MBA Insider's Blog

Time 2020-07-22 04:03:44

Web Name: MBA Insider's Blog

WebSite: http://mbablogs.anderson.ucla.edu

ID:31319

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MBA Insider's Blog The UCLA Anderson MBA Insider’s Blog offers an inside perspective on topics relevant to prospective MBA students and others interested in learning about UCLA Anderson’s world-class MBA program, faculty and curriculum. The blog is managed by members of the full-time MBA program’s Admissions Committee, with posts by our Admissions staff, students, alumni and guests. Post is a part of the Day in the Life series - each post is written by a current UCLA Anderson student who shares their Day in the Life Hi everyone! My name is Austin Josiah and I am a rising 2nd year at UCLA Anderson. Originally born in Southern California (Orange County), I grew up in the other Orange County in Orlando, Florida. For undergrad, I attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School where I studied finance and legal studies and was also heavily involved with the sports business club. Upon graduating, I began my career in financial services, working as a rotational analyst at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. During my last two years before business school, I pivoted to the Private Wealth Management division at Morgan Stanley, working on the strategy and business management team helping grow the ultra-high net-worth business at the firm. I came to business school to pursue a career in strategic planning within the sports industry and was able to land a strategy and operations consulting position at Deloitte. However, due to COVID-19, Deloitte shortened the internship to a two-week virtual program, and in the meantime, I was fortunate enough to land a job as a strategy intern at Erewhon Market, a high-end LA-based grocery chain. Thus, I will talk about these two weeks where I am navigating both internships.7:15am: My alarm goes off! I roll out of bed and read some of the news and updates currently going on in the world before I grab some cereal and get ready for my first Zoom meeting. Today is the end of the first of two weeks at Deloitte and it begins with a debrief networking session with 25 other Deloitte Summer Associates and Practitioners based in the LA office at 8 AM PST.12:00 pm: I just finished up my 3rd and last Deloitte session of the day. Today we learned about the importance of health and wellness and all the great things Deloitte focuses on with its’ consultants given the stressful nature of the job. This can be achieved through breathing and mediation techniques, the ability to plug-in and out throughout the day, and the importance of finding your passions. We also had a session where we learned about specific client work within the healthcare space and how Deloitte consultants were able to add value and redefine the strategic priorities for a large-scale healthcare client even in a short time period. It is almost noon, so I pack everything up and I head over to the Erewhon corporate office.3:00pm: After arriving at the office, I spend an hour meeting with my Manager, the Chief of Staff at Erewhon, updating him on the status of my projects, and set out tasks to accomplish for the rest of the day. I am working on ways to bolster the e-commerce presence as many shoppers decide to order online and avoid the stores altogether while in quarantine. I take a break to try one of the sample sparkling waters that are stocked on the Erewhon shelves in the 5 locations throughout LA--how refreshing! It is now time to prepare for a brief 20-minute networking call to get to know other Deloitte practitioners based in the LA Office.7:30pm: Yet, another long day navigating two internships. I finally arrive home and it is time to de-stress for the day after a quick evening snack. My favorite way to de-stress is by working out and hopping on my Peloton bike to crush a 30-minute ride to round out my day! While balancing two separate jobs is not the easiest, it only spans two weeks and I do appreciate all of the learning and excitement involved with working at both Deloitte and Erewhon, especially given the genuine level of support and understanding from both companies. I’m definitely in a unique situation--one that I did not predict. Despite that, it has absolutely worked out in the end and I’m excited for another great week next week!