The Fuqua Show

Abby Williams (Class of 2023) has always lived a "nontraditional" life, from her family to her career to her MBA experience co-leading the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club (EVCC). She is passionate about health tech startups and was inspired by personal experiences to support family caregivers for the elderly. In this episode, Abby shares about her own unique family and how they...

Julian Guelig and Shelly Mittal (Class of 2023) came to finance from nontraditional backgrounds - international development and dentistry. Now, they're pursuing careers in investment banking and private equity, while working to bring more women into these fields. In this episode, they discuss their personal journeys, keys to success, overcoming imposter syndrome, and responses to critics of t...

Gina El Kattan (Class of 2023) is completing her MBA in North Carolina...while also running a Canada-based Egyptian tea business with her mom. The two co-founded Nuba Tisane, an "organic, all-natural, traditional hibiscus tea" which uses traditional Egyptian brewing practices.  In this episode, Gina shares about starting the company, putting out (literal) fires, working with her mother,...

Megan Carter-Stone (Class of 2023) pursued her lifelong passions to manage social media for political candidates. She worked on a presidential and Senate campaign in the 2020 cycle, before coming to Fuqua and pivoting to CPG brand marketing. In this episode, she shares about her political awakening, working on the campaign trail, and the impact of social media on democracy. Note: This is a student...

It's Valentine's Day at Fuqua and love is in the air! To celebrate, we've filmed a special episode with three of our Fuqua couples: First, there's Tyler Klatt and Katie Anctil (Class of 2023), who enrolled in the MBA together. Then, we have Kunj Chheda (Class of 2024) and his wife Mudita Savai, who leads the Fuqua Partners Club. Finally, there's Jace Prokupek and Travis Be...

Cinthia Loera (Class of 2023) grew up in a small town with only three stoplights. There, she began advocating for underserved communities - a mission that became her North Star. Since then, she has led advocacy efforts as a college student, political campaign staffer, higher education community manager, MBA student, and most importantly, as a sister and a daughter. In this episode, Cinthia shares...

Bruna Leite (Class of 2023) is all about relationships. Originally from Brazil, she has lived all over the world, from Australia to Utah. She loves making connections and even interned at Tinder to help people meet others outside their circles. In this episode, Bruna covers cultural differences, modern dating apps, and making friends wherever you go. Note: This is a student-run production. The opi...

Brandon Quinn (Class of 2023) is terrified of heights, yet signed up for a job that included falling from the sky. He spent eight years in the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), clearing explosive hazards on land and in water. In this episode, Brandon shares about facing your fears, learning from failure, and resiliency - whether you're jumping out of a plane or jumping into busines...

Dr. Pino Lopomo has lived a remarkable life.  He grew up in small town Italy, married his high school sweetheart, came to the U.S. for a Ph. D. in economics, raised two daughters, became a teacher, and ultimately influenced Italian public policy. In this episode, he shares it all - from fatherhood to failures to Fuqua - in a heartwarming and hilarious interview. Stick around to the end for Pino&ap...

Hebe Zhao (Class of 2023) took a break from her finance job to explore the world. She tried scuba diving and loved it so much she became an instructor, training hundreds of new divers in Thailand and Indonesia. Then, she moved from the ocean back to the office, expanding the scuba industry globally with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. In this episode, Hebe shares her scuba jour...

Kristy Scheurer's (Class of 2023) mission is to help people improve their health and wellness, at Fuqua and beyond. In this episode, she covers her experiences with mental health, working in wellness companies, and serving as MBAA's VP of Health and Wellness. She also shares ideas to create better personal outcomes along the eight dimensions of wellness. We want to thank Kristy again for...

Xiaobao Li (Class of 2024) has lived a life of many surprises. After growing up in "small town" China and studying in Beijing, he moved to the U.S. to pursue a Ph. D. in microbiology. He worked on infectious disease prevention in both academia and industry, before a spontaneous pandemic wedding, moving to North Carolina, and starting an MBA. In this episode, he shares stories relevant fo...

Arya Diwase (Class of 2024) grew up in Pune, India, where she developed a passion for entrepreneurship and service. In this episode, she speaks about her journey as a social entrepreneur, from founding a drama education NGO to working at a large nonprofit. She also shares about her current venture - a social enterprise to support India's millions of domestic workers. Note: This is a student-r...

Courtney Kaplan (Class of 2023) pivoted from music teaching to management consulting in just one year. In this episode, she discusses her journey as both a learner and a teacher - learning music, teaching music, learning consulting, and teaching consulting - to inspire others with "nontraditional backgrounds". She even whips out the famous saxophone! Note: This is a student-run productio...

Javier Casado Cocero (Class of 2024) has big goals to transform how we manage our identities online. As he finished a job in pharmaceutical sales, he began designing his own video game, which sparked a passion for blockchain-enabled decentralized identity solutions. In this episode, he shares a conceptual overview, opinions on the industry, and ambitious plans for the startup he's building. N...

Ayana Ferguson (Class of 2024) is a data scientist by trade. At SAS Institute, a leading analytics company, she co-founded the Data Ethics practice to monitor and mitigate algorithmic impact on vulnerable populations. In this episode, she discusses using data ethics to create a more equitable world - what she's learned, what she's working towards, and why all business leaders should be i...

This week's guest is Gary Guilliams, a first-year MBA student in the Class of 2024. Gary is a veteran of the U.S. Army where he served for seven years as an Intelligence Officer, supporting both the conventional Army and Special Operations community. In this episode, he shares lessons learned from his time in national security and discusses his transition to civilian life. Note: This is a stu...

Our first guest is Jen Sibel, a second-year MBA student in the Class of 2023.  After starting her career in the hospitality industry, she decided to attend business school, where she stepped up to represent the student body as MBA Association co-president. As she prepares her transition into Big Tech, Jen reflects on how her perspectives on leadership and service have evolved throughout her career...