Meet Harvard Business School’s MBA Class Of 2026

Everyone loves a great story. The choices, the reasoning, the results. The obstacles, the pivotal moments, the lessons. In every story, we recognize patterns and threads: impulses that drive and influences that foreshadow. There are the ambitions, adventures, and conflicts – the humbling failures, gripping epiphanies, and glorious triumphs that shape great protagonists.

At Harvard Business School, you’ll find 930 remarkable stories in the MBA Class of 2026. Forget linear tales of prep schools to pinstripes. Step onto campus and you’ll meet first generations and refugees, career changers and thought leaders – the people you wouldn’t expect and the people you’ll never forget. They’ve all come to HBS to connect and grow, to pursue their purpose and unleash their talents.

SUPPORTING HISTORY— AND MAKING IT

Blake Lusty is one such story. A two-time cancer survivor and U.S. Naval Academy grad, Lusty jokes that he “sailed across 25 seas and 4 oceans” in a career that culminated in serving as the special assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations.

“I supported our Nation’s first female officer to lead the U.S. Navy, Admiral Franchetti,” he tells P&Q. “It was a tremendous personal honor as the proud dad of two daughters. The CNO is the highest-ranking officer in the US Navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The CNO advises the President on naval operations and is responsible to Congress for the $250B budget to man, train, and equip the Navy.”

In many stories, there is an epilogue, a look forward and reflection on a protagonist’s legacy. In Lusty’s case, he will be outlived by the Disruptive Capabilities Office (DCO), a Naval organization that he was “instrumental” in implementing.

“[It is] designed to rapidly acquire disruptive technology, and move capabilities from prototype to scale. This organization is game-changing in it helps the US Navy overcome the legacy military acquisition process to create organizational and resource changes to provide more sustainable solutions to address emerging threats facing our nation.”

A VIOLINIST AND A PHYSICIAN MAKE AN IMPACT IN CONSULTING

Diana Yurchak Ahluwalia‘s story stretches from the Ukraine to Boston: “A refugee turned CPA and M&A advisor.” At six years of age, she picked up the violin and toured European concert halls as a teenager. In her first year at Ernst & Young, she spearheaded a US medical technology firm’s acquisition of a French medical device manufacturer.

“I took on the responsibility of managing a team of over 20 professionals spanning two continents. The role required me to navigate not just different time zones and regulatory frameworks, but also distinct business cultures. The real reward came from seeing our multifaceted team collaborate seamlessly – blending different working styles and expertise to drive the deal forward.”

Francesca Rosas describes herself as a “physician bringing doctors’ voices from the frontlines to the boardrooms.” This mission led her to work in corporate strategy for Ayala Healthcare, a conglomerate focused on bringing “accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare to the Philippines. Before arriving on campus, Rosas oversaw the launch of the firm’s first catheterization laboratory. Designed to treat cardiovascular emergencies, the lab opened weeks before Rosas arrived at Harvard.

“As Project Manager, I stepped out of my strategy comfort zone to lead a cross-functional team through construction, procurement, and protocol development, often being the only woman and physician in our daily technical discussions,” she tells P&Q. “The project’s success opened an opportunity to create even greater impact. Working closely with our Chief Strategy and Investment Officer and our network’s leading cardiologists, we developed a compelling case for expanding this project into a full Heart and Vascular Care Center.”

MICROSOFT AND DISNEY TALENTS DRIVE HEADLINES BEHIND THE SCENES

However, this is just the beginning of Rosas’s story – which also includes a chapter on how she learned to play the cello piano, and guitar. She joined the Class of 2026 because she wanted to become a leader who made a difference. Over her medical career, Rosas has experienced how health outcomes are “shaped by systems, resources, and access” as much as clinical care. To create the impact wanted, she needed to step away from medicine and learn from the brightest minds in business education.

“What drew me specifically to HBS is its belief that business can be a force for good,” she writes. “In emerging markets, where private-sector innovation and resources often fill critical gaps, this mindset is transformative. The school’s focus on developing leaders who can drive meaningful change while building financially sustainable solutions provides exactly the foundation I need to tackle complex healthcare challenges I one day hope to solve.”

Like many great stories, HBS first-year narratives often coincide with big events. Lorraine Bichara Assad, for one, was part of the Microsoft team that launched Azure Container Storage, a breakthrough in public cloud storage. By the same token, Snehal Chitalia was deeply involved many “firsts” as a global marketing manager for Disney.

“I was fortunate to join Disney Streaming during a period of rapid growth for The Walt Disney Company. This allowed me the opportunity to not only have a lot more responsibility than I could have imagined, but also provided me the freedom to pitch and execute my own ideas across the broader company. From launching our Disney+ Ad plans all around the world to providing special access consumer products to our subscribers through Disney+, it was cool to lead so many go-to-market plans for the company I dreamed of working at my whole life.”

