Meet Chicago Booth’s MBA Class Of 2019

Babatunde Oshinowo Jr, 

University of Chicago, Booth School of Business 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: A retired NFL athlete passionate about faith, community, hospitality, growth, eating, and making things better.

Hometown: Naperville, IL

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was drafted and played in the NFL for 3 years (see “cup of coffee”).

Undergraduate School and Major: Stanford University; Electrical Engineering

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: I played defensive tackle for the Browns, Bears, and Eagles; worked as the Lead Designer for NCSA -Next College Student Athlete; and started my own web design and development company.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: During the offseason, while training in Chicago, I taught myself how to code HTML/CSS/JS and helped guide a nonprofit startup through the creation of their first full scale website.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? The pressure to put your best image out there for schools during the application process is daunting. Plus, it’s easier than ever now to look around and see what’s happening with other people trying to do the same thing. The comparison game doesn’t help you one bit.

As cliche as it is to say, you really do need to be authentic; your “why” has got to be a complass that navigates you through the many options and questions that come from the application process. Otherwise, you might craft an image of yourself that is impossible to maintain. It may help to find someone with some experience in the application process (mentors, alumni, etc.) to talk through your “why.”

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? As a career switcher, I needed a program that was flexible enough for me to get the best of the basics while still being able to “get my hands dirty” in entrepreneurship and leadership. I felt like Booth was the perfect way to get the best of both worlds. The academic rigor and exceptional professors, combined with the myriad of entrepreneurial opportunities and resources, was a major draw.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? It would look like working with an awesome team about to win the Social New Venture Challenge!