Anika Kempe

University of Virginia, Darden School of Business

“Empathetic, positive, and driven leader who is passionate about empowering women, ESG, and healthcare.”

Hometown: Mercersburg, Pennsylvania

Fun fact about yourself: I’m a horse girl at heart—my happy place is the barn with my favorite horse, Kenny. One of the big reasons I was able to find balance during graduate school was because I prioritized time with Kenny and my barn community at Montanova Stables Foundation.

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Richmond, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Journalism

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications at the UVA Department of Student Health and Wellness

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? I was an MBA Product Marketing Intern at Dell Technologies in Austin, Texas.

Where will you be working after graduation? Dell Technologies.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• President, Graduate Women in Business (GWIB)
• Section A Representative
• Volunteer, Montanova Stables Foundation
• Member of the MBA Advisory Committee

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? My time as GWIB President has been the most fulfilling part of my Darden experience. It has been such a joy to connect and empower the incredible women in our community , including our enhanced First/Second Year mentorship program, two-day GWIB Leadership Conference, first annual GWIB Mixer with women-identifying faculty, staff, and students, and our Women in Business Week during March,. I am constantly awed by the strength, intelligence, innovation, and drive of the women at Darden. Two of my big goals for this past year included fostering women faculty and student relationships and building a strong, cohesive, and supportive GWIB Board (We have 11 total VPs that focus on everything from Allyship and DEI to Corporate Relations and Communications). Reflecting on the past year in this role, I’m incredibly proud at what our team has achieved in fulfilling our goals and mission for the 2023-2024 term.  

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I started my marketing and communications role at UVA’s Department of Student Health and Wellness three months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Being able to support more than 130 healthcare colleagues and 23,000 students through thoughtful communications campaigns, translation of ever-evolving public health guidelines, anddata-driven insights and recommendations will always be one of my proudest accomplishments. Witnessing incredible leadership in crisis and uncertainty during that time was one of my main motivators to pursue my MBA.

Why did you choose this business school? I was a journalism and political science major in undergrad and had never taken an accounting or finance class prior to attending business school. For that reason, I knew that an academically rigorous and peer-driven learning experience was crucial to my success. Darden excels in both areas. From outstanding faculty to case method teaching throughout the core curriculum and electives, the classroom environment has exceeded all my expectations. International Corporate Finance and Managerial Finance ended up being two of my favorite classes!

Who was your favorite MBA professor? I can’t emphasize enough how difficult this question is—Darden’s professors are tremendous! Luann Lynch has been an incredible mentor, friend, and professor since the moment I met her during First Year Core Accounting. She is a master of the case method and promotes an inclusive and dynamic discussion during every class. To this day, a group of women and I have a monthly potluck dinner with Luann – I can’t imagine the past two years without her support.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Disruptive Strategy: Building and Sustaining a Successful Enterprise with Rory McDonald. This course combined the best elements of marketing, strategy, finance, and ethics. It redefined how I understand disruptive innovation and reframed strategic decision-making. The frameworks and analytical tools this course provided will be invaluable no matter what path my career takes.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? Darden hosts the Global Food Festival every fall and it’s a fantastic celebration of different cultures and cuisines. I’m a dual citizen of Germany and the US. Together with fellow German friends at Darden and German MBA Exchange classmates, I hosted a German-inspired food table at this year’s event. Our currywurst and spaetzle were a big hit—in a neighborly act of diplomacy, we even invited our Swiss classmate to join!

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I wish I had taken more entrepreneurship-focused classes. Coming into Darden, I never considered starting my own business to be a realistic or attainable career goal, but now one of my career dreams in the coming decade includes starting a venture aligned with my love of all things equestrian.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? I’ve been fortunate to call Charlottesville home since 2014 and constantly say it’s a city that lives much bigger than its population size might suggest. My husband is also a Darden alum (Class of 2021). Following graduation, he co-founded a cooperative winery, Common Wealth Crush Co, which supports the growth of next-generation Virginia winemakers with shared space and equipment. So, if I had to choose one aspect of this town I love most, I’ll have to go with the local wine scene!

What surprised you the most about business school? Coming from a non-traditional background, I certainly grappled with imposter syndrome coming into business school. However, within just a few months, I experienced a sense of belonging and confidence that I never expected to find so quickly. Business school, and Darden specifically, is the best investment in myself I ever could have made.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire?
I joke that Fehin Ibiloye was my first “girl crush” at Darden (we were in Section A together) and I’m so grateful that has now evolved into a close friendship. In both her roles as Section VP of Outreach and now Darden Student Association VP of Outreach, she consistently goes above and beyond for both the UVA and Charlottesville communities. She is one of the most intelligent and compassionate souls I’ve ever met!

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

* Continual empowerment of women in the workforce, and especially in historically male-dominated industries. To me, this looks like mentorship, pursuit of leadership roles, and continued advocacy for gender pay parity.

* Finding balance and joy during the dual pursuits of an impactful career and motherhood.

What made Anika such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Anika is a remarkable individual. Elected leader of her section by her peers just a month into the first semester, Anika gracefully took the mantle and led with grace. She is the epitome of a servant leader – she puts the needs of the group she leads above her own, has a way of anticipating what those needs are, and rejoices when the group succeeds. She is a careful and thoughtful listener, yet Anika speaks, people listen intently – her words are insightful and powerful. In recognition of the impact she is able to make, her fellow students elected her president of Darden’s Graduate Women in Business organization, where she has worked tirelessly on behalf of students at Darden.

She cares deeply about our institution and those in the Darden community. Fellow students, male and female alike, continually seek her advice on matters ranging from professional to personal. She leaves a lasting impact on those that cross her path. Darden is truly a better place because of Anika Kempe.”

Professor Luann Lynch

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2024