Meet MIT Sloan’s MBA Class Of 2020 - Poets&Quants

Let’s do word association. How about we start with MIT – the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

What comes to mind?

Research labs
Physical sciences
Innovation
Engineering

Sound about right? That’s good branding. In MIT’s case, that brand is based on generations of scientific breakthroughs. Want a list? Think the internet, radar, email, spreadsheets, and voice recognition. That doesn’t count firms launched by MIT alumni like Texas Instruments, Hewlett Packard, E*Trade, and Campbell’s Soup. Just step onto campus. Forget Ivyed homages to a bygone era. Instead, picture a nuclear research reactor and a wind tunnel, plus a pocked up dorm that resembles a sponge. That doesn’t count a Media Lab, whose latest leaps include 3D printed glass and ‘second skin’ clothing that naturally adapts to clothing.

TEAMING UP TO BRING IDEAS TO LIFE

On the surface, MIT is a STEM sanctuary, a place where imaginations are stirred, ideas tested, and the future breathed to life. Dan Stern, a 2018 P&Q MBA to Watch, describes MIT as “the cradle for Innovation and entrepreneurship.” Sure enough, the business school – the Sloan School of Management – takes after its parent this way. That doesn’t make the MBA program a magnet for overachiever math hermits who are long on technical and short on mojo.

A rigorous and analytic approach, Sloan employs…as Yoda would say. At the same time, Sloan is a school where team comes first – and “Sloanies helping Sloanies” is the rallying cry. It is action-driven, a place to think big and shatter boundaries – a sanctuary where you can’t look back, sit back, or hold back. This is all pulled together by MIT’s motto of “Mens et Manus” – “Mind and hand.” – where the mind guides a creation…and this creation, in turn, expands knowledge.

Alas, the idea possesses little value without a means to commercialize it. That’s why Sloan has emerged as a campus hub that draws students from every corner of the MIT ecosystem. You’ll find engineering, computer science, and biology researchers and Ph.D. candidates sitting in on MBA classes to better understand product development cycles and early stage funding. Many times, MBAs partner with these students to build ideas into prototypes and scalable ventures. At the same time, many Sloan MBAs flip the script by taking advantage of resources in MIT’s renowned schools.

HARDLY A STEM SCHOOL

MIT Sloan students working together between classes

“The connection to MIT is real,” writes Maura Herson, assistant dean for Sloan’s MBA and MSMS programs, in a statement to P&Q. “Sloan is MIT’s school of Management, and MBA students can expect to access and engage with every part of the Institute, from taking classes at the world renowned Media Lab to participating in the 100K business competition to interacting with scientists in the various MIT labs as part of the Sloan Innovation Period.”

Such integration made an impression on the Class of 2020, particularly Liliana Kennedy-Paesler, a neuroscientist-turned-consultant. “I chose Sloan because of its proximity to science,” she notes. “Sloanies have the opportunity to build connections across the MIT community and leverage those relationships to help commercialize innovative scientific concepts. I have seen this first-hand while working at MIT’s summer accelerator, and Delta v.”

MIT Sloan also follows a mission: “Developing “principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice.” To do this, MIT Sloan emphasizes theory hammered home by intensive practice and impact honed through team-building. It is formula that produces visionary leaders regardless of their background – even students outside the STEM or hard finance sectors.

“Coming from a liberal arts background, I felt that MIT would give me the best opportunity to strengthen and further explore my own quantitative and technical abilities,” says Marjani Nairne, a political science major who plans to transition to strategy consulting (or entrepreneurship). “This is extremely important for me because as I look towards a potential career in consulting or working in emerging markets, the ability to provide substantial, data-driven insights is absolutely critical. I want to make sure that my skills in this realm are rock solid so that my ideas and recommendations are respected and eventually implemented. There’s no better place to develop these skills than at Sloan.”

BRINGING THE BEST TOGETHER OF LEADING MBA PROGRAMS

One reason for that is Sloan is almost an amalgam of leading MBA programs. Call it a four seasons MBA program: a flexible curriculum reminiscent of Chicago Booth, a data-driven technical mindset akin to Carnegie Mellon Tepper; an experiential learning model that resembles Michigan Ross; and a level of prestige that rivals Harvard. Not surprisingly, this type of institution attracts a rather diverse student body.

Jaime Zorrilla Sánchez de Neyra certainly qualifies. He comes to Cambridge at an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon in Spain. Itzik Elyahou joins the Class of 2020 from Israel, where he ran his family’s diamond business – an experience that informed him that he needed to master best practices and enhance his leadership skills. At Google, Marjani Nairne took full advantage of her 20% Project, where employees spent a fifth of their time on a project related to a passion. In her case, she joined a station team that focused on implementing free wi-fi in emerging markets. Turns out, it became a bigger success than she anticipated.

“It was incredible seeing the direct impact my work had on people,” she says. “Seeing press releases and news articles exclaiming how meaningful and impactful this product is for millions across Mexico gave me an unparalleled sense of pride and accomplishment…As I looked around, the vast majority of the team were former MBB consultants who had also earned an MBA. I realized that if I wanted a full-time job pursuing that kind of work, I too needed my MBA.”

Students at MIT Sloan. Courtesy photo

They definitely performed an array of work. When he was an engineer at Boeing, Kevin Cheung doubled as a forklift operator for Seattle food bank. “It is harder than it looks,” he jokes. Martin de la Herran Oyarzun has already created an energy drink for people who hate coffee. “Just like Nesquik, with a kick,” he quips. Then again, Hai Lieu took it a step further. Tired of being a field engineer, he dipped his toe into entrepreneurship, launching a highly-acclaimed coffee and tea shop in his native Vietnam. And Eduarda Bardavid has made an even bigger impact with her startup Drag, an email management app.

A SCHOOL THAT VALUES COLLECTIVE GROWTH OVER COMPETITION

“[My biggest accomplishment was] growing Drag from an idea into a real business, featured by Google, revenue-generating, with a team of 10 across 5 countries and seed investment,” she shares. “In particular, this all happened in one year and Drag has been my first experience as an entrepreneur. Before Drag, I used to work as a management consultant in the Middle East and the decision to take the leap from a stable and well-paid job to the uncertainty of co-founding a startup was one of my biggest career steps. Today, I am proud of having been brave enough to take the calculated risk to pivot my career and I am very happy with the outcome.”

That outcome included a spot among the 409 members of MIT Sloan’s Class of 2020. Thus far, Bardavid has found her classmates to be “humble and supportive with each other” – a community “who seek to grow together instead of competing with each other.” That bond is particularly powerful between classes, where second years often take first years under their wing. The same is true among classmates, as Itzik Elyahou learned during his adMIT Weekend.

“I was sitting with a first year MBA student and he told me that he had an interview scheduled for the next day,” he recalls. “A few minutes later, his classmate called and told him everything about her experience from the interview she just had for the same position in the same company he was interviewing for, giving him tips about how to prepare for the interview – even though they were likely competing for the same position. This minor exchange between the two students was particularly significant for me – it confirmed my aspirations to join this vibrant and welcoming community.”