-- Austin JosiahABOUT AUSTINHometon: Orlando, FLUndergraduate Studies: University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton SchoolPre-Anderson: Assistant Vice President, Morgan Stanley MBA Summer Internship: MBA Summer Associate, Deloitte / MBA Strategy Intern, ErewhonPost-MBA Goals: Sports / EntertainmentLeadership@Anderson: Co-President, Black Business Student’s Association; VP of Equity Diversity and Inclusion, Anderson Ambassador Corps; Consortium LiaisonActivities@Anderson: Sports Business Association, Anderball Basketball Club, Entertainment Management Association, Social Impact Consulting Corps, Strategy Operations Management Association Post is a part of the Day in the Life series - each post is written by a current UCLA Anderson student who shares their Day in the Life Hello to whomever is reading this! My name is Penny Vorissis and I’m a rising second year at Anderson. Before jumping into the nitty gritty of what my exciting ( virtual) summer internship looks like, I’ll give you a little bit of background on myself. Prior to Anderson, I worked at Abercrombie Fitch doing corporate finance in Columbus, OH. Despite my love affair with the retail industry, I knew I wanted to pursue an MBA so that I could focus on the intersection of retail, operations/strategy, and sustainability. Nike felt like a natural fit for me, and the global operations role offered me the ability to explore the intricacies of Nike’s immense and impressive supply chain. This summer I am on the APLA (Asia Pacific, Latin America) Connected Product team, focusing on RFID Implementation. And, without further ado, here is what a day in the life of a virtual Nike Intern looks like!7:00 AM – Wake up snooze my alarm for what would normally be the time I’d need for a commute.7:30AM – Get out of bed get ready8:00AM – Enjoy my morning supergreens supplement wait for my coffee to be ready. I read my emails, catch up on news via the Morning Brew ( of course the Retail Brew), and prep for my first meeting.8:45 AM – Have my morning meeting with my manager Mark (say that 5 times fast). Every morning we touch base to make sure that I’m on the right track to present my deliverables and that we’re in sync with each other. It’s a great way to level-set expectations for the day!9:00AM – 11:30AM – Various meetings with folks in Global Ops at Nike! Nike is a company that has a huge culture of networking across the organization. When I started my internship, Mark gave me a list of 25 people to meet with and every single one has not only been willing to meet, but has been a huge value add to my summer project. The list also keeps growing which is a great way for me to continue learning about the company.1:00PM – Call with the Grupo Axo team who runs our Nike Partner Stores in Mexico. They give us a weekly debriefing on the progress of the RFID pilot in their stores.1:30PM – APLA Leadership seminar. This week’s topic is Leadership Defined! We had an HR lead taking us through Nike’s new thought process with regards to developing talent. We were able to understand where the APLA Ops team stands in terms of where they feel strong as well as where they want to improve.2:30PM - 4:00PM – All Intern NTC Workout. Nike really takes their principle of “Make Sport a Daily Habit” to heart, even in the midst of a pandemic. The University Recruiting team really pulled out all the stops to make sure the interns have a connected and truly “Nike” Experience.4:00PM – 4:30PM – I shower because I definitely don’t look as fresh as I did at the beginning of the class.4:30PM – 5:30PM – Working session with my manager on my final project deliverable7:00PM – Take a load off for the night. I am breaking in my new hiking boots for my first ever backpacking/hiking/camping trip in the southern Sierras this weekend! Navigating a new internship amidst COVID has certainly been challenging, but I am so lucky to be in a place like California that has so many nooks and crannies to explore. Plus, thanks to all the training from Nike, I’m feeling fit and ready for anything.-- Penny VorissisABOUT PENNY· Hometown: Thousand Oaks, CA· Undergraduate Studies: Finance Spanish - University of Notre Dame· Pre-Anderson: Financial Analyst – Abercrombie Fitch· MBA Summer Internship: Global Operations - Nike· Post-MBA Goals: Internal Strategy· Leadership@Anderson: President – Retail Business Association, Executive Vice President - Admissions Ambassador Corps, VP of Finance - MENA· Activities@Anderson: Retail Business Association, Admissions Ambassador Corps, Women s Business Connection, Net Impact, MENA, Anderson Wine Club This summer, join current MBA students, through our Summer Liveguide Series, as they share their favorite Anderson moments and experiences recruiting across industries. Meet Julia! Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Julia Egan started her career as a kindergarten teacher in New York City and later joined a San Francisco education technology company, AltSchool, where she most recently served as Chief of Staff. Julia came to Anderson to pursue a career in big tech but quickly found herself drawn towards LA’s startup and venture capital scene. Today, she is the President of Anderson’s Entrepreneur Association and is spending her summer interning at Bonfire Ventures, a firm investing in early stage B2B software companies.Meet Michael!Michael started his career at Uber, working on their Freight and New Mobility teams in San Francisco and his hometown of Chicago. Coming to Anderson, he knew he wanted to explore entrepreneurship and quickly launched his own company VHolmes in his first year. This summer, Michael is continuing to work on his venture while also serving as a Product Manager at Nike Digital. If I have a startup idea and need to develop it technically, what kind of resources can I get at UCLA to make it a real thing?Something we work really hard at is to create opportunities for you to meet people. We have combined events with the Engineering school if you don’t have the skills to be able to build a tool yourself. There are also very talented undergraduates who are looking for internships. We are constantly working on new ways to connect you with other students at UCLA. Finally, there’s also a possibility that you join an existing start-up and meet your future co-founders there. What was your favourite elective other than EVI and BPD?There are some really great off-the-wall classes from professors who are actually in the field. Technology Entrepreneurship features two rotating professors who are partners at a VC. They are able to not only provide insight into how to invest in a company but also share their deal flow so students can really understand how they invest in companies. The class also featured a great speaker series. What resources were helpful with your start-up VHolmes?The most helpful things were the Accelerator and the competitions. Extracurriculars are so important here. Get to know Julia — the Entrepreneur Association (EA) is by far the most important club to get involved with. The newsletter is priceless, with opportunities for internships and competitions all over the world. I did every UCLA competition and then I did any competition that Julia and the EA sent around. That was the biggest opportunity for growth. And then, I recommend at least trying to apply for the Accelerator in your first or second year. As an alumni, you are also welcome back at any time to apply for the six month program. To learn more about Entrepreneurship at Anderson, check out Julia and Michael’s webinar here. Dear Anderson: A series of letters written by our Class of 2020 graduates reflecting on their UCLA Anderson MBA journey.Dear Anderson,In the Spring of 2017, I sat in Manhattan Prep’s NYC Chelsea office at a UCLA Anderson information session led by Dean of Student Affairs, Rob Weiler. There, amidst a group of MBA-hopefuls in an uncomfortably steamy room to offset the frigid not-yet spring snowy weather outside, Rob’s boasts of an always-sunny Los Angeles campus sounded too good to be true. That said, what sounded even more absurd was Rob’s promise of a “transformative, not transactional” experience. As if – people go to business school for the degree, cooler job and higher salary, who gets “transformed”? Oh was I wrong.I am not the same person I was sitting in that Manhattan office building three years ago. I have been pushed, stretched, challenged and molded into a leader confident to take on our world’s most complex business challenges. I am who I am today because of Anderson and the community it fosters. Because as we all know (or will learn) – it takes a village.This village supported me through my desire to double-pivot my career, switching both industry and function, and supported me so well that I didn’t quite realize how lofty the goal was until after I achieved it. From meeting with my 2nd year ACT coaches last year, to attending countless mock interview prep sessions with essentially every Parker Advisor, to meeting with 30+ alumni (at a near 100% response rate), I attribute my success at securing my dream summer internship in Operations Strategy at Nike to the 50+ Anderson students, faculty and alumni who selflessly supported my growth to attain it.It was in this internship that I learned the power of connection and collaboration. Up until business school, I fared very well at work without asking for help. It took Anderson and Nike to teach me that, while one can indeed be strong individually, you can be so much stronger as a part of a team. No project, whether it be for school or work, is complete without its parts, and being able to acknowledge where your weaknesses are turns them into strengths much faster than pretending you don’t have them. In June, I walk away with a better understanding of myself, and stronger ability to support others in their personal growth journey.As I prepare to graduate in a few months, one of the thoughts I keep returning to pertains to legacy. How can we maintain this incredible culture of support and collaboration? I’m proud of my contribution to our legacy as VP Interviewing AAC, in which I oversaw the interview process of 1000+ interviews conducted by 100+ student interviewers to ensure we attract and admit candidates who believe in our culture. Selfishly, this