AN ARTIST…AND AN ENGINEER

Before business school, Molly Shapiro served as chief of staff for Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks, a genetic engineering firm with a $617 million dollar market cap. Rory Pannkuk competed on the USA Paralympic Fencing Team before becoming a management consultant at Accenture. Not only did Pannkuk help one client design the channel partner and seller experience for a client with three million users, but even received an audience with Accenture’s CEO about the engagement. At the same time, Katherine Cai helped to orchestrate a $280-million-dollar acquisition. This included conducting intensive research on the industry, financing, and competitive positioning. As a lead engineer, Stanley Tong enabled a large automotive firm to improve product development through training and technology.

“I’m particularly proud of being able to deliver on corporate technical education in a way that hadn’t been done in the industry before,” Tong explains. “This was used in conjunction with a lab that I ran and a separate program I designed to drive technology adoption among several thousand employees. I also made additive manufacturing technology a key enabler of the way new vehicles are designed, how issues are communicated and resolved, and how employees think through solving problems”

And Tong’s story isn’t confined to the manufacturing floor. He is also an artist, who works in ceramics and sculpture. “I’m best known for my work around gun violence awareness/prevention. My work has been featured on CNN and a number of publications! I’m trying to balance a technology focused career with my art career!”

Some HBS students are case studies in betting on yourself and beating the odds. Just ask Dewan Sharfaraz Ahmed. After studying at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, Ahmed moved into technology sales. Soon enough, he was drawn to the investment banking side of technology. Despite being told he needed an MBA to pursue this avenue, Ahmed took a path less traveled. He left his safe sales position for a 10-week banking internship, which led to a job in the field. After two years, Ahmed began to long for the customer experience and problem-solving aspects of sales – which led to his second career transition.

“Through conversations with mentors, peers, and my network, I discovered that software product management could combine my love for strategy, technology, and customer engagement. At 26, I faced the same advice—most people said I needed an MBA or a technical master’s degree to pivot. Once again, I challenged that notion. I quit my investment banking role, studied intensively for two months, and earned a top Associate Product Manager position at CarMax on a newly created team leveraging Artificial Intelligence to fasten our operations.”

BIGGEST MBA ACHIEVEMENT: PROVING YOU BELONG

Ahmed’s story continued into his Harvard Business School section – the 91 people he takes class alongside as first-years. At HBS, the section is the group where students rely on for everything from case insights to mutual support. Sharing this intense and transformative experience often result in section members forming life-long bonds, both personally and professionally. That’s one reason why Ahmed says it was such an honor for his section to choose him as their social chair. That said, Ahmed still worked to build relationships across the entire class too.

“Small group dinners became a cornerstone for relationship-building within the section, while larger events, like Halloween mixers and Friendsgiving celebrations, provided opportunities to connect with students from other sections.”

For Lusty, the first semester became a time when he proved to himself that he belonged among some of the best young professionals. “Entering HBS as a non-business background student can be daunting and overwhelming in a classroom environment where your grades are primarily driven by in-class participation,” he explains. “My biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far is gaining the confidence to build, defend, and persuade my classmates with my financial models in my Finance class; persuade the class with my go-to market strategy in Marketing; and think deeply on big decisions as a business leader in LEAD (first-year leadership class).”

A PLACE TO SAY ‘YES’

In true HBS form, Katherine Cai launched a startup in her first term through the Harvard Innovation Lab.  The venture, she says, will provide “more personalized, AI-driven nutrition solutions based on individual needs, habits, and goals.” For Rory Pannkuk, the best moment – so far – has been sneaking into a class and getting a selfie with Toto Wolff, a former race car driver and CEO of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. The ability to interact with legends like Wolff also left an impression on Lorraine Bichara Assad.

“As a motorsports fan, having the opportunity to interact with him was an unforgettable experience. When I shared my excitement with my brother (HBS MBA Class of 2015), his response was “That’s the magic of Harvard Business School”. Those words have stuck with me.”

Allegra Tomassa Massaro joined the Class of 2026 after working as a manager for global business diversity and inclusion. Her goal: saying “Yes” to new experiences. This has meant speaking up and taking risks. In doing so, she has enjoyed some of her most transformative moments of business school.

“On a whim, I signed up to join a dance team for the HBS Show – a full production of song, dance, and skits that parody the HBS experience,” she reminisces. “After weeks of practice and rehearsals, last week we performed in front of over 500 of our classmates. I was nervous leading up to it, but it was a fun and rewarding experience that reminded me of the importance of embracing discomfort and seeking out joy in unfamiliar places.”

Next Page: The Case Method and Class of 2026 Stats

Page 3: Interview with Rupal Gadhia and Profiles of 11 Members of the Class of 2026

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