Another phrase to characterize the class? How about “passionate and unafraid to go against the grain,” which comes courtesy of Marjani Nairne. That’d be fitting, considering the motivations behind the class’ return to campus often involved leaving a deeper impact. Kevin Cheung, for one admits, “I am most comfortable when I am uncomfortable.”  For him, business school will push out of his “safe space” and towards his career dreams. The same is true, to an extent, with Jaime Zorrilla Sánchez de Neyra. After treating thousands of patients as a surgeon, he realized that he’d need to find ways to reach a larger audience to make a difference.

“I realized that my real goal is to improve the Spanish healthcare system and the lives of millions of people,” he explains. “My experiences convinced me of my goal, but I am seeking an extreme career change in order to make a radical impact. This is why I need Sloan: its mission to train me to become a leader who can create new solutions to conventional problems in healthcare.”

Sloan MBA students pairing up on a project

MAJOR JUMP IN GMAT SCORES

In a down year for MBA applications, MIT Sloan ranked among the most coveted tickets among prospective students. Technically, MIT endured a 4.1% decline in applications during the 2017-2018 cycle – a percentage that’s still lower than Wharton (-6.7%), Chicago Booth and (-8.2%). It also compares favorably with Harvard Business School (-4.5%) and Stanford GSB (-4.6%). At the same time, the school reports an 11.5% acceptance rate for the Class of 2020. In other words, nearly 9 of every 10 applicants who sought a seat in the incoming class were rejected.

One reason? The class is loaded with academic firepower. This year’s class scored a 728 average GMAT, a six point jump over the previous year (and a 15 point rise in just 5 years). The median improvement was even more impressive: a whole ten points to 730 – tying it with Harvard Business School just three miles up the Charles River. By the same token, the percentage of women held steady at 42% of the class, eight points better than the school’s gender balance five years ago. Unlike peer schools, which have seen sharp decreases in international student populations, MIT Sloan swam strong against the current. 38% of the Class of 2020 hails from overseas, up five points.

MIT Sloan School of Management

Academically, the class represents a significant shift. A solid engineering foundation, however, wasn’t one of them. This year, 31% of the class earned engineering-related degrees as undergrads, just a point down over the 2019 Class. Traditionally, business majors account for a fifth of the class – and the 2020 Class is no different at 20% (a point down from last year). The big difference? The percentage of economics majors nearly doubled from 11% to 20%. That wasn’t the only noticeable difference. The percentage of humanities and social sciences majors rose three points to 14%. By the same token, the number of math and sciences majors plummeted four points to 7%.

Among professional backgrounds, the composition of consulting and financial services swapped spots – literally – with the 2020 Class. Consultants make up 21% of the class as financial services professionals take up 19% of the seats – numbers that were reversed with the previous class. Technology again held an 18% share, followed by government and public sector (14%), industrials (8%), energy (7%), healthcare (6%), and consumer goods (5%).

A LEADER IN THE STARTUP SCENE

By the numbers, the Class of 2020 enters MIT Sloan in the best of times. In Bloomberg Businessweek’s recruiter poll, the school ranked among the second-most respected, perhaps one reason why members of the 2017 Class took home $184,289 in starting pay. Students were equally bullish on the program. In The Financial Times’ student and alumni survey, Sloan notched the third-best marks, not to mention a #2 ranking for personal development and educational experience in The Economist survey. Among business school administrators and faculty who completed the U.S. News survey, MIT Sloan ranked among the top three programs in entrepreneurship, information systems, production, and logistics.

Entrepreneurship has always been a trademark of an MIT education – and Sloan is no different. The school boasts resources such as the Martin Trust Center, which offers resources and support to aspiring entrepreneurs. This includes startup space, programming, competitions, and partnerships with other MIT departments, labs, and groups. In the past five years, Sloan MBAs have also launched PillPack and Bevi, which have generated a combined $142 million dollars in funding. Just across the street from Sloan sits the Cambridge Innovation Center – the original home of Hubspot – that currently includes over 170 startups and $7 billion dollars in venture capital. Boston itself has acted as the center of biotech research and startups for decades, while also making strong inroads in artificial intelligence and business software. While Boston isn’t the Bay Area, the metro still generated over $5.2 billion in investment in the first two quarters of 2018.

MIT Sloan School of Management – Ethan Baron photo

Such resources made MIT Sloan the perfect destination for startup-minded MBAs. “The opportunities to learn about entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan are second-to-none,” says Hai Lieu. “A very structured Entrepreneur & Innovation Track allows me to experience the unique entrepreneurial ecosystem at MIT. I can greatly benefit from various resources from Martin Trust Center such as startup mentoring and coaching from Entrepreneurs in Residence or simply being surrounded by a cohort of like-minded.”

Indeed, successful entrepreneurial programs revolve around more than mere advice and studio space. It is a mindset that permeates an institution – a dogged commitment to creation and a relentless pursuit of progress. That’s exactly what Martin de la Herran Oyarzun found.

“I have always been a risk-taker,” he explains. “I was looking for a school that had a focus on entrepreneurship. MIT has some of the best entrepreneurship professors in the world, but also an entire structure of resources to help their students build companies. MIT alumni have founded more than 30k currently active companies whose annual revenue is the equivalent to the 10th largest GDP in the world.”

SIP SERVES A WELCOME BREAK FROM CLASS

If you played word association with Sloanies about the MBA program, “entrepreneurship” probably wouldn’t be the first word you’d hear. Instead, you would hear some variation of “action learning.” Part of that stems from the Action Learning Labs, the defining experience of Sloan MBAs. Here, students choose from a dozen labs, where they team up with organizations worldwide. Such projects can be geographically-centered (Israel, China, India, United States) or targeted to particular functions, such as finance, analytics, healthcare, operations, entrepreneurship, enterprise management, and sustainable business.

What exactly do students do during an Action Learning Lab. Faye Cheng, a 2018 P&Q Best & Brightest MBA, gathered an array of hands-on experience during her two labs. “For example, through Operations Lab, my team helped a major food processing company think through how they can reallocate their resources to accommodate increasing demand for customization,” she says. “Through Global Entrepreneurship Lab (G-Lab), my team worked with the biggest co-working space company in Peru to strategize how they can expand in the region and strengthen their competitive advantage against international players entering Peru.”

In other words, students can gain an array of functional and geographical experience to prepare themselves for their internships and beyond. This preparation is accelerated by the core curriculum, which is completed in the first semester. These experiential learning opportunities go far beyond Action Learning Labs. Sloan is also famed for its Sloan Innovation Period (SIP), a week-long break during each mid-semester where students take ungraded seminars in areas of interest. SIP serves as a welcome break from the coursework; it enables students to focus of topics like global health, design thinking, ethics, resilience, and even improv – with content delivered by faculty, experts, and business leaders alike. At the same time, Sloan is part of the MIT-wide Independent Activities Period (IAP), where students spend their Januarys on passion projects. Faye Cheng, for one, spent one IAP continuing to work on a startup in Peru that was part of her Action Learning Lab.

