Emily Johnson

 

Others say: “Emily’s thoughtful leadership, combined with her kind nature, creates a positive, inclusive environment promoting community”

Hometown: Stillwater, MN

Fun Fact About Yourself: I worked at REI for almost five years, and experienced my first half marathon, winter camping, and partial thru-hike on the Superior Hiking Trail with my friends from work!

Undergraduate School and Major: Whitman College, Psychology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Senior Inventory Operations Analyst at Target

What has been your favorite part of the Twin Cities so far? What has made it such a great place to earn an MBA?

I love the Twin Cities and have lived here for the majority of my life. My favorite part, in addition to our proximity to nature, is our vibrant music scene. From local church choir performances to A-list stars selling out First Avenue, The Armory, and the Xcel Energy Center, live music is part of our community identity! The variety of opportunities for fun and community, along with our legislation, promotes local opportunities for MBAs to find success at Fortune 500 firms, non-profits, and entrepreneurship endeavors!

Carlson MBA students spend a year in hands-on Enterprise programs for Consulting, Branding, Ventures, and Funds. Which program do you intend to enroll in? What excites most about your Enterprise program?

I was recently accepted into the Carlson Consulting Enterprise (CCE). It was a challenging choice for me because I could see the benefits and strengths of each enterprise. CCE focuses on smaller firms that have broad business challenges, and I’m excited that they trust Carlson and its network of top consultants to provide expert instruction and recommendations.

Aside from your classmates, experiential learning, and location, what was the key part of the Carlson MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? 

The keys of the MBA programming that led me to choose Carlson include the small size of the cohort, which allows for one-on-one connections with the professors and staff. Additionally, I am able to be a Masters of Science MBA candidate, which allows me to lean into my strengths, where I have a breadth of knowledge within business and have the depth of focusing on STEM, particularly data!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

The biggest accomplishment in my career so far was at Target. It is not necessarily what I did, but how I did it. I learned how to be influential without authority, working with people from cross-functional groups that may have different priorities. Working with people and dovetailing to understand others’ needs with my goals and objectives is invaluable.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far:

The MBA experience at Carlson so far has treated me better than I could have imagined. It started with being accepted with a scholarship. While nervous to go back to school, Carlson “put their money where their mouth was” and showed me they believed in me and wanted me to succeed here. In my first semester, I attended Reaching Out MBA (queer-focused career and personal development conference), participated in Carlson Goes West and visited top tech companies from startups to Big Tech, was voted into our MBA Association Board as the First-Year Academic Affairs representative, and applied to be a Sands Fellow, where I’ll have the opportunity to use granted funds to create a start-up! I can’t wait to give back next semester as a TA and next year to the first-year students!

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far?

My best memory is the community so far. We have had challenging circumstances as a cohort, and the second years, staff, and faculty have stepped up to support us. We are community-first and care about learning and growing together, ensuring all Carlson MBAs live out our motto of “[Using] Business as a Force for Good.”