Meet The MBA Class Of 2024: Influencers & Innovators

You could say the Class of 2024 is full of contradictions. They push boundaries yet value safety. They embrace hustle while craving balance. And they strive to stand out, even as they seek to fit in. In other words, they want it all – impact, growth, flexibility, meaning, community – no different than MBAs before them…just with a generational twist.

The Class of 2024 came of age amid technological disruption and economic collapse. Now, they face a VUCA world mired in debt and inequity, all shadowed by accelerating climate change. These high stakes – and the possibilities around them – attract a different type of MBA. Look no further than Columbia Business School’s Chris Scanzoni.

A MAN WITH A PLAN

Chris Scanzoni, Columbia Business School

He describes himself as a “tree-hugging, gay, vegan former Naval Officer, one who is “driven to lead economy-wide decarbonization and promote regenerative capitalism.” And his ideals aren’t puffery that quickly dissipates in a job hunt. After all, Scanzoni put off college and moved across the country to serve as a political campaign organizer…before he was even old enough to vote. Since then, he has climbed the ranks of the U.S. Navy, ultimately becoming a Tactical Information Operations Officer in the Navy SEALS. In the process, he recognized that his military background offered the perfect launchpad for realizing his passion.

“We face a time-bound problem (“the critical decade”) with incomplete information (climate models with confidence errors) and limited resources (early-stage technologies),” he tells P&Q. “Distilling technical concepts, building coalitions, taking risks with unpredictable outcomes, and executing tactically in support of long-term strategy (economy-wide decarbonization and regeneration) is the core skill set of most military officers.”

As a Columbia first-year, Scanzoni intends to immerse himself in New York City’s tech startup scene. Beyond business school, he is weighing everything from becoming a Fortune 500 sustainability officer to an EPA administrator. Even politics isn’t off the table. In the meantime, he is planning to use his Columbia MBA to lay the groundwork for grander designs.

“I hope to pivot to venture capital in the climate tech vertical to unlock private investment; scale carbon removal technologies; and implement inclusive, equitable, and actionable strategies to preserve the natural world for future generations.”

45 CLASS PROFILES ON THE WAY

For the MBA Class of 2024, the coast is clear. COVID isn’t tethering students to their apartments or cancelling their treks. In this recession, companies aren’t raining down pay raises and perks so their young talent defers business school, either. The world is back on track. That means another year of Poets&Quants’ “Class of” series. Launched in 2015, the series profiles a dozen students each from 45 of the world’s top full-time MBA programs, including Harvard Business School, INSEAD, Wharton School, and Chicago Booth.

The series operates on several levels. For one, the school stories introduce our readers – many of whom are potential applicants – to the cultural values and programming differentiators of each business school. As a result, candidates are exposed to a variety of MBA programs that may better align with their academic goals and personal values. At the same time, P&Q’s profiles enable readers to see the diverse range of students who populate these programs. Along the way, P&Q demystifies who gets in and how – adding an exclusive Q&A with top school administrators so readers stay current with new developments across these programs. At its core, the “Class of” series is aspirational. The featured MBAs were once applicants – just like many readers. The message: Their successes are within your reach too.

Al Corvah, Duke University (Fuqua)

Who are some of this year’s most intriguing MBAs? You can start by letting them describe themselves. UCLA Anderson’s Sedric Nesbitt could be the definition for versatility: “Ex-consultant, hip-hop dancer, swimmer, concert enthusiast, world traveler, professional kickballer.” A continent away, INSEAD’s Eric Husney is an “avid gamer, startups and VC enthusiast, [who has} dabbled in NGO work (and is “overly attached” to his dog). At Indiana’s Kelley School, Chabi Gupta’s credentials include being featured in Forbes India as a Top 100 Digital Star who boasts 142,000 followers. Her classmate, Rachel Tuskes, lives by the 3 C’s: “caffeine, carbs, and curiosity. Speaking of C’s, you could say Al Corvah is unquestionably the hype man at Duke’s Fuqua School.

“My friends call me “Cash Money Corvah” for my natural salesman’s flair and infectious energy.”

