John Alexander(AB ’74, MBA ’76) is the founder of The CBORD Group Inc., a systems integration firm based in Ithaca, NY. CBORD is the world’s leading provider of campus and cashless card systems, food and nutrition service management software, nationwide student discount and off-campus commerce programs, housing and judicial process management software, and integrated security solutions. He started the company while a student at Cornell in 1975 and sold it in 2008.
He also co-founded Coyote Loco, a Mexican restaurant in Ithaca, which he managed for 12 years with his wife Elaine and two partners.
He serves on the advisory councils of the Entrepreneurship@Cornell (E@C) Program, the Johnson School, and is the alumni advisor to the Johnson Board Fellows program and BR Consulting. He also serves on the community advisory board of the Johnson Art Museum. He was the 1987-88 Dorothy M. Proud Lecturer at Cornell’s Division of Nutritional Sciences. He is a member of the executive committee of the Sphinx Head Society, Cornell’s first undergraduate honor society.
John is a trustee emeritus and a Presidential Councillor at Cornell, and serves on the boards of the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, United Way of Tompkins County, The Children’s Reading Connection, Tompkins Financial Corporation (TMP), and numerous private company boards. He is a charter member of the Cayuga Venture Fund and the Red Bear Angels, who support numerous startups that grow out of Cornell.
Ernst and Young selected Mr. Alexander as the Upstate New York Technology Entrepreneur of the year in 2002 and Cornell selected Alexander as its 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year.
John spends half the year in Ithaca and New York City, and the other half in beautiful Malinalco Mexico.