Meet Washington Olin’s MBA Class Of 2025

A brand. An identity. A differentiator.

Every organization has one. It is the first association that comes to mind. Apple is synonymous with innovation. Coca-Cola conjures up images of cool summer ball games and cheery family Christmas dinners. Of course, consumers flock to Amazon for selection, service, and speed. Sometimes, it can be difficult to pigeonhole brands. That’s particularly true of Washington University’s Olin Business School. Call it the marketer’s curse and a student’s dream: across-the-board excellence in programming, culture, and location.

That starts with instilling an international mindset…from day one. Unlike many full-time MBA programs, which couch overseas treks during first-year spring, Olin kicks off a new class with its summer Global Immersion. For six weeks, Olin MBAs experience global business practices, geopolitical forces, and cultural and language differences in an unfamiliar atmosphere. The Global Immersion opens in Washington, DC, with international coursework at the Brookings Institution. While the program – which launched six years ago – has taken students everywhere from Paris and Shanghai, the Class of 2025 enjoyed the Mediterranean climate of Barcelona last summer. Here, MBAs worked on strategies to help a St. Louis firm, Strange Donuts, break into the Spanish market. They also met with government and business leaders, entrepreneurs, and alumni to get first-hand insights on what matters overseas – and why.

IMPORTANT LESSONS AND UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES

For Swetabh, last summer’s Barcelona experience showed him how business models must often be customized across markets and geographies. However, he reserves his highest praise for the Global Institution and Values program he completed in DC.

“With over six years in the oil and gas industry, I’ve observed the significant impact of nonmarket variables, like government regulations and unions, on business operations and businesses as a whole. The program featured seasoned speakers in international relations, trades, and business-government intersections, and it enhanced my understanding of these crucial dynamics.”

The best way to learn something is to live it. In the Global Immersion, this happens when students get out of their comfort zones. They adopt the cultural habits, surround themselves with different languages, and indulge in unfamiliar cuisines. Beyond the international experience, there are two underlying intents behind the Global Immersion. First, the student projects expose first-years to academic concepts long before they set foot in the classroom for the core courses. By being together 24×7 overseas – over flights dinners, car rides, site visits, biking excursions, and site-seeing – the class bonds together sooner and stronger. Along the way, this camaraderie fosters memories for a lifetime.

“My favorite memory so far was during the global immersion in Barcelona,” writes Carlos Morantes, who earned his undergraduate degree in nearby Lindenwood University. “During one of our days off, we rented a boat that took us sailing in the Balearic Sea. The weather was great, and the view of Barcelona from the ocean was stunning.”

DATA-DRIVEN AND EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMMING

Indeed, the Global Immersion reflects one of the pillars of its programming: experiential learning. Swetabh, for one, has teamed up with a healthcare client through the Boeing Center for Supply Chain Innovation and a real estate client through the WFA Center of Finance and Accounting Research team. This experiential learning pillar – which is matched with a global perspective, entrepreneurship, and data-driven decision-making – has been far more than lip service says ’24 alum Voranun Taweerutchana.

“WashU Olin lives them, not just lists them. Over 100 experiential learning organizations, globe-spanning immersion programs, and robust entrepreneurial support show that their commitment goes beyond words! As an international student from a developing country, I never thought a US-based startup venture could be possible. However, WashU Olin empowered me and provided the support to make it a reality.”

In fact, experiential mindset extends to the digital world, where the curriculum hones in how data informs belief systems (and vice versa). While the Olin MBA brand may appear global and experiential on the surface, it is tethered to a mindset where data and values inform decision-making, with special attention paid to areas like big data and artificial intelligence.

“In my previous corporate roles, large amounts of data were a principal aspect that management always requested to make the best and most informed decisions,” explains Carlos Morantes. “I wanted to attend a business school that focused on this element. Since my first day at WashU Olin and for every single course I have taken, professors encourage and expect that we have the data and facts to justify and support our proposals and recommendations.”