STANDING ON AN OLYMPIC PODIUM

Energy is defining quality of the Class of 2024. In college, Emory University’s Joel Anifowose ran a food truck. Not to be outdone, HEC Paris’ Jan Debets pedaled over 240 kilometers a week as a pharmacy’s bicycle courier during undergrad. This energy has also fueled innovation too. In his native Peru, Juan Diego Vasquez would rescue cats. Over time, he realized that he needed to develop a sustainable solution to ensure these cats enjoyed a happy life. Combining his engineering and business prowess, he designed space-saving and comfortable cat trees and homes.

“Today, Arquipets is the pioneer and leading custom pet-design Peruvian company, allows for the employment of more than 20 people, and has built a cat shelter that saves dozens of lives,” Vasquez tells P&Q. “Likewise, the company is on track in an ongoing process of innovation, digital transformation, and expansion.”

Ryan Owens jokes that he devoted 11 years towards competing in an event “that lasted a total of 51 seconds.” With those stakes, Owen made those seconds count. A member of the British Cycling Team, Owen captured a Silver Medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the men’s team sprint. The recognition came after Owen finished 2nd in two World Championships and two European championships. Despite this, he nearly missed out on his crowning moment.

“In March, 2020 I was unofficially selected for Tokyo 2020,” writes the London Business School first-year. “One week later the Olympics were postponed, and I was told I would have to spend the next year earning my place back all over again. Spending 18 months training through lockdowns, cancelled events and constant uncertainty made the step onto the podium in Tokyo feel that much more special.”

BADGE OF HONOR: BEING CALLED OUT BY PRESIDENT TRUMP

Ali Nourang Syed, Yale School of Management

Speaking of special, Adam Brewster was paid the ultimate compliment that a journalist can receive: “I’ve been quote-tweeted by former President Trump, who called my reporting “Wrong!”” Before joining the University of Michigan’s Ross School, Brewster worked as a political reporter at CBS News, including an eight-month stint “criss-crossing” Iowa during the 2020 Democratic primaries. By the same token, Colby Bermel was assigned the California energy beat as a reporter for Politico, which enabled him to tap into some of the biggest issues of the day.

“I leveraged my deep and diverse source network to break market-moving news before state leaders’ official announcements on controversial proposals to ban fracking, stop offshore drilling in state waters, and help wildfire-sparking electric utilities pay victim claims, among many policy and personnel scoops. But my most meaningful stories were accountability reporting, be it publishing the governor’s tax returns ahead of his recall election, exposing the illegal lobbying tactics of the country’s largest natural gas utility, and highlighting the state’s questionable data and decisions tied to fracking, power plant malfunctions, and energy conservation alerts.”

Some class members served opposite Bermel in the public sector. Yale SOM’s Ali Nourang Syed headed up the Office for Finance and Accounting in Pakistan’s District of Sialkot – home to nearly 4 million people. At the Central Bank of Indonesia, Michael Christian spent five years as an economist. With the advent of COVID, the MIT Sloan MBA urged his Board of Governors to cut rates in early 2020 – making Bank Indonesia one of the first central banks to take this action. Christian’s reputation was further cemented as the pandemic grew.

“I also orchestrated unconventional policy measures, such as the burden-sharing scheme with the Ministry of Finance to fund Indonesia’s COVID-19 spending, a bold move only deployed by four countries, and a bilateral repurchase agreement with the US Fed worth tens-of-billions to stabilize the Rupiah, which depreciated 20% year-to-date in March 2020. The results are that Indonesia’s economic growth and currency were among the least impacted in emerging markets in 2020.”

INSEAD MBA’S WORKPLACE IS A CIRCUS…LITERALLY

Juliette Cremel, INSEAD

In high school and college, Tyler Hamilton played drums and sang backup vocals in a rock band. Where does a guy like that end up? Try director of strategy for US Army Special Operations – and now a first-year MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School. By the same token, Wale Lawal comes to Harvard Business School with a Ph.D. in Materials Science and NanoEngineering. Most recently, Lawal served as the Chief-of-Staff to the Commander of the U.S. Air Force Academy. In one of his early tests, heading up the Advanced Explosives Test Range for the Air Force Research Laboratory, Lawal was assigned to turning the facility into a state-of-the-art operation while revamping staff culture. In the process, Lawal produced a 10-year, $150-million-dollar strategic plan, all while boosting revenue and testing frequency.

