2016 Best MBAs: Sagar Gupta, Missouri Trulaske

Sagar Gupta

 

University of Missouri, Trulaske College of Business     

“Sagar carries a confidence about him that is contagious. Since entering our program, Sagar has been a powerhouse in terms of combining business and bioengineering…One thing that stands out to me the most about Sagar is how important collaboration is and his eagerness in finding solutions to problems. By integrating his scientific knowledge with our MBA courses, he has given others a valuable perspective into another discipline and the understanding of the importance scientific research can have in the business arena. The dialogue he initiates between scientists and business leaders will continue to make a huge global impact.”

Age: 31        

Hometown: Bangalore, Karnataka

Education:

Bachelors of Engineering in Biotechnology, MSRIT

Doctoral degree in Biological Engineering, University of Missouri

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? University of Missouri as Post-Doctoral Scientist

Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Tiger Energy Solutions, Columbia MO

Where will you be working after graduation? Tiger Energy Solutions, Columbia MO

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School

2nd place at the Monsanto-Olin Global Supply Chain Competition

Superior Graduate Student Award -Recognized as the top three graduate students graduating from University of Missouri

Member of the Crosby MBA Ambassador Team and the Crosby MBA Strategic Direction Committee

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Getting selected after the initial screening and going on to win 2nd place at the Monsanto-Olin Supply Chain Competition was one of the proud moments for me during the business school. I was the part of the team that did work hard to find innovative strategies that have the potential to cut down the cost of seed corn supply chain significantly. We did get through the preliminary round and were one of the top 5 teams selected for the finals.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Worked on the development of sensor technology to detect individual cancer cells in blood. It has the potential to save millions of lives from early detection of remission of cancer. This enabled me to be a part of the team and earn a patent for this technology.

Favorite MBA Courses? Corporate Finance, Advanced Financial Management, Financial Statement Analysis

Why did you choose this business school? During my doctoral studies, I had the opportunity to help a startup, Elemental Enzymes, by writing a business plan and pitching it to investors as the part of the High Growth Ventures class offered by the Trulaske College of Business. This inspired me to realize the significance of commercialization. Our business plan was one of the top 46 plans from around the world selected for the Rice Business Plan Competition. We also participated and won the Walmart Regional Better Living Challenge and advanced to the final round in Bentonville, Arkansas. These key factors of partnerships with different departments and programs across the campus made me choose the Crosby MBA program at University of Missouri as it provided an environment to emulate the real world situations effectively.

What did you enjoy most about business school? I really appreciate the immense push and encouragement to excel not just in academics but also in professional development. Training and development towards case competitions, business plan challenges and opportunities to interact and connect with business leaders gave me an insight into the corporate world.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? Innovate, Collaborate and Deliver

What was the hardest part of business school? Time management was a challenge. I enrolled into the full time MBA program along with holding a scientist job and it was overwhelming at first. But, Crosby MBA gives us many opportunities to tie projects together. Through the business consulting class, I was able to learn, adapt and apply the principles directly to work. It was a win-win situation to contribute to my work and also earn my grades simultaneously.

What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Look forward to a wonderful busy two years of life that will give you a clear head start towards real world opportunities and challenges.

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I developed a sensor for early detection of cancer and was looking into the means to take it to the common man. I realized that research and development is essential but the key is to commercialize and help firms realize the benefits by connecting it to the consumers.”

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working as a scientist to help solve the mysteries of cancer.”

What are your long-term professional goals? To efficiently bridge the gap between science and business by identifying, evaluating and consulting with key technologies, drugs and devices that have the potential to improve the lives of millions of people worldwide.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my wife, Sachidevi Puttaswamy for her constant support, encouragement and motivational pep talks that have helped me get through crunch times and difficult situations during my MBA. I would like to give credit to her for being my best friend and critic in whom I can always look for inspiration and guidance.

Favorite book: Prey by Michael Crichton

Favorite movie: Apollo 13

Favorite musical performer: Adam Levine

Favorite television show: Star Trek

Favorite vacation spot: Too many to list

Hobbies? Running

What made Sagar such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?

“Sagar carries a confidence about him that is contagious. Since entering our program, Sagar has been a powerhouse in terms of combining business and bioengineering. Sagar is currently working on his Ph.D. in bioengineering while doing his MBA. His focus is on the photoacoustic detection of metastatic cancer cells. He has an immense passion for learning, innovation, and research that is consistently displayed through his many patents, publications, and presentations. He has participated in numerous case competitions and more recently presented to the Chancellor, Vice Provost, and General Consul of India on the Green Nanotechnology Initiative. One thing that stands out to me the most about Sagar is how important collaboration is and his eagerness in finding solutions to problems. By integrating his scientific knowledge with our MBA courses, he has given others a valuable perspective into another discipline and the understanding of the importance scientific research can have in the business arena. The dialogue he initiates between scientists and business leaders will continue to make a huge global impact.” — Kim Hedges, M.Ed., Academic Advisor, University of Missouri

DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS