Rebecca Ayomikun Bakare

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business

“A global explorer, nature enthusiast, and thrill seeker who is passionate about health innovation.”

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself: I like to think of the number 23 as my lucky number. I was born on February 23rd as the 23rd child in my family, and I graduated from college on May 23rd when I was 23 years old!

Undergraduate School and Major: Washington and Lee University, Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Mama’s Natural Foods, Co-Founder & Director

The MBA program is renowned for its “Team Fuqua” culture, which is predicated on six paired principles: Authentic Engagement, Supportive Ambition, Collective Diversity, Impactful Stewardship, Loyal Community, and Uncompromising Integrity. Which of these resonates most with you – and what does that principle demand of you as a Fuqua MBA? Supportive Ambition has resonated with me profoundly from the moment I began my Fuqua MBA application journey up to now. This value has been especially evident during the pre-MBA consulting recruitment process. Starting in May, a small group of incoming students from different countries and time zones naturally organized ourselves to support one another through this journey. Thanks to this community of current Fuqua students and equally ambitious future classmates, I felt confident and well-prepared for recruiting coffee chats and interviews.

We all practiced casing together and shared thoughts and endless questions, related to consulting and beyond. While the case practice sessions were invaluable, I learned the most from the conversations we had before and after these sessions. I have no doubts that the relationships I have formed through this demanding pre-MBA recruitment process, all before even arriving in Durham, will be ones I can rely on personally and professionally during my time at Fuqua and beyond. As a Fuqua MBA, I look forward to nurturing the flame of collaborative ambition with my classmates and passing the torch to future Fuquans by being a resource and showing up for them in professional and personal capacities.

Aside from your classmates and school culture, what was the key part of Duke Fuqua’s MBA curriculum programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? As someone who learns best through hands-on experiences and has a strong interest in life sciences innovation, I am particularly drawn to the Duke Fuqua MBA Program because it offers a diverse range of experiential learning opportunities in health care and innovation that extend beyond the Duke ecosystem to the Research Triangle.

What has been your first impression of the Fuqua MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Fuqua story so far. The Fuqua MBAs and alumni with whom I have interacted, both before and after arriving in Durham, are the most down-to-earth individuals I have ever met. Just this week, a classmate offered to drive an extra 10 minutes out of her way to ensure I could attend a Fuqua Run Club event. This gesture, among others, has deepened my appreciation for the admissions committee’s exceptional work in curating a class of individuals who are genuinely committed to upholding the Team Fuqua spirit.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Duke Fuqua?  I am most excited about participating in the New Venture Fellows program because of the platform I would have to collaborate with other graduate students across Duke and engage with people in the greater Research Triangle Park health innovation ecosystem.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My greatest professional accomplishment to date is founding a for-profit social enterprise that empowers thousands of smallholder African women farmers and producers. This has enabled them to become catalysts for sustainable, positive change in their communities. Through my enterprise’s partnership with these women, they have gained access to profitable markets for herbal and nutrient-dense African food ingredients; diversified and tripled their income; increased their social engagement within their communities; and empowered other women in their towns and cities with opportunities to achieve dignified livelihoods.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? My MBA experience will be a success if I achieve three things: forge close-knit relationships with classmates through shared academic and professional triumphs and rendezvous around Durham; gain a heightened comfort with the unfamiliar by leaning into adventures like the ski club trips; and build a diverse professional network through meaningful interactions with Dukies and faculty members at Fuqua and other Duke graduate schools.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Duke Fuqua’s MBA program? In learning more about the aspects of the Duke MBA that excite you, do not hesitate to reach out to current MBA students. Embrace what makes you unique, let that shine through in your engagements with the Fuqua community, and lean into those distinctive qualities as you envision how you will contribute to Team Fuqua.

DON’T MISS: MEET DUKE FUQUA’S MBA CLASS OF 2026