Meet Yale SOM’s MBA Class Of 2026

Big companies. Serious responsibilities. Impressive results.

That’s what the Class of 2026 brings to the Yale School of Management. Long defined for being interdisciplinary in practice and international in scope, Yale SOM pursues a clear mission: “Educating leaders for business and society.” That’s one reason why they recruit the dreamers and disruptors, the ones who view the world according to the big picture and the long-term – and don’t shy away from tackling the most complicated issues.

Take Luna Xiao, who joined the MBA Class of 2026 after working in research for the International Monetary Fund’s Climate Finance division. When it comes to shouldering big tasks, Xiao is hard to beat. After all, she co-authored a paper published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that assessed 800,000 years of climate change.

“This accomplishment was unique not only because of my pivotal role in bridging the highly technical modeling exercises across disciplines, but also because our paper provided innovative insights on understanding the historical patterns of temperature anomalies. To my delight, our analytical work helped identify critical patterns in the historical data so our team could successfully uncover crucial insights about temperature anomalies that no prior research could do.”

LEAVING A MARK AT MCKINSEY, MICROSOFT, AND MCDONALD’S

Ari Amitai made his impact as a product manager at Microsoft. Here, he helped to develop the touchpad for the Surface Laptop Studio 2. “This project involved significant innovation and collaboration with various teams, and we overcame numerous challenges to ensure top-notch accessibility features,” he tells P&Q. “The touchpad was named the “most inclusive touchpad on any laptop” and was praised as the best touchpad on a Windows machine by multiple industry-leading reviews. Knowing our efforts made technology more accessible to a broader audience was truly special and highlighted the impact that thoughtful design and teamwork can have.”

Moving from Microsoft to McKinsey, Jasmine Marshall helped a healthcare provider with COVID-19 preparedness and response – with some of her team’s analysis presented to Congress. Speaking of Capitol Hill, Max Siwik – the only non-lawyer in his family – developed COVID-19 mental health legislation working as an assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives. By the same token, Sergio Bolivar’s fingerprints can be found across the globe at McDonald’s, where he last worked in global technology strategy and planning.

“My biggest accomplishment in my career so far was leading a financial reporting modernization effort for six international McDonald’s markets. This work required careful collaboration between the strategy team and teams from other departments, as well as ongoing communication with international colleagues. The launch of this report was a resounding success, and business leaders expressed that they gained new strategic insights into their financial and project portfolios.”

AN AWARD-WINNING CLASS

Maria Fernanda Heredia majored in Chemistry and Art as an undergrad. From there, she became a senior scientist at Pfizer, where her team’s work earned it the Heroes in Chemistry Award for their work on Paxlovid. Working at Procter & Gamble India, Ayush Dubey organized the company’s first supply chain symposium for its manufacturing sites. In his first year as a Deloitte consultant, Evan Gao Gresser built the firm’s international chess team to over 120 members – one that finished first in the 2022 North American Corporate Chess Tournament. In between stints at Bain & Company, Sarah Bond completed an externship at the Boston Children’s Hospital, where she quickly made an impact.

“I helped prove the ROI of virtual nursing to the hospital,” she writes, “in that it had been shown to improve patient outcomes and nurse retention at other hospitals, resulting in the program piloting at the hospital.”

Some achievements can be clearly quantified. Case in point: Martha Camacho. Holding dual degrees in Economics and Law, she ran due diligence for a $150-million-dollar portfolio sale during a bankruptcy process. And Samantha Schulteis is so talented that she moved straight from Duke undergrad to a joint MBA- Master of Environmental Management degree. That said, her senior thesis earned the 2024 Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society’s Writing Award.

BRINGING SPECIAL TALENTS TO BEAR

Schulteis’ environmental sciences background also enables her to bring a distinct perspective to the class. “While I was growing up, I witnessed first-hand many of the trials and tribulations that accompany any family farm operation, providing me with an unparalleled understanding of many modern challenges faced by agricultural producers. Pairing my unique upbringing with an academic understanding from a respected college degree puts me in an uncommon position amongst my peers. I can empathize with farmers and communicate their needs to high-level professionals.”

In contrast, Max Siwik has been leveraging his experience working in the public and private sectors. “[It] provides me with a unique perspective on how these worlds intersect. While I expect to learn significantly more from my classmates, I hope to contribute valuable insights on how each sector influences the other. Hopefully, my cross-sector understanding can enrich our discussions, particularly when we’re tackling complex issues that span business and public policy.”

