Neil Granberry

Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management

“Engineer turned tiny acquisition entrepreneur looking for the next big step.” 

Hometown: Dothan, AL

Fun Fact About Yourself: I went to the same K-12 public school in rural Alabama for all 13 years, and half of the 50 people I graduated with did the same.

Undergraduate School and Major: Auburn University – Mechanical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Toyota Motors Manufacturing Alabama – Production Engineer – Pilot Projects

What has been your favorite part of Nashville so far? Why? Fall in Nashville has been number one for me; of course, the music scene and nightlife has been great, but I bet my classmates will touch on that! I walk about a mile to class every day, and the weather has been incredible.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Vanderbilt Owen’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The Dean’s Scholar program was an important factor in my decision. The scholarship, plus the additional personal touch given to those selected, made me comfortable that I would be able to get the most of out of an MBA at Owen.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Vanderbilt Owen? The Owen Venture and Entrepreneurship Club is most aligned with my interests, and we have a ton of opportunity to do some new big things to provide more events and support to our entrepreneurially-minded classmates.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I could talk about some Toyota projects here, but I’ll go in a different direction. I took my first entrepreneurial leap about 4 months before Day 1 at Owen by buying an existing small business in Nashville. I’m now operating this business on top of the demands of class and getting a crash course about what it takes to hire, manage, sell, and market for Nashville Bubble Ball.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? I’m just getting started, but I was proud to win a marketing case competition with a team for E & J Gallo Winery recently. My background is all engineering and numbers, so to win a case that was all about creativity and storytelling was very reaffirming that I can be multidisciplinary (which will be important for my future goals).

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? I wanted to broaden my horizons after feeling like I had proved myself at Toyota. Now I feel like I have access to nearly any career path that is out there; the hard part is choosing. I’m interested in entrepreneurship first-and-foremost, but I don’t know exactly how that’s going to manifest itself. I’m doing an internship in private equity, running a small business, and always on the lookout for great startup ideas. Even amongst traditional recruiting opportunities, there are a few things sparking my interest. Product management roles, brand management, and basically any role that has that entrepreneurial spirit built in are of interest to me.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Vanderbilt Owen’s MBA program? If you have non-traditional goals, illustrate clearly why you even need the MBA and why Owen is a great fit for you. If your goals in very different that your previous roles, try to weave in some good why info into other bits. Overall, do the research and self-reflection on the front end to figure out what you are interested in and why will help you throughout your MBA and recruiting. So don’t consider it time wasted once you are in!

DON’T MISS: MEET VANDERBILT OWEN’S MBA CLASS OF 2023