Maressa Guynn

Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business

“Tenacious, playful sports lover, perfection-driven, altruistic, always up for helping a friend.”

Hometown: Uniontown, PA

Fun fact about yourself: I once threw a discus 170’ 5” and currently hold the US Naval Academy discus record.

Undergraduate School and Degree:

United States Naval Academy, Mechanical Engineering

Old Dominion University, Masters of Engineering Management

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? US Navy, Associate Professor of Naval Science at The University of Texas at Austin

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? McKinsey & Company, Washington DC

Where will you be working after graduation? Associate, McKinsey & Company, Washington DC

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Awards: 2024 Tillman Scholar, 2024 Leslie Adkins Endowed Scholarship recipient, Consortium Fellow, 2024 NBMBAA Case Competition winner, MLT Professional Development Fellow, ROMBA Fellow

Leadership: Out&Allied VP of Social; Tepper Veterans Association VP of DEI&B; 2024 ROMBA Conference Organizer (Case Competition Lead); 2023 and 2024 Diversity Planning Committee

Other: Admissions Office Fellow, Teaching Assistant for Managing People & Teams and Managerial Economics, Tutor Finance I, Project Manager International Management Capstone (South Africa trip)

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Winning the National Black MBA Case Competition alongside my incredible teammates—Keyon Powell, Terrell Galloway, and Olivia Ahearn—is the achievement I’m most proud of. After the Tepper School’s long absence from the event, we were determined to make a strong comeback. We drew on the wealth of expertise at the Tepper School, collaborating closely with staff and our faculty advisor, Professor David Major, to develop a compelling set of recommendations. His insights kept our strategy focused and our solution on track. Ultimately, our success wasn’t just about winning—it was about demonstrating the power of teamwork and community support to achieve a shared goal.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I’m most proud of successfully transitioning from the military to business school and soon to be management consulting. After attending a service academy and commissioning into the U.S. Navy at age 23 years old, I initially felt intimidated by my lack of corporate experience. I doubted my ability to thrive at a top company, especially in consulting, where prior industry exposure is often highly valued. Over time, I realized that the leadership, discipline, and strategic thinking skills I honed in the Navy were directly applicable to the business world. Embracing these strengths allowed me to excel academically, gain confidence in my capabilities, and tackle complex challenges in a professional setting. Overcoming that initial uncertainty remains one of my greatest accomplishments.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose the Tepper School because it allowed me to make family my top priority after leaving the military. Initially, I was hesitant about returning so close to home—Pittsburgh felt too familiar, and I wondered if I’d miss out on new experiences. However, after speaking with numerous current students and attending “Ask Me Anything” admissions sessions, I realized that the Tepper School truly treats its students like family. That welcoming atmosphere extended to my own family, too. For the first time in my adult life, I was able to live near my mom and brother, creating a supportive environment for my partner and me as we helped our son build early memories with extended family. This holistic experience has been invaluable in easing my transition into post-military life and ensuring that my loved ones remain at the heart of my journey.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite professor at the Tepper School is Dr. Lars-Alexander Kuehns, whom I had for Finance II. He has a remarkable ability to simplify complicated financial concepts and demonstrate their relevance to everyday life. Through interactive case studies, real-world examples, and a consistently engaging teaching style, Dr. Kuehns bridged the gap between theory and practice in a way that truly resonated with me. His approach made learning both enjoyable and highly applicable, giving me confidence to apply those principles in my internship and beyond. Above all, he genuinely cares about his students’ growth, which inspired me to dive deeper into finance and continually seek new ways to improve my understanding of the field.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course as an MBA was Ethics and AI with Professor Derek Leben. I enrolled after completing an introductory machine learning course, and it completely transformed the way I view artificial intelligence. Not only did we explore ethical frameworks and the societal impacts of AI, but we also wrestled with how biases can creep into algorithms and ultimately affect real-world decision-making. Professor Leben’s thought-provoking discussions challenged me to consider my responsibilities as both a creator and a consumer of emerging AI technologies. By examining rapidly-moving, real-world scenarios, I gained a deeper appreciation for the nuanced ethical implications that accompany rapid technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite Tepper School tradition is our annual Pink Party, a charity event co-hosted by Out&Allied and Tepper Women in Business. This year, we had performers and a DJ who kept the crowd energized, and everyone wore pink to show solidarity. Proceeds benefited a local LGBTQIA+ nonprofit that provides vital support to transgender youth. It’s a perfect example of how the Tepper School unites fun, community, and philanthropy, encouraging us to give back while celebrating inclusivity and diversity in a truly memorable way.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Looking back on my MBA journey, the one thing I’d do differently is explore more interdisciplinary opportunities by taking additional classes across campus and possibly pursuing a dual degree with Heinz College. In hindsight, I realize the intersection between business and public policy is growing ever more critical, and Carnegie Mellon’s emphasis on collaborative, cross-functional learning would have been an excellent way to gain a broader perspective. Engaging more deeply with public policy coursework could have sharpened my understanding of how regulations, social issues, and organizational strategies converge. This would have not only enriched my academic experience, but also positioned me to tackle complex challenges that straddle the realms of both business and government.

