Meet Carnegie Mellon Tepper’s MBA Class Of 2024

AN INTERVIEW WITH ASSISTANT DEAN TAD BRINKERHOFF

What are some other advantages to spending two years in Pittsburgh at the Tepper School? Earlier this fall, P&Q reached out to Tad Brinkerhoff, Assistant Dean, Tepper Masters Programs. From experiential learning to entrepreneurship, here are Brinkerhoff’s thoughts on the state of the Tepper MBA.

P&Q: What are the two most exciting developments at your program in the past year and how will they enrich the MBA experience for current and future MBAs?

Brinkerhoff: “In the past year the Tepper School launched an Accelerated MBA that will allow a student to complete the Online MBA program in a shorter time period for those with a business undergraduate degree. Another exciting program is our new MBA track in Energy and Sustainability that is aligned with our focus on the Intelligent Future. It also takes advantage of the Pittsburgh ecosystem for autonomous vehicles and innovation as a whole in a world that is gripped with the challenge of climate change.”

P&Q: If you were giving a campus tour, what is the first place you’d take an MBA applicant? Why is that so important to the MBA experience? 

Brinkerhoff: “The first place we could go is the Tepper Quad building that houses the Tepper School of Business.  This state-of-the-art facility not only houses robotics labs, restaurants and ice cream shop, and an exercise facility but has dedicated space for our MBA students to collaborate, relax, meet with companies, talk with the coaches from the Accelerate Leadership Center, and build lifelong relationships.”

P&Q: What is the most innovative thing you have introduced into the MBA program in recent years? How has it been a game changer for your program?

Brinkerhoff: “When we think of game changing – the first thing that comes to mind is the Tepper Quad building.  This relatively new facility has shifted the Tepper School to the center of campus and has become a hub of innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and faculty and student interaction.  It has become the impetus of a unique ecosystem and has spread across Carnegie Mellon and Pittsburgh as a whole. Having the right space creates the right people outcomes that have changed the game.”

P&Q: What have MBAs told you is the most memorable, signature experience they’ve had in your program? Why did it resonate so much with them?

Brinkerhoff: “In a recent student experience survey, one consistent theme from students was the incredible support and guidance they received from the Masters Career Center (MCC). The MCC is staffed with professionals who have real world and in-depth experience in their target area and are able to bring that to the forefront of the student career experience. The combination of expertise and the caring nature of the coaches results in students landing outstanding internships and full-time positions with preferred employers that launch successful careers.”

P&Q: How does the MBA program leverage the resources of the large university? How does that create more opportunities for your students?

Brinkerhoff: “The Tepper School is part of the larger Carnegie Mellon University ecosystem with a focus on world class technology and innovation. In a short walk, students can encounter cutting edge brain science, innovative start-ups, driverless cars, big data, Nobel and Turing prizes, robots and the list goes on. For example, in the past 10 years, more than 400 startups linked to CMU have raised more than $7 billion in follow-on funding. Tepper students are encouraged to take classes outside of the business school as they learn how to succeed in The Intelligent Future that is being created at Carnegie Mellon University. Coming to Tepper means meeting at the intersection of business and technology.”

P&Q: How does your MBA program infuse experiential learning into your curriculum? Give us a couple of examples of projects your students have done recently, including the company, scope, and results?

Brinkerhoff: “Tepper has a strong tradition of Capstone projects associated with tracks. Each capstone is managed by a faculty member that guides students in solving a real-world business problem.  A recent example of a capstone project students who were fortunate to work with Honda, creating a business model to explore the delivery of 24/7 green power to an industrial electricity user. {This is] a key issue with respect to renewable energy, as it is typically intermittent (think wind and sunshine). This consistency would be achieved through the use of hydrogen.

Honda has been involved in hydrogen technologies since the late 1980s with fuel cells and fuel cell vehicles – with the larger view that hydrogen is a key ingredient in realizing a carbon-free society. The corporation is now committed to carbon neutrality for all Honda products and activities by 2050, including broadening the range of electrified products and enabling infrastructure-linked smart power operations.

In developing their business model and forecasting the cash flows associated with the proposal, students analyzed complex quantitative data such as the capital required for equipment like wind turbines, electrolyzers, trucks to transport fuel, and fuel cells, while also considering potential governmental support. In addition, they examined key issues that included strategic partnerships, the ability to leverage existing pipeline networks for hydrogen transport, and supply chains.

To everyone’s surprise, the team’s conclusion to Honda’s proposal was a qualified no. The reasoning: the excess wind originally assumed and the supposed opportunity presented by price swings and grid curtailment was small in reality, unable to offset capital costs and inefficiencies.

It wasn’t cost-effective in its current state, however, the hydrogen economy is still growing.”

P&Q: Tepper has become increasingly known as an entrepreneurial powerhouse. What types of programming and support does Tepper offer in this area that enables it to stand out?

Brinkerhoff: “The Tepper Building houses the CMU Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship that offers over 16 distinct and robust programs for all stages and types of entrepreneurs.  For example Project Olympus offers support and resources to CMU students who want to turn their cutting-edge research and great ideas into startups.  Students learn how to find product/market fit and develop a feasible business model to attract funding to go to the next level. The Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA) helps students forgo the traditional model of starting a business from nothing and instead focus on acquiring and operating an already established successful business.  The Corporate Startup Lab pairs teams of graduate students with companies looking to be more entrepreneurial.”