MIT Sloan School of Management class – Ethan Baron photo

Such activities sparked the Class of 2020’s imaginations – and often tipped the balance for where they wanted to spend their MBA years. “Assuming that most MBA programs all have great faculty and impressive curriculum, I believe that the big differentiator when it comes to learning is the ‘how’ and not the ‘what’, explains Itzik Elyahou. “The prospect of gaining hands-on experience through lab activities, study trips and Innovation Period, as well as the possibility to work on collaborative projects with faculty and students from one of the most prestigious engineering school in the world, made the choice straightforward.”

SCHOOL LAUNCHES BUSINESS ANALYTICS CERTIFICATE

Beyond Action Learning Labs, SIP, and IAP, some 2020 MBAs were just mesmerized by how this spirit of creating and doing forges bonds across campus. “I remember walking out of the business school into a team of students from across campus working on their self-driving tricycle prototype on the sidewalk,” says Kevin Cheung. ”It was action-driven collaboration like this and the innovative environment that led me to choose Sloan.”

This innovation spirit has also found its way into the MIT Sloan curriculum. Over the past year, Maura Herson believes the biggest enthusiasm revolved around the launch of the school’s Business Analytics Certificate. “The MBA population enthusiastically engaged with this new option to customize their studies with a concentration that teaches them to understand, apply, and draw business insights from both predictive and prescriptive analytics,” she tells P&Q. “The certificate coursework is built on tried and true classes like Analytics Edge as well as new classes like Communicating with Data.”

That isn’t the only innovation that students should expect, adds Herson. “This summer our Career Development Office welcomed a new leadership team. Led by Assistant Dean Susan Brennan, this group is excited to reimagine the delivery of traditional MBA recruiting and career services and provide best in class support of our students.  Dean Brennan is a nationally recognized Career professional who revolutionized this function in her last role as AVP of University Career Services at Bentley University.”

KEEPING THEIR OPTIONS OPEN

What’s next for the Class of 2020? By now, many are coming to grips with FOMO. Itzik Elyahou entered school looking forward to activities like Enterprise Management Hack-a-Thon, while Kevin Cheung places the Martin Trust Center, Media Lab, Delta v, and $100K atop his wish list. “I love the idea of taking concepts from the classroom and instantly applying them to real world problems under the guidance of incredibly knowledgeable faculty and peers,” Cheung says.

Long-term, the options are limitless for this class. Hai Lieu plans to move from operating a coffee shop to creating an eCommerce platform to better connect Vietnamese farmers with consumers across the world. Jaime Zorrilla Sánchez de Neyra’s goal is equally ambitious. He hopes to someday be part of the Health Ministry of Spain or even move to something more global. For him, that is the beauty of MIT Sloan: the experience can take him anywhere. 

“I know that after two years at MIT Sloan, anything and everything could happen.  I want to go to MIT Sloan with a clear mind so that I can nourish from the collaborative and innovative environment. Even though I have a specific goal, I would be lying if I did not confess that I am prone to exploring other industries in healthcare.”

What led these professionals to enter business schools? Which programs did they also consider? What strategies did they use to choose their MBA program? What was the major event that defined them? Find the answers to these questions and many more in the in-depth profiles of these incoming MBA candidates. 

Student	Hometown	Alma Mater	Last Employer
Muneef M. AlMuneef	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	McGill University	Public Investment Fund (NEOM Project)
Eduarda Bardavid	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	IME (Instituto Militar de Engenharia)	DragApp.com
Kevin Cheung	Long Island, NY	Washington University in St. Louis	Boeing
Martin de la Herran Oyarzun	Madrid, Spain	Pontifical University of Comillas	Telefónica
Itzik Elyahou	Tel Aviv, Israel	Ben Gurion University	Fiverr
Matteo Gobbi	Rome, Italy	Imperial College (London)	European Investment Bank
Liliana Kennedy-Paesler	Raleigh, NC	Dartmouth College	CVS Health
Hai Lieu	Dat Do, Ba Ria Vung Tau, Vietnam	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Baker Hughes
Marjani Nairne	New York City, NY	Swarthmore College	Google
Jaime Zorrilla Sánchez de Neyra	Madrid, Spain	Universidad Autonoma de Madrid	Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre

Muneef M. AlMuneef

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“Curious, intellectual, open-minded, ambitious, self-reflective, focused, meticulous, global and adaptive.”

Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Fun Fact About Yourself: My first name is the same as my last name

Undergraduate School and Major:

Bachelors of Electrical Engineering from McGill University (Class of 2009)

Professional Master’s in Sustainable Electrical Energy from Georgia Tech (Class of 2015)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Public Investment Fund (NEOM Project) –Strategy Director

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Completing my Professional Master’s degree while working on an intense project at work full-time and getting married during the same time

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Humble and eager to be part of the Sloan diverse community

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The tech focus of MIT coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit was the major factor in my decision. MIT is the primary source of research and innovation in the tech world and I wanted to be a part of that community.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I want to focus on trying out new activities as well as more outdoor activities – from being involved in sports such as soccer to hiking. Work has been so busy these past few years that I haven’t had enough time to focus on my own development, which I seek to do at school. I am also excited to build lifelong relationships with students from around the world – as I am very interested in global cultures, I believe business school will be a goldmine of cultures, an environment in which I will thrive on multiple levels.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After spending many years in engineering & project management, I felt it is time to embark on a journey to hone my commercial and business skills.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I had consulted with many successful young professionals who had such a positive experience during their MBA enabling them to discover more about themselves and solidify their interests. I am going into the MBA with a similar mindset – an opportunity to develop myself, develop my interests and most importantly discover more about who I am.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? LBS, Wharton, HBS and Stanford GSB

How did you determine your fit at various schools? The factors I factored in were location & environment, tech focus, curriculum flexibility and depth. I had various in-depth discussions with different students from different schools.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My year on secondment in Korea was definitely eye-opening – I was exposed to an entire new culture and it impacted me personally and professionally. I started changing my work habits becoming more disciplined, more focused and came back to Saudi Arabia wholly inspired by their collective push towards cultivating a more innovative society.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I am open to all kinds of opportunities but lately I have developed a strong interest in tech and innovation. I look forward to expanding my horizons in this area through my time at MIT Sloan.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Still happily married and professionally successful!

Eduarda Bardavid

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“Ambitious, confident and determined with a sprinkling of imposter syndrome.”

Hometown: Niterói, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am addicted to orchestral movies soundtracks – Braveheart and Schindler’s List are among my favorites. I also need two things in my life wherever I am: popcorn and a piano. I am compelled to purchase a popcorn machine and a piano in each of the five countries I have ever lived in.

