Meet Duke Fuqua’s MBA Class Of 2021

Patrick Pierson-Prah 

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business

“Risk taker! I love to try new things including the unfamiliar menu items in restaurants.”

Hometown: Wassa-East, Ghana

Fun Fact About Yourself:  I am such a terrible singer to the utmost surprise of people because my father and younger brother are both great singers and multi-instrumentalists. That’s why I only sing in the shower.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Ghana, Accounting

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Oyster Agribusiness, Co-Founder & COO

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Helping over 2,500 smallholder farmers double their revenues by devising solutions to deal with the challenges of accessing relevant technologies and accessing markets for their outputs. I feel proud that our technologies and training helped these farmers not only to increase their yield per acre but also to significantly reduce the persistent problem they face with post-harvest losses. Securing contracts with big manufacturing companies as off-takers was also such a big relief to these farmers, whose livelihoods totally depended on the income from their produce. This meant the farmers would no longer worry about how to sell their produce. When I was quitting my corporate job to embark on this ‘uncharted path’ of impact investing, I didn’t imagine that my experiences in finance, technology, and strategy could have such impact within that short period.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Collaborative. People spoke a lot about team spirit among Fuqua students. I honestly thought it was something I would experience later in the program. I was wrong! I think the school does really well in assembling not only high achievers but also excellent team players. The kind of support the students are willing to give is amazing!

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? Fuqua stood out for me as the place to both acquire a world-class business education and pursue my interest in social entrepreneurship, especially in impact investing. When I discovered the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE), I knew my desire to learn more and explore opportunities in impact investing would be given a huge boost at Fuqua. The opportunity to gain practical experience by consulting for organizations through the CASE Initiative on Impact Investing Consulting Program (CASE i3CP) further increased my interest in Fuqua. The school’s focus on developing “Leaders of Consequence”—leaders who have a higher purpose than themselves—resonates with my personal mission.

The MBA program is renowned for its “Team Fuqua” culture, which is predicated on six paired principles: Authentic Engagement, Supportive Ambition, Collective Diversity, Impactful Stewardship, Loyal Community, and Uncompromising Integrity. Which of these resonates most with you – and what does that principle demand of you as a Fuqua MBA? Impactful Stewardship. This principle reminds me of my commitment to live beyond myself and be dedicated to improving communities. I consider this privilege of receiving a world-class education as a pledge of responsibility.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? CASE i3. I am looking forward to enrolling in the experiential learning program that offers students the opportunity to work with companies on impactful projects.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? It’s difficult to give a specific answer for this one. I think the questions were based more on my past experiences and fit for the program.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career?  When I co-founded my company, I realized that I needed more than a core knowledge in finance and accounting in order to make a bigger impact. I saw a gap between the skills I possessed and the kind of impact I wanted to make. I knew I needed an MBA from a top school to enrich my network and to develop my global perspective on business.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Cornell, Harvard, Stanford, Yale

How did you determine your fit at various schools? First, I wanted to have an MBA from a renowned school with a focus on training students to become global leaders. This goal led me to apply to only schools in the top 15 within the U.S. I read a lot of analysis from some media outlets such as Poets & Quants, Clear Admit, GMAT Club, and mbaMission. I also attended a number of admissions events in Accra and virtually. Second, I spoke to a number of current students and alumni. One of the most important factors I considered was the response rates and how the students and alumni assessed their schools. When I was making my final decision on the school to commit to, Fuqua stood tallest among all my admits. The students and alumni spoke with great passion about how collaborative the Fuqua community is. “Team Fuqua” really resonated with the kind of culture I wanted in an MBA program.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are?  I had the opportunity to serve on the leadership team of the student government at my college. When the team, through sacrifices, accomplished the ‘impossible’ task of establishing a need-based scholarship program for students, I became convinced that making an impact in society is worth the personal sacrifices and discomforts. It is exciting to know that the program is still helping hundreds of students realize their dreams of attaining a college education.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?  A social entrepreneur working on ventures that promote economic empowerment in Africa.

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