New Stanford MBA Club Envisions A World Accessible To All by: Kristy Bleizeffer on July 31, 2024 | 1,169 Views July 31, 2024 Copy Link Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp Share on Reddit Jeff Butler competes at the 2018 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship. Jeff Butler, MBA ‘23 Paralympian Summary of professional career: My career has been split across two parallel focuses, competing as an athlete on Team USA and existing in and around the startup ecosystem. I’ve played wheelchair rugby since breaking my neck at 13, and competed in Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and now again in Paris 2024. While competing, I’ve worked with startups both as a founder and early employee. Most recently as the first employee at biotech startup Teiko.bio immediately before starting at the GSB, and then on a handful of entrepreneurial explorations with classmates during the program. After Paris, I’m excited to join a startup applying innovative technologies to real problems in a BD or operational role. Please describe the circumstances of your disability and how it impacted your life. At 13, I was laying in the back seat of my family SUV after a football game when we were hit going through an intersection. I broke my neck and have used a wheelchair ever since. In the immediate aftermath, everything changed. I couldn’t dress myself, feed myself, or even get out of bed without help. I wasn’t able to move or feel the majority of my body including my legs, hands, and fingers. In time, with intense physical rehabilitation I was able to learn how to live in my new body and lead an independent life. While it was an incredibly traumatic event, it was also incredibly formative. As many opportunities closed in that moment, a few unique ones opened. This hardship would lead me down an interesting path – unlocking incredible experiences, my future as a Paralympic medalist, and eventually my time at the GSB and beyond. Please describe your Paralympic experience. How you got involved in wheelchair rugby, winning two medals, etc. I was introduced to wheelchair rugby through a family friend just a couple of years after my accident. The sport grew on me quickly and by the end of my first season, I set a goal to make the national team. I knew that if I wanted to be the best that I needed to learn from the best so I transferred across the country to the University of Texas at Austin. There, I was able to play for the head coach of Team USA’s club team. Slowly, and with a lot of mentorship from veteran teammates, I began to develop into a top player at my position. After being cut from tryouts five years in a row, I made my first Paralympic team just in time for Rio 2016 and then again for the Tokyo 2020 squad. My team won silver at both games, and I’ll be competing again in Paris 2024, hoping to seal the deal with a gold. What made you want to pursue an MBA? Before Stanford, I had two parallel career paths – one in athletics, the other in and around the startup ecosystem. Coming off of the Tokyo games, I was looking to skill up for an eventual transition out of sport and full-time into the professional sphere. An MBA was the perfect way to achieve both goals – equip myself with competitive skills and create a compelling narrative as I retire from sport. Why Stanford? I have always been focused on entrepreneurship, which is what drew me to Stanford. While students can find knowledge on startups at any program, the GSB takes it to the next level. The entrepreneurial culture paired with an incredible and diverse group of classmates were the major draw. In addition to the classroom and learning experience, the physical location and campus were a major factor. Compared to peer schools, GSB’s newer buildings mean it’s substantially more wheelchair accessible, and California weather meant no snow to worry about. The relatively small class size and availability for on-campus housing both years was also attractive. Why is a club like the Stanford Disabilities and Caregivers Club important? People with disabilities are not well represented in the most competitive business programs. Fostering a community like this at Stanford will show potential applicants who live with disabilities that this path is possible. There are massive systemic challenges for people like me to get to this type of school. Workplace opportunities are more limited out of undergrad, living independently can be a challenge, and long-standing societal prejudices create a perfect storm of difficulties. Beyond representation, this group of students will act as a center of gravity to deploy innovative solutions into a broadly overlooked population of people living with disabilities and their caregivers. If applicable, how were you involved with the club? How did it impact your MBA experience, or how do you think it might impact the experience of future MBAs. I was connected with a classmate in the year behind me, Paulina, who had experience as a caregiver and was passionate about the space. Her and I set up weekly meetings to discuss the opportunities we saw, and how we could foster community within the GSB. After I graduated, Paulina ran with the torch and made this club a reality. What improvements, if any, would like to see in workplaces for people with disabilities and/or caregivers. Workplaces have generally done a good job equipping people with necessary accommodations to do their jobs. The most substantial need is around representation for people with disabilities in upper management. I think we’ll continue to see slow shifts here, but more needs to be done. Advice for young professionals with disabilities or who are caregivers now considering pursuing an MBA? I’ll focus on the most tactical advice for people with disabilities who have decided to apply: Engage with the school’s student disability office. You’ll get a feel for the accommodation process and a jumpstart on the sometimes lengthy process of getting in their system. Find and talk to other people with disabilities who have been through the program at your target school. If you can’t find one, ask the disability office if they can point you to an alum. Do a housing tour – if you need any physical accommodations, ask to see an accessible room. If there aren’t any on-campus housing options, find out what the alternative looks like. At many programs including GSB, travel is a huge component of socialization. If travel is difficult for you, think about how that might impact your experience and consider a less travel-heavy school. NEXT PAGE: Rachael Wallach von Portheim, MBA ‘18, founder of Disrupt Disability and Limber Technologies for people with impaired mobility Previous Page Continue ReadingPage 5 of 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7