Ellie Campion ’19

I decided to start my company, Mother Nurture, after my daughter was born. I wanted to reach out to children who are struggling in poverty.  Mother Nurture provides prenatal nutrition to mothers who otherwise may not be able to afford this care. 

My background is in asset management at Morgan Stanley, so I’m moving from finance into the nonprofit startup world. I chose SOM because it has a diverse set of programs that will prepare me to make this switch, especially the entrepreneurial classes. SOM’s focus on business and society also really resonates with my startup’s mission.

The EMBA program’s asset management track is the perfect bridge to learn how to apply my skill set in a new setting, and there are great resources in terms of building a network and what I’m learning in the classroom. At SOM, you learn from your classmates, as well as the faculty. Transitioning into the nonprofit sector, I’ve relied heavily on classmates who have worked in nonprofits, and I’ve been able to leverage their experience.

The leadership development curriculum was  a macro game-changer for me. It helped me boil down and discover some assumptions that I had built about myself.  The big takeaway was that I was the biggest thing getting in the way of achieving my goals. It gave me the confidence to challenge some of the barriers I had in place—such as my perfectionism—so that I can become a more effective leader. I would love ultimately to become a leader who gives meaning to the work people do. There are so many places to work these days, but I think having a mission that speaks to you is the best inspiration.