About The Author
Hassan Akmal, MBA, MPH, is the Inaugural Executive Director of Industry Relations and Career Strategies and Founder of the Career Design Lab at Columbia University. An alumnus of Columbia University, Akmal blazed a successful path as a visionary, Career Thought Leader, Chair of Career Education, and Director of Career Services at several universities in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. He is a former professional tennis player and International Athlete Ambassador to the United States, and recently served on the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) “Future of We” — National Advisory Think Tank Committee. Additionally, he is an alumnus of UCLA where he served on their top-ranked division one tennis team that reached the finals of the NCAA Championships in 1999.
Akmal spearheads Columbia’s “Career Week” —an annual five-day premier conference on the future of meaningful work, one of the largest career center events in the nation culminating with a Future of Career Services symposium. This event won the prestigious Alva Cooper Award (1st Place Award) in 2018 for Best Practices in Career Services.
Akmal spearheads Columbia’s “Career Week” —an annual five-day premier conference on the future of meaningful work, one of the largest career center events in the nation culminating with a Future of Career Services symposium. This event won the prestigious Alva Cooper Award (1st Place Award) in 2018 for Best Practices in Career Services.
Akmal, is the host of the Columbia University “Behind the Scenes” podcast series that consists of in-depth interviews with industry leaders discussing provocative career-related topics that set the stage for students. As a change agent, he is committed to coaching proactive career-seekers who will strengthen multi-level innovation in our global marketplace. He aims to foster a university-wide career culture that’s vibrant and diverse—and breathes success.
In 2015, Akmal pioneered a connector model based on customized connections and communities entitled “BRIDGE: Building Relationships and Interconnectedness Directed towards Graduation and Meaningful Employment” at Loyola University Chicago. He also re-imagined and re-invented the career services model by directing students to” innerview” themselves, connecting passion to purpose—thereby crystallizing positive career outcomes in the process. By leveraging the readily available career ecosystem, he believes that we can help build new dreams and witness their global impact.
Akmal is the Founder of Invitation Relief, Inc., a public-benefit charity for displaced persons and health. He is a former global health professor, financial advisor for UBS Financial Services Inc., and business development manager. Additionally, he served on the External Advisory Board for Health Systems Management at the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, and as a Loyola Chapter faculty advisor for Aahana, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to redressing social inequalities and empowering communities. He is currently a lecturer at Columbia University and serves on the advisory board of Graduway, a prominent EdTech start-up. In April 2019, he delivered the keynote address on the “Future of Career Services” at the Global Leaders Summit hosted at UCLA. He also serves on several other prominent boards internationally.
With over 10 years’ experience leading career and professional development, Akmal teaches individuals the importance of capturing their career and life vision, elevating personal brand in multi-layered social media, leveraging self-awareness, and purpose alignment—he believes these elements are the keys to maximizing careers and the means towards self-fulfillment.
With over 10 years’ experience leading career and professional development, Akmal teaches individuals the importance of capturing their career and life vision, elevating personal brand in multi-layered social media, leveraging self-awareness, and purpose alignment—he believes these elements are the keys to maximizing careers and the means towards self-fulfillment.
Finally, he is the author of the Amazon Best-Selling Book—How to be a Career Mastermind™: Discover 7 “YOU Matter” Lenses for a Life of Purpose, Impact, and Meaningful Work.
This logo symbolizes the journey of Career Mastermind™ and is inspired by the falcon—a bird with one of the highest levels of intelligence, speed, and accuracy. At its core, the falcon represents visionary power, wisdom, and guardianship. This powerful bird awakens visionary power, and leads you to your life purpose. The falcon carries with it a message of transition and change—in the form of the alphabet ‘A’, moving upward like an arrow. It reflects the uplifting of career and life mastery to the pinnacle (zenith)—with the proper guidance by the Master’s strong wings of experience.
“Be the Inspiration.” — Hassan Akmal
[Keynote Speech, Columbia University, 2018]
Speaking Engagements
Hassan Akmal is available for speaking engagements including fireside chats, panels and keynotes. To inquire, please get in touch by email: ha2049@columbia.edu or click the following button.
Upcoming Appearances
Redefining Career Canters for 2020
Date: November 13, 2019
ACSN Webinar | Integrating Career Services and Alumni Relations
Thursday, October 10, 2019,
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT
Category: Webinars
The Future of Career Services
Date: October 28, 2018
10am-10:45am
Moderator of Fireside Chat
Topic: The Future of Career Services
Global Leaders Summit co-hosted by Graduway and Columbia University
Topic: Careers in the 21st Century
Presenter
Host: Highre
Connect with the leading speakers from the higher ed & career ed space!
June 26, 2019
9:00-9:45 AM PDT:
The New Pathway for Career Services
Topic: Rethinking Career Outcomes
May 7, 2019 at 11am (est)
Career Week 2019, Career Disruption and Impact Conference
(Welcome, Presenter, Panelist)
February 4-8, 2019,
Columbia University
Better Together: Integrating Career Services and Alumni Relations
(Guest Speaker)
February 13, 2019
Global Leaders Summit
and Book Signing
(Panelist, Keynote Address)
April 2-3, 2019,
University of California, Los Angeles
NACE Conference and Expo
Presentation Topic:
Career Week,
Building a Vibrant and Visible Career Success Culture on Campus
(Speaker)
June 3-6, 2019
12TwentyLIVE Conference
(Presenter: Closing Session)
Presentation Topic:
Forward Momentum: Culturally, Progressively, and Organically Manifesting the Future of Positive Career Outcomes
December 10-12, 2018,
Los Angeles, CA
UK Parliament, Palace of Westminster
(Panelist)
Topic:
The People of Afghanistan:
A Look to the Future
November 14, 2018
Global Leaders Summit
(Panelist and Delegate)
November 13-14, 2018,
Oxford University
National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Face2Face
(Panel Moderator and Presenter)
November 2, 2018,
Columbia University
"YOU Matter" Design Your Career Crown
(Purpose Series, Part I)
(Presenter)
October 24, 2018,
Casa Italiana
Also by Hassan Akmal
Career Bucket ListTM
Book Launch to-be-Announced!
Foreword by Jullien Gordon
Jullien is on a on a mission to free 300 people than Harriet Tubman. He has fully freed several people through his coaching, speaking, masterminds, books, and execution events. For him, freedom is our birthright and a state of mind that anyone can obtain with enough focus. He defines freedom as the ability to be who you were created to be and do what you were created to do.
That’s why he created TheFreedomSchooI.com, an online university that teaches business and life skills to professionals to help them increase their degrees of freedom in life and at work. The Freedom School is committed to liberation arts, not just liberal arts education. He believes that the entrepreneurial mindset is the most valuable skill given today’s Entrepre-New-Reality. In this Entrepre-New-Reality, we are all already entrepreneurs. An employee is simply an entrepreneur with one big client—their employer.
Jullien Gordon is a 6-time author, 5-time TED speaker, and has been featured on MSNBC and Fox and in Forbes and INC Magazine. He earned his MBA and Masters in Education from Stanford University, and received his BA from UCLA in 3 years. Jullien is originally from Oakland, California and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with his wife, Pam, and his daughter, Jada. Find out more at www.julliengordon.com.
