Chisom Uche

University of Michigan, Ross School of Business

“I am passionate about innovation and using new technologies to solve complex problems.”

Hometown: Houston, TX

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a dual citizen, but not a citizen of my birth country

Undergraduate School and Major: Washington University in St. Louis – A.B. in Psychology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Senior Investment Associate at SixThirty Ventures

What word best describes the Michigan Ross students and alumni you’ve met so far and why? Community. Everyone I have met at Ross has been so proactive about making relevant connections and helping me find the right resources. There is a sense of community and collaboration, even when you’re competing for the same opportunity. At Ross, you really feel that if one person wins, everyone wins.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Michigan Ross’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you?

Ross really appealed to me because of their focus on action-based learning. For me personally, learning through experience is the best way for me to absorb information and to learn new skills. One specific resource is the myriad of student-led venture funds that Ross offers. While highly competitive, these funds present me with the opportunity to strengthen my skills as an investor while also learning about ideas and problems in novel industries.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at Michigan Ross? I am really excited to take a marketing course with Dr. Marcus Collins. Dr. Collins’s background includes projects such as Budweiser’s “Made In America” music festival, the Brooklyn Nets, and State Farm’s “Cliff Paul” campaign. These experiences are incredible because of how they showcase his ability to see marketing as a way of understanding how culture allows brands to connect with consumers, which I find fascinating.

When you think of Michigan Ross, what is the first word that comes to mind? Why? Midwest. Michigan really embodies what I have come to admire about the Midwest, which is a culture that consists of equal parts humility, pride, and ambition. Ross is a place where there are so many resources to help you find your perfect careers. If a resource doesn’t exist, Ross will empower you to go and create it. That sort of self-starter mentality is why I have always gravitated to startups and entrepreneurship and is also why I gravitated to Ross.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I was the third hire at a venture fund and helped it raise two subsequent funds, invest in over 40 companies, and hire investors on four continents during my 4.5-year tenure.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? COVID-19 made me realize just how much I take for granted. I was able to have a job that allowed me to remain safely at home while many others either lost their jobs or had to work in stressful and dangerous conditions. It also gave me an appreciation for the people I worked with, people who were understanding and empathetic of all the uncertainty and social unrest. When everything is going well, we can often forget to appreciate the privileges that we have, and COVID-19 was a reminder of so many of my privileges.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? I am pursuing my MBA because I believe I need to develop as a leader and as a nurturer of innovation. As someone whose career has exclusively been focused on early-stage startups, I know I have much to learn about how to grow and lead sustainable and inclusive businesses. Following graduation, I hope to take on a role where I can help a company implement strategies that improve internal processes or address some of the pressing needs of our growing urban cores.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Other than Ross, I applied to Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan, UCLA Anderson, and Berkeley Haas.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Michigan Ross’s MBA program? Attend all of the prospective student events that you can, speak to alums or students who are in your careers of interest, and reflect on what makes Michigan Ross the best place for you to develop and grow.

DON’T MISS: MEET MICHIGAN ROSS’ MBA CLASS OF 2023 or MEET THE MBA CLASS OF 2023: PACESETTERS WITH A PURPOSE