“Reflecting on this experience, it taught me the importance of fostering a healthy culture, listening to your people, receiving advice from experts, and creating a common goal to bring unity to a team.”

You might be surprised some first-years even came to business school. Georgetown McDonough’s Aniroodh Shankar started out as a surgeon before moving over to consulting at Bain & Company. At this moment, Jaye Aster Broder is probably the most popular first-year at Harvard Business School. She is a former product developer for Oreos, where she worked on everything from manufacturing to quality control.  At 22, INSEAD’s Juliette Cremel opened a Founders Factory, a startup accelerator and incubator, in Paris. However, the Harvard-trained Cremel eventually left her post to pursue a life-long dream…of becoming a circus trainer.

“I get paid to swing upside down on a 6-meter-high trapeze and catch people throwing themselves at me in mid-air,” she jokes.

Page 3: Profiles of 26 MBA candidates from the Class of 2024, including Harvard ,Wharton, INSEAD, Chicago Booth, and more. 

GETTING COCA-COLA PRODUCT TO THE SHELVES

Spandana Palaypu, London Business School

You’ll find the Class of 2024 has already posted some major W’s. Spandana Palaypu is the founder of ZoEasy, a social enterprise that she describes as “a social enterprise that educates and matches blue-collar job seekers to dignified employment opportunities.” Recently, ZoEasy was selected among the 10 winners for the Lead2030 Challenge, which was established by the United Nations and One Young World to honor leaders who are making a difference in Sustainable Development Goals. Palaypu’s long-term vision is to scale ZoEasy into the “global go-to platform for the blue-collar workforce.” And the early returns appear promising for the London Business School MBA.

“I have helped establish over 20+ global partnerships with purpose-driven employers, and organizations such as One Young World and Area 2071 (Dubai Government Innovation Programme) to drive training and ethical recruitment, was named as a Forbes 30 Under 30, raised global awareness via prominent platforms such as World Economic Forum and Financial Times, and raised funding from Credit Suisse via the United Nations Lead 2030 Challenge and Expo 2020 Dubai’s Innovation Impact Programme.”

Indeed, the Class of 2024 has been deeply involved in high profile activities. At L’Oréal, HEC Paris’ Michael Moison’s team launched over a dozen skincare products globally. Abdur Rahman, a first-year MBA at the UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, led a drilling feasibility study that ultimately revealed one of Pakistan’s largest gas reserves. Before enrolling at Columbia Business School, Alana Blaylock produced a documentary, “Caught on Camera: Race and Justice”, for MSNBC. Two months ago, Coca-Cola launched its Simply Spiked brand – and Lucy Mitchell designed its supply Chain, despite facing bottlenecks like a trucker shortage.

“It was incredibly rewarding to see Simply Spiked on shelves this summer since I spent so much time working on this new product launch,” writes the Emory Goizueta MBA. “I loved this project because it was externally facing, so I worked with the AIMs every day. I always like a role or project that is externally facing because it adds a layer of accountability. Plus, you get exposure to the ins and outs of another organization. Also, the alcohol business was a brand-new endeavor for Coke, so it had a lot of leadership attention.”

WARP SPEED FIGHTING COVID

In water polo, the goalkeeper is the “backbone” of the defense. That was the position that Gabby Stone played for Team USA. It was a role that enabled the University of Texas MBA to collect a FINA World Championship. At JP Morgan, Shriya Kumar was tasked with “expanding” the firm’s equities business in South Asia – a role that required the Wharton MBA to manage multi-billion-dollar portfolios. Sure enough, her team beat the benchmark by 28%, notching a five-star rating in ESG along the way. Gabriela Mayer, a civil engineer who became a Georgetown MBA, managed the steel erection portion of the Kosciuszko Bridge, which connects Brooklyn and Queens. At the same time, USC Marshall’s Cody Wei led a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine trial for the South American Clinical Research team.

