Stanford’s International MBAs Of 2021: Where Their Paths Will Lead

A LAWYER IN MEXICO BECOMES AN ENTREPRENEUR IN THE U.S.

Alán Jaime Misrahi is no stranger to challenges — and bold moves. He spent five years practicing law in México before deciding to change careers. He contends that there was always an entrepreneurial side to him.

“I wanted to be on the decision-making side rather than on the service provider side to the decision-makers,” he tells P&Q.

Making a career change requires determination and discipline, and it also requires a certain attitude. Jaime Misrahi already had all this under his belt; it was a natural next step, then to apply to what he sees as the best MBA program in the United States.

“From the whole ecosystem around the GSB to me, it was a no-brainer,” he says. “I knew that to make a transition, I needed the best position possible. I wanted to go to Stanford GSB to get better at everything and just meet amazing people, and learn from the best professors.”

A SENSE OF COMMUNITY

Prior to his acceptance to Stanford, Jaime Misrahi worked for a real estate developer and operator of shopping centers; he was in charge of their entertainment businesses and business development — which soon became his area of expertise.

After graduating from Stanford, Jaime Misrahi moved to New York City to work for a company that is “an intersection of technology, sports, and entertainment. We will be bringing a diverse venture capital firm to Latin America.” Jaime Misrahi and his team are still working on the fundraising side of the company, which is coming to life thanks to the connections he cultivated with Stanford alumni.

Jaime Misrahi is grateful for his life-changing experience, as the university promotes diversity and inclusivity as part of the program’s core values.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from — if you’re good at what you do, there’s a space for you at Stanford.” He says that being part of Stanford helped him find a sense of community after moving to the United States.

“Now I’m part of this community,” he says.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START SOMETHING NEW

Compared to most of his peers who joined Stanford’s MBA program a few years after getting their bachelor’s degrees, Deji Abe, like Jaime Misrahi, used Stanford as a springboard to a new career path.

Abe received his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering in Nigeria. Over time, he developed an interest in renewable energy and sustainability. Paving his way to the United States and being part of the 2021 Stanford class inspired him to go down that path of sustainability, with a future goal to bring capital to Africa.

Echoing his classmate Ximena Alvarado Trespalacios, Abe says the GSB brings a needed human aspect to business and finance education, which is what drove him to apply.

“Mostly because of the culture and the way you know things are done here,” he says, “and I wanted a culture that was collaborative that people were willing to help.”

A LONG-TERM PLAN

Abe landed a few internships focused on emerging markets, clean energies, and emphasizing CO2 emissions. These opportunities allowed him to compare the differences between the African and American markets.

”Finance here is very sophisticated compared to more developing markets, so I think the opportunity to learn and to be much more sophisticated and then to be able to apply this is longer-term to the developing markets,” he says.

Abe will stay in the United States for now, earning experience working in the U.S. markets, before he transitions to larger projects that could benefit Africa.

“My goal is work in investment for a year in digital markets, and develop the rudiments of what it means to be a good investor and develop a strong network here,” he says.

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