Undergraduate School and Major: IME (Instituto Militar de Engenharia) – BSc Mechanical Engineering (2013)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:

DragApp.com, Co-Founder & CEO
Drag improves the way emails are managed by turning inboxes into shared kanban boards.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Growing Drag from an idea into a real business, featured by Google, revenue-generating, with a team of 10 across 5 countries and seed investment. In particular, because this all happened in one year and Drag has been my first experience as an entrepreneur. Before Drag, I used to work as a management consultant in the Middle East and the decision to take the leap from a stable and well-paid job to the uncertainty of co-founding a Startup was one of my biggest career steps. Today, I am proud of having been brave enough to take the calculated risk to pivot my career and I am very happy with the outcome.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Since my application days, one of the things that has always made MIT my first school option was the fact that fellow students are at the same exceptional standard, but extremely humble and supportive with each other. I have contacted several alumni to understand more about the school and all of them, no matter how busy their agendas were, always found time to speak to me. I see the same trace in my classmates and, in my opinion, MIT excels at building such a constructive community of people who seek to grow together instead of competing with each other.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Before Drag, I had focused my career in the Energy industry, having worked as an energy-focused management consultant. What inspired me to pivot my career into technology and found Drag was the way technology has been consistently changing the Energy industry. Basically, I had so many ideas to contribute to that change, but didn’t know how to turn my ideas into business – Drag has been my first step towards this. My long-term career ambition is to apply my experience as an entrepreneur to transform the Energy industry through technology. I chose MIT because, simply put, there is no better place for resources and connections to build a career in the intersection between technology, entrepreneurship and Energy. MIT’s expertise in entrepreneurship and cutting-edge research on trending technologies in Energy, along with a constructive community that extends from undergrads to PhDs, makes for the perfect environment to equip me with the skills I need to achieve my long-term career goals.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am planning to follow the E&I (Entrepreneurship & Innovation) track to further develop my entrepreneurial skills and apply them directly to grow my startup, Drag. I am also looking forward to engaging with other entrepreneurial resources that MIT provides through the Martin Trust Center and The Legatum Center. I also plan to join the Energy Club and attend courses focused on entrepreneurship in that industry, like “Energy Ventures.”

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Along the last years in my career, I have built a solid foundation in the Energy industry, entrepreneurship and technology Startups. I believe these have all been a prerequisite for my biggest project in life. An MBA at this point will not only fill my skill gaps when it comes to launching, leading and scaling a company, but also give me the connections and resources to establish a path that extends beyond Drag and any potential shorter term exits.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? In my case, aside from MIT Sloan being widely recognized as one of the leading universities for MBA worldwide, there was an additional benefit that the school offers around Entrepreneurship, mentoring and infrastructure that would otherwise I need to invest in as a direct company cost for Drag. It was a no-brainer with this additional cost-benefit in mind.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Chicago Booth, Stanford GSB, HBS and INSEAD.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Although I sought to understand deeply the other schools I was applying to by visiting campuses or speaking to candidates, I knew since the beginning that Sloan had the best fit with me and my career goals for a few reasons. One of the most important ones was the integration with the broader MIT community that could provide me with access to a more technical network and expertise besides the pure business knowledge. Another critical one was the profile of its students, so much humble and down-to-earth when compared to the students from other schools. A third decision point was the focus and resources offered by Sloan to entrepreneurs.

On top of it, I have always had an emotional connection to the school since my grandfather, the person who inspires me the most in life, has graduated from there, so I grew up hearing his stories and dreaming about the day I would live them myself.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are?
I had a comfortable childhood. My grandmother, a Polish WWII refugee, started life from scratch in Brazil and built a successful family business that allowed me to have access to everything. At 13, without delving into the detail, this abruptly ended with losses extending from finances to health and family relationships. Ironically, that crisis impacted me positively and was key to solidify who I am today. It made me ambitious to aim high and resolute in everything I do.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Before graduation, I am determined to leverage MIT as a catalyst to grow my company, Drag. I believe there are many synergies between what I will learn and develop in business school and what Drag needs to reach a new level. After I graduate, my immediate focus will be to consolidate my experience and credentials as a solid entrepreneur, through Drag, to be able to successfully execute further ideas in the years to follow.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I see Drag either growing and maturing enough to allow me to exit or autonomous enough to not require me to work full time on it. In five years, I see myself taking a next step in my career by launching a new startup while getting back to my roots in the Energy industry, specifically in smart grid and microgeneration.

Kevin Cheung

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“I am an engineer hoping to move the world (literally and figuratively).”

Hometown: Long Island, NY

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a trained forklift operator; it is harder than it looks!  I was taught by the patient staff at Food Lifeline, a Seattle food bank that I volunteered at for the past 5 years.

Undergraduate School and Major: Washington University in St. Louis, Systems Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Boeing, Program Manager for Seat Product Development (Projects included United Airlines’ brand-new business class, Polaris and Emirates’ “Game Changer” high-tech first-class suite)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment so far was delivering the first United Polaris business class seats. In working on this project, I contributed to setting new standards for aerospace product development and passenger comfort. For over two long years, I worked tirelessly with my amazing team to create a bespoke premium seat with unique materials and customized electronic systems for United. This was all performed on an accelerated schedule, while also defining new engineering processes. I will never forget the cold, dreary December day when I watched the completed airplane lift off the ground to be delivered to Chicago.  Finally seeing the product of my hard work gave me a great sense of accomplishment.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Inspiring: I have met many dynamic classmates from many different backgrounds with inspiring goals and amazing stories.  This includes people from Israel to Australia, representing industries from ecommerce to consulting all hoping to make a bigger impact.  I can’t wait to connect with more classmates and learn how we can continue the “Sloanies helping Sloanies” culture!

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The action-driven culture was the key factor that led me to choose Sloan.  I was immensely inspired by worldwide experiences to solve real world problems through Sloan’s quintessential Action Labs. I was also amazed at how that action driven culture connects Sloan to the rest of campus through amazing partnerships with other schools and research centers.  I remember walking out of the business school into a team of students from across campus working on their self-driving tricycle prototype on the sidewalk. It was action-driven collaboration like this and the innovative environment that led me to choose Sloan.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school?  I am looking forward to transitioning from a massive corporation into the entrepreneurial ecosystem at Sloan (such as the Trust Center, Media Lab, 100k competition, Delta V).  I love the idea of taking concepts from the classroom and instantly applying them to real world problems under the guidance of incredibly knowledgeable faculty and peers.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career?  In reflecting upon my career to date, I realized that “I am most comfortable when I am uncomfortable” and I want to learn how to push myself out of my comfort zone while in a safe space.  Both realizations led me to obtaining an MBA to round out my skills and knowledge so that I could truly start driving towards achieving my goals and dreams.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment?  Much of my decision was based on discussions with my mentors, friends from MBA programs, and family. I also contacted current students and alumni via “cold” emails (Sloan was the only school with a 100% response rating).  Finally, I ran through publically available return on investment data.  Just like any business problem, I decided that an MBA was worth the investment based on the qualitative and quantitative data that I collected.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Kellogg, Wharton, Harvard

