Moisés Rivera 

University of Washington’s Foster School of Business

“Former math educator eager to apply my people and quantitative skills in entertainment and technology.”

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: My wife and I adopted two small terrier-mix dogs, Charlie and Luna, from the South Los Angeles animal shelter. We enjoy visiting dog parks and exploring dog-friendly hiking trails.

Undergraduate School and Major:

• Vassar College, B.A. Mathematics
• Claremont Graduate University, M.A. Education

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Consultant, Supports for English Language Learners at Illustrative Mathematics

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I collaborated with a team of talented math educators to enhance the Illustrative Mathematics secondary math curriculum with instructional supports for English language learners and students with learning disabilities.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? My MBA classmates that I have met so far are incredibly supportive and genuinely invested in my success. We constantly share resources and opportunities and remind each other about important assignments and deadlines. I am looking forward to engaging with my classmates in and out of the classroom.

What makes Seattle such a great place to earn an MBA? In addition to being home to major companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, and Nordstrom, Seattle has the benefit of being a major U.S. city surrounded by the natural environment of the Pacific Northwest. There are so many great activities and places to visit in Seattle, from food festivals, concerts, and sporting events to hiking trails and scenic views at state parks.

Aside from your classmates and location, 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? Foster’s commitment to diversity and inclusion was the key factor that led me to choose this program for my full-time MBA. In addition to addressing the serious underrepresentation of African Americas, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans in management through its partnership with the Consortium and Management Leadership for Tomorrow, Foster is committed to preparing all candidates to excel in management, regardless of their career background. Rather than simply accepting candidates with an academic and career background in business, Foster strives to select candidates with diverse experiences who will bring a fresh perspective to the Foster community. As a former high school math teacher, I am confident that Foster will prepare me with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in management.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am most looking forward to joining the Level Up! Interactive Entertainment Association and developing my network within the gaming industry. I am also looking forward to engaging with future business leaders through the Young Executives of Color Program, a program dedicated to cultivating the academic potential of underrepresented high school student leaders through college preparation, mentorship, and the development of business skills.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? “Describe a time when you disagreed with your supervisor or senior leaders of your organization”, and, “How did you handle the situation and what would you have done differently?”

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Although I am passionate about access to high-quality math education, I am also interested in exploring career opportunities at the intersection of entertainment and technology. Since my childhood, I have been fascinated by film and television, music, and video games because of their ability to captivate and instill joy and excitement to a broad audience. I have also noticed how the advancement of technology has facilitated the rapid growth of the entertainment industry. Rather than focus on a specific job function and potentially limit my opportunities, I wanted to engage in a graduate program that would help me pivot into a variety of functions in entertainment and technology. I ultimately decided to pursue an MBA because it will provide me the opportunity to develop the business acumen, internship experience, and professional network necessary to jump-start my career in these industries.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?

• Stanford Graduate School of Business
• UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
• UCLA Anderson School of Management
• USC Marshall School of Business
• Emory Goizueta Business School

How did you determine your fit at various schools? In order to determine my fit at various schools, I read online resources specifically noting rankings, academic curriculum, experiential learning opportunities, and important statistics such as class profiles and internship and full-time employment outcomes. I also researched notable companies near each business school and potential MBA internship opportunities within those companies. Although this helped to narrow down my list of schools, the best way to determine my fit was to participate in on-campus events and speak with current students, alumni, faculty, and staff about their MBA program.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? As a Management Leadership for Tomorrow MBA fellow, I participated in a consulting boot camp hosted by Deloitte at their office in New York City. After a brief introduction, we split into groups of four into separate conference rooms to engage with senior consultants and managers on a business case. We had roughly 25 minutes to read the case, discuss our ideas, and prepare a presentation for the consultants who acted as our clients. During the discussion, we received printed emails from our clients with additional requests to consider for our presentation. At first, our client was hesitant about our approach, but I appealed to his care for the employees in order to convince him to adopt our change management strategy. I was nervous because it was my first time engaging with consultants on a case, but I realized that my experience as a teacher has given me a unique perspective that will be valuable throughout my career in business. Due to this experience, I am more confident about starting my MBA program at Foster.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? In ten years, I hope to be a senior leader who influences the strategy and business operations of a prominent entertainment and technology company. I also plan to stay engaged with the Consortium and Management Leadership for Tomorrow to help others from diverse backgrounds pursue an MBA and careers in management.