5 REASONS TO CONSIDER A TEPPER MBA

1A) Accelerate Leadership Center: “As an engineer, I was naturally drawn to the analytical reputation of the Tepper program. I felt I could strive in that environment and could easily relate. Ultimately, what led me to choose Tepper was the Accelerate Leadership Center (ALC). Amongst the schools I was considering, it was a unique approach to leadership development. I liked that it was a core requirement for graduation and that they offered dedicated leadership coaches throughout the course of the program.”
Hensley Sejour (’22)

1B) Personal Coaching: “I hope to improve my negotiation skills through Tepper’s coaching and personal development programs. Often in the business landscape, employers will ask candidates for their salary and total compensation expectations. This pivotal question can dramatically change a person’s earnings trajectory. Learning how to tactfully negotiate while understanding the labor market will, without a doubt, place me in an advantageous position.”
Liem Kadas (’24)

2) Data-Driven: “One of the biggest reasons that I chose Carnegie Mellon is because it is a unique school that has a quant-heavy curriculum that truly embraces data science and analytics. The world’s business problems are becoming more complex and being able to make data-driven decisions will be critical. While I may not be creating all the models or doing the heavy analytics work, it’s critical that I’m able to understand the process and speak to what’s happening behind-the-scenes.”
John Kim Song (’24)

“Growing up, I wasn’t great at math. I’ve improved over the years, but there is still room to grow. Tepper’s quant focus intrigued me because of the opportunity to be challenged and further refine my abilities. Most recently in my career, I’ve been using data skills to identify trends in student wellness and student suspensions. With the world becoming more-and-more data focused, there is a greater-and-greater need for people who can effectively collect, analyze, synthesize, and tell a story with data. I’m confident my Tepper education is going to help me develop those skills and position me to make an impact wherever I end up.”
Tyler White (’24)

3) Interdisciplinary: “Carnegie Mellon’s MBA program promotes interdisciplinary studies; it doesn’t believe innovation and ideas fit into one mold. This is especially important to me because business and performance can be positively influenced by utilizing technology and data.”
Liem Kadas (’24)

4) Career Tracks: “I knew I wanted to use my MBA to pivot into the Product Management (PM) function and Carnegie Mellon is unique in that they offer career tracks such as ‘Technology Strategy & Product Management’ that directly align with my career goals. PM as a role is still evolving, as such, the definition, and responsibilities of an individual in that position can vary by industry, company, and the MBA program. Tepper’s depiction of a PM, along with the faculty and elective courses available far exceeded my expectations. I am optimistic that with an MBA from Tepper I will be prepared to tackle real business problems with confidence.”
Imani Coney (’24)

5) Traditions: “It would be social events like ‘Thursday Bar Nights’  and ‘Friday B**rs’ , which literally keep the spirits high! These events happen almost every week and are a great way for students to wind down after a busy week and connect with one another casually over food and drinks. These are just some of the ways for building a collaborative and supportive community at Tepper. We keep it real and strive to forge genuine connections.”
Shravya Amarnath (’22)

ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS

“My first piece of advice is that not everything is about the numbers (GMAT/GPA). The Tepper community is a community of people first. I’d argue that understanding what makes Tepper unique, how it fits with your goals, and what you’re looking for in an MBA program is more important. My second piece of advice is that you need to get to know the community! Reach out to current students and alumni. Lastly, as cliché as it sounds, be yourself. Be genuine when you write your essays, connect with others, and during the admissions interview.”
John Kim Song (’24)

“All applicants should take time to evaluate their ‘why’. Why an MBA? Why Now? In answering these and other ‘why’ questions, each applicant can define the experience and skills they are looking to gain in an MBA program. It’s easy to get overwhelmed learning about different schools and their offerings, so I recommend all applicants use their tailored responses as a north star to assess each school’s values and curriculum. This pairing will ultimately make it easier to evaluate which schools may be a better fit.”
Imani Coney (’24)

“Having a clear goal and purpose of pursuing an MBA helped me in more ways than I could imagine, both during the application process and in school. I clearly communicated my goals and highlighted how the Tepper MBA program would help me achieve them. I also emphasized on how I could add value to the community with my skills and experiences. In short, authentically communicating what and why I wanted and how I planned to reach my goals with the MBA program helped me get into Tepper.”
Shravya Amarnath (’22)

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergrad Alma Mater	Last Employer
Imani Coney	Saginaw, MI	Prairie View A&M University	Accenture Consulting
Jaime Hernandez	Caldwell, ID	The College of Idaho	U.S. Army
Leonardo Hernandez Sanchez	Mexico City, Mexico	Instituto Politécnico Nacional	Becton Dickinson Company
Toluwalase (Toluwa) Jobi	The Bronx, NY	University of Pennsylvania	Blis
Liem Kadas	Sacramento, CA	California State University, Sacramento	Forge Trust Co.
John Kim Song	Santiago, Chile	Illinois Institute of Technology	Alstom
Carla Michelle Suarez	Buford, GA	University of Georgia	Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
Jason “Tyler” White	Independence, MO	William Jewell College	Tulsa Public Schools

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