Stanford Faculty Senate Encourages Move Toward Net-Zero Emissions

David Colin Burke guides Selby Lane, LLC, and has an extensive leadership experience in the global capital investment sphere. A guest lecturer with the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, David Colin Burke previously oversaw endowment allocations on behalf of the institution.

The Stanford Faculty Senate approved a multi-part resolution in November 2020 designed to accelerate momentum toward a target of transitioning to net-zero or negative greenhouse gas emissions across operations and endowment investments. Eighty-nine percent of senators cast affirmative votes, and the focus will now turn to transitioning endowment divestments away from fossil fuels and toward industries that are helping to achieve the emissions goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.

The Stanford Faculty Senate’s overwhelming approval came despite some senators' concerns that meeting target dates for the “at least net-zero” emissions goal was aspirational rather than concretely achievable at the pre-set time. The target date set for direct and indirect-on-campus emissions is 2030, while the “other indirect emissions” net-zero date is 2040. 

A Look at the UVA McIntire School's Master of Science in Commerce

David Colin Burke leverages more than 25 years of experience in venture capital and private equity to serve as the chairman and CEO of Selby Lane LLC. A graduate of the University of Virginia, David Colin Burke remains involved with the institution as a lecturer with the UVA McIntire School of Commerce.

The McIntire School of Commerce offers a master of science in commerce, which is geared toward engineering, liberal arts, and science majors. Over the course of this 10-month graduate program, students work collaboratively to learn skills in fields such as business analytics, finance, government, management, and marketing. In addition to pursuing studies on the Charlottesville, Virginia, campus, students can participate in an immersive international learning experience while completing their degrees.

In 2019, The Economist ranked this master's program No. 1 among U.S. management programs and No. 6 worldwide. The program was also ranked No. 2 on the list of the Top 25 Best Value Master's in Management Programs by valuecolleges.com in 2020. 

The Positive Impact of Social Entrepreneurship

An experienced investment professional and attorney, David Colin Burke serves as the chairman and CEO of Selby Lane LLC. Experienced in managing assets in excess of $20 billion, David Colin Burke also works to promote social entrepreneurship.

Social entrepreneurs seek out innovative business ideas with the goal of improving society. A hallmark of social entrepreneurship involves connecting with customers beyond the buying and selling aspects of economic transactions. The goal of this type of work is to effect positive change that benefits people or whole communities, as opposed to operating with a singular focus on sales figures and stock prices.

One way to turn a problem into a business opportunity is by protecting or improving the environment. For instance, a refinery in India that was struggling with pollution problems had the idea to convert the wasteland around its facility into a mango orchard. The orchard now grows more than 200 different species of the fruit and has beautified the community. 

The Federal Reserve Increases Loan Access for Small Businesses

With an extensive background in venture capital and equity investments, David Colin Burke leads Selby Lane LLC as the chairman and CEO. Knowledgeable about international capital markets, David Colin Burke follows economic trends closely. In late 2020, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) widened the borrower pool for a support program for businesses and nonprofits that are financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crain’s New York Business reported in November 2020 that the Fed took a step to assist small businesses by reducing its Main Street Lending Program’s minimum loan size from $250,000 to $100,000. This action increased loan access for small businesses that are trying to remain afloat amid the pandemic. As of early November, only $3.7 billion of a potential $600 billion had been dispersed since the program started in July. In addition, the Fed altered the fee structure in ways that incentivized banks to make loans of under $250,000.

The Fed traditionally has an array of tools at its disposal for exerting impact on markets, such as obtaining more mortgage-backed and Treasury securities and entering into extended purchase commitments designed to decrease long-term interest rates. It can also pledge to maintain lower short-term rates to target such issues as unemployment and inflation. Additionally, a ceiling can be set on long-term interest rates through yield-curve control.

 

Stanford Economists Receive Nobel Prize for Auction Theory Work

Leading Selby Lane LLC in California, David Colin Burke draws from over two decades of finance and business experience. An alumnus of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business (Stanford GSB), David Colin Burke lectures at the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce and the Stanford GSB. A Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) senior fellow and a distinguished Stanford GSB professor were among the recipients of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.

Stanford economists Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson are the winners of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their explorations in auction theory and the development of new auction formats. The two men are known for research in pricing and auction-market design as related to industrial organizations.

This seminal work has informed how competitive bidding strategies take place within industries such as natural resources, energy, and communications. In particular, the auction format that they created informs FCC radio spectrum auctions, which have defined the telecommunications sector since the mid-1990s and are used to allocate licenses worldwide.

The Nobel-winning economists are now focusing on ways in which auction design can address new challenges, such as the equitable distribution of high-demand medical supplies within the COVID-19 pandemic context.

The Miller Center’s National Commission’s Focus on Educational Change

An active presence in the venture capital and direct equity investment sphere, David Colin Burke maintains a strong relationship with his alma mater, the University of Virginia (UVA), as a global citizen. Among the internationally focused organizations that David Colin Burke is active with is the Board of the Miller Center of Public Affairs at UVA.

Over the decades, the Miller Center has convened a variety of nonpartisan efforts aimed at strengthening democracy and the institutions that make the country function. At the close of 2016, this led to the launch of the National Commission on Financing 21st Century Higher Education. The Commission had a focus on funding and policy transformations necessary to achieve a goal of 60 percent of the U.S. labor force earning a postsecondary certificate or degree in less than a decade.

A particular focus is on pivoting toward higher education finance models that are sustainable in the long term. Of importance is finding lower cost pathways of instruction that are innovative, effective, and able to reach students of color and those of lower income. From a public funding standpoint, this would require making better use of available funds and realigning incentives.