Cody Wei, USC (Marshall)

“[I was], managing data and developing data solutions for thousands of study participants in Brazil and Argentina. I was very proud of my work and it was amazing to be able to help so many people and lift economies around the world. Rarely do you get to see the direct impact of clinical trials in real-time. Clinical trials can be very slow and normally take years to complete. Because we were doing everything at hyper-speed, we were able to see our work translated into results very quickly. I will never forget the weekend where we reported our interim study results – on a Friday we reported our results and on Monday our CEO was on CNBC announcing the efficacy of our vaccine.”

And that’s one of the defining virtues of the Class of 2024: They get results. Looking for a thankless and near impossible task? Ask Jan Debets how he did this: “Convinc[ed] 19 leading angel investor networks from 13 different countries (each having an average of 215 angel investors, investing on average approx. €3.5 million per year) to start sharing their dealflow and investors with each other.” When Cornell University’s Ian Cairns took over as culinary director for a Los Angeles restaurant group, he quickly boosted revenue by 35% and Yelp ratings to 4.5. After a stint with Teach for America, Dartmouth Tuck’s Adrian Heneveld boosted revenue by 1000%. Of course, some achievements can’t be quantified – and their dividends may not be known for decades. That’s the case for Jason White, a teacher and coach in Tulsa.

“I’ve coached students to state and national debate tournaments,” explains the Carnegie Mellon first-year. “I’ve helped students apply for college and given them rides to work, I’ve consoled students while they’ve grieved, I’ve fed students when they were hungry, and I’ve listened to students when they needed someone to talk to. Teaching was incredibly tough, but I know I made a meaningful impact on my students and I’ll always be proud of that.”

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE CLASS OF 2024

Career trajectories only tell part of the classes’ story. NYU Stern’s Albert Williams Jr. was once interviewed by Diane Sawyer – and enjoys the notoriety of catching four balls in the stands of Yankee Stadium. At INSEAD, you’ll find Hadeel Jaradat, who was featured on 60 Minutes, and Jack Arkwright, who once auditioned for Harry Potter. UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Aidan McConnell has taught ballroom dancing, while Wharton’s Steffi Katz is a former Paris pastry chef. Sofian Kerrou isn’t fretting over HEC Paris’ foreign language requirement: he has mastered seven languages already! And Duke Fuqua’s Ruoxi Shi personifies prolific. She has already published 200 articles in China – and she isn’t a journalist, either!

Patrick Forrestal, Emory University (Goizueta)

 

As an undergrad, Wale Lawal won back-to-back NCAA heavyweight boxing championships. Patrick Forrestal played Nose Tackle for the U.S. Naval Academy before joining the Marines. Now, he is a triathlete and Emory Goizueta MBA whose claim to fame is swimming from Alcatraz to San Francisco – a rugged two-mile jaunt through chilly and choppy waters. The University of Michigan’s Akbar Ariswala once ran a whole marathon dressed as Scooby Doo – the punishment for losing a bet. Then again, why compete when you can own? Just ask Yale SOM’s Joe Calafiore, co-owner of a pro soccer club, the Hartford Athletic.

And how is this for serendipity? “I graduated with my bachelor’s and master’s degrees with my wife,” notes Gabriel Sanchez. “Now both of us are pursuing the MBA program at Georgetown McDonough.”

WELCOME BACK TO CAMPUS

In many cases, the Class of 2024 has already started classes. Admittedly, it has been “a difficult change of pace,” admits USC Marshall’s Miles Jackson – but exhilarating as well. At MIT’s Sloan School, Grant Windom has been wowed by his classmates’ “energy and excitement” around starting their own ventures. And he has been equally in awe learning about the successful startups launched by his second-year counterparts. Still, it is that sense of community – that pull to quickly connect and gel together – that has stood out to first-years like Adrian Heneveld.

