Meet Harvard Business School’s MBA Class Of 2021

NO TECH AND ALL RESPECT

Inventive. Cutting edge. Sweeping. Those are words that are commonly used in describing Harvard Business School’s curriculum and resources. At the same time, HBS is a bit of an enigma, a throwback steeped in long-standing ritual and tradition. It is a program where students are required to show up on time for class and shut off their technology to boot. Not only does this act as a sign of respect, but it is a means to remove distractions and foster dialogue and listening. That respect is extended to faculty and guests, who receive ovations at the end of class.

Along with the intensive reading required at HBS, students must also participate; they are regularly “cold called” without warning during class, with half of their grades contingent on the quality of their responses. While HBS is the largest full-time MBA program in North America, it maintains a small school feel; students sit in the same seat in the same room with the same section-mates studying the same cases throughout the core curriculum. This builds a sense of unity while enabling them to build deeper relationships with classmates from the start.

Of course, HBS’ biggest differentiator is the case method. Think of it as book groups – for business professionals. Basically, students read cases – or stories that outline issues faced by real companies and how they resolved them (or made matters even worse). For example, students may read a case that examines the examining the effectiveness of the “One Ford” program, where CEO Alan Mulally slashed labor costs, leveled silos, and elevated customer experience to overhaul Ford’s operations and culture. After dissecting such a case during study groups, students return to their sections to share their insights in class.

EXPERIENCING THE TRADEOFFS AND UNCERTAINTIES

Elizabeth Breiter equates the case method to a “tennis match based on the speed, finesse, and teamwork.” Hyperbole perhaps, but the case method works on several levels. For one, the case places the student in the role of an executive, where they must face the same inconclusive data, stakeholder pressures, and vague outcomes as case protagonists. In the process, says Mark Giragosian, students repeatedly practice a method for sizing up situations and making decisions.

“Students learn to cultivate many skills that are critical to effective management, including synthesizing information quickly, considering the perspectives and insights of others, debating alternatives, developing an informed opinion, and making decisions with imperfect information,” he explains.

Better still, the case method taps into the differing backgrounds and perspectives of 938 of the most promising business professionals in the world. As the saying goes, HBS MBAs learn as much from their classmates as their professors, who often step back and act as facilitators during case discussions. As a result, students can absorb a range of insights and approaches – some better than others depending on the context – that they can eventually apply when confronted with similar issues. That makes case discussions a force multiplier that’s difficult to match.

“IT OPENED MY MIND TO POSSIBILITIES”          

“I’ve always learned more and have arrived at more comprehensive and sustainable solutions when looking a problem from everyone’s perspective and collectively arriving at a solution,” explains Mallika Saharia. “It opened my mind to possibilities – theoretical and practical – that I alone couldn’t have anticipated.”

More than that, the case method often introduces students to peers who bring experience and expertise to industries and issues that they are likely to encounter, further increasing the value of the HBS network. At the same time, the case method places students in the spotlight, says Sebastian Fischer, where they must formulate and defend their strategies. It is a platform, he adds, that involves thinking on your feet, as students must ready to pivot as new information comes to light.

Making the case method work, however, requires detailed preparation, learning to ask the right questions and succinctly explaining complex subjects in a persuasive way. Along with that, says Triston Francis, students must be willing to make themselves vulnerable at times. “If you’re not going to be comfortable sharing that in the classroom, then that amazing perspective goes to waste because no one actually knows…When people are willing to be bold and courageous in sharing their perspectives or an unpopular view, that is what the classroom discussion thrives on.”

AN EMERGING STARTUP HUB

The case method isn’t Harvard Business School’s only trademark. The MBA program is increasingly becoming an epicenter for entrepreneurial activity. On average, 7%-9% of each graduating class immediately starts a business. That percentage nearly doubles when you count the number of graduates who sign on to grow an existing startup. From 2014-2018, 356 new graduates started their own business. Among the HBS startups launched during that time, 21 ranked among the highest-funded ventures, including Farmer’s Business Network, ($193.9 million) and Dia&Co ($90 million).

Here’s an even more impressive number: According to the school, 50% of all HBS MBAs will eventually start their own venture within 15 years of graduation. Not surprisingly, the school has been busy incorporating more entrepreneurship-related content into its vaunted core courses. It has even expanded its portfolio of entrepreneurship and innovation-oriented courses so they encompass 25% of all electives. Overall, Harvard Business School’s startup programming is heavily centered in the Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship. Call it a one-stop-shop for future founders that includes workshops and speakers, an accelerator, summer fellowships, innovation and launch labs, entrepreneurs-in-residence, and HBS’s trademark New Venture Competition – with many of these offerings available to alumni to further bolster students’ connections.

Such resources held real appeal to Tory Voight, who is weighing whether to enter a number of spaces. “The Innovation Lab and the Rock Center for Entrepreneurship, for example, enable students to practice making better business decisions via projects they can collaborate on or new ventures they can run,” she notes. “Much like the case study method, these programs are founded and led by professors who have impacted these very fields, including Professor Michael Porter, who built principles of Social Entrepreneurship, and Professor Howard Stevenson, the driver of Entrepreneurship studies at HBS. Coming from the Valley, I was particularly excited about the opportunity to learn the principles of building a company in the Startup Bootcamp, New Venture Competition, and the President’s Innovation Challenge. I felt that Harvard was better positioned to help me fine-tune by being outside of the Valley and amongst a variety of experts and interests.”

NEVER A DULL MOMENT

On top of that, she adds, “HBS is neither a one-industry nor a one-note school.” She lauds the program’s vast resources in areas ranging from venture capital to fashion, not to mention alumni who helm companies as different as Stitch Fix and Formula One. That makes HBS a place, Voight says, where students can find their true calling so they can make a difference.

“Harvard has the perfect balance of providing a foundational management education, fostering a large community of peers who will challenge, educate, and support you, and delivering a large volume of electives, clubs, and programs to your disposal. I was eager to surround myself with a diversity of industries and experiences unlike my own to ensure I don’t pursue my interests in a vacuum…Boston is also a very special place to study since you’re surrounded by 35 colleges.”

Just how much is there to do at Harvard Business School? This is how Elizabeth Breiter described one of her first days on campus. “In a 24-hour span, I attended the HBS Tech Conference; met classmates from around the world who were extremely accomplished and inspiring yet incredibly humble; had candid conversations about personal growth with easily-accessible alumni; and participated in a thought-provoking Q&A with Dean Nohria, exhibiting leadership values to which I fully aligned. I was more confident I found the right program when I thought: How rewarding would it be if every day was as enriching as today? I had too many items to list in my gratitude journal that day!”

KEEPING AN OPEN MIND ON THE FUTURE

What’s on the horizon for the Class of 2021? Like HBS in general, it’s not what you might expect. In many cases, the class is returning to its roots after graduation. For example, Abena Anima Nyantekyi Owusu plans to head back to Ghana, where she’ll move from healthcare to developing infrastructure and technology projects through investment or consulting. Elizabeth Breiter also intends to enter the tech and investment space to provide capital to underserved communities. Over the next two years, Sebastian Fischer will be earning a dual MBA-MS in Engineering, with the goal of being the bridge between the business and engineering sides – along with hopefully tackling the toughest engineering hurdles in areas like climate change and sustainability.

Then again, Tory Voight hasn’t quite decided which direction to go…and that’s fine with her. “One common insight I received from students was that HBS teaches you things about yourself you previously would not have imagined and therefore challenges your assumed career trajectory. I’ve heard stories of graduates pursuing fields they did not even acknowledge in their application essays. I am therefore keeping an open mind.”

That’s exactly the right approach, adds 2019 HBS graduate Triston Francis. To him, Voight – like the rest of the Class of 2021 – has plenty of time to figure it out.

“I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that you don’t have to accomplish all of your goals in a very defined window of time. HBS is a life-long experience as opposed to a two-year experience. Even after we leave, we’re still connected to this institution for a lifetime.”

MBA Students	Hometown	Undergrad Alma Mater	Last Employer
Elizabeth Breiter	Los Angeles, CA	University of Southern California	SpaceX
Sebastian Fischer	Piedmont, CA	MIT	Amazon
Mark Giragosian	Manassas, VA	Northwestern University	Linden Capital Partners
Abena Anima Nyantekyi Owusu	Accra, Ghana	Ashesi University College	General Electric Healthcare
Mallika Saharia	Jorhat, India	Indian Institute of Technology	ITC Ltd.
Tory Voight	Windham Village, VT	Wellesley College	Google
Cydni Williams	Brooklyn, NY	State University of New York at Oswego	Facebook
Ronnie Wimberley	Detroit, MI	Duke University	The Bridgespan Group

What led these professionals to enter business schools? Which programs did they also consider? What strategies did they use to choose their MBA program? What was the major event that defined them? Find the answers to these questions and many more in the in-depth profiles of these incoming MBA candidates.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE MBA CLASS OF 2021: THE GO-GETTERS