First-year student Tiranke Diakite ’27 is getting help earning her finance degree from a thankful alum. She is the first recipient of the Rende Family Scholarship, which provides an annual scholarship to a School of Business student.
It is one of two endowments Ken Rende ’86 created through the NYS Charitable Tax Credit Program. The scholarship supports business students with financial need. The Rende Family Co-Curricular Support Endowment provides funding to student organizations, School of Business activities, and specific requests.
Rende was an accounting major at Geneseo. He says he grew up in a household that valued giving, and he knows the difficulties students face paying for college, and how activities could be enhanced with support.
Former professor and dean Mary Ellen Zuckerman was a mentor, he says, and a friend. Rende has been in business accounting and private wealth management at Neuberger Berman since 1991. He was part of the company’s initial public offering and spent several years overseeing the firm’s private wealth management business before transitioning from managing the business to working directly with the firm’s clients a few years ago.
In addition to his scholarship and co-curricular contributions, Rende has worked directly with students and shared his expertise for decades. He is a longtime member of the college’s Business Advisory Council, has hosted several groups of students on the Geneseo externship program, and participated in several business-related panel discussions.
“I have fabulous memories of Geneseo. The School of Business embraced me,” says Rende. “Financial resources are important, as well as time and talent. I make a point to be on committees and speak to students. It’s important to me.”
