Meet the MBA Class of 2024: Steffi Katz, Wharton School

Steffi Katz

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

“Blessed with a great set of taste buds & love to put them to use.”

Hometown: Wellesley, MA

Fun Fact About Yourself: Trained and worked as a pastry chef in Paris.

Undergraduate School and Major: Yale University – Psychology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: La Réserve Paris (Pâtissière)

What has been your first impression of the Wharton MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Wharton story so far. Wharton MBA students and alumni hail from a broad range of backgrounds. I’ve already had the opportunity to share a meal with someone from each continent (exclusive of Antarctica, but one person had actually visited!), and I’m very much looking forward to getting to know more of my classmates.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the Wharton School’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Given my strong interest in food and ag tech, the robust core curriculum, development of strong leadership skills, and promotion of entrepreneurship will equip me for a career that requires me to be as conversant in the world of business as I am in the world of cuisine.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at the Wharton School? Wharton Agribusiness Food & Beverage Club (WAFAB): After intensive training in French cuisine & pâtisserie, I realized that many traditional culinary practices are unsustainable. I’m excited by the chance to join a group of like-minded individuals committed to innovation and greater sustainability in food and agriculture.

When you think of the Wharton School, what is the first word that comes to mind? Why? Collaborative – Wharton’s Learning Team Experience is a unique real-world practicum that is a hallmark of the educational experience at the school.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Received an unprecedented award, a couteau Japonais (Japanese knife), from the Pastry Team at La Réserve, in recognition of my contributions. In a sense, it signified my acceptance within the highly challenging environment of a French 2-star Michelin restaurant.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? Though I’ve had practical experience in investment banking, it’s no substitute for a well-structured MBA curriculum that provides a thorough grounding across business, finance, management, and entrepreneurship. Post-graduation, I’m very interested in early-stage investing in food & ag tech, as well in the area of restaurants & hospitality.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? I think prospective MBAs should be omnivorous…they should consume information of all kinds. The stronger one’s fund of knowledge, the better.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Wharton School’s MBA program? There’s no secret sauce, but I think a vital ingredient is authenticity.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE WHARTON SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2024

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