Jordan Dominguez

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“Mission-driven, always learning, and ready to use my skills to make a difference!”

Hometown: El Paso, TX and Seattle, WA

Fun fact about yourself: Calling both El Paso and Seattle home, I’m an interesting mix of hippie and cowboy – I love nature, I don’t know how to drive, and I’m very much a “peace and love” person….but steak is my favorite meal and I’m a passionate (American) football fan. That means I can usually find something to talk about with anyone!

Undergraduate School and Degree: Harvard College, BA in Applied Mathematics

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? I was Director of Product for Enigma Technologies, a data analytics startup in New York City

Where did you intern during the summer of 2021? I interned as a Product Manager on Microsoft’s Cloud for Healthcare team

Where will you be working after graduation? TBD – currently recruiting for roles in civic technology

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Awards

* 2021 McGowan Scholar – Awarded based on dedication to social impact and academic achievement. As part of my fellowship with the McGowan Foundation, I am working with the other fellows on a social impact project to uplift the needs of youths experiencing homelessness and the organizations that serve them.

Extracurriculars

* VP of Operations, Hispanic Business Club

* More Than Ready Scholarship Mentor & GMAT Prep Lead

* Co-Founder of Sloan Small Business Clinic

* Finalist in the 2021 John R Lewis Racial Justice Case Competition

* Hack for Inclusion 2020-2021 Planning Team

Academic/Action Learning:

* Data, Models, and Decisions TA Fall 2021

* Global Entrepreneurship Lab 2021 – Worked with Enko Education to propose a new digital teaching model in West Africa

* USA Lab 2021 – Worked with the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality to develop recommendations for better supporting minority and women-owned small businesses

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I’m most proud of winning the McGowan fellowship because it has been a game-changer for me. In paying for my second year of school, the fellowship has allowed me to pursue a career in government after school without having to worry as much about a lower salary. It has also given me a community that holds me accountable to my values. More than that, though, I’m proud of applying to the scholarship, because there was a time not so long ago when I would have been too intimidated to even fill out the application. The self-reflection I’ve done in business school has helped me see myself as a leader and articulate my values, drive, and mission much more clearly. There’s no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t have been able to apply for something like this (much less win it) if I hadn’t been through a year of intense reflection and growth.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? It’s less of a single achievement and more something that I worked on every day at my last job – I’m proud of the work I did to elevate the voices and accomplishments of other women at my company. I advocated for promotions for my female colleagues when I was the only woman in the room, stood up when I observed sexism, and served as a co-chair for my company’s DE&I committee where we presented our recommendations to the C-Suite. It wasn’t one big moment when I knew I made a difference, but rather a series of little moments – a coworker who said “Thank you for seeing me”, and another who wrote me a thank you note after a conversation we had. I left feeling like I had contributed to something far bigger than myself.

Why did you choose this business school? The Sloan student body and culture was hands-down the difference maker for me. When I went to an info session, the way student panelists talked about “Sloanies helping Sloanies” was so authentic, and each panelist was incredibly humble and down-to-earth. When I attended adMIT weekend, I saw a dedication to inclusivity, from a whole set of programming devoted to significant others to second year MBAs inviting us into their homes for tours. I’m constantly struck by how reflective, modest, and empathetic my classmates are and am so grateful to know them.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Malia Lazu has had a transformational impact on my career. I took a seminar with her last spring on making Boston’s innovation ecosystem more inclusive, where we were introduced to local leaders working to elevate Black, brown, LGBT+, and other underrepresented voices across the business community. To me, hearing Malia speak openly and bluntly about the history of racism in our own backyard and the work needed to be done to further racial equity was like a breath of fresh air in a space where we so often try to skirt around the issue. When I wanted to carry on the mission of the class by setting up a clinic for Sloan students to connect with underrepresented business owners to pro-bono projects, Malia was incredibly generous with her time and expertise. I’ve seen her partner with so many different student organizations across Sloan while also running an enlightening talk series on the Inclusive Innovation Economy. The work that she does is exactly what I came to Sloan to engage with, and I’m so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to learn from her.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite MBA tradition is pre-functions, trips organized by second years to help first years get to know each other before the beginning of the school year. Sadly, I didn’t get to go on a pre-function because of the pandemic, but that just makes it all the more admirable that several of my classmates rallied to organize pre-functions for this year’s incoming class, making sure that the tradition stayed alive despite not getting the experience themselves. To me that really embodies our ethos of “Sloanies helping Sloanies”.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I think I would have asked for help from my classmates earlier, from seeking advice on career things to asking for emotional support during trying times. I think I was a bit afraid to be vulnerable in my first semester, but once I opened up and was willing to ask for help (for example, asking a classmate in biotech about the industry as my sister was looking for jobs in the area), I was truly overwhelmed by the amount of support I received.