What is the biggest myth about your school? The biggest myth about the Tepper School is that we primarily excel at tech recruiting. In reality, the school consistently places graduates at top consulting and investment banking firms, reflecting its broad industry reach. While the Tepper School’s curriculum certainly has a rigorous technical component, it’s carefully balanced with leadership, strategy, and organizational behavior coursework, ensuring that students who aren’t drawn to purely tech-focused roles can still thrive. From my experience, the emphasis on data-driven decision-making provides a unique edge for Tepper School graduates in any field—not just in technology. Ultimately, the Tepper School’s well-rounded approach prepares us to excel in a wide range of career paths.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? The Tepper School is actively integrating AI across its curriculum in innovative ways, weaving together technical, ethical, and creative perspectives. For instance, in my Machine Learning Fundamentals course, our professor encouraged us to incorporate AI-driven toolkits into our coding exercises, helping us gain hands-on experience in data-driven problem-solving. In Ethics & AI with Dr. Leben, we took a more reflective approach—he challenged us to use AI as a “sparring partner,” testing our assumptions and honing our arguments about emerging technologies. Another memorable experience was in Design Thinking with AI, where we harnessed an AI video generator to prototype a solution for a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. Through these varied courses, I realized that AI doesn’t just automate tasks; it spurs creativity, fosters collaborative thinking, and sparks ethical debates that enrich our learning. I’m excited by Tepper’s push to make AI a central part of our toolkit, preparing us to be more agile and impactful in the modern workplace.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I greatly admire my classmate Ruben Quesada. When we first met, he had an exciting startup idea but was unsure how to navigate the entrepreneurial journey. Instead of letting uncertainty hold him back, Ruben threw himself into every resource the Tepper School has to offer—incubators, mentorship programs, pitch competitions, and networking events. Watching him hone his business model, refine his pitch, and ultimately secure spots in accelerators has been truly inspiring. His resilience, curiosity, and unwavering commitment to bringing his vision to life exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit that’s fostered at the Tepper School. Through sheer determination, Ruben has transformed a spark of an idea into a flourishing venture, and seeing his success motivates me—and many of our classmates—to dream bigger and push boundaries.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. Establish a nonprofit that empowers disadvantaged Black students by guiding them toward valuable educational opportunities.
2. Author a memoir reflecting on my formative years in Uniontown, PA, and my path into the U.S. Navy.

What made Maressa such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025? “

“When you see Maressa interacting with other students the respect is evident. She is not only a capable and intelligent member of class, often contributing thoughtfully to class discussions, but she emanates a concern and interest in others that true leaders naturally have. So many of her students look up to her and rightfully so because of her remarkable accomplishments in life. But I believe a lot of that also stems from their knowledge that she is interested in them and their success. She will be a leader wherever she goes. She leads in class discussions, leads in the hallways in between class, and leads as an example in her career and academic achievements.

This has been immeasurable for the class of 2025. Having someone that can be such a beacon for the rest of the class allows students to aim higher and shoot for careers and objectives that perhaps they would not have without such a leader. In MBA programs, the cohort is such a strong influence on the vision that students have. Their classmates influence their vision of their future and their expectations of themselves. When you have someone like Maressa around, it causes the students to aim a little higher in course projects, in interview prep, in club performance and in any other aspect of the program. I look forward to feeling Maressa’s influence for years to come at the Tepper School.

Oliver Hahl
Associate Professor of Organization Theory, Strategy, & Entrepreneurship
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, Tepper School of Business

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