The ExecMBA Podcast

In this episode of the ExecMBA podcast, we talk with Melissa Stefaniak, a 2019 EMBA format student, about her business start-up,  Single Baked Sweets . Melissa is spending the summer as part of  Darden’s iLab incubator , and we recently sat down to discuss her venture, how her classmates have helped her as she launches her business, and how the case method has pushed her to grow as a leader.

In this episode of the ExecMBA Podcast, we catch up with Charlotte Robertson, an EMBA format student in our Class of 2018 and a recent Poets and Quants Best & Brightest selection. We talk with Charlotte about her decision to pursue an MBA, how her experiences in the program shaped her work as Director of Restaurants, Las Vegas for ThinkFoodGroup by Jose Andres, and how she used her Innovation and...

With our last deadline of the 2018 admissions cycle – 25 June – just a few days away, we sit down with Elan Freedy, a 2019 EMBA format in our Charlottesville section. We talk with Elan about how he chose Darden, what drew him to the Charlottesville section, what he enjoys most about being an executive format student, and his goals for his remaining time in the program.

In this episode of the ExecMBA Podcast, we talk with Jim Collins, one of two career advisors who support our executive format students. In this conversation, we explore how Jim and his colleague, Sarita Soldz, work with “climbers,” those students who wish to move up within their organization. We also touch upon what Jim loves about working with executive format students and how Darden’s career tea...

In this episode of the ExecMBA podcast, we talk with Hans Lauzen, an EMBA format student in our Class of 2019, about what he enjoys about being a member of the Charlottesville section and a student in the Executive MBA Program, what attracted him to Darden, and his advice for prospective students.

In this episode, we continue our exploration of our Charlottesville section experience with an interview with Christie May, an EMBA format student in our Class of 2019. We talk with Christie about her decision to pursue an MBA, her experience on the South Africa and China global residencies, what she enjoys about Charlottesville and the Charlottesville section, and what she loves about the program...

This episode of the ExecMBA podcast marks the first installment in a short series on our Charlottesville section experience. In this interview, we talk with Nii-Lante Lamptey, an EMBA format student in our Class of 2019, about why he decided to pursue his MBA and what he loves about learning in Charlottesville.

In this episode of the ExecMBA Podcast, we talk with Mariana Santos and Marco Mendoza about their experience as international students in Darden’s Executive MBA Program. Mariana is a 2018 EMBA format student (Charlottesville section) and originally from Brazil. Marco is a 2018 GEMBA format student (Charlottesville section) and based in Peru. We spoke with Mariana and Marco about why they chose Dar...

In this episode of the ExecMBA Podcast, we talk with Paul Conboy, an EMBA format graduate in our Class of 2017. We recently sat down with Paul to discuss his experience in the program, how he developed as a leader as a result of his time at Darden, what he loved about learning in Charlottesville, and more.

In this episode, we continue our exploration of entrepreneurship in the executive formats with a conversation with Sarita Soldz about career resources for students seeking to start their own ventures. Topics include peer support for entrepreneurially-inclined students, Darden’s iLab, and career support strategies for both emergent and experienced entrepreneurs.

In Episode 18, we begin with a short Admissions update before continuing our exploration of career support for executive format students at Darden with a conversation with Arica Booker, a 2018 EMBA format student in our Rosslyn section. Arica transitioned jobs during the program, and we talk with her about her search process, as well as her general experience as an EMBA format student at Darden. A...

In Episode 17, we talk with Sarita Soldz, one of two advisors with Darden’s Career Development Center (CDC) who work exclusively with our executive format students. In this conversation, we explore the process and available resources for those executive format students who are seeking to leverage their degree to facilitate a career transition. This is the first of several podcast episodes explorin...

The ExecMBA Podcast is back for 2018! In this podcast, we share a quick Admissions update, highlighting upcoming opportunities to learn more about Darden’s executive formats, and we also feature a conversation with Amanda Fox, a Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) format graduate from Darden’s Class of 2017. We talk with Amanda about her experience in the program, what led her to Darden, how she grew as...

In Episode 15, we return to the topic of entrepreneurship and talk with Corbin Norman, a GEMBA format student in our Class of 2018, about his passion for entrepreneurship, what he’s gained through the case method, what he’s learned from his classmates and how Darden has shaped his experience as an entrepreneur

In this episode of the ExecMBA Podcast, we talk with Chad Morgan, an EMBA format student in our Class of 2018, on a variety of topics ranging from how he chose Darden and what he loves about the case method to what he’s gained through his experience in the program and his recent global residency in India. We also profile our upcoming admissions deadline – January 10.

In this episode of the ExecMBA Podcast, we catch up with another recent graduate - Kate Stets, a Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) format student from our Class of 2017. We talk with Kate about her program experience, how GEMBA helped her develop as a leader and a case she wrote with two Darden faculty members.

In this episode of the ExecMBA Podcast, we sit down with Meredith Aronson, an EMBA format student in our Class of 2018, to explore a wide range of topics including her decision to pursue an MBA, why she chose Darden, her experience in our Rosslyn section, why she’s passionate about the case method and her advice for prospective executive format students.

We continue our Entrepreneurship Series in Episode 11 with Erin Breitzka, Class of 2018 EMBA student in our Rosslyn Section. With a background in manufacturing and operations, Erin talks to us about how the Executive format has impacted her life in some surprising ways, including provoking her to explore starting a business with another classmate. Erin also discusses her participation in the Entre...

In this episode, Patrick Weeks, EMBA Class of 2018 student in our Rosslyn section, discusses entrepreneurship and Darden’s Executive formats. A military veteran, Patrick now works at a startup in Northern VA and tells us about what led him to Darden, balancing work while pursuing an MBA and how the program has impacted to day-to-day work life.

In this episode, we talk with Abi Suarez, an EMBA format student from our Class of 2017, about how she decided to pursue an MBA, what she learned through the program, and her advice for prospective students

In this episode of the ExecMBA Podcast, we complete our conversation from Episode 4 about leadership development in the executive formats of the Darden MBA with Barbara Millar, Assistant Dean for our Executive MBA Program.

In episode 7 of the ExecMBA podcast, we sit down with Chris Barchet, a GEMBA format student in our Class of 2018, to talk about why he came to Darden, his global residency experiences and what he loves about the case method.

In our sixth episode, we share some admissions updates, preview our upcoming mini case discussion in Rosslyn on November 1, and interview Ryan Slevin, a GEMBA format student in our Class of 2018. We talk with Ryan about how she decided to pursue an MBA, her experience as a GEMBA format student and more. Check it out!

In this episode of the ExecMBA Podcast, Brett Twitty continues his conversation with Darden faculty member and Associate Dean for DC Initiatives, Greg Fairchild.

In our fourth (!) episode of the ExecMBA Podcast, we highlight our upcoming Admissions deadline – October 10 – as well as a few upcoming Executive MBA-related events in Chicago. We also sit down with the Assistant Dean for our Executive MBA Program, Barbara Millar, for part one of a conversation about leadership development in the executive formats of the Darden MBA.