SMALL AND MIGHTY

Another brand asset at Olin? Think class size. The MBA Class of 2025 features 83 students – not counting another 2,300 students and 150 faculty members in Olin’s undergraduate and graduate business programs. In a class that small, students get to know classmates far beyond their names and goals. Even more, being a small program, Olin pays special attention to their students’ experience and success.

“The quality of the faculty is incredible, but I value most how close the professors are when you need help or advice,” explains Felipe Quaassdorff, an investment portfolio manager from Chile. “You can send an email, and they are receptive to meeting with you and helping you. Finally, the small size of cohorts helps create a solid relationship with most of your classmates and a close-knit community of MBA alumni.”

Those alumni members come out in force to support first- and second-years during the annual MBA Summit, says ’24 grad Voranun Taweerutchana. “These events go beyond the typical alumni gatherings. WashU Olin connects current students with alumni from a wide range of industries across the entire United States, not just the Midwest. This national network allows students to gain valuable insights from seasoned professionals in diverse fields. For example, at a recent event, I connected with Olin alums who are leaders at Amazon, Mastercard, Meta, and more. Their insights on emerging technologies, such as AI/ML, were invaluable and helped me refine my career goals in the tech industry.”

LOTS TO DO IN ST. LOU

That said, the Olin MBA balances its chummy student community with corporate-rich setting. The program is based in St. Louis, an underrated hub of Fortune 500 might. While the Gateway City’s brand is associated with the muddy Mississippi and sleepy Midwest, it is actually home to 15 Fortune 1000 firms, ranging from Edward Jones to Emerson to RGA. That translates to employment opportunities across a variety of industries, says Carlos Morantes.

“Leading aerospace, pharmaceutical, agricultural, industrial, CPG and defense companies call St. Louis home,” he writes. “As WashU Olin business students, we have access to and interaction with these companies from the onset of our program via internships, speaker engagement, consulting projects, and university-company-specific partnerships.”

On top of that, there is so much to do in St. Louis. Phaidra Stanley, a client services manager, describes the dynamic as a small-town feel within a larger city. In the Central West End, for example, you’ll find cafes, fine dining, specialty shops, galleries, and breweries. The nearby parks are teeming with opportunities to play tennis, soccer, and golf – not to mention run, bike, and even canoe. That’s just the start, adds Cherise Brookes, a Caribbean immigrant and entrepreneur – not to mention a 2024 P&Q Best & Brightest MBA.

“Firstly, let’s talk about the food. Oh, the flavors that grace the streets of University City and Delmar Loop! From the Asian restaurants to the mouthwatering tacos at the Mexican joints, every bite is a celebration of diversity. Also, Forest Park, located close to Washington University in St. Louis, is not just a park but a vibrant cultural and recreational hub that enriches the entire community. Stretching across 1,300 acres, it offers a plethora of attractions and activities for people of all ages and interests. The park is also home to the St. Louis Zoo, where you can encounter a diverse array of animals from around the globe.”

#1 ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM

Talk about a brand! Plentiful opportunities. Intimate community. High quality of living. Hands-on learning. Data-driven programming. Deep exposure to global business. Technically, the Olin MBA could build its identity around any of these features. However, when an institution is consistently ranked #1 at something, it tends to be the headline – celebrated and publicized. At Olin, you’ll find entrepreneurship on the marquee. For the past five years, Olin has ranked as the world’s top MBA Entrepreneurship program according to Poets&Quants data.

How strongly is entrepreneurship infused into the program? For starters, 100% of Oln MBAs were involved n a startup project – and the rate is 72% among faculty. The program ranks 1st for the ratio of entrepreneurship mentors available to students and 3rd for the percentage of MBA graduating entering private equity and venture capital. From 2018-2022, 20.6% of the class launched a startup – hardly a surprise considering 89% of students take an entrepreneurship elective and 39% of students participate in an entrepreneurship club. While Olin may be one of the smaller MBA programs, it ranks 4th for physical space devoted to entrepreneurship. On average, startup mentors work with students for 19.4 hours a year.

In the end, it isn’t just the enthusiasm and resources devoted to entrepreneurship that makes Olin the leader in this space says Jessica Tabb, a first-year and U.S. Army Officer who was most recently a private client banker with JPMorgan Chase.