What is the biggest myth about your school? That Sloan is only for people with a technical background. One of my favorite things about Sloan is the wide variety of classmates I have from all sorts of industries, in particular, that includes the large number of dual degree students with HKS studying government who have been a huge influence on me personally. In fact, Sloan is on the cutting edge of a lot research in sustainability and social impact, something that can only be successful if we incorporate knowledge from across the social sciences and integrate it with the wealth of technical knowledge at MIT.

What is one thing you did during the application process that gave you an edge at the school you chose? I went into the process with the mindset that I was going to be completely myself, and trust that things would work out the way they were meant to be. This meant that I knew I was done with an essay when I could read through it and say “Yes, this is who I am”. While it was a very tough process emotionally, I think it helped me let go of trying to mold myself into what I thought business schools wanted to see, and made me more confident when I was accepted that this was the right path for me.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Claudia Moreno – I could sing her praises for hours. Claudia is one of the presidents of the Hispanic Business Club, a founder of the More Than Ready Scholarship, and one of my closest friends at Sloan. It’s also worth mentioning that she’s pursuing not one but TWO degrees – she’s a dual degree student at Sloan and the Harvard Kennedy School.

There are two things that I think make Claudia an extraordinary leader. First, she has an incredible bias towards action. Where others (including myself) will often sit around and complain about the state of the world, Claudia asks “What can we do right now?” She always pushes me to take action about the things I see that could be improved instead of just sit on the sidelines.

Second, Claudia is an incredibly caring individual and is always thinking about how to take care of those around her. When I was going through a hard time, she organized a small gift on behalf of HBC to show that they were there for me in my time of need. She constantly talks about the need to de-stigmatize mental health and leads by example by making sure she is honest about when she needs to take some time for self-care.

When I think of all of the qualities of a leader that I want to follow, I think of Claudia. I can’t wait until she runs for office – I will be the first person to volunteer for her campaign and administration!

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? I didn’t pursue business in college! Instead, I studied applied math and worked in technical roles directly out of undergrad, convinced that I would never go to school again. It was only after I had the privilege of working with several great managers that I realized I wanted to take a step back and study the art of management itself.

Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, who was my manager in 2017 at RedOwl (another startup in NYC), was one of these managers. She was the first person who showed me what servant leadership looked like, and how truly good managers amplify the talents of their reports and support their development. Later, when I considered moving to product management and going back to school for my MBA, she was the person who encouraged me to be unafraid to pursue my dreams and to trust myself. I’ll always be grateful to her for seeing something in me that I couldn’t see in myself at the time.

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

* Become a CTO or CDO (Chief Digital Officer) for a city or county

* Work on a project that gets mentioned in the State of the Union

How has the pandemic changed your view of a career? The pandemic made me really pause and examine whether I was putting my energy into the right places. Unfortunately, as the operators of a small business, my family was hit especially hard by the pandemic. I had this overwhelming sense that something was deeply wrong in the world, and that the only way things would get better was if each of us did what we could to make it right. All of this made me realize that I wanted to commit to a career that was more directly engaged in public service. Throughout business school, I’ve looked for ways to explore the intersection of business and community, and I’m excited to now be recruiting for roles in the public sector. I’m inspired by the idea that government and our democracy is a collective project that we all must work on together, and I can’t wait for the new challenges awaiting me.

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

“Jordan Dominguez’s contribution to MIT Sloan has been centered around community and inclusion. As a co-president of the Hispanic Business Club, Jordan has helped raise awareness for the “More Than Ready” Pre-MBA Scholarship, supporting Latinx applications in the admissions process to top MBA programs, and serves as a mentor for current recipients. During her time at MIT Sloan, Jordan also contributed to the success of the 2021 Hack for Inclusion coordinating the “Strengthening Community” track of the event.”

Nicole Willits
Associate Director, MIT Sloan Student Life Office

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