“Upon arriving in Hanover, I participated in a three-day backpacking trip with fellow Tuckies,” he tells P&Q. “The Appalachian Trail goes right through Dartmouth, so we met at Tuck Hall and walked right onto the trail. The Dartmouth Outing Club is responsible for maintaining over fifty miles of the Appalachian Trail and owns numerous cabins along the way. Our group, which was given the trail name “Fresh Laundry” by a thru-hiker who started in Georgia, became very close during the experience. The long days of hiking provided a valuable opportunity to get to know each other and was the perfect way to start my business school experience.”

That’s just one of the ways that MBAs have bonded. At Northwestern Kellogg, students pursuing a dual MBA-Design degree held a summer event that “resembled a murder mystery dinner” says Tyler Hamilton. Of course, there are always summer pre-classes to get first-years up to speed before the real work begins too.

“I have already taken part in some of Darden’s consulting prep programming while recruiting for internships as part of the pre-MBA recruiting cycle,” writes the University of Virginia’s Victoria Velasquez. “Getting to participate in the Consulting Club’s Summer Case Camp and having access to dozens of second year students for mock interviews have helped me secure four summer internship offers for 2023 before even starting classes at Darden.”

LOOKING OUT FOR EACH OTHER

Robin Baker, University of Michigan (Ross)

Not surprisingly, alumni get into the act on early on as well. Before leaving Indonesia for MIT Sloan, Michael Christian participated in a “Crack the Code of Attending MIT” event, which included a “talk show” followed by a “sendoff lunch” – all organized by Sloan grads and second-years in the country. In some cases, alumni provide a very personal touch to support incoming first-years.

“During a Ross Consortium webinar, an alumni, Tony Rice II, offered to schedule 30-minute chats with applicants to review their resumes and essays ahead of round two deadlines, recalls Robin Baker, a University of Michigan first-year. “I took him up on his offer and was blown away by his sincerity and willingness to assist me with my application process. Our 30-minute chat easily turned into a 90-minute discussion where he helped me master my elevator pitch, brainstorm career aspirations and prepare for interviews. Time-and-time again, the Ross community has proved to be eager to help and gracious with their time and resources.”

That includes classmates. Shriya Kumar describes hers as “ambitious yet collaborative.” Their support was deeply personal for Kumar, an international student living far away from her family and friends, who quickly found herself in “fight for survival mode” without a means for transportation.

“For the first week, I was trying to do it all myself,” she admits. “I felt anxious, overwhelmed and alone. Endless trips to target, Ikea and Walmart without a car can be exhausting. One evening, on a casual stroll with a classmate, I casually told her how I felt. The very next day I see her and two of her friends, also at Wharton, at my door. They had rented out a car so that they could help me settle in. Community building is second nature at Wharton. I never thought people who I was competing with for the same jobs would become my Wharton family.”

Next Page: Profiles of 26 MBA candidates from the Class of 2024, including Harvard ,Wharton, INSEAD, Chicago Booth, and more. 

ADVICE TO FUTURE MBA APPLICANTS

Now that the Class of 2024 has reached their destination, what advice do they offer to prospective applicants? For the University of Rochester’s Jasurbek Tursunov, it boils down to a three-step formula: “Do your research and determine “WHY” this school; explain “WHAT” you are going to bring to this community; and “HOW” you are going to achieve your goals.” Harvard Business School’s Carolina Romeo shares a similar three question formula: “Think about what the table stakes are and what sets you apart – what makes your story unique, where have you been and where do you want to go.” For HEC Paris’ Monica Van Den Boon, the key to getting accepted involves flipping your mindset.

Monica Van Den Boon, HEC Paris

“What turned my application journey upside down was changing the game from “What do they want to hear me say in the application?” into “What would I love to tell them about myself?”. It’s so easy to forget that it’s not a robot reading your application, but an actual person just like yourself. If you only met that person for 5 or 10 minutes at the airport, what would you genuinely love them to know? If you can answer that question, you can find your own unique voice within your words.”

