about powerful ideas, I’ll introduce you to the cofounders of The Bridgespan Group — Jeff Bradach (PhDOB ’92) and Tom Tierney (MBA ’80) — pioneers in the application of data-driven strategy and consulting services to enhance the effectiveness of nonprofits and foundations. Founded a decade ago, Bridgespan has helped set new standards for social sector organizations.

All six of these alumni change agents identified a problem and set out to fix it. Their examples illuminate a path for others to follow.

What’s That Funny Graphic?

You’ll notice something new in this issue — small, strange-looking square graphics called QR (Quick Response) codes. They’re mobile bar codes readable by smartphone cameras. The information encoded in the graphic will take your smartphone browser to a designated Web address. To access the bar-code information, first download free QR scanner software from your smartphone provider’s app store or search the Web for “QR reader.” Then, aim the phone’s camera at the graphic and snap an image. The decoder will translate the bar code and redirect you to the target Web site.

We’ve placed four mobile bar codes in this issue. To experiment, start with this one. It will take you to a video of Professor Lawrence talking about his new book at the fall reunions on the HBS campus. Give all four bar codes a try, and let us know what you think.

— Roger Thompson

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