David Ly

University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management

“Passionately pursuing ambitious, market-driven ideas that accelerates us toward a more egalitarian society.”

Hometown: Eagan, Minnesota

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m a DJ/producer, and run a small wedding DJ business on the side. I love being a part of both the local/international dance community; music allows me to express myself in a way that I haven’t been able to replicate in other parts of my life. I’ve also learned a lot from managing a business/brand from a different angle than what I’m used to.

Undergraduate School and Major: BS in Supply Chain and Operations Management (Minor in HR) at the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Shopper Insights Analyst at Hormel Foods

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My first job out of college was an analyst role in Deloitte’s Human Capital practice. While I loved the challenge, I found that I wanted to pursue a career in food. While I was lucky enough to find an opportunity as a marketing analyst at General Mills via my network, the shift from HR consulting to brand management was my biggest professional challenge I’ve faced. While I had almost no prior knowledge of managing a brand, I joined the Category Expansion team of the Snack Division, and was tasked with forecasting, analyzing, and making decisions about products General Mills hadn’t managed before. In my first six months, our team successfully launched line extensions for Fiber One Cookie. After that experience, I knew that my greatest career accomplishment was taking the risk to pursue a career that I’m passionate about.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? My classmates are curious and open-minded about what’s in store for the future. I’ve had so many great conversations about the state of different industries as a result of changes in technology, politics, social trends, etc. Continuing those conversations and deciding how we want to address the volatility of the world is something that makes me proud to be a Carlson MBA.

Aside from your classmates, 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? The Carlson School is uniquely positioned to provide top-tier learning experiences in the food and agriculture space. The Twin Cities houses leading companies in this industry (Cargill, General Mills, and many more), and attracts some of the world’s leading researchers. For me, having access to engage with the leaders in food and agriculture was the deciding factor to join Carlson.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m most looking forward to learning from my peers’ experiences via case competitions, and joining the new Food & Ag Club.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? In the past year, I decided that I want to own my own food company. I don’t know exactly what it would look like, and I wanted to have time and space to learn about what it means to be an entrepreneur. After talking to a few alumni about my options, I knew that getting an MBA would give me the tools to succeed.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I didn’t spend too much time doing any kind of cost/benefit analysis, nor did I save a lot of money prior to making my decision. I thought about it more in terms of how much I would regret the decision if I didn’t get an MBA. For me, it was the right time to take two years to reflect on who I want to be and what I want to achieve.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Kellogg, Stanford

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I mostly talked to people and did online research (P&Q was very helpful!)

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? When I was young, my mom was a single parent who worked two waitress jobs on top of studying to become an accountant. I would go to class with her every now and then, but other than that, I had no idea how hard she worked at building a better life for us. She’d spend nights waitressing tables, studying, or (somehow) doing both, sacrificing her health and any semblance of a social life. I was eight years old when I went to her graduation. For the first time in my life, I saw a meaningful example of what it means to truly believe in yourself, and strive toward a goal. In recalling my mom’s dedication to our family’s future, I’m able to have the confidence to overcome any challenge that comes my way.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Ideally, I would be in a place where I’ve raised enough funds to make my full-time job the pursuit of an idea I’m passionate about. That said, I’m open to spending a couple of years at a startup or nonprofit in the food space.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I see myself in Minnesota, doing things with food.