Josh Hansen-Connell

University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management

“A passionate idealist and creative engine who believes in Business as a Force for Good.”

Hometown: Montevideo, MN

Fun fact about yourself: I like to lead “Small Town Safaris” into rural Minnesota to help people connect to those communities and bridge the rural/urban divide.  

Undergraduate School and Degree: Gustavus Adolphus College, Social Studies Education

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Development Manager, USTA Northern

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? Deloitte, Minneapolis

Where will you be working after graduation? Deloitte, Senior Consultant

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Graduate Volunteer Consultants, President; MBA Association, President; Men As Allies Recognition; Camdentown Tennis Club, Coach

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? It’s a small moment, but possibly the most powerful. When taking the course “Power of Story” with Prof. Vlad Griskevicius, I was challenged to write a “Who am I” story. We were given some basic formulas and principles, but challenged to make it our own and make it compelling. I initially played it safe and wrote an anecdote about how playing with Legos as a kid taught me about imagination and creating community. Honestly, it was a bad story and Prof. Vlad called me out on it and challenged me to dig deeper. I struggled to come up with a story that I felt comfortable sharing, but eventually decided to take a risk and share about something that I had been fairly guarded about during my MBA experience.. The details of the story don’t really matter, but it represented something powerful. It was the first time I was bringing my whole self to the program, something I had been scared an MBA couldn’t do. I received a perfect score and encouragement to continue refining and sharing the story. Having spent the previous six months wondering how I could possibly belong among such talented and driven people, that feedback meant the world. I’m proud that I had the courage to share and even more proud that I can carry a banner for those who’ve shared in similar challenges to show what is possible.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? About two months after being promoted to program director of the small non-profit I was working for at the time, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. For us, a youth development program that relied heavily on in-person interactions, this was catastrophic. We all understood the importance our programs played in supporting young people, and their families, in our community (not to mention the 80+ coaches who depended on us for summer employment), so doing nothing wasn’t an option. I led my team in developing a six-week curriculum that could be followed by young people and their families from home.

Together, my team and I spent three months crafting lessons, learning filmography, editing, and disseminating our new program. It was a herculean effort only for us to learn two weeks prior to summer starting that our Executive Director wanted us to pivot and lead in-person lessons after all. At that point, we had a much better understanding of how COVID-19 was transmitted and knew that families would really benefit from our outdoor programming. So, I rallied the team and within two weeks we had a robust COVID-19 protocol in place, coaches hired and trained, and over 600 kids waiting to take advantage of our summer lessons. Navigating the rapidly shifting landscape of COVID-19, keeping my team motivated and empowered throughout, and prioritizing the needs and well-being of our community is easily one of my proudest accomplishments.

Why did you choose this business school? I would not have chosen business school at all if I didn’t feel that it was deeply aligned to my personal mission of making systems work better for more people. When researching Carlson, the ethos of “Business as a Force for Good” was evident and palpable. If it weren’t for Carlson’s track record of generating incredible business leaders who prioritized people and planet, I likely wouldn’t have considered an MBA at all.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? I’ve been lucky to have many great professors, but one in particular exemplifies the direction I hope MBA programs follow: Karthik Natarajan, who taught Supply Chain and Operations my first semester. Beyond being a kind and encouraging professor, his curriculum reflected diverse viewpoints, taught tangible ways to leverage our skills for the betterment of people and planet, and was incredibly engaging. I started my MBA having little to no interest in SCO, but Karthik elevated the subject to new status. I’ll be carrying many of his lessons with me into my work after graduation.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? Each year, we host a camping trip in October at a Minnesota State Park. As you can imagine, October in Minnesota can get pretty cold so this trip is daunting for a lot of our classmates from out-of-state or out-of-country. However, each year they trust “the locals” to cultivate a great experience around Minnesota’s best amenity, the outdoors. It ends up being a great time, even if there end up being some small regrets about not bringing enough blankets, and really does a lot to bring our community closer together. I believe this experience reflects a great deal of what Carlson is about: community, trust, collaboration… and learning the hard-earned lessons that only a Minnesota winter can teach.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I would have asked for help sooner and not felt so guilty about it when it was given. It took me too long to realize that I belonged to an incredible community of people who were willing and excited to support me through this experience. People don’t reach an MBA program like Carlson without having gifts to share, including myself. Rather than spending so much of my time and energy worrying about my deficiencies, I wish I had used that time and energy to refine and share my strengths.  A lot of learning and growth could have happened in the time I spent doubting myself.

What is the biggest myth about your school? Honestly, I don’t have too much of a pulse on the various myths about different business schools, including Carlson. The only myth I can speak to is the one I had about business schools in general before I began my MBA at Carlson: MBAs are cold, calculating, and selfish. What I’ve found in my experience, is that the vast majority of my classmates are warm, thoughtful, and caring. While our views may vary on how to best serve the world with our MBA degrees, I know that it is something they take seriously and that our shared pursuit of a better world will yield something special.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? The Twin Cities is a magical place. I love how accessible the outdoors is, how folks rally during snowstorms, how so many different dreams and understandings of the world can co-exist, and how deeply the community here believes in our potential to do better.

What surprised you the most about business school? I was genuinely surprised by how purpose-driven the business community could be. Coming from the non-profit sector, I was generally taught that business was a bad word. Spending time in this program, I’ve seen numerous examples of how individuals are challenging the status quo, innovating, and collaborating in pursuit of serving others. Business doesn’t have to be devoid of purpose and service to others. I thought I was getting my MBA in order to “whip business into shape”, but instead I’m leaving with the belief that business truly is the art of caring for people and optimizing resources to do so. Business isn’t something that needs to be fought, it is something that needs to be harnessed.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Karen Gjelhaug – Karen consistently shows up and puts her best foot forward. I’ve never seen her take a day off or set down a responsibility once she’s committed to it. All the while, she is commuting an hour to school each day and raising 2 impressive kids. Her leadership, commitment to her values, and steadfastness keep me honest and humble.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I’m still adjusting to a path that is very different from the path I was on three years ago, so my professional bucket list is still taking shape. Three years ago, I thought there was no way I’d ever be an MBA. Two years ago, I didn’t know what consulting was. Now, I’m two months from graduating with an MBA and six months from starting my career as a consultant at Deloitte. So, right now I’m just trying to ride the wave of the moment and get my bearings.

If I had to name two items at this moment, they would be the following:

1) Earning the investment that Deloitte has made in me by bringing value to their sustainability and social impact efforts.

2) Supporting the people and places I care about.

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

“Josh is recognized as an exceptional leader by his classmates and the greater Carlson MBA community during his service as President of his MBA class. Josh excels both in the classroom and on client experiential projects, as demonstrated by overwhelming positive client and teammate feedback, including many accolades and much gratitude. Most impressively, Josh maintains this high standard of achievement while remaining, above all, a kind and compassionate person. Notably, Josh has been awarded a Fellowship to work on his true passion, the social venture Small Town Vibes, which supports economic development in rural Minnesota by connecting small towns with opportunities and talented people.”

Toby Nord
Director, Carlson Ventures Enterprise

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