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MBA Voices
MBA Voices
At HBS, we set out to turn The Equity Network from a minimum viable product (MVP) into a tech-enabled social enterprise. Little did I know just how valuable the HBS network would be — not only for my startup, but for my personal and professional growth. [...]
Growing up in Pittsburgh, PA, Alexis Jackson (MBA 2021) was drawn to challenges and motivated to get a degree in an industry that would bring financial and job security. An aptitude for math and science led to an engineering scholarship to Penn State, a major in electrical engineering, and a position at a multinational oil and gas corporation after graduation. She moved to Louisiana with her mother and dug into her engineering role. At the back of her mind, though, was a nagging sense that engineering might not be right for her. Was she good at it? Yes. Did it offer a path for advancement, challenges, and secure income? All a resounding yes. But she wasn’t happy, despite achieving the markers of success for which she had worked so diligently. “Even though I enjoyed the company and people, I began to realize that it wasn’t a good fit for me. I had ambitions to explore a variety of industries and technologies. I also wanted to approach innovative challenges that created another layer of problem-solving depth,” said Jackson. [...]
Growing up as a Black male from South Los Angeles, I was raised in a vibrant community surrounded by a diverse group of individuals who gave me guidance and taught me core values –such as curiosity, community, and persistence. My childhood experiences and the values that were instilled in me from being brought up in South LA are the foundation of my being, and I am proud to call South Central home. Yet, it was not often that I interacted with entrepreneurs or individuals who climbed up the ranks in the corporate world. Advanced degree holders were not always visible, and I thought that admission to a school like Harvard was a pursuit far above my head, something I had seen on television but not so much in my neighborhood. [...]
In the fall of 2019, Holly Fetter (MBA 2020) and Alexxis Isaac (MBA 2020) looked ahead to their imminent graduation and considered how they could make a difference towards increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at HBS. Socioeconomic inclusion (SEI) was a frequently-mentioned topic among classmates, so in short order they set up a task force to examine how MBA students experience the role of class. We asked Holly and Alexxis about the task force and their hopes for how it will affect the future of the MBA student experience. [...]
This post is part of the Social Enterprise Initiative (SEI) “Leadership in Challenging Times” blog series, which highlights the inspiring work of the HBS community in addressing the health and economic consequences of COVID-19, alongside the fight for racial equity and an especially polarized political climate. In this post, Thierry Ibri (MBA 1997) discusses his work as Chief Operations and Program Officer at Second Harvest Heartland and reflects on how his team adapted to the challenges of 2020 and delivered more than 105 million meals to people in need. [...]
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The views and opinions expressed in the MBA Voices blog are those of the authors.
Any political views shared by students are their own; HBS does not endorse a
particular party or candidate.