How did you determine your fit at various schools? First, I needed to understand my own motivations for getting an MBA and what kind of school I could thrive at. I then carefully collected information on each school, down selecting to a small group that fit my criteria on paper. Finally, I validated my research by visiting the campuses, which turned out to be the most beneficial step for me because I found what I was looking for when I visited Sloan.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are?  My defining moment was achieving a childhood dream of working for Boeing. As a child, for a long time, my focus was on becoming a pilot. But that dream transitioned into a deeper interest in how planes worked and I realized that I wanted to become an engineer and design airplanes for Boeing. This became my goal throughout school. When I started at Boeing, I remember taking a pause and realizing how important of a career milestone this was for me. Experiencing a childhood dream become reality has given me confidence to pursue my other childhood dreams and to think big.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?  I hope to apply the leadership and management skills that I gain from Sloan towards a position at an innovative technology company or startup company focused on transportation technologies and mobility.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I will hopefully either be in a managerial position at an innovative transportation technology company or starting my dream company focused on making transportation completely seamless, efficient, enjoyable and equitable.

Martin de la Herran Oyarzun

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“Positive, friendly, entrepreneur with a creative mind.”

Hometown: Madrid, Spain

Fun Fact About Yourself: Created an energy cocoa drink for people who don’t like coffee. Just like Nesquik, with a kick!

Undergraduate School and Major: Pontifical University of Comillas (Madrid), Industrial Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Telefónica, Corporate Strategy Analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I am proud of several successes during my years in Telefónica, especially while working in the corporate strategy team on projects that have not only generated significant profits for the company but also improved telecommunications for millions of people in Europe and Latin America. However, I am more proud of a bold initiative that five Telefónica colleagues and I developed and implemented. We decided to create a Millennial Network within the company. Our idea quickly gained support from very relevant sponsors in the company, including the company’s president. Less than a week after we launched our Millennial Network, we had more than 2000 members across 19 countries. Years later Telefónica Millennials are still connected through our network.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Humble. All of the MBA students I have met have excelled professionally and personally; however I have rarely heard any of them speak about their success.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Entrepreneurship. I have always been a risk-taker, and I knew that it was time to do so in my professional career. I was looking for a school that had a focus on entrepreneurship. MIT has some of the best entrepreneurship professors in the world but also an entire structure of resources to help their students build companies. MIT alumni have founded more than 30k currently active companies whose annual revenue is the equivalent to the 10th largest GDP in the world.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? delta v – MIT’s summer start-up accelerator.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? As an engineer with a passion for building a significant business, an MBA with a focus in entrepreneurship was the perfect step. I also thought that after five years of experience, this was a good point in my career to do it.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I spoke to many of the people I knew who had done MBAs and asked them what they thought about the investment and the experience. I asked people from different industries and different types of positions. Not only did every one of them agree that it’s worth the investment, but many also agreed that it was the experience of their lives. It was a no-brainer after hearing them speak.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I applied to MIT and Columbia.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? When I was looking for a school where I would be a good fit, I looked at two things: my professional background and my personality. On the professional side, I am an engineer with a few years of experience in technology and entrepreneurship. Therefore, I believed I would be a better fit in a school where engineering, technology, and entrepreneurship were relevant to the community. On the personal side, people who know me would say that I am a humble and collaborative person; thus I was looking for a school where students had these personality traits.

To do my research I first talked to all the MBA alumni and current MBA students that I knew, and friends of friends. Second, I attended on-campus events. For the universities that I couldn’t visit, I attended their events in Madrid. Lastly, I researched all the data that interested me from each university website and other sources, such as Poets & Quants.

I had done all the research, but I only had time to apply to one school in Round 1, plus Columbia because its application deadline for the Early Decision round was a few weeks after all the other schools’ Round 1’s had passed. I saw a very clear professional and personal fit in MIT, so it’s the one I chose to apply to in Round 1. Although I didn’t see a precise fit in Columbia, I applied because I had time and wanted to reduce the risk of only applying to one school.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I was reading through a brochure about Dr. Santiago Ramón y Cajal, 1906 Nobel Prize for Medicine for his discoveries on the human brain. While reading through, I started to think about what people like Doctor Ramón y Cajal had done differently to make an impact of this size. I knew that they were innovative, passionate and dedicated, but I had seen many other people who were creative, passionate, and dedicated and yet were not able to do such great things. There had to be another ingredient. I kept reading more closely about Dr. Ramón y Cajal and how he had done hundreds of incredibly detailed drawings of what he believed that the nervous system looked like, at a time when nobody knew much about the brain. Years later, it was confirmed that the brain did indeed work as Dr. Ramón y Cajal had described in his drawings. People like Dr. Ramón y Cajal were not only passionate and hard-working innovators, they also seemed to know that they would succeed. I started to think of all the people who had moved humanity forward, from Nikola Tesla to Nelson Mandela, to Steve Jobs, to Mother Teresa – they were all convinced that they would succeed, no matter the obstacles.

That is when I realized that if I wanted to bring something new and relevant to the world, I had to build a mindset that was strong enough to get me through the challenges of creating a new venture. I thought that the best way to do that was to surround myself with people who already had this mindset. After a pre-MBA summer internship at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, I can confirm that I found the perfect place to define my entrepreneurial future.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Work on my own venture.

Where do you see yourself in five years? My startup will be thriving and I will be making a positive impact in the world.

Itzik Elyahou

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“Ambitious and hard-working with a big heart. I believe every mistake is a learning opportunity.”

Hometown: Tel Aviv, Israel

Fun Fact About Yourself: Every day when I wake up, I do a 10-minute gratitude meditation. During the meditation, I focus on one of the many things in life that I am thankful for – be it my loving wife, family members, my health or even more ‘obvious’ things such as having a roof over my head. This ritual helps me to start my day with a clear head and positive mindset.

Undergraduate School and Major:Ben Gurion University, Industrial Engineering and Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Fiverr, Business strategy pre-MBA intern

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest business accomplishment actually occurred before my career even started, in 2013 – when I was an unemployed undergraduate student. Just before new tax regulations came into effect, I heard of a huge real-estate deal that was about to fall through. The potential buyers couldn’t raise the funds to buy the dusty, old property that was situated in one of the most prime locations in Tel-Aviv. I had five days to overcome numerous obstacles and close the deal before the new regulations were enacted, significantly increasing the cost and therefore heavily impacting the profitability. Over the course of five intensive days, I brought in architects to measure and plan the layout of the building. I consulted contractors for construction costs, I raised money from private investors and obtained extra financing from a bank. I negotiated with the owners and ultimately succeeded in transferring the property rights only hours before the ‘tax deadline’. The project is now almost complete and is projected to give a 200% ROI!