That requires deep reflection – which is perhaps the most consistent piece of advice given by the Class of 2024. At INSEAD, for example, that may involve looking back at how you respond to differences, says Hiro Herfert – such as dealing with a “tricky customer from a different culture” or an “uncollaborative overseas subsidiary.” More broadly, according the University of Michigan’s Alex Perez-Garcia, reflection means finding your “why” or what she calls your “North Star.”

“Consider: What is a story that only you can tell? What is the unique perspective that you bring to your work? What keeps you curious, awake at night, or gets you up in the morning? Sometimes it helps to do this exercise alone or with a partner or coworker who can help draw those answers out. This intentional reflection early on will also be helpful when navigating the plethora of opportunities available at Michigan Ross and keep you grounded in the process. Once you have your North Star, it’s easier to flesh out a narrative of where you want to go and how [your] MBA will help you get there.”

Welcome to campus, MBAs. Make the next two years matter!

Meet The MBA Class of 2024

MBA Student	MBA Program	Hometown	Undergrad Alma Mater	Last Employer
Nabilla Ariffin	U.C. Berkeley (Haas)	Penang, Malaysia	University of Pennsylvania	SquashSmarts
Jason “Tyler” White	Carnegie Mellon (Tepper)	Independence, MO	William Jewell College	Tulsa Public Schools
Zach Bidner	University of Chicago (Booth)	Los Angeles, CA	USC	22nd Street Films
Chris Scanzoni	Columbia Business School	Asheville, NC	University of North Carolina	U.S. Navy
Ian Patrick Cairns	Cornell University (Johnson)	Santa Barbara, CA	Virginia Tech University	Simple Feast
Adrian Heneveld	Dartmouth College (Tuck)	Grand Rapids, MI	University of Michigan	Harlem Lacrosse
Kandasi Griffiths	Duke University (Fuqua)	Atlanta, GA	Princeton University	SR Collaborative
Lucy Mitchell	Emory University (Goizueta)	Acworth, GA	Georgia Tech	Coca-Cola Company
Aniroodh Shankar	Georgetown University (McDonough)	Chennai, India	Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland	Bain & Company
Wale Lawal	Harvard Business School	Dallas, TX	US Air Force Academy	US Air Force
Jan Debets	HEC Paris	Groningen, The Netherlands	Leiden University	Business Angels Europe
Juan Diego Vasquez	Indiana University (Kelley)	Lima, Peru	Universidad de Lima	Arquipets Peru
Juliette Cremel	INSEAD	Paris, France	Harvard University	BEGOOD
Ryan Owens	London Business School	Manchester, United Kingdom	None	Great Britain Cycling Team
Adam Brewster	University of Michigan (Ross)	Grosse Pointe Park, MI	University of Michigan	CBS News
Robin Butler	MIT (Sloan)	Henderson, NC	North Carolina A&T	COIL Beauty, Inc,
Mariam Doudi	New York University (Stern)	Dearborn Heights, MI	University of Michigan	Ford Motor Company
Alexis Flen	North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)	Fayetteville, NC	University of North Carolina	UNC School of Medicine
Tyler Hamilton	Northwestern University (Kellogg)	Rockford, IL	Olivet Nazarene University	U.S. Army
Hannah Mathieu	University of Rochester (Simon)	Hebron, ME	University of New Hampshire	Raytheon Technologies
Gabby Stone	University of Texas (McCombs)	San Diego, CA	Stanford University	Blue Tech, Inc.
Sedric Nesbitt	UCLA (Anderson)	Houston, TX	Georgetown University	Accenture
Cody Wei	USC (Marshall)	Tampa FL	UCLA	Pfizer
Victoria Velasquez	University of Virginia (Darden)	Moorpark, CA	University of Notre Dame	Simatree
Shriya Kumar	Wharton School	Mumbai, India	University of Mumbai	JP Morgan
Katya Wendt	Yale SOM	Rochester, MN	St. Olaf College	Amazon

Editor’s Note: This year, Poets&Quants will be profiling some of the most promising MBA students at over45 top business schools, including the programs featured above. Please note that Stanford GSB submits Class of 2024 candidates in the spring.

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