I’ve always had a passion for technology and how it could help people. When I was pursuing my bachelor’s in computer engineering, I helped to build a software platform that connected parents of mentally disabled children with doctors to talk about the issues and daily challenges they faced. The project and how it connected people together fascinated me, and I wondered if I might be able to make a similar impact in another field, like finance. When I graduated, I worked at a division of JP Morgan for a few years on various digital projects with cross-cultural teams.
I was born and raised in India and I wanted to see what else the world might have to offer. I applied to business schools and decided to get my MBA from IE Business School. It was exactly what I needed: exposure to different points of view and learning new ways to approach problems. While I was there, I met with some Master of Advanced Management alumni, and I said to myself, “Yes, I want to be a part of that, too.” I knew that I wanted to be on this track from that point onward.
Being a part of the MAM program isn’t just about international exposure. It’s about other skills—the “soft” skills like working with people, working in teams, learning about other cultures and perspectives on how to approach problems in different parts of the world. The Global Network brings so many different types of people here into the classroom, so you can find yourself asking, “How would I approach this finance problem in Africa?” or “How do you solve this type of problem in Canada?” on a regular basis. It’s a core part of the culture here.
When you’re with your other MAMs in the cohort, you form these tight-knit bonds that you know will go well beyond your time at SOM. It’s easy to ask for help or say, “Hey, when I come visit your country, can you host me?” It’s a normal part of the experience and something I’ve loved about it.
My time at Yale SOM has broadened my mind in ways I didn’t expect. Before I started here, I was limited in my thinking to the scope of a project or how that project might impact one party. Now, I think about it from all sides. What could the human cost of a project be? Is it good for the broader community? Is it good for the world?
My time here has made me fluent in a variety of different kinds of languages. I can speak the language of engineers, business people in finance, and of people outside of the business world who may be impacted by it.
In one class, we had a speaker from Uber come in and talk about the design choices they’ve made and their approach to growing their model. By the end of the class, the speaker gave us contact information, and by next class, our professor was asking, “Hey, have you followed up yet?” You’re in school for a year, but through the MAM you remain connected to what’s going on in the world while you’re studying.