I am extremely proud of this accomplishment – not because of the revenue it generated – but because I was audacious enough to recognize and seize the opportunity, and resourceful enough to execute the venture in an incredibly short time frame, in a field that I had no previous experience whatsoever.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Undoubtedly, the qualities that spring to mind are solidarity and collaboration. I first observed this during the application process, when I reached out to dozens of students to learn about the program. I was amazed by their willingness to help, even though they did not know me. The effort they made to engage with me and answer all of my questions was illustrative of a network that works together, sharing knowledge and providing other fellows with support, motivation and inspiration.

Additionally, during my last visit to Cambridge on an adMIT weekend, I was sitting with a first year MBA student and he told me that he had an interview scheduled for the next day. A few minutes later, his classmate called and told him everything about her experience from the interview she just had for the same position in the same company he was interviewing for, giving him tips about how to prepare for the interview – even though they were likely competing for the same position. This minor exchange between the two students was particularly significant for me – it confirmed my aspirations to join this vibrant and welcoming community. After speaking with many students, I am certain that by becoming a member of the MIT network, I will develop mutually supportive relationships which will enable me to help other fellows achieve their goals, whilst simultaneously maximizing my own potential.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? For many months, I submerged myself in this application process – researching the academic program and reading recommended materials. This motivated me to reflect upon my career goals and recognize areas where I need to improve. A key factor that influenced my decision is the unique action learning approach at Sloan. Assuming that most MBA programs all have great faculty and impressive curriculum, I believe that the big differentiator when it comes to learning is the ‘how’ and not the ‘what’. The prospect of gaining hands-on experience through lab activities, study trips and Innovation Period, as well as the possibility to work on collaborative projects with faculty and students from one of the most prestigious engineering school in the world, made the choice straightforward. Beyond the academic opportunities that this program offers, joining a diverse community of some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs and professionals will enable me to learn first-hand from global models. I am eager to become part of a dynamic and passionate community that will keep me inspired and motivated. I believe this ecosystem will broaden my perspective, unleash my creativity, and provide a strong foundation for ongoing professional development. Moreover, I look forward to being able to reciprocate by contributing my knowledge and experience, supporting other fellows, and collaborating to spur greater innovation.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am particularly excited to participate in the E-Lab and Enterprise management Hack-a-Thon, as part of the Enterprise Management track, where I will learn to transform theory into practice. I am looking forward to working with companies to identify real business challenges they contend with and collaborating to develop an actionable strategy that will enable them to overcome these challenges and thrive.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I entered into my family’s diamond business. I climbed the corporate ladder relatively quickly, becoming the lead decision-maker in the company within a couple of years. I believe that I directed the business in the right direction, but I was always aware that I could optimize my decision-making skills and build upon my expertise by developing my professional capabilities. I felt that an MBA would allow me to strengthen my leadership and management skills, provide me with the opportunity to increase my knowledge and exchange best practices, and equip me with practical and effective tools to overcome challenges and maximize impact. The MBA will enable me to gain invaluable experience in the US, which will improve my business acumen, supply me with deeper knowledge and enhance skills that I will be able to put into action in my future endeavors.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? When deciding whether or not to pursue an MBA, I weighed the monetary expense against what I considered to be the short term and long-term benefits. I reached the conclusion that the time and resources I would spend during the program would be returned by building my capacity in a holistic manner. Specifically, I recognized that the MBA will enhance my professional and personal development, broadening my network, skillset and leadership capabilities. In this respect, I believe the experience will yield benefits far beyond the financial cost of the program, thereby making it worthwhile and strategic investment.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Chicago Booth and Columbia Business School

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Currently I am maintaining an open mind in terms of the direction I will take following graduation. I believe that the courses I take during the MBA, together with the summer internship, will certainly influence my plans, and also yield opportunities that I have not yet considered. I look forward to exploring these new possibilities and finding the path that will both challenge and fulfill me.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In the next 5 years, I envision myself applying all of skills and experience I have gained in order to launch my own start-up company that will focused on providing consumer solutions. I believe that the MBA program, followed by employment in a company with an innovative mindset, will build my capacity to do this. It will provide the knowledge and practical tools that are required in order to implement a powerful business strategy and effectively manage operations in a way that promotes corporate social responsibility and generates sustainable impact.

Also, co-founding a coffee shop and working with local farmers sparked my current ambition, which is to launch an e-commerce platform connecting Vietnamese farmers with worldwide consumers.

Matteo Gobbi

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“Italian born but raised in French and British schools, avid soccer enthusiast, future Sloan graduate.”

Hometown: Rome, Italy

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m very superstitious, I never cross a black cat’s path for example!

Undergraduate School and Major: Imperial College London, Mathematics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: European Investment Bank, Treasury analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Without any doubt, being accepted to MIT’s MBA program.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Unfortunately I haven’t met my classmates yet.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Certainly the prestige and the reputation that Sloan has, in teaching, career development and culture were determining factors in choosing the program. However, having worked in Finance for a few years, the most important factor was knowing that individuals like Modigliani, Scholes and Merton were all professors at Sloan. This motivated me further to choose this school above others.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Certainly soccer.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I got to a point in my daily job where I felt my learning curve was slowly flattening and where I wanted to increase not only my network but also my knowledge related to management. Thanks also to my colleagues help and support, I concluded that pursuing an MBA at this point of my career was the best option for me.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Sloan is one of the most prestigious MBA programs in the world. Just the fact of being fully immersed for 2 years in an environment made of the most successful and brilliant people in the business world means creating an infinite number of opportunities for my future and thus makes the program priceless.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? HBS and Stanford

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Coming from a scientific background MIT’s strong scientific community was a clear fit for me so it did not take long to understand how the culture of Sloan would be match with my profile. Another factor I prioritized is the location. Boston is a business melting pot for many industries. Above all, the most important tool I used to evaluate school is to speak to as many alumni as possible. Their impression and stories about each university is something invaluable that will have a strong impact in choosing where to apply.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I think the day I moved to London to start my undergraduate degree. It was the moment I understood how important is to be independent.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Working in management consulting for a few years is my main professional goal for now.

Where do you see yourself in five years? California would be a dream!

Liliana Kennedy-Paesler

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“Kind-hearted, scrappy, and full of surprises.”

Hometown: Raleigh, NC

Fun Fact About Yourself: I teach Pure Barre in my free time. Squeezetuckhold!

Undergraduate School and Major: Dartmouth College, Neuroscience

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: CVS Health – Senior Consultant; ClearView Healthcare Partners – Senior Analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I was fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue my passion for making healthcare more accessible during my tenure as a consultant with CVS Health. The accomplishment I am most proud of is helping develop a program that will save patients money on their medications. In response to the increasingly heavy price burden that patients face at the register, my team built a solution that finds cheaper options for patients who may have otherwise been unable to afford their medication. I came out of that experience, and others like it at CVS, feeling like I truly could solve complex business problems and create lasting impact.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Multifaceted.