role gave me exposure to leadership en masse and the confidence to assume leadership roles outside of school in the future. I also took on the role of Parker TA, helping our existing first year students navigate the summer internship recruitment process. Collectively, I hope my contribution in both roles generates a new class of students eager to buy into our collaborative culture, as well as a new group of soon-to-be alumni eager to support the new students as our alumni community supported me.To Anderson: Thank you for taking the chance on a skeptic and transforming me into the leader and person I’ve become. While personal growth is a lifelong journey, I’ve never felt more equipped for the ride and attribute that entirely to the community Anderson has cultivated. While we may physically leave in 2020, Anderson is now a part of us for a lifetime and I am forever grateful.Always,Kelly Mellenthin About Carmen: Carmen Chávez ( 21) is a first-generation MBA candidate at UCLA Anderson, pursuing a specialization in Brand Management. Prior to business school, she worked in publicity at major media conglomerates including NBCUniversal and FOX Sports. She holds a B.A. degree in Sociology and Spanish from UCLA. A year ago, I started working with The Parker Career Management Center to prepare for The Consortium’s Orientation Program, or “OP” as it is commonly referred to, where I’d have the opportunity to interview for 2020 summer internship opportunities. I felt an overwhelming amount of pressure to walk away from OP with an offer. As I reflect upon this experience, I remember how everyone I met at the conference helped to put my mind at ease just like one’s family would do because that’s what The Consortium is – a family.If you are not familiar with The Consortium, The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management is the nation s largest diversity network, linking top tier students, leading MBA programs, and corporate partners, including Fortune 500 companies. The mission of The Consortium is to reduce the underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans in education and the ranks of global management. A common misconception is that membership is only open to those who identify as one of the aforementioned racial groups, but in actuality, all U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have demonstrated a commitment to The Consortium’s mission are eligible to apply.The Consortium offers numerous benefits, starting with a streamlined business school application to up to six member schools. This saves time and, of course, money. If you are admitted into The Consortium, you will be considered for a merit-based fellowship that will cover full tuition and mandatory fees for a two-year, full-time program. As I previously mentioned, Consortium fellows also have a unique and exclusive opportunity to attend OP where they network and interview with corporate recruiters as well as connect with other incoming students from 20 top MBA programs.As a first-generation college student, I can personally attest to how The Consortium community has been a crucial support system, which has made all the difference in shaping my b-school experience. It started with our amazing 2020 Consortium liaisons who traveled with us to OP, engaged with us over the summer, and have continued to make themselves available to answer all of our questions from academics to financial aid. Upon arriving for summer quarter in August, my first-day jitters went away as soon as I saw the familiar faces of my Consortium cohort. While we were split amongst five different sections for our core classes, we scheduled monthly dinners so we could continue to check-in with each other, enjoy some downtime from recruiting, and celebrate our accomplishments. Even during COVID-19, we’ve continued to meet up for virtual happy hours, which has been one of the positive moments during these unprecedented times. It was especially meaningful to connect with my Consortium family when my summer internship was canceled amid the pandemic. They were constantly reaching out to find out how I was doing and how they could help as well as sending me internship listings and career resources. In addition to their support, the Parker team advised me on how to best reach out to recruiters during these times of uncertainty, which positioned me to secure a summer internship with General Mills. I feel fortunate to be a part of The Consortium, and know that I can speak for everyone when I say we are here to help diminish the opportunity gap so that other underrepresented prospective students can find their family at UCLA Anderson and succeed in business school.Student Blogger: Carmen Chávez ( 21)Undergrad: UCLA ‘13 (Sociology and Spanish)Pre-MBA: Brand Communications Manager at FoxLeadership@Anderson: Vice President of Alumni Relations – Marketing Association, Vice President of