Molly Shapiro

Harvard Business School

“I love throwing myself into hard problems; I get energy from teamwork and curious people.”

Hometown: Schenectady, New York

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was captain of the track team during my undergrad—I was a triple jumper!

Undergraduate School and Major: Engineering Sciences modified with Biology, Dartmouth College

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Chief of Staff, Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks

What makes the case method so attractive as a means to learn and become a better manager? In my experience, the best managers are people who are able to motivate groups to achieve great outcomes. To me, a big part of that is clear communication with first principles logic. The case method appeals to me as an incredible way to refine those concise, compelling communication skills. I’ve watched friends, peers, and managers be truly effective at critically and rapidly constructing arguments to support their position after being exposed to the case method and I am excited to work on those skills myself.

Aside from your classmates and cases, what was the key part of Harvard Business School’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Harvard’s MS/MBA Biotech program is the reason I considered applying to business school. It’s a unique, 2-year program that is integrated with HBS, but offers a specialized focus in life sciences. I hope to lead teams working on cutting edge science and I believe effective leaders need to have a strong technical foundation. I have already found that this cohort provides an amazing community within the broader HBS program.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at Harvard Business School I am very excited about the FIELD Global Capstone course, where students are matched with a company in another country. Students work on a product or challenge over the course of the term and at the end, travel to the company’s location to meet with the team and local consumers or partners.

When you think of Harvard Business School, what is the first word that comes to mind? Why? Collaborative! The HBS network is incredibly welcoming and I have already experienced inspiring support from my classmates.

Looking at your recruitment, what was the moment when you realized Harvard Business School was the right program for you? Why? I visited campus before applying and sat in on a Finance 1 course where the students debated a potential investment in a drug patent’s royalty. The combination of strategy, quantitative analysis, and animated discussion made me feel like I could really grow in the HBS environment – and enjoy it.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I won my company’s Pickleball tournament.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? I just completed my first MS/MBA group project, where I got to present on exciting opportunities in stem cell research!

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Harvard Business School’s MBA program? First, orient your application around the impact you want to have in your career (and then work backwards to understand how HBS is a critical step). Second, outline the unique experiences you can bring to your classmates and what you hope to learn from the diverse student body. Third, write for yourself! If you put time into it, the application process is a neat opportunity to get clarity on who you want to be and what you want to do.

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