New Stanford MBA Club Envisions A World Accessible To All

Kimberly Schreiber, MBA ‘20

Summary of professional career. Before earning my MBA at Stanford, I helped scale affordable solar energy solutions to unelectrified communities in Africa at Zola Electric as Chief of Staff and in various roles in product and marketing. I also worked at Bloomberg Television, providing analysis on technology and business innovation for the networks Technology show. My career has been shaped by a strong background in finance, technology, and economic development, with previous roles in Nepal and Mosaic Collateral Asset Management.

My post-MBA goals were to help transform the disability service system to foster a more inclusive society by joining or starting an impact venture in the space.

What made you want to pursue an MBA? I wanted to shift my focus from energy in Africa to disability care in the U.S. after the devastating effects of service gaps and poor quality care had on my little brother Stephen who is autistic.

Why Stanford? It is known to be a place where innovation thrives and I was impressed by the resources for social entrepreneurs curated by GSB’s Center for Social Innovation. As a student at the GSB, I immersed myself deeply in the U.S. disability community as an Impact Design Immersion Fellow, interned for L’Arche Internationale on international practices for neurodiverse communities, and took entrepreneurial experiential courses like Lean Launchpad.

I received the first Stanford Impact Fellowship for for-profit ventures in 2020 and I have subsequently raised a seed round of $3.8M from multiple venture capital and angel investors including Core Innovation Capital and Pear VC for the organization I founded called NeuroNav.

NeuroNav is a public benefit corporation dedicated to improving the lives of adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. NeuroNav provides a platform for neurodivergent adults and their families, offering access to a marketplace of service providers, guidance from navigators, and tools for managing self-directed goals. The platform also aggregates user data to influence healthcare policy and promote value-based care.

Please describe your experience with disability or caring for someone with a disability? I help design, manage and advocate for robust care plans for my awesome younger brother Stephen. Stephen is autistic and he lives in a group home in northern Virginia.

Why is a club like the Stanford Disabilities and Caregivers Club important to students like yourself? I did not have the chance to participate in such a club during my time at the GSB but I wish I had. This would have been a valuable space to share the emotional impact of caregiving and discuss the needs of the disability community. I imagine a club like the Stanford Disabilities and Caregivers Club could be a crucial resource and offers a supportive community where students can share experiences and challenges related to disabilities and caregiving, providing both emotional support and practical resources.

Why is it important for a business school to have this kind of organization? Why does this representation matter? It’s important for business schools to have a club like the Stanford Disabilities and Caregivers Club because they foster diversity and inclusion, ensuring that the voices and needs of students with disabilities and caregiving responsibilities are recognized and addressed. It can also help future leaders to create more supportive and inclusive workplaces.

Would you say your past employers and co-workers have been accommodating to your disability or role as a caregiver? Why or why not? My past employers and co-workers have generally been accommodating to my role as a caregiver, offering flexibility and understanding, though increased awareness could further enhance support and accommodations.

What improvements, if any, would like to see in workplaces for people with disabilities and/or caregivers. I would like to see more comprehensive workplace policies supporting disabilities and caregiving, such as flexible work arrangements and training programs to increase awareness and empathy among colleagues.

Advice for young professionals with disabilities or who are caregivers now considering pursuing an MBA? For young professionals considering an MBA, it’s important to research programs that offer strong support systems, connect with current students who share similar experiences, and establish a solid support network to manage both academic and personal demands effectively.

Anything else you’d like to add? My experience was limited to my family and our struggles to find appropriate services and support for my brother. Through my time at Stanford researching this space and now years running an organization in this space, I am both more aware of the deep, consistent challenges to quality care for loved ones and hopeful that our society is becoming more aware and inclusive as we share our stories.

 

DON’T MISS: MEET THE STANFORD GSB MBA CLASS OF 2025 AND WHARTON MBA, JOBLESS FOR A YEAR & $200K IN DEBT, OFFERS ‘URGENT WARNING’ FOR CAREER CHANGERS