Partnerships – Alliance for Latinx Management at Anderson, MarCom Project Lead – Embracing Diversity Conference Committee; Interviewer – Admissions Ambassador Corps About Claire: Prior to Anderson, I worked in financial services for five years in New York City, first on the client-facing side at AllianceBernstein and most recently on the marketing team at J.P. Morgan. I came to Anderson to transition to technology, and spent the past summer as a product marketing MBA intern at Intuit. At Anderson, I’ve enjoyed planning marketing workshops as VP Career Development for the Marketing Association and mentoring first-year students as a Marketing ACT Coach.What would you say helped you the most at Anderson to get a marketing internship?A combination of Anderson resources, from Parker Career Center to ACT and IPT, helped me prepare for interviews and ultimately land my marketing internship. The Parker Series was foundational in helping me craft and tell my story along with refining my resume and cover letters. I also leaned on my Parker advisor for guidance throughout the recruiting process. My weekly Marketing ACT group was a great supplement to the Parker Series by helping me stay on top of marketing industry trends and get valuable recruiting tips from my second-year coaches. We did interactive exercises in ACT to practice everything from the 30 second pitch to marketing case questions. Finally, Marketing Association’s IPT was a safe space for me to practice behavioral and case questions in a smaller group setting, and at the same time get to know my fellow classmates recruiting for marketing. Are there any marketing specific skills that the Marketing Association or coursework helped you build?The Customer Assessment Analytics course was very helpful in providing me with the toolkit to conduct market and consumer research and make data-driven marketing decisions. For example, I learned how to create a conjoint analysis and as part of our final group project, collected survey data and analyzed the results to come up with a strategic recommendation. The coursework was directly relevant to my summer project at Intuit, where I developed and implemented customer surveys in partnership with the consumer insights team. I also enjoyed attending Marketing Association events, from the Alumni Speaker Series to casing workshops, which gave me a deeper understanding of the marketing industry and skills needed to succeed as a marketer.You’re involved with MA and you’re an ACT coach. How would you describe the culture of marketing at Anderson?Similar to the Anderson student culture, the culture of marketing at Anderson is very collaborative and supportive. Particularly through my ACT and IPT groups, I was able to develop close relationships with my fellow classmates recruiting for marketing. In addition to sharing research we’ve done on various companies, we relied on one another for interview prep. I had standing meetings with several first year classmates, where we set an hour aside to practice marketing cases and take turns asking questions and providing feedback. Second-years were also very supportive and generous with their time in giving company-specific advice and doing mock interviews. It was awesome having a close-knit community of Anderson classmates who were going through the interview process together and eager to help each other out. What was your summer project?This past summer, I interned on the QuickBooks Live product marketing team at Intuit’s Mountain View headquarters. QuickBooks Live is one of Intuit’s newest offerings, where QuickBooks-certified virtual bookkeepers help small business owners with all of their bookkeeping needs. It was super exciting to be a part of such a high-energy and growing team. My project was focused around gathering customer feedback on the service and using those insights to inform future commercialization and long-term retention. I interviewed 15+ QuickBooks Live customers and synthesized key learnings to develop a recommendation on actionable next steps. I loved the opportunity to work cross-functionally as a product marketer at Intuit and put the marketing concepts I learned at Anderson into practice.Student Blogger: Claire Fu ‘20Undergrad: Columbia University Pre-MBA: Marketing, J.P. MorganLeadership@Anderson: VP Career Development, Marketing Association; VP Admissions, Women’s Business Connection; Marketing ACT Coach About Patrick: Patrick Ayers (’21) enrolled in Anderson to explore entrepreneurship and consulting. Before Anderson, he worked in healthcare and performed pro-bono consulting. At Anderson, he has been involved in various pitch competitions and consulting projects.Every startup is trying to answer one fundamental question: How does it gain funds without giving up equity or going into debt? Prototypes are costly, and MBA students don’t have cash to burn. If your idea is well-researched, you can