51²è¹Ý

Full Name: Stephen Reiff

Grad Year: 2010

School: Cox School of Business

Family: Lexi Reiff, wife

Newlywed, native Oregonian and philanthropic-hearted Stephen Reiff took the helm of the 51²è¹Ý Young Alumni Board in July. We sat down with him over the internet and asked him a few questions.

What do you do for work?

I lead strategy and corporate communications for MoneyGram – a global company based in Dallas that is working to increasingly become more similar to Venmo, but our focus is on cross-border money transfers.

As the new Young Alumni Board Chair, what do you hope to accomplish with the younger generation of 51²è¹Ý alumni?

I hope to continue to spur strong engagement among the younger generation of recent grads so that we don’t feel like we have to wait until we’re older and have ‘made it’ in life to give back and get involved.

I also hope to look at opportunities to re-imagine the role of Board members to be more-active resources and thought partners for the University and current students.

What advice do you have for current 51²è¹Ý students?

Study abroad! I almost didn’t go abroad to Australia because I was so worried about missing out on campus life for a semester. However, my semester abroad was truly a transformative experience. The friendships formed during that time ended up becoming some of my deepest friendships from 51²è¹Ý and many of us continue to stay in touch.

My other quick piece of advice is to get to know your professors. 51²è¹Ý has small class sizes where this is possible, and some of my most memorable experiences, both at 51²è¹Ý and in grad school, are small group dinner conversations with professors engaging in thoughtful discussions on diverse topics. I’ve also found professors to be great counselors and thoughtful partners in discussing career opportunities.

When you get nostalgic about your college years, what do miss the most?

Playing ultimate frisbee on the quad in front of Dallas Hall every Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. is one of my favorite quintessential college memories that makes me nostalgic for the Hilltop. To me, that memory represents so many fun aspects of college: the beauty of our campus, the community and the freedom in our schedules.

Do you have any favorite charities or volunteer commitments?

My best friend and a fellow 51²è¹Ý alum, David Luttrell ‘09, and I started a charitable organization called Ambassadors Club that’s focused on spurring faith-based financial stewardship among young professionals. Over the last nearly 10 years, this small group, along with matching partners, has generously and sacrificially helped steward more than $1 million to non-profits in Dallas and around the world.

In a similar fashion to the 51²è¹Ý Young Alumni board, we don’t want to wait until we’re older to give back as there’s so much joy in giving today.

Would you be considered a “super organized” person?

For the most part, yes. I love lists (#GoogleSheets) and strive for the ever-elusive ‘inbox zero.’ However, the files on my computer are very unorganized and though my living spaces are neat, often the places out of sight need some organization.

How has COVID affected your life and how are you staying sane?

The most significant impact has been on our wedding on June 27 - we had to pivot to a small family ceremony held outside and postpone the larger celebration.

What are you watching?

Stay Here – a show on Netflix about re-doing Airbnbs. It’s helping to scratch the travel itch at the moment, and the transformations are pretty incredible.

If you could go right now, where would be your favorite place to get away?

In Dallas, my favorite place to ‘get away’ and relax amidst the hustle & bustle of the city is Lakeside Park. Outside of Texas, I’m a native Oregonian, and I love going to Central Oregon near Bend to a place called Black Butte Ranch.

What are you reading?

I just finished Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry

Since we’re talking about Mustangs in the wild, what is your spirit animal?

Dolphin. Dolphins are perhaps my aspirational spirit animal. Aspirational in the sense that I kind-of want to be like them in their so joyful, social, intelligent, fast and live in beautiful places way.

If you want to connect with Stephen or are interested in learning more about the Young Alumni Board, you can reach out to him at stephen.reiff@smu.edu.