Every time I hang out with a Sloanie, I learn something new and wonderful about them. For example, my friend Martin not only worked in strategy for Telefonica in Spain, he also created a cacao business on the side. I recently found out that one of my other friends, Jonathan, who is working on a startup in delta v, is also a physician. I can never put Sloanies in a box. I love them for that.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I chose Sloan because of its proximity to science. Sloanies have the opportunity to build connections across the MIT community and leverage those relationships to help commercialize innovative scientific concepts. I have seen this first-hand while working at MIT’s summer accelerator, delta v.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I can’t wait to join the Happy Belly Club. I love to cook (and eat) and learn about food.  I’m looking forward to making some like-minded, foodie friends.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I chose to get an MBA this year to increase the slope of my learning curve. After working for a few years, I realized that I was starting to become too comfortable in my career. I wanted to increase my personal growth and learn about other career options.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? The decision to pursue an MBA was an investment in my future. I know that an MBA will help me reach my long-term goals. Also, I think it’s hard to put a price on the friends and experiences you gain while in business school.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I applied to Sloan, Booth, HBS, and Kellogg.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? hen I was looking at schools, I prioritized academic and social fit. I gravitated toward more rigorous programs where I felt I could get a strong understanding of core business concepts. My primary research strategy was reaching out to current and former students to ask them about culture and day-to-day life. Overall, I found that talking to students was the best way to understand how each school would fit with my academic and social goals.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I began learning to lead by understanding others’ perspectives during childhood. After my parents divorced when I was young, I found myself acting as a mediator between two households. I learned that listening to others’ opinions instead of merely defending my own encouraged understanding. This experience helped me develop a unique leadership style based on trust, empathy, and collaboration.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After graduation, I hope to continue to work in consulting to hone my understanding of how to approach new opportunities in diverse industries and prepare myself to be a creative problem-solver.

Where do you see yourself in five years? My long-term goal is to combine my understanding of the healthcare industry with the finance training I receive at Sloan to bring gene therapies to market through consulting, VC, or a similar impact-driving business.

Hai Lieu

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“A country boy dares to take one step further and get ready for new experiences.”

Hometown: Dat Do, Ba Ria Vung Tau, Vietnam

Fun Fact About Yourself: My full name is six-word long and considered unusual in Vietnam. A typical Vietnamese name has only three.

Undergraduate School and Major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, S. Korea

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Baker Hughes, Wireline Field Engineer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: While I was a field engineer at Baker Hughes, I wanted to do something differently from the oil & gas. I co-founded Letto, a coffee and tea shop, with my wife in 2015. We target young urbanites with a passion for coffee and tea, networking, and sharing ideas. We hoped to bring such a coffee culture to Vung Tau community. Besides scouting and sourcing raw ingredients from local farmers, I manage digital marketing activities to drive 5k+ followers with highest review score in Vung Tau, helping Letto be named one of top 5 Must Visit Coffee Shops in town by one of Vietnam’s top restaurant review media/food dining app. Compared to other Vietnam’s coffee chains, Letto and its success are very modest indeed, but it gave me my first taste of entrepreneurship and a chance to build a business from the ground.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I haven’t met any of my MBA classmates yet.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The opportunities to learn about entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan are second-to-none. A very structured Entrepreneur & Innovation Track allows me to experience the unique entrepreneurial ecosystem at MIT. I can greatly benefit from various resources from Martin Trust Center such as startup mentoring and coaching from Entrepreneurs in Residence or simply being surrounded by a cohort of like-minded peers.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? MIT Sloan is an ideal place for me to foster a community of cultural exchange. I wish to bring together people curious about Southeast Asian culture not only at MIT Sloan but also schools across Boston. Whether it’s through coordinating a Tết, Vietnamese New Year, inspired C-function, or an interschool game of Cờ-Người, human chess, I look forward to introducing my peers to Vietnam’s vibrant and colorful culture, and inspiring fellow Sloanies to celebrate their cultures with our community as well.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? On my future journey of becoming a social entrepreneur, I feel that I’ve been exposed to and experienced all that I could in the oil and gas industry. Also, co-founding a coffee shop and working with local farmers sparked my current ambition, which is to launch an e-commerce platform connecting Vietnamese farmers with worldwide consumers. So an MBA right now will help me gain exposure to the industries that I’m passionate about and further refine my business goals while I continue to develop my leadership skills. And at the age of 30, I think it doesn’t make sense for me to wait.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Coming to business school, I expect a career switch and an education on entrepreneurship to help me become the person I aspire to be. Being an oilfield engineer is an incredible experience, but for the next chapter of my career, MBA advances naturally. Even though it comes with a high price tag, in the long run I believe it will pay off.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? McCombs, Fuqua, Kellogg, Yale SOM, Stanford

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I tried to quantify the process as much as possible. My top priorities are rigorous program, entrepreneurship focus, learning style, school’s reputation, my chance of admission/scholarship, alumni network, clubs, and my job prospects. I gave each component a 10 and a weighting factor.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? The first time that I went to a big city. I grew up in a rural, agricultural community in Southern Vietnam. When I was 12, my aunt took me to Ho Chi Minh city for the first time. I never travelled that far, and I enjoyed the trip so much because there were so many things I had never seen in my life: bookstores, theme parks, universities, etc. I started thinking that there’s a world out there waiting for me to explore – I just need to take a step further.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I plan to work on grocery and gourmet foods category within e-commerce space, ideally on a multiple year program in which I can rotate through different choices of areas such as vendor management, marketing management, product management, and in-stock management.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Still on grocery and gourmet foods category, I’ll look for opportunities to enhance my understanding of logistics for regional food hubs, which involves the management of a distribution network that helps to transport products across longer distances or pick up products from a geographically dispersed group of suppliers. And yes, start working on my future venture.

Marjani Nairne

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“Adventurous, globe-trotting New Yorker intent on using technology to help revitalize emerging markets.”

Hometown: New York, NY

Fun Fact About Yourself: Since graduating from college five years ago, I’ve completed two half marathons and participated in a 135-mile relay race around the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

Undergraduate School and Major: Swarthmore College – Major: Political Science (Honors)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:

Google – Compensation Operations Specialist; Google Station Ads Program Manager (20% Project)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As Google employees, we have the opportunity to pursue what we call a “20% Project” within the company. This gives you the opportunity to work on another team where you have a particular interest or passion for their area of work for 20% of your time. I was able to get a 20% Project working on the Google Station team. Google Station is a team that deploys free wi-fi in emerging markets in a bid to help make information and the internet more accessible around the globe.  I was on the team that launched Google Station in Mexico City and helped lead a project to monetize the product to ensure it could sustain free wifi in Mexico for many years to come.