Ari Amitai, a former military jumpmaster, is passionate about jumping out of aircraft, joking he has “landed on everything from solid ground to the middle of the ocean over 100 times.” As a Yale SOM first-year, he has embraced an equally risky endeavor: bringing people together.

“This skill has been a cornerstone of both my social life and my career, from organizing social events that brought diverse groups together to working with cross-functional teams as a Product Manager. At Yale SOM, I will leverage this strength to build a strong, supportive community. Whether it’s organizing study groups, facilitating networking events, or bridging gaps between different perspectives, I am committed to creating a collaborative environment where everyone can thrive.”

MISSION POSSIBLE

While Amitai has been fostering collaboration on campus, his long-term plan is to apply AI and innovation to spur meaningful change. “At Yale SOM, I aim to develop both the technical and leadership qualities necessary to guide teams through complex transformations. This MBA will help me bridge the gap between technology and people, driving meaningful innovation and positive change in any organization I join.”

Yale SOM is often described as a purpose-driven program. Here, as the impression goes, MBAs pay less attention to bottom line and career progression. Instead, they look to use business tools to pursue the greater good. Sure enough, the Class of 2026 has already decided where to put a dent in their own corner of the universe, to borrow a phrase from Steve Jobs. For Jasmine Marshall, that corner is where art and commerce intersect.

“As a self-taught artist, I’ve become passionate about the visual arts,” Marshall explains. “I believe there are opportunities to drive innovation in the space, as the ways in which people interact with art continue to evolve. In addition, I’d like to create opportunities for more artists to build sustainable careers while working to make the space more equitable for artists from underrepresented backgrounds. Yale SOM offers me a unique opportunity to strengthen my foundational business skills, while leveraging the network to pivot into the arts sector.”

“IMAGINE, IMPLEMENT, AND INVEST”

Luna Xiao’s mission takes three forms: “Imagine, implement, and invest.” She intends to use this framework to guide her work as a sustainability consultant. That’s just the beginning for Xiao, who harbors a goal to work for an impact investment fund that supports firms that can “create shareholder value in a highly sustainable way.” To follow this path, she is relying heavily on SOM’s MBA programming.
“Yale SOM has the resources to help me develop a better-rounded business sense through courses in operations, leadership, and strategy while teaching me the best-practice process improvement options to efficiently integrate those climate transition actions into firm’s operations.  Yale, as the epicenter of impact investing, will help me to accumulate investment-related skills and experience in the Impact Investing Club.”

After watching his father’s venture struggle, Ayush Dubey found his calling in entrepreneurship, particularly building MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises). Similarly, Martha Camacho was inspired by her mother’s success in “male-dominated” engineering. That example led her to support women in regions and industries where they are underrepresented.

“I have been involved with Dress for Success, an organization that provides professional attire, development tools, career workshops and a support network to low-income women to advance their professional opportunities. I also initiated a STEM summer camp for children in Mexico, aiming to bridge the gap between public and private education. Yale SOM’s focus on principled leadership and social impact aligns seamlessly with my goals. The MBA program will provide me with the strategic, analytical, and leadership skills necessary to drive these initiatives forward.”

A CLASS PROFILE

The class profile tells a few more stories about this year’s SOM MBAs. For one, the program has returned to normal, as applications rose by 21.5% over the previous year. As a whole, the 347-member class brings a 725 average and 730 median GMAT to New Haven, a 2-point and 10-point improvement respectively. In addition, the Class of 2026’s 330 average GRE represents a one-point bump. As a whole, the school accepted 27.4% of applicants during the 2023-2024 cycle.

In terms of demographics, the Class of 2026 closely aligns with previous cohorts. The class features students from 42 countries, with 48% of the class hailing from outside the United States (down two points from the previous class). One number that stands out: the class is noticeably younger, averaging 26.5 years compared to 28 years a year ago. Beyond that, first-generation students account for 20% of the class, while underrepresented minorities constitute an 18% share. Another 12% of the class identifies as LGBTQ+.

Academically, STEM-related majors represent the largest segment of the class at 34%. The percentage of Business majors rose from 22% to 28%%, while the percentage of Humanities majors fell from 25% to 20%, Another 18% of the class hold Economics degrees. Collectively, the class averaged a 3.65 GPA as undergrads. What’s more, 8% of the class are pursuing separate master’s degrees during their time at Yale.

Professionally, nearly a quarter of the Class of 2026 last worked in Financial Services. Consulting and Technology professionals hold 22.2% and 13.6% of the class seats respectively. In addition, the class boasts substantial representation in fields like Non-Profit, Government, and Media and Entertainment.

Go to next page to access profiles of 12 members of the MBA Class of 2026.