At the core of the National Commission effort has been a 10-paper series, including “State Strategies for Leveraging Employer Investments in Postsecondary Education” and “Higher Education: Social Impact Bonds and Income Share Agreements,” by outside authors that is available on the Miller Center website.

 

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Informs Policy-Making

The chairman and CEO of Selby Lane, LLC, David Colin Burke also serves as managing director of Tuolumne Capital, LP, a family-owned investment firm. Additionally, David Colin Burke provides strategic guidance to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace through his work as a member of the board of directors’ investment committee.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace offers independent analysis and insights designed to help American government leaders build a strong foreign policy -- one that can sustain international peace and the peaceful development of the United States and other nations.

The organization runs several regional programs, such as those targeting Russian and Eurasian, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern affairs, in addition to its focus on economics and nuclear policy. Its Middle Eastern program provides country studies, published in English and Arabic, informed by the in-depth knowledge of scholars on the ground in the region. This working group has built an extensive knowledge of the evolving geopolitical and economic systems in North Africa (specifically Egypt), Iran, the Persian Gulf States, Israel, and Palestine.

Meanwhile, Carnegie’s North Africa program has produced events, papers, articles, fact-based commentary, and records of Congressional testimony from people involved with the ongoing development of these societies. Topics covered include human rights, the threats posed by terrorism, water supply and other infrastructure, and the economic and security-related impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

McIntire School of Commerce Raises Funds for Transformative Programs

A philanthropist, investor, and entrepreneur, David Colin Burke maintains strong ties to his alma mater, the University of Virginia (UVA), where he earned graduate degrees in law and international relations. Also an educator, David Colin Burke instructs the course World of Investing and International Relations at UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce.

At a time of disruption to many educational institutions in the United States, the McIntire School of Commerce has been strongly supported by its alumni community, including several hundred McIntire Dean’s Society members who have contributed at levels above $2,500. This has resulted in a successful Centennial Fund for Faculty Excellence fundraising effort for 2020 that generated $21 million, including more than $4 million in cash gifts.

The money raised has gone to a number of practical uses, including transition efforts last semester that resulted in a fully virtual platform. Since that time, students have enjoyed seamless remote access to courses and computer lab workstations, as well as classmates.

Another successful effort has been the temporary replacement of the faculty-led Global Immersion Experience, an overseas course, with five new courses focused on exploring current health and economic crisis impacts in real time. In addition, McIntire and the UVA School of Medicine recently launched the Biomedical Sciences PhD+ Dual-Degree Program.

Three Great Places to Hike in California

 

The founder and former CEO of Makena Capital Management, LLC, David Colin Burke helped grow the global investment firm to include more than 400 clients with combined assets under management in excess of $20 billion. A resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, David Colin Burke enjoys hiking in his free time.

Offering a wide range of landscapes, Northern and Central California have plenty of options for hiking enthusiasts. The following are three must-visit areas:

1. Yosemite Falls Trail - This 9-mile trail can be completed in one day if started early. Boasting stunning panoramic valley-floor vistas, the highlight of the trail, naturally, is the view of Yosemite Falls. Hikers can often feel the mist from the falls at certain points along the trail.

2. Mount Shasta - While many people visit Mount Shasta with the intention of reaching its summit, the snowcapped mountain features several hiking trails that can be completed by the average hiker. One of the most popular hikes is the Gray Butte Trail, which takes roughly three hours to finish and reaches 7,000 feet in elevation.

3. John Muir Trail - Located east of Fresno, the John Muir Trail is a 211-mile hike that stretches from Yosemite National Park to Sequoia National Park. It is surrounded by mountains as high as 14,000 feet as well as an abundance of deep canyons and clear lakes. The entire trail takes about three weeks to hike on average, but many people stick to single- or multi-day hikes for portions of it.

UVA School of Law’s International Human Rights Clinic

With a leadership background in venture capital and private equity, David Colin Burke maintains a strong connection with his former universities. A law graduate of the University of Virginia (UVA) who also completed an international relations graduate degree, David Colin Burke sponsors the UVA School of Law’s International Human Rights Clinic.

Organized as a yearlong program, the clinic places law students in projects that provide them with advocacy skills within the human rights realm, both domestically and abroad. Working integrally with law firms, human rights attorneys, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), participants travel to Washington, DC, to fulfill project requirements. They also maintain direct contact with clients and with the supervising attorneys associated with client NGOs.

The International Human Rights Clinic also coordinates class discussions at UVA. These explore issues such as professional and ethical dilemmas that often arise in the course of legal work. Other sessions focus on human rights campaigns and movements and how to design effective advocacy strategies. Past project areas have included advocacy before human rights treaty bodies operating under the United Nations and litigation within African and inter-American human rights systems.

Tips for Triathlon Training

The former CEO of Makena Capital Management, LLC, David Colin Burke is currently the managing director of the family office Tuolumne Capital, LP. An alumnus of the University of Virginia, he maintains affiliations with the institution as a lecturer with the Virginia McIntire School of Commerce. In his leisure time, David Colin Burke enjoys training for triathlons.

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic temporarily closing most health clubs, triathletes are looking for new ways to maintain their fitness and train for their next event. One idea to get your cycling miles in is to invest in a turbo trainer, which is a type of stationary bike with an advanced design. Some turbo trainers use fluid or magnets to provide resistance, and some “smart” models even allow you to adjust resistance with your phone.

To maintain your swimming muscles, try using resistance bands to strengthen the parts of your arm and back used in a swimming stroke. Increasing strength in areas such as the triceps and pectoral muscles will also help you become a stronger and more efficient swimmer. Lastly, while you can continue to run outside as part of your triathlon training, maintain social distancing by avoiding crowded trails and high-traffic times of day.