Maurice (Mo) Hicks

“Strategic leader, mentor, and entrepreneur with a passion for innovation and creating impact”

Hometown: Upper Marlboro, MD

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve been learning Lindy Hop, the original swing dance, for the past year and am loving it!

Undergraduate School and Major: BA in Psychology, Carleton College

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Research Assistant, Mayo Clinic

What has been your favorite part of the Twin Cities so far? What has made it such a great place to earn an MBA?

The best part about the Twin Cities so far has been the network. Carlson has an extensive community that is always ready to support our student population. The mentorship the Carlson alum in this area and beyond have provided has been invaluable.

Carlson MBA spend a year in hands-on Enterprise programs for Consulting, Branding, Ventures, and Funds. Which program do you intend to enroll in? What excites most about your Enterprise program?

As I am an MD-MBA student, I am exempt from the Enterprise experience and will be using that time to continue developing my startup, Vertex Medical Solutions, through the Carlson Startup class and the Sands Fellowship offered through the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship.

Aside from your classmates, experiential learning, and location, what was the key part of the Carlson MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you?

As an MD-MBA student, I wanted a program that was going to help me more deeply understand the medical industry and how to innovate within it. With Carlson’s Medical Industry Leadership Institute (MILI), there was no better choice for my MBA. I have already learned so much through MILI’s network of medical industry alums and the high quality, informative programs where we have learned from a variety of them. I’m extremely excited for my MILI classes next semester and what I will gain from them.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

My biggest accomplishment so far has been the recent traction I have gained with my digital health startup after navigating my way into medical and business school in the past couple of years, and slowly building to the idea that became Vertex. I am excited to see what this year has in store for me as I utilize Carlson’s resources to become a better leader and entrepreneur.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far:

My biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far was providing a thorough valuation for medtech startups we consulted for during the MILI Valuation Lab trip to Silicon Valley.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far?

My best memory from the MBA so far was the MILI Valuation Lab trip to Silicon Valley as I got to learn directly from industry experts from Abbott, Medtronic, Kaiser, and other amazing companies, while refining my skill set as a strategic-thinker through the consulting work we did.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Carlson MBA program?

Know your narrative. Before answering the question of why Carlson, be clear on why you are pursuing business school. Even if you are just looking for a career pivot and aren’t sure what career, it’s helpful for you to know that and be able to acknowledge that as a critical factor in your decision-making. Maybe your uncertainty about your career path is why Carlson’s experiential learning Enterprises or broad network of professionals in various industries would appeal to you. Being clear about what you need from an MBA experience will allow you to have a more focused narrative as to why Carlson is the right place for you, and you, the right person for Carlson.