Brooke Sharee Luster    

Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology

“I am a family-oriented, creative problem-solver that strives to get better every day.”

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Fun fact about yourself: I found out that I had a fear of heights while walking up the Great Wall of China.

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Georgia – Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising and Product Development

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Amazon Fashion, Program Manager for the Prime Try Before You Buy Program

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? As an aspiring product manager, I did a non-traditional MBA internship, showcasing my product skills and built a startup called the HGHLT in the Create-X accelerator program in Atlanta, Ga.

Where will you be working after graduation? TBD!

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: During my tenure at the Scheller College of Business, I wanted to get involved in areas that aligned best across my three pillars: personal growth, inspire and innovate, mentor and coach others. In the area of personal growth, I got involved with the CHARGE leadership program and became a CHARGE leadership fellow. Through this program, I took advantage of executive coaching and several leadership development workshops. In my inspire and innovate category, I co-founded the TechForward MBA Conference: Innovation at the Intersection of AI and built a startup with my fellow MBA Rahul Reddy Ravipally, a talented technical co-founder with previous work with IBM. Lastly, under my mentor and coaching pillar, I served as the VP of Engagement for Women in Business, was a Scheller Ambassador and served as a resource for prospective students, and was a mentor to several first-year MBA’s and undergraduate students that I connected with after speaking on the Women in Tech Panel in Fall 2024.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of the TechForward MBA Conference because it was something that didn’t exist and garnered great attention from the technology and business community in Atlanta. As the senior project manager, I was able to secure the CIO of Salesforce as a keynote speaker, and co-manage the involvement of speakers from companies like SHEIN, Microsoft, Nvidia, Techstars, and more! During the two-day event, I managed the team roadmap, daily logistics, and led the coordination for the Retail Tech panel.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of being able to action the big ideas that I get! Most notably, I was able to anticipate the future of retail and fashion by doing extensive customer discovery while navigating the startup space in 2018. Through this experience, I built an MVP for the HGHLT version one, a video shopping platform which allowed video viewers to shop directly from the videos they were watching. Our biggest obstacle in 2018 was garnering enough industry support for a video shopping platform, years prior to the TikTok Shop and other social commerce platforms. I learned that “no” doesn’t always mean that your idea is a bad one. Sometimes, you’re too early!

Why did you choose this business school? When I decided on business school, I wanted to find a program that would allow me to deepen my business acumen while staying at the forefront of technological innovations, and Georgia Tech has a reputation that excels at both. Additionally, my passion for building things made me understand the value of finding a program that embraces entrepreneurship and encourages innovative thinkers. When I learned about the TI:GER program, which gives student innovators the opportunity to ideate and validate business ideas, I knew that Scheller would be the best program for me, and it has been.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Professor D.J. Wu is my favorite MBA professor. He teaches the e-commerce class which is an industry that I am particularly interested in and is extremely passionate about helping students succeed. Dr. Wu encouraged me by allowing me to write a business case for his class in order to exercise my writing skills and he served as a faculty board member for the inaugural TechForward MBA Conference. His contribution led to warming the introduction for several of our conference speakers.   

What was your favorite course as an MBA? AI for Business was my favorite course as an MBA. I found the professor to be extremely knowledgeable and he taught the class in a way that was relatable and relevant to hands on learning. This was a class that challenged me but taught me skills (e.g. Python, Prompt Engineering, and understanding/working with APIs) that I will use every day in my future roles.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite business school event was the Equine Therapy workshop hosted by the CHARGE Leadership Program. This event was unique in that we got to strengthen our leadership skills while working with horses and navigating interesting obstacles as a team. It reveals that Scheller goes above and beyond to train the types of leaders that can feel confident in various settings.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I am always acutely aware of how each decision gets me closer to my next step. However, I believe that living life is about finding balance. Looking back, I would have made time for more social events like hobby nights, club socials, and sporting event tailgates. I think that while not directly related to professional growth, social outings help to provide opportunities for networking and deeper connections with your classmates.

What is the biggest myth about your school? The biggest myth about our school is that we do not excel at sports! The 2024-2025 sports season proves otherwise.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Outside of being home for me, the thing I most love is that Atlanta is a growing hub for startups and innovation. There are so many people building remarkable things, and the technology ecosystem is very open to collaboration and innovation. Scheller is located in the heart of Tech Square and home to several venture capital firms, startup incubators, and innovation hubs.

What movie or television show best reflects the realities of business and what did you learn from it? Succession was one of my favorite shows that reflected the complicated nature of business. It showcases the importance of adequate succession planning and the importance of being open to the changing technological landscape. If legacy businesses do not change to welcome technology, they face the reality of becoming old and outdated. Despite the chaotic sub plots, Succession offered a great peek into boardroom discussions, hostile takeovers, and the importance of building businesses that are lean and can scale for future technological advancements.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? In addition to the TechForward AI Conference that we launched in October 2024, our school just piloted a new class called AI for Business that we were the first group to try it this spring semester. The course has been fantastic and has given me the most practical applications for using AI in the workplace. I am becoming more savvy with prompting different LLMs to get what I need from the technology and am more confident speaking to various AI models and how they can be used for various business use cases.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I most admire Annette Margarita Knell Mannucci. She has been an accountability partner for me throughout the program and does a great job of being highly involved socially, as well as making her impact in the professional and classroom environment. Annette was a lawyer prior to the MBA program and is always offering a unique perspective in personal and classroom discussions. She serves as the president of Women in Business (WiB) and it has been an absolute pleasure getting to work closely with her and watch her become a better leader throughout the course of our MBA. In addition to WiB, Annette and I are both CHARGE fellows and have become great friends based on our mutual desire to grow professionally, inspire action, and become great leaders. I look forward to seeing her career skyrocket and am glad to have her as a friend.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? My top two goals on my professional bucket list, are first, to become a fashion tech industry thought-leader and give a TED talk. Lastly, I hope to launch another company one day.

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

“Brooke stands out for her digital leadership and creativity, demonstrated in my e-commerce class, through the creation of her own Create-X startup, and as a co-founder of the first TechForward MBA conference. Her passion lies in AI for fashion, and she brings expertise across fashion, technology, and media. She was ahead of the curve in exploring social e-commerce, launching her own video shopping startup.

She consistently goes above and beyond—she is the only MBA student who volunteered to write a case on LVMH. I have witnessed firsthand her role in co-founding the impactful TechForward MBA conference, from inception to execution. She is among the best and brightest, an exceptional hire for any company, particularly in the retail tech sector.”

D.J. Wu
Ernest Scheller Jr. Chair in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization
Professor; Area Chair, Information Technology Management

“Brooke brings a sharp, strategic mindset to business. Her project on using AI to track customer sentiment and competitive trends in the airline industry showcased how technology can drive smarter decision-making, setting a strong example for applied learning in our class. As a first-year professor, I appreciate students like Brooke, who push boundaries and encourage their peers to see the bigger picture. With her ability to translate AI insights into business strategy, she will be a valuable asset to any organization.”

Daniel Yue
Assistant Professor

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2025

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