Exploring the American Dream: From Pakistan to Harvard Business School

“I felt like I needed to reconnect with my entrepreneurial roots, and I wanted to find a way to carve out some time and space to really think deeply about what I wanted to do,” Makani says.

So after conversing with both of his vice presidents at Vector Capital, Makani decided that business school was the best way to build on the entrepreneurial skills he thrived on as a young boy in his father’s shop. And Makani says that Stanford was his top choice, but after talking with people involved with Harvard Business School, he was incredibly impressed with the resources available at the new Harvard Innovation Lab. Makani’s class would be the first group of students to work in the i-Lab with prior entrepreneurs interested in helping new startups.

MORE PAINFUL TO WRITE HIS ADMISSION ESSAYS THAN TAKING THE DREADED GMAT

While he was sold on HBS, Makani had to sell himself in his admissions essays. He describes writing it as more “painful” than the GMAT, because it took a lot of self-reflection and critical thinking. However, this process taught him the key to applying for positions in the future.

“I think in general, if you have a belief in your story and what you have done … and you can reflect on your life and think deeply about who you are and how other people perceive you … that’s the key piece of applying to any position,” he says.

After being admitted to HBS in August 2011, Makani finally found himself in the world where he belonged with other students who were passionate about entrepreneurship. He thrived in his classes based on venture capital, authentic leadership, motivation and launching a successful startup. But his most beneficial experience at HBS came from his fellowship at the Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship where he completed an independent project for GSM Nation, an e-commerce Web site for smart phones.

CREATING A BUSINESS PLAN TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATION FOR THE MASSES

During his time at Yale, Makani became friends with the cofounder and CEO of GSM Nation, whose mission is to give those with limited resources access to wireless communication on a smart phone. His familiarity with the company allowed Makani to create a business plan for launching a GSM Nation MNVO (Mobile Virtual Network) that will provide a mass number of people with wireless communication at a cheaper rate and without a 2-year contract.

“I feel it’s in the national interest to make smart phones available to every class and income group,” Makani says. “And I’m excited for the job creation that’s inherit in the business model. We want to be on each and every college campus.”

HBS helped Makani rediscover his entrepreneurial spirit, and he advises that anyone considering business school should jump on the opportunity to “try different things and find out where your heart lies.” But he says the most important part is to take advantage of the opportunities that come from your peers.

AT HARVARD, HE DISCOVERED THE VALUE OF LEARNING FROM YOUR PEERS

“The bigger learning is not through your professors or through academics or what’s assigned to you; the bigger learning is through talking to people who have been exposed and have experience in different areas than yours,” Makani says. “And the more interaction with people who have different skill sets than you, not only can you tap into those people later on when you would require advice or help in those areas, you can also actually find out that it’s something that you would like to do.”

After commencement on May 30, 2013, Makani looks forward to launching his business plan with GSM Nation. He is most excited, however, to see how his MBA will allow him to create opportunities for others.

“I want to be in the position where I can create opportunities not just for my cousins, but also for other people born in Pakistan, as well as in the U.S.,” he says. “I want to create opportunities for others to explore and broaden their horizons and see the fruits of success that can come from education.”

And while Makani says he is still trying to explore what the American Dream is all about, he is looking forward to discovering its positive dimensions and hoping to achieve it. “ … What exactly defines the American Dream?” he says. “And is it just financial success? Because I believe that’s not the case. Having a human understanding of how people experience each other is more important than having a single-minded focus on just getting rich. That’s not what I want to do with my life. I want to create opportunities for others and help them achieve their dreams.”

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