write a business plan and enter a pitch competition. My name is Patrick Ayers, and I, as part of OYA Apparel, chose this option and would like to tell you more about it.First, let me tell you OYA’s story. We started after our founder, Mitchella Gilbert (FTMBA ’21), had spoken to multiple OB/GYNs and realized millions of women needed a pair of leggings that were not only fashionable, but supported feminine wellness. We felt that the best way to drive change around feminine wellness would be to design a pair of leggings that met every woman’s needs.After agreeing that we would be a good fit for Berkeley Haas s Investing in Inclusion Pitch Competition , we started writing our business plan. We spent hours selecting our best markets, defining our core values, and refining our value proposition. Teammates Mac Seder (FTMBA ’21) and Raylan Vaz (FTMBA ’21) handled finance and operations, respectively, and classmate Dhivya Sridhar (FTMBA ’21) helped with readability. We also consulted with Anderson faculty like Professors Shaddy and Poliquin to help sharpen our marketing and strategy. A week after submitting, we were elated to hear we had been chosen as a finalist and invited to pitch in front of an audience at Berkeley.Mitchella, Raylan, Dhivya, and I decided to go. Unfortunately, the coronavirus had led to the public and media being barred, but we were happy to meet our judges and fellow contestants. The judges included diversity and inclusion leaders from Levi Strauss, the Salesforce Impact Fund, and Golden Seeds—a venture capital fund focusing on women entrepreneurs. After practicing in a waiting from for about an hour, it was our turn to go. Mitch and Dhivya presented flawlessly. The judges loved our concept and provided great feedback to help us improve our marketing. Here are my three key takeaways from the event:Don’t be afraid to apply for pitch competitions if you’re in your first year. You can overcome any obstacle with preparationWhen trying to create a new product, ask yourself: is it functional or aspirational? This question will help answer later questions around topics like pricingIf you’re going to pitch, practice in front of the mirror, then practice in front of faculty, then practice in front of classmatesOverall, this was an incredible experience for our growing company and we were proud to represent Anderson with a third place finish.Student Blogger: Patrick Ayers 21Undergrad: University of FloridaPre-MBA: Senior Data Analyst at DaVita Healthcare PartnersLeadership@Anderson: VP of Allyship, Black Business Student Association; Anderson Strategy Group About Jessica: Jessica Cheng ( 20) came to Anderson to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams. Prior to school, she worked in investment banking, corporate planning, and product management. At Anderson she co-founded Wellness Yoga and Sustainability@Anderson.“Our only job is to make you successful. If you’re successful, we’re successful.” That’s what Trish Halamandaris ‘92, the Director of the Anderson Venture Accelerator, said to my cohort of startups on the first day of our program in the summer of 2019. Even today I remember the moment clearly because it reminded me that my startup dreams were being whole-heartedly championed by my school.I chose Anderson to pursue my MBA in large part because of the UCLA Anderson Venture Accelerator. Having studied business as an undergraduate, I wanted more than just classroom theory and analysis – I desired an intensive, hands-on experience that would teach me not just the “whys”, but the “hows” of business. Looking back at the six-month-long Accelerator program, my expectations were surpassed; I feel more prepared for a journey in entrepreneurship, and more importantly, more certain than ever of my social responsibility as a businesswoman and Anderson grad. This tremendous growth was made possible only through the Accelerator’s commitment to a five-star learning experience, which involved a meticulously curated teaching agenda, one-on-one coaching, and a strong sense of camaraderie. The Teaching AgendaI think of the Accelerator program as a six-credit course on top of my regular academics that was personalized to my unique needs. My cohort and I met weekly (sometimes more) to hear from industry experts, fellow founders, and even vendors—like KPMG or Amazon Web Services—who help launch startups. My favorite was the full-day “Marketing Bootcamp”, where I got to hear from industry experts like Jonathan Shieber, an editor at TechChrunch who gave us an insider’s view on managing public relations, and Rod Kurtz, a marketing guru who later helped me develop a “bar pitch” for my idea. Another was the “Finance Bootcamp”, where I heard from fellow Anderson alumna and founder, Ksenia Yudina ‘14, who shared her personal experience fundraising as a woman in the male-dominated VC world. I found that these programs elevated my thinking