“The entrepreneurial mindset of Olin’s MBA sets it apart from other schools. The school emphasizes the idea of using both data and values when making decisions in business. For entrepreneurs (or any business leader), balancing the art and science of leadership as you’re finding your way forward can make a difference in success. We had a phrase in the Army— “Mission first, people always”—that reminds me of the dual leadership principle that the “data and values” idea at Olin dictates.”

PARTNERING WITH THE UNITED NATIONS

When you package all of that together, you have a program on the rise that attracts employers and can compete with any rival school on its merits. More than that, Olin’s mission resonates with young high potentials looking to make a difference.

“WashU’s Olin Business School emphasizes transformational leadership and believes that businesses have the power and potential to shape a more sustainable future for all,” observes first-year Stacy Danika Alcantara-Garcia. “At Olin, we’re not trained to become employees after graduation—we’re honed to become changemakers and game changers who lead with the head and the heart. This philosophy resonates with me, as our world requires leaders with a robust moral compass. Olin’s dedication to unleashing the potential of businesses for positive change is evident in the real-world experiences it offers through the school’s Center for Experiential Learning and in the numerous social impact startups and social enterprises it incubates that continue to make a difference in St. Louis and around the world.”

Alcantara-Garcia certainly brings an amazing story to campus. At 12, she published her first novel, The Secret of the Amulet, which she describes as a “coming-of-age story set in pre-colonial Philippines and is rooted in Philippine mythology.” In her native Philippines, she worked as a foreign service officer in the Department of Foreign Affairs, including a stint as the acting director for Multilateral Economic Security, Food Security and Sustainable Development. Her tenure also included collaborating with the United Nations to negotiate her country’s partnership framework with the organization.

“The experience was nerve-wracking, yet I was fortunate to receive invaluable guidance from mentors and teammates. What distinguishes this document is its genuinely participative and inclusive process, bringing together representatives from various sectors to craft a blueprint for a more just, equitable and sustainable society, with sustainable development at its core. Contributing to this endeavor is a memory I’ll forever cherish and an accomplishment I hold dear. It’s not every day one gets the chance to be at the frontlines in shaping a world where no one is left behind.”

LEARNING TO THINK LIKE A CEO

Helena Valentine once played women’s soccer at the highest level of her age group in Germany. Now, she describes herself as a “brewpub entrepreneur.” In between, she worked at Goldman Sachs as one of its youngest employees.

“A pivotal moment was presenting financial analyses to the Board of Directors and executive suite already as an analyst. This experience not only highlighted my dedication and hard work, but also demonstrated that proactive efforts yield substantial and meaningful outcomes.”

Among her classmates, Afia Gyamea Duku Yeboah is easily the most comfortable in her surroundings. After all, she already holds a law degree from the Washington University School of Law. Felipe Quaassdorff earned a CFA designation, while Jacob Hibbert worked as a freelance product consultant – which provided enough freedom that he could spend a total of two years backpacking across the world. By the same token, Ibukunoluwa Martins co-founded one of Nigeria’s most popular sports and fitness apparel brands.

“Our brand is not just about clothing; it’s a solution provider,” writes Marins in the form of a true brand evangelist. “We’re dedicated to helping our customers prevent injuries, mitigate risks and achieve their fitness goals. Knowing that our work positively impacts lives by promoting a healthier and more active lifestyle is immensely fulfilling.”

Carlos Morantes is a former Chief of Staff to a CEO. The role, he says, gave him an inside look at what it takes to successfully navigate the c-suite. “This position allowed me to experience how an executive management team builds a strategic roadmap, carefully analyzes decisions from all stakeholders’ point of view, balances priorities, and allocates scarce resources to internal departments.”

Similarly, Seyed Hamid Mousavi operated as the vice-CEO of an investment management firm. In the role, he came to a powerful epiphany. “I realized that having a title doesn’t make you a leader. I need knowledge and experience to become a better leader, so I decided to continue my education and get my MBA.”

Next Page: 12 Student Profiles Plus an Interview with Senior Associate Dean Evan Bouffides