The interconnected nature of the HWS community was on display this spring as alumnus and business leader Dan Rosensweig '83 brought student-athletes into the classroom through a unique academic experience and later made a gift that touched every William Smith athlete.
 
Rosensweig, president and CEO of Chegg and a longtime supporter of HWS, co-taught MGMT 305: Leadership and Learning in Entrepreneurial Ventures this past semester alongside Professor of Business and Entrepreneurship Tom Drennen. The course featured a series of guest speakers from the worlds of business, entrepreneurship and athletics, including WNBA player Lexie Hull and Sarah Guller. The Stanford graduates co-founded FORTA, a beauty and cosmetics company.
 
Their visit proved to be more than an academic exchange. Inspired by the conversation with students, Rosensweig purchased FORTA's Lock & Go setting spray and donated one to each of the more than 300 William Smith student-athletes.
 
"Having learned from Dan in the classroom, I've seen how invested he is in students and their success," said Emily Fulton '28, a member of the volleyball team. "We're incredibly grateful for his gift of Lock & Go, which is another example of the generosity and support he continues to show the HWS community."
 
 
During the 2026 Heron Awards Banquet, Deputy Athletic Director Liz Dennison thanked Rosensweig for his generosity and longtime support of HWS. The recognition was met with enthusiastic applause.
 
"Lexie and Sarah, who were college roommates, pursued different paths after graduation, but came back together because of the shared experience they had at Stanford to found FORTA," said Dennison. "It's a powerful reminder that the relationships you build here in college will benefit you for the rest of your life and in ways that you can't imagine yet." 
 
The moment captured something central to the HWS experience: the idea that athletics, academics and alumni engagement are not separate threads, but deeply interconnected. From the classroom to the banquet floor, Rosensweig's involvement this semester reflected a genuine investment in HWS and its students, both as competitors and as future leaders.