Prominent Betas at Cornell

Dan Leyva, class of 2014 - Chief Executive Officer of Wings Over, a fast-casual restaurant brand founded in upstate New York and known for its made-to-order chicken wings and sauces. Under his leadership, the company has expanded beyond its original college-town footprint, modernized operations, and pursued broader national growth through franchising and brand repositioning.  He was recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30.

Ahmed Elsamadisi, class of 2014 - Founder and CEO of Narrator, a technology company specializing in advanced data modeling and analytics infrastructure. He has built Narrator into a venture-backed firm serving enterprise clients with tools designed to simplify complex data workflows and improve business intelligence capabilities. He was recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30.

Doug Onsi, class of 1990 - President and Chief Executive Officer of Leap Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing targeted cancer therapies. An experienced biotechnology executive and leader, he has held key roles at Leap since its founding in 2011, including Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and Secretary, and was appointed CEO in 2020.

Doug Clayton*, class of 1982 - Founder/CEO of Leopard Capital (frontier-market private equity).

Rick Banks, class of 1972 – A retired university administrator who worked at Cornell for nearly 40 years, mostly in Alumni Affairs and Development. After his career in higher education administration, he took on a leadership role in fraternity philanthropy and governance — serving as Chairman of the Beta Theta Pi Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Beta Theta Pi general fraternity. In that role he guided the Foundation’s efforts to support educational programs, leadership development, and scholarship funding for brothers across the fraternity’s chapters.

David Duffield*, class of 1962 - Founder of PeopleSoft, one of the world’s leading enterprise software firms before its acquisition by Oracle Corporation in 2005. He later co-founded Workday, Inc., a major cloud-based HR and finance software provider. A major philanthropist, he donated generously to Cornell; Duffield Hall is named in his honor and more recently the Cornell College of Engineering has been renamed the Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering.  He is the latest recipient of the prestigious Oxford Cup to be awarded by the Beta Theta Pi general fraternity on campus in late 2026.

Jon Lindseth, class of 1956 - An engineering graduate, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. After building a successful business career in Cleveland, he became a major benefactor of Cornell University, supporting campus facilities, academic programs, and rare-book collections. His gifts funded the original Lindseth Climbing Wall and significant library acquisitions, including collections in American suffrage and literature. He has also served as a Cornell trustee and remained active in alumni and university affairs.  

Gustavo Vollmer*, class of 1942 - Venezuelan industrialist and philanthropist; longtime international Scouting leader (including ties to the World Scout Foundation/World Scout Committee as co-founder and former chairman).

Carl Kroch, class of 1935 - Head of the Chicago-based bookstore chain Kroch’s & Brentano’s, once one of the largest independent bookstore chains in the U.S. A longtime Cornell benefactor, his name is attached to Cornell’s Kroch Library, which houses the university’s rare and manuscript collections.  He is the 10th recipient of the prestigious Oxford Cup awarded by the Beta Theta Pi general fraternity in 1988.

Robert Kane*, class of 1934 - Cornell athletics leader; served as president of the U.S. Olympic Committee and is recognized by Team USA’s Hall of Fame (The Robert J. Kane Sports Complex is named for him).

Eric Erickson*, class of 1921 - American-born oil executive who became an OSS agent during WWII; his story inspired the book and the film The Counterfeit Traitor.

Deane Malott*, University of Kansas, class of 1921 - 6th President of Cornell University from 1951 to 1963. His tenure saw major growth in facilities and academic expansion. Malott Hall on campus is named in his honor.  He is interred at Sage Chapel.

Frederick Coors*, class of 1913 - A member of the founding family of the Coors Brewing Company, he was part of the second generation of leadership following his father, Adolph Coors. He played a role in continuing the family’s involvement in brewing operations and governance during the company’s growth in the early 20th century.

Grover Coors, class of 1910 - A member of the founding family of the Coors Brewing Company, he was part of the second generation of leadership following his father, Adolph Coors. Along with his brothers, he helped guide the company through its early expansion years, maintaining family control and contributing to operational growth that strengthened Coors’ regional dominance in the American brewing industry.

Adolph Coors Jr.*, class of 1907 - Business executive who served as chairman of the Coors Brewing Company (now part of Molson Coors). He helped expand the company’s production capacity and national profile during the early 20th century.

* Indicates additional information available in articles on Wikipedia