Garrison Kiefer

University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management

“Hardworking and curious—I strive to support others with empathy, accountability and a friendly approach.”

Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin

Fun fact about yourself: Love Minnesota outdoors and enjoy camping year-round, especially in the fall and winter with my wife, Audrey, and our dog, Sully.

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Minnesota—Twin Cities, Carlson School of Management | Finance and Marketing Major | 2017 Grad

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Pacific Life Insurance Company

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Minneapolis

Where will you be working after graduation? Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Minneapolis

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Co-President | Carlson 4 Community
• Vice President-Learning | Carlson Consulting Club
• Graduate Assistant | Carlson Consulting Enterprise
• Teaching Assistant | MBA & MS Finance Department
• Team Lead | Carlson Consulting Enterprise
• Principal | Carlson Consulting Enterprise
• Dean’s Scholarship Recipient
• MBA Program Ambassador
• President’s Student Leadership and Service Awards (PSLSA) Nominee

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Carlson 4 Community (C4C) Co-President – Co-lead the largest MBA student club in our planning and executing of our annual charity gala, a cornerstone event for Carlson Graduate students, raising over $35,000 for a local non-profit, Urban Ventures, strengthening Carlson’s impact in the Twin Cities.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? One of the achievements I’m most proud of in my career is the opportunity to mentor and onboard new team members. There’s something incredibly rewarding about helping someone navigate a new role, build confidence, and find their place in an organization. Beyond the technical training, I enjoyed creating an environment where new team members felt comfortable asking questions, developing their skills, and growing into their roles. Seeing those ‘aha’ moments when things start to click—and later watching them succeed—was a highlight of my experience. What made it even more meaningful was that the mentorship didn’t stop after onboarding. I was able to continue supporting colleagues in an informal mentorship role, providing guidance, career advice, and encouragement well beyond their first few months. That experience reinforced my passion for leadership and my belief that investing in people is one of the most impactful things you can do in any organization.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Carlson because it offers the perfect balance of community, opportunity, and impact. From the start, I was drawn to its welcoming and collaborative environment—where classmates support one another, and faculty and alumni are truly invested in student success. The school’s strong connections to Fortune 500 companies provided access to invaluable mentorship, career opportunities, and real-world business challenges. Carlson’s smaller class size allowed me to take on meaningful leadership roles, not just within student organizations but in shaping the program itself. Most importantly, Minneapolis is home. Carlson gave me the opportunity to grow as a leader while contributing to a community I deeply care about, making my MBA experience both personally and professionally fulfilling.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Mark Bergen is my favorite professor at Carlson. His energy, passion, and ability to make complex concepts accessible create an engaging and dynamic learning environment. He doesn’t just teach—he connects with students, making every class both insightful and memorable. His dedication to both the subject and his students is unmatched. If Mark were teaching a course on any topic—even one far outside my comfort zone—I’d take it without hesitation, knowing it would be an incredible learning experience.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Carlson Consulting Enterprise (Siddharth Chandramouli) – Provided hands-on learning experiences, allowing for me to engage with clients in the community and my peers, and solve real problems the companies in our community were facing.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? The Carlson 4 Community (C4C) charity gala. It brought together students, faculty, alumni, and community members to highlight the impact that Carlson can have on the Twin Cities. It was an amazing event filled with conversation, competition, fundraising and friendship—all while raising money for an amazing nonprofit here in the Twin Cities.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I would take greater advantage of elective courses across other graduate programs, such as Law or Public Policy, to engage with a broader range of students and professors while expanding my educational experience.

What is the biggest myth about your school? The biggest myth is that academics are the sole focus. While I gained valuable insights from professors and classroom experiences, I learned even more from my peers. Engaging with classmates from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives enriched my MBA journey far beyond what I could have gained in the classroom alone.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? What I loved most about the Twin Cities was the unique balance it offered—access to Fortune 500 companies and a strong, engaged alumni network, all within a welcoming and tight-knit community. Despite being a major business hub, the city maintains an approachable and friendly atmosphere, making it easy to build meaningful relationships with classmates, professors, and industry professionals alike.

What movie or television show best reflects the realities of business and what did you learn from it? The Office—business school, much like Dunder Mifflin, is filled with a cast of characters, each with unique backgrounds, quirks, and aspirations, and before you know it, they become ‘your people.’ If I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s that no one does it alone. You need your ‘Jim’ to keep things light, your ‘Pam’ to encourage you, and yes, even your ‘Dwight’ to keep things competitive. The mix of personalities, unexpected friendships, and shared experiences make the MBA journey not just valuable, but truly unforgettable.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? At Carlson, most professors encourage smart and intentional use of AI—not as a replacement for critical thinking, but as a way to make us better thinkers and support our work. Whether it’s tackling case studies, summarizing information, reviewing a paper at midnight, or helping organize our chaotic schedules, AI is a tool to enhance what we do, not do it for us. It can speed up analysis, help structure ideas, and even challenge our assumptions—but at the end of the day, the real value comes from how we apply that information. The biggest insight I’ve gained is that AI can make you more efficient, but it can’t replace good judgment, creativity, or the ability to think critically—and that’s what really matters.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Emily Oates is one of the most inspiring members of our MBA class. As a career switcher from elementary education to consulting, she embraced the challenge of learning business fundamentals and quickly established herself as a leader. Beyond excelling academically, she has taken on significant leadership roles in multiple clubs, providing guidance and mentorship to her peers. Emily embodies the idea of business as a force for good—always lifting others up, fostering inclusivity, and demonstrating that leadership is about impact, not just titles. Her dedication, resilience, and ability to support those around her make her someone I truly admire.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? At the top of my professional bucket list is serving on the board of both a company and a nonprofit, using my experience to drive strategic growth while supporting a mission-driven cause. I also aspire to become an adjunct professor, sharing my experiences to mentor and inspire future business leaders. To me, leadership isn’t just about business success—it’s about creating meaningful impact and strong relationships, whether by guiding organizations, fostering leadership, or empowering others to use business as a force for good.

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

“Garrison has emerged as a dynamic and invaluable leader within the Full-Time MBA program at the Carlson School of Management, demonstrating responsibility, dedication, and a commitment to making a meaningful impact. As co-president of the Carlson 4 Community Club, he led the club in raising over $35,000 for a local Minneapolis charity this year. Additionally, as Vice President of Learning for the Carlson Consulting Club (CCC), he organized one-on-one consulting case preparation sessions throughout the fall 2024 semester, empowering more than 40+ first-year MBA students to enhance their consulting skills. His contributions extend beyond student organizations. Garrison has served as a Consulting Enterprise project lead, a graduate student volunteer consultant, an MBA Program Admissions Ambassador, and a teaching assistant in the Finance department. Garrison’s leadership not only drives meaningful change for his peers pursuing consulting careers, but also strengthens the greater Carlson community. Upon his graduation, Garrison will be leaving behind a multifaceted positive impact that will be felt by students at Carlson for years to come.”

Meghan Leatherman
Senior Associate Director of Student Engagement and Inclusion

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

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