Bruce Lee

Emory University, Goizueta Business School

“A passionate tech and entertainment enthusiast who’s willing to help others achieve their goals.”

Hometown: Gordon, GA

Fun fact about yourself: I didn’t see the movie The Lion King until I was 21. I couldn’t relate to the whole “Simba thing” as a child. Smh

Undergraduate School and Degree: Georgia Tech, Industrial Engineering

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Siemens, Internet of Things Project Manager

Where did you intern during the summer of 2021? PwC – Atlanta, GA

Where will you be working after graduation? McKinsey – Associate Consultant

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: (Include school awards and honors)

School Awards/Honors

• • Consortium Fellowship Scholar
  • Leslie Elise Adkins Endowed Scholarship Recipient
  • Apollo MBA Scholarship

Community Work

• • Founder of Equity for MBAs in Media, Entertainment, and Sports (EMMES)
  • Mentor for Goizueta Black MBA Association / Morehouse & Spelman mentorship program

Leadership Roles

• • Consortium Liaison
  • Black MBA Association VP of Alumni and Corporate Relations
  • Vice President of Men as Allies
  • Vice President of Goizueta Association for Media, Entertainment, and Sports

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I’m most proud of creating the Equity for MBAs in Media, Entertainment, and Sports initiative. The initiative has allowed me to help create opportunities for both minority MBA students and practitioners who are interested in niche roles within media, entertainment, sports, gaming, and fashion. Additionally, it has allowed me to build a large network across the U.S., and I look forward to crossing paths with so many amazing people again in the future.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? As someone who entered business school with the intention of being at the intersection of tech and media & entertainment post-MBA, I’m most proud of being able to earn internships at PwC (Summer 2021) and WarnerMedia – HBO Max (Fall 2021). PwC allowed me to gain firsthand experience in tech consulting and WarnerMedia – HBO Max allowed me to explore the media and entertainment industry. Both of these opportunities confirmed my affinity to tech and entertainment, and I look forward to continuing to work with clients within these sectors at McKinsey.    

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Emory because of its intentional focus on a tight knit community. Since the day I was accepted into the program, the congratulatory phone calls, professional coffee chats, and social outreaches kicked off and have continued ever since. Ultimately, I wanted to be in an environment in which the community was small enough to build genuine relationships with my classmates that I could maintain throughout the rest of my adult life. As I reflect on my time in the program, I can honestly say that I believe I’ve successfully built some authentic connections that ring true to Emory’s “community” core value.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? It is extremely tough to narrow it down to just one professor when I have three that come to mind. However, I will go with JB Kurish if I have to chose one. As someone who had a limited understanding of financial and accounting practices prior to business school, I appreciated his ability to simplify the concepts in a manner that I could understand. Additionally, he has a great sense of humor (my personal go to whenever I’m in an awkward or uncomfortable situation) so I found his style of teaching extremely complementary to my personality.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? One of my favorite MBA events is the annual boat trip. Being in a land-locked city like Atlanta, our water activity options are pretty much limited to lakes. However, the annual boat trip on the lake has become a way that students can come together in a social setting without having to put on their “corporate representative” personas. This event ultimately reinforces Emory’s intentionality behind having a tight knit community.

What is the biggest myth about your school? One myth in my opinion is that Emory is a regional school with limited brand awareness. Although it may not be as commonly known as some of the larger programs, I was pleasantly surprised throughout the recruiting process in particular of how strong the school’s brand truly is. Furthermore, I was able to successfully recruit for the southern California offices of various firms without any issues whatsoever.

What surprised you the most about business school? To be completely transparent, the people surprised me the most. I came in with the preconceived notion that business school would be filled with only type A personalities that I simply wouldn’t be able to gel with because they took life way too seriously and were stressed out all the time. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the diversity of the people within business school ranging across different personalities, cultures, religions, and overall outlooks on life.

What is one thing you did during the application process that gave you an edge at the school you chose? One thing I did was show up as my authentic self, as cliché as that sounds. I chose to build relationships with both current students and staff by visiting the school beforehand and attending some of the social gatherings. This allowed me to have deeper insights about both the school and the value that I could bring once accepted, well beyond just what was listed on the website. Although I can’t confirm it, I believe that the admissions team could feel the genuineness in my essays and interview by the time application season rolled around and the rest is history.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Once again, it’s tough to choose just one when both Chenille Morgan and Keith Marshall come to mind for very different reasons. However, I’ll go with Chenille because I truly respect her decision to pivot from the highly lucrative medical industry into the business world to pursue her passions in tech marketing. She also has made a huge impact on campus through her various leadership and volunteer roles, and I have yet to meet anyone better at “protecting their personal time”. I’ve definitely learned a few things from being in her circle and I’m excited for wherever her future takes her.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My fraternity brother, Tyler Banks, had a very significant influence on my journey into business school. He was the first person in my immediate circle that I was able to witness undergo the application progress, and he helped coach me the following year when I applied. Whenever we catch up nowadays, I oftentimes find a way to sneak in an additional thanks for being such a positive friend and mentor throughout this journey.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

Mentor the next generation on how to walk a similar path to reach their career goals more efficiently than I did, especially minorities.

Become a subject matter expert for digital transformations within the tech, media and entertainment industries.

How has the pandemic changed your view of a career? This pandemic has forced the world to pause and reflect on just how precious life is. Instead of chasing titles and pay raises throughout my career, I’m now prioritizing pursing a career that offers constant growth and learning opportunities and the flexibility to spend as much time with my loved ones as possible. For me, the new definition of a successful career is one that allows me to be present with my loved ones, earn a comfortable living, and pay it forward to anyone that I can help out along the way.

What made Bruce such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2022?

“While many students talk a good game Bruce is all about action. With technical skills in project management, Bruce does a great job of bringing an idea to fruition by identifying the stakeholders and working collaboratively to achieve the desired outcome. Bruce has been especially valuable to the community in an environment where outside factors have a profound impact on the day-to-day experience of our students. For example, when COVID-19 caused a major event involving current students, prospective students, and Goizueta alumni to be postponed, Bruce created an enjoyable virtual iteration of this event which allowed an opportunity for students and alumni to connect.”

Irving Williams III
Associate Director of Student Life & Engagement, Full-Time MBA Program
Emory University’s Goizueta Business School

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2022