and ability to execute, complementing my classroom learning through an emphasis on the most current, relevant, and tactical information.The Individualized AttentionThe Accelerator had the most individualized delivery of teaching I experienced at Anderson—a style that Trish calls the “white-glove service”. I experienced more one-on-one office hours, feedback sessions, and workshops with the Anderson staff who teach and advise than in all my other courses combined. The most unbelievably helpful were the rehearsal sessions for the Showcase Pitch where we worked individually to improve our pitches with industry experts like Lisa Kraynak, CMO and growth executive, and Saujin Yi, founder of Liquid. I also will never forget Eric Cazenave, a presentation coach, who made me practice my pitch while shadow boxing in order to evoke power and intensity. Furthermore, the Accelerator paired me with my own startup mentor, Mona Mirakor, who spent hours advising me on everything from product-market-fit to finding local talent. Arvind Rao, a senior director at Symantec and our entrepreneur-in-residence, even set up bi-weekly check-ins to help me tackle difficult problems, always spending more time than planned. Lastly, Trish and Janet Chung ’18 also challenged me during our office hours with more candidness and persistence than any professor ever had. Because of the personalized attention, honest feedback, and a culture focused on hands-on practicality, I grew tremendously—particularly in my confidence, judgement, and ability to execute.The CamaraderieEntrepreneurs are a special breed – curious, collaborative, and just slightly chaotic. As a result, the Accelerator naturally developed a magnetic and vibrant energy that was uniquely distinct from other communities on campus. I loved the Accelerator-organized social events like lunches, happy-hours, and off-site outings that helped me build relationships with startup leaders in a meaningful and lasting way. Moreover, I admired my peers (like the founders of Wire, InnoDT, and 81cents) and the Accelerator powerhouses (like Trish, Janet, and Will Freas), and felt invigorated by their unwavering dedication and ambition in the pursuit of their visions. Even today, I turn to them for business advice, emotional support, and occasionally goofing off after a long day of hustle. It’s nice to know that even when life gets crazy, they are always there for me, day in and day out.When I look back at my Anderson experience, the Accelerator was the thread that connected everything for me. This was home, especially during the summer when I worked out of the Accelerator full-time. The personal bonds I formed, the practical insights I received, and the personal growth I experienced at the Accelerator was unparalleled. When I imagine returning in five years as an alumna, this will be the place I visit to relive my fondest memories. This is also where I would “give back” as maybe a mentor, a speaker, or a donor. I truly believe in their approach to teaching entrepreneurship and empowering my generation to think fearlessly, act collaboratively, and drive change. Student Blogger: Jessica Cheng ‘20Undergrad: Cornell University ‘13 (Hotel Administration)Pre-MBA: Fitness App StartupLeadership@Anderson: Wellness Yoga Club (Co-President, Co-Founder), Sustainability@Anderson (Co-Founder) About Me: I was born in San Diego, but grew up in Baja California, Mexico. Prior to Anderson, I attended Cornell University and moved to the Bay Area, where I work at Oracle in technology sales for the past 4 years. Over time, I realized that I really enjoyed the client-facing aspect of my role, but I wanted to focus more on the financial advisory of impacting growth companies rather than simply selling software/hardware. At UCLA Anderson, I plan to focus on Finance Technology and recruit for a technology investment banking role during my time at Anderson to advise growth companies.What advice would you give attendees for having an awesome experience at Embracing Diversity?My advice is to not take yourself so seriously and enjoy the moment. You will meet people who are at different stages in the application process, whether they are just thinking about business school, are taking the GMAT, are about to apply, or have already interviewed (I had interviewed the day before). Don’t compare yourself with people who are ahead of you in the process and try to be engaged in the activities (both academic and social) to get the most out of your weekend. Meet as many people as you can, but make sure to build some lasting friendships with at least a few people. Lastly, engage with current students/alumni to get a better sense of the community and the opportunities that will be available to you based on your interests.What’s one thing you wish you had known before attending Embracing Diversity?I think some people assume that at any MBA event hosted by admissions