It was incredible seeing the direct impact my work had on people. Seeing press releases and news articles exclaiming how meaningful and impactful this product is for millions across Mexico gave me an unparalleled sense of pride and accomplishment.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I would say the Sloanies that I have met so far are passionate and unafraid to go against the grain. I know it sounds a bit cliché but the feeling of independence of mind that Sloanies possess is truly striking and exciting to be around. Their passion and search for new approaches and enterprises is inspiring.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Coming from a liberal arts background, I felt that MIT would give me the best opportunity to strengthen and further explore my own quantitative and technical abilities. This is extremely important for me because as I look towards a potential career in consulting or working in emerging markets, the ability to provide substantial, data-driven insights is absolutely critical. I want to make sure that my skills in this realm are rock solid so that my ideas and recommendations are respected and eventually implemented. There’s no better place to develop these skills than at Sloan.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? As someone who has always looked at entrepreneurs with a sense of awe, I’m definitely looking forward to participating in Sloan’s entrepreneurship community. Between the entrepreneurship club and MIT’s 100k, I look forward to honing my own entrepreneurship chops.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I’ve always had a very clear idea of my passions and interests:  I am drawn to international development and policy and also to problem-solving and technology. I just didn’t know how to synthesize my interests and passions into a clear career path. To be honest, my idea of what I wanted to do bounced around a lot after graduating from college. My indecision gives me the not-so-illustrious record of having taken the GMAT, GRE and the LSAT. And no, I do not particularly like standardized tests.

However, after spending a year in China on a research fellowship, working in banking for two years and at Google for another two years (while also running a non-profit in Ghana), I eventually saw how business school could expose me to the ideas and approaches that will enable me to effectively blend the skills I’ve acquired to become an impactful consultant in emerging markets.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Working on the Google Station 20% project was an extremely affirming experience for me in my decision to pursue an MBA. I loved working on the Station team and as I looked around, the vast majority of the team were former MBB consultants who had also earned an MBA. I realized that if I wanted a full-time job pursuing that kind of work, I too needed my MBA.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Haas, Harvard, Stanford, Kellogg, Yale

How did you determine your fit at various schools? My biggest priorities in assessing schools were reputation and culture. I reached out to alumni and current students at each school, asking them pointed questions about the school culture, classes, recruiting experience, alumni network, etc. I also visited each school that I applied to, even if that meant multiple cross-country trips. I tracked all my notes in a worksheet for easy access and reviewed my various impressions between the conversations and first-hand experiences I had at each school. At the end of the day, I wanted to go to a school where I felt like I could pick up the phone in five years, cold-call a classmate and that person would happily answer the phone. Of all the schools I visited (nearly 15!) Sloan gave me the strongest sense of that type of network and camaraderie.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I believe my defining moment was my decision to move to Shanghai immediately after graduating from college. I spoke no Mandarin, knew no one there, and had to navigate in a brand-new city thousands of miles away from my friends and family. To this day moving to China was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I learned true self-reliance and adaptability and the experience opened the door for me to become more adventurous in my professional life.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I plan to go into strategy consulting after I graduate from Sloan. I love the challenge and variety of problem- solving that strategy consulting presents and believe it will provide me with an array of valuable business skills that span industry and function and will be directly applicable to someday founding my own company.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years I see myself either leading consulting projects in emerging markets or founding my own enterprise that helps tackle a particular issue within emerging economies.

Jaime Zorrilla Sánchez de Neyra

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“A super positive smiling guy who always wants to make a difference.”

Hometown: Madrid, Spain.

Fun Fact About Yourself: Bagpiper and instagram foodie who is crazy about Japanese cuisine.(@foodin.foodout).

Undergraduate School and Major: Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Bachelor’s degree in Medicine. 

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:

Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery.

Resident Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My most significant accomplishment has been treating thousands of patients with the highest dedication. Helping others, improving their health and well-being, and educating them to have a healthy lifestyle are the most satisfying achievements so far.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? The quality that best describes my classmates is the willingness to help each other. We have created an amazing group where everyone collaborates with new ideas and information relevant to all. In my opinion, it is fantastic to start this new project with the support of such excellent and intelligent people, something that will make this experience unforgettable.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The key factor that made me choose MIT Sloan was its collaborative environment.  Being the youngest of three siblings, doing sports, and working in an operating room with multiple surgeons (even from other departments) has shown me that true success is only possible from collaboration and teamwork.  I love working as a team, and it is also one of the reasons why I became an orthopedic and trauma surgeon. Collaborating with other Sloanies is going to be one of the most important factors of my experience during the program since I believe that they are one of the main assets of MIT Sloan.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Professionally, I would like to be part of the Sloan´s Healthcare Club community, where I will have the opportunity to engage and explore amazing opportunities in the healthcare sector and contribute with my medical perspective, research-driven work ethic, commitment to new ideas, and love of making new relationships. Regarding leisure, I am looking forward to joining the “Happy Belly” Club, and Water Sports Club, as I am a keen kitesurfer.  Also, I would be great to infiltrate the Japanese Club to keep growing my passion for their culture and cuisine.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? As an Orthopedic and Trauma Surgeon in one of Spain’s most important hospitals and after treating thousands of patients during the last five years, I realized that my real goal is to improve the Spanish healthcare system and the lives of millions of people. My experiences convinced me of my goal, but I am seeking an extreme career change in order to make a radical impact. This is why I need Sloan: its mission to train me to become a leader who can create new solutions to conventional problems in healthcare, its Healthcare Certificate and its location in the most important hub of bioscience and healthcare in the world.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? In my opinion, investing in education and training are things that I consider fundamental, even though it is a big investment. Money is important but, I think that what is more important is to believe in your long-term project, and for me, to invest in an MBA is crucial to have the credit and the knowledge needed to make the radical career change that I want.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I did not apply to other MBA programs because I was so sure that I needed Sloan. I believe Sloan will not only help my transition from orthopedic and trauma surgery to healthcare entrepreneurship, but also impact my life long-term due to two years immersed in the collaborative, innovative and impressive Sloan Staff.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? After talking to numerous post-MBAs and doing research about where is the most important hub of bioscience in the world, I decided to apply just to MIT Sloan. I was convinced that it was my best option, and I went for it. If I had not been admitted, I would have waited for the next admission round. Honestly, for me is more important to spot the school, rather than be hasty.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? When I was fifteen, I saw a motorbike accident and I felt I could have done something.  After this experience, I decided to be on the frontline in helping people, so I studied medicine. Since I can remember, I love to have a positive impact on others because I feel that to help is something intrinsic to humanity. Right now, after helping thousands of people in the hospital, I decided to increase the helping influence and improve the health of millions of people outside the hospital.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I would like to take a 2-week kitesurfing vacation with my wife to unwind. This would give me the opportunity to clear my head, focus on my goals, and set my priorities.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I may establish myself as one of the members of the Board of Doctors of a big hospital or maybe as another member of the Health Ministry of Spain. I want to make a difference not only locally but also internationally. I think it is essential to see how other countries and industries work so that I could have more resources to accomplish my objectives. However, I know that after two years at MIT Sloan, anything and everything could happen.  I want to go to MIT Sloan with a clear mind so that I can nourish from the collaborative and innovative environment. Even though I have a specific goal, I would be lying if I did not confess that I am prone to exploring other industries in healthcare.

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