Growing in an innovative culture
Location and culture were big factors in my decision to go to Haas. The environment here is so entrepreneurial. People are curious and have a high tolerance for risk. They see the world as it is and how it can be changed. Most importantly, they feel responsible for implementing change.
My background in nonprofits is a bit non-traditional for a business school, but non-traditional is a hallmark of Berkeley Haas.
Exploring two paths to find the right one
My end goal is to work in the economic development space in a capacity that addresses the root causes of some of the world’s big problems: poverty, class divisions, gender inequality. I came to business school to explore which path to that goal would be best for me, consulting or impact investing.
My experience with the Haas Impact Venture Fund and with the Global Social Venture Competition confirmed my desire to focus on building and strategically growing companies in underserved communities.
My International Business Development experience was an amazing chance to gain consulting experience working for an impact fund. My team worked with a social enterprise in Peru, developing a sales and marketing strategy for the portfolio company’s textiles. The project embodied so many of the issues I am passionate about: fair wages, women’s empowerment, using business as a lever to improve people’s lives.
Learning from diverse, humble classmates
The humility and intellectual curiosity among Haas students creates an incredible environment of collaboration that welcomes learning and exploring. It was an amazing place to hone career goals and develop as a person.
I came to Haas to accelerate the strategic leadership skills I’d developed at a global foundation focused on government and nonprofit sectors. I aimed to gain the fundamentals of how business sector leaders think. I knew this multi-sector fluency mattered, and valued learning from the diverse experiences represented in the Haas student body.