you will constantly evaluated, but that is not the case here. Feel free to ask questions and participate without feeling like you will be judged on the questions or answers you give. Enjoy the current student/alumni mixers and go out to any social events that are going on.When did you know you wanted to come to Anderson?I felt that after attending a Marketing Class going over a case study on Jay Z’s Decoded campaign, staying at the Luskin Hotel prior to my admissions interview, and attending Embracing Diversity Weekend, I saw myself going to school at Anderson for the long-term. I was always considering going back to the east coast after having spent 4 years in San Francisco, especially since most investment banking jobs are in NY, but I felt at ease when after spending almost an entire week on campus. Overall, I felt that current students at Anderson always encouraged me throughout the process and referred me to others who had successfully pivoted to my careers of interest, so I had a chance to get a better understanding of Anderson’s career resources. Given my interest in tech banking, I discovered that the Parker Center has great relationships with investment banks in San Francisco where most Tech groups are located, which made it easier to finalize my decision.Student Blogger: Max Olivares ‘21Undergrad: Cornell UniversityPre-MBA: Technology Sales, OracleLeadership@Anderson: Director of Finance, Anderson Latino Management Association; Director of Academics, Latin American Business Association; Director of Partnerships, Anderson Wine Club About Lesley: Prior to Anderson, Lesley Gwam (‘20) was a practicing attorney in Chicago. Her MBA focus is media and entertainment, and she is currently interning at Universal Music Latin Entertainment. In her spare time, Lesley enjoys running and cooking (the two are directly related).What advice would you give attendees for having an awesome experience at Embracing Diversity?Talk to everyone! Even if everyone you meet doesn’t end up being your classmate, you can still use the opportunity to expand your professional network and make new friends who value diversity as much as you do. When did you know you wanted to come to Anderson? I knew I wanted to come to business school to pivot from insurance litigation to entertainment partnerships; so naturally I only looked at schools in New York and Los Angeles. I did not hesitate to attend Embracing Diversity, and I knew Anderson was for me the second I stepped on campus. The then-students were incredibly warm, the speakers were compelling, and Anderson’s resources (especially in entertainment) were plentiful. The sunny skies in late November didn’t hurt either! What s surprised you about Anderson so far?The collaborative culture. I read about it online and heard about it from students as a prospective student, but it wasn’t until I actually enrolled at Anderson that I understood how deeply embedded collaboration is in the Anderson culture. As someone who does not come from a quantitative background, I was very moved by the actions of many of my classmates who took time out of their busy schedules to help me grasp course concepts. The collaborative culture isn’t limited to academics, however, as it is not rare to see students preparing for interviews together, even for the same role at times. What opportunities have you taken on to promote diversity at Anderson?The first club I joined at Anderson was the Black Business Students Association (BBSA), in which I served as a first year director of partnerships, a role which required me to work with other student clubs to host programming centered on diversity. This year I am a co-President of BBSA and our board will continue to host diversity centered workshops as well as professional workshops for our members and allies and a robust Black History Month celebration with both educational and social events.Student Blogger: Lesley Gwam 20Pre-MBA: Insurance litigationUndergrad: University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignLeadership@Anderson: Co-President, Black Business Students Association; VP of Music, Entertainment Management Association; Co-Host, AndercastThe UCLA Anderson MBA Insider’s Blog offers an inside perspective on topics relevant to prospective MBA students and others interested in learning about UCLA Anderson’s world-class MBA program, faculty and curriculum. The blog is managed by members of the full-time MBA program’s Admissions Committee, with posts by our Admissions staff, students, alumni and guests.

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The MBA Insiders Blog offers an objective, “inside” perspective on issues relevant to prospective MBA students and others interested in learning more about an MBA and/or UCLA Anderson. The blog is managed by members of the full-time MBA program’s Admissions Committee.

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