Pemika Nakata

Yale School of Management

“A foodie who is always on a diet.”

Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m ambidextrous.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Southern California, Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Bualuang Ventures, Investment Associate

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Last year, I started my own business, an upscale exotic juice brand “Pemi.Superjuice.” My aim was to introduce unique Thai fruits to the world, showing that we have more than coconuts and durians to offer. I collaborated with the local farm co-op that I consulted for as a part-time job and chose them to be my key partner. Then, I directed the design of new packaging and brand identity and built a network of distributors and retailers, which were supported by my online and social media marketing campaigns. The whole journey was very challenging, but it was rewarding to have executed a successful product launch when I saw my customers smile after their first sip and my products sold out on its first day!

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? My MBA classmates that I’ve met are incredibly bright, supportive, and down-to-earth. We were bonding so well and quickly that I was pleasantly surprised. I can feel a sense of friendly, tight-knit community with a collaborative culture already. I am looking forward to meeting more of them and seeing how fun and engaging the class is going to be in the next few months.

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? It was important to me to attend a school that places commitment into producing leaders who are motivated by the contribution they can make to the wider society. Yale SOM’s value resonates well with my career goal, which is not only to help small companies scale up but also to uplift people at the grassroots level. After talking to admission officers and alumni, I was certain that the program is the right fit for me. I trust that SOM is an ideal place to refine my leadership and management skills while I make life-long friendships and make a positive impact to society.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am particularly excited about the “Global Social Entrepreneurship” course, in which I will be partnered with a nonprofit in a different country and provide consulting to help them grow at the intersection of purpose and profit. I think this is very powerful and it will give me exposure to complex issues facing business and society in different regions. I believe that after this class, I will have much more hands-on experience while able to make a positive impact in the world.

Apart from that, I would like to join the Social Impact Consulting, Women in Management, and Food and Wine clubs, as well as traveling with my new friends to places that I have never been to, such as Mexico and South Africa.

The Yale School of Management is regarded as a purpose-driven program. What is your mission? How will your MBA at Yale help you fulfill that mission? Ultimately, my mission is to launch an impact investment fund specializing in food and beverage businesses throughout Southeast Asia. I would love to introduce people around the world to a uniquely healthy agricultural product while supporting sustainable development at the grassroots level. Combining Yale SOM’s mission and its strong focus on non-profits and social enterprise, I am certain that the school will help fulfill both my personal interest and my future goal.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? “What is your favorite quote and why?”

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? While my past experiences of working in the different industries (Market Research, Food & Beverage, and Venture Capital) have shaped my career into my ideal path, I seek to further develop my financial knowledge and management skills to fully understand the whole picture of the business and to be able to effectively lead companies to make the right decisions. Having said that, this is the right time as I have set my career goals, learned about my strengths from years of work experience, and now seek to gain certain knowledge and skills gap in order to reach my goal.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? London Business School and Kellogg School of Management

How did you determine your fit at various schools? The school’s mission and culture were the key factors that I used to determine where I wanted to pursue my MBA. Having said that, it is important to ponder first what you want to achieve professionally and how you think business school will help you in achieving your goals. Once you have already determined your goals, you will get a better sense of what to do look for in each school, such as the school’s mission, its curriculum, the faculty, program reputation, flexibility, etc.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment would be the moment when I left my first job to start my own business. I found myself stepping out of my comfort zone and taking a huge responsibility where I was not exactly sure how it would turn out. It was a rough journey at the beginning, but eventually I learned to enjoy the ride and focus on the good. The transition to becoming an entrepreneur taught me that I do not have to be in control of everything in life. If I do something with passion, everything will work out in the end.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? A healthy foodie who owns a successful impact investment fund and consistently launches the next big thing into the world.