Lorena Prates

University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

“Strategic thinker blending art, technology, and business to transform ideas into groundbreaking realities.”

Hometown: Belo Horizonte/ Minas Gerais, Brazil

Fun Fact About Yourself: I live and breathe art. Either as a ballerina for a decade or by painting, art has always been in my life.

Undergraduate School and Major: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Law with a double degree from Université de Lille in Business Administration

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Anheuser-Busch InBev, Technology Strategy Manager

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Chicago Booth’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Booth’s rigorous curriculum and its global approach to business education.

The Booth MBA is also known for being highly data-driven. Why does the program’s focus on quantitative analysis and decision-making appeal to you? How have you been able to leverage this approach in your career so far? In recognizing the importance of strategic management skills and a robust understanding of global business practices, I was drawn to Booth’s analytical approach to sustain my mission of empowering businesses in their digital transformation processes, and using data to support change. Booth’s rigorous analytical curriculum will sharpen my ability to dissect complex business problems, ensuring that my strategic recommendations are grounded in solid data, and drive impactful innovation in the corporate world.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Chicago Booth? One course that I am eager to take at Booth is Technology Strategy taught by Professor Marc Knez. This course focuses on strategic decision-making in technology-intensive industries, a critical area for my career aspirations in corporate innovation and transformation. My experience is in innovation management and my goal to drive transformative changes in global corporations. Hence, the skills and insights from this course will be invaluable in preparing me to make strategic decisions under uncertainty and to lead initiatives that harness technological advancements for business growth.

What has been your first impression of the Booth MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Booth story so far. My interactions with Booth students and alumni have been incredibly inspiring, marked by a shared commitment to intellectual rigor and a passion for innovation. I was amazed by a Brazilian Booth alumna who led a startup through the New Venture Challenge and soon after launched it to the market. Her experience highlighted Booth’s strong entrepreneurial ecosystem and the supportive community that drives each other to achieve excellence. This encounter reinforced my belief that Booth is not just a school, but a launchpad for bold-risk takers and leaders eager to make a significant impact.

What makes Chicago such a great place to earn an MBA? Chicago is a dynamic city that embodies the spirit of innovation and resilience, making it an ideal environment to pursue an MBA. The city’s diverse business landscape, with its blend of Fortune 500 companies and thriving startups, provides unparalleled opportunities for networking and professional growth. Additionally, Chicago’s cultural richness and global connections align perfectly with my goal of becoming a globally-minded leader, offering a vibrant backdrop where I can immerse myself in business and cultural experiences that will shape my future career.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I led Anheuser-Busch’s internal incubator program, the Beer Garage Incubator, with an amazing team. In the process, I developed a great set of skills, from identifying the right stakeholders and clearly communicating progress, to supporting the 10 teams composed of full-time employees and MBA students from all over the world. Overall, this experience taught me how to prioritize, make concessions, and plan for unforeseen events, always staying one step ahead to ensure the program’s success.

Describe the best memory of your life. Why does that moment resonate with you? The lights were bright. My pounding heart started to follow the rhythm of the melody. The curtains opened and there I was, after almost ten years of hard work and discipline in front of so many people: my first ballet solo. Despite my nervousness, my feet started to guide me through the stage as if I had been doing this all my life. The feeling I experienced on that stage will stay with me for the rest of my life: the delight of movement. Creating movement has been my life’s mission ever since, either professionally, by working with innovation and disrupting businesses’ status quo, or by supporting women in tech, by mentoring them in achieving their personal and professional goals.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Chicago Booth’s MBA program? The best way to know if Booth—or any school in that matter—is a good fit is by talking to people. Reach out to alumni and current students, engage in online webinars, dig deep into the school’s website to find the things and people that resonate with you. If you do that, half the job is done, and you will realize more clearly which aspects of your journey are worth sharing with the admissions team. This will allow you to truly be yourself throughout this journey.

DON’T MISS: MEET CHICAGO BOOTH’S MBA CLASS OF 2026