Kevin Hernandez

University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

“First-generation Latino, education equity activist, dog dad, above-average weightlifter, and forever learner.”

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Fun fact about yourself: I am trying (and not totally failing) to learn how to dance Cuban salsa.

Undergraduate School and Degree: B.A. Williams College ’18; MSEd Johns Hopkins University ‘20

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Lead Product Manager for Colēgia

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? Bain & Company, San Francisco

Where will you be working after graduation? Bain & Company, Consultant

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: I am fortunate enough to be one of five students in my class who was awarded The Distinguished Fellowship. During my time at Booth, I led a random walk, was an admissions fellow, worked on First Day, and was a co-chair for the Hispanic American Business Students Association.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? It was challenging myself to take courses outside of my comfort zone such as Advanced Financial Analysis and Valuation, Entrepreneurial Finance and Private Equity, and Pricing Strategies. I was initially worried about whether I would be “successful” in these classes. I quickly learned that if I put in my best effort, there will be many opportunities for academic and personal growth!

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? When I was teaching, I was able to connect with my students and push them to achieve higher test scores and think critically about what they were learning and what they could do to reach their goals. I am proud to say that my students achieved a 37% growth in their end-of-year test scores!

Why did you choose this business school? When I was first thinking about business school, I wanted to find a school that would not only push me to think critically about business problems that leaders face, but also develop strong and open relationships with my peers. While I knew that Booth would help me build many of the professional skills I wanted to master, it was not until I went to First Days that I realized I would be able to call so many of my classmates my best friends.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? While it is difficult to choose a single professor, one of my favorite professors is Michael Gibbs. I took Prof. Gibbs’ Microeconomics course during my first quarter at Booth – I was worried that I would not like the course because it was a required course, and microeconomics was never something that I was passionate about. However, Professor Gibbs made sure to always push his students to consider real-world examples, brought in some funny one-liners, and focused on our understanding of the concepts instead of simply focusing on whether we got the right answer. I truly believe that Prof. Gibbs helped me understand the importance of pushing myself and always asking myself, “So what?”  

What was your favorite course as an MBA? I really loved Pricing Strategies with Jean-Pierre Dube. This course combines many core business concepts (statistics, microeconomics, marketing, strategy, and operations) and asks the students to figure out how to price a product (physical or software) to maximize profitability. I appreciated that I was able to bring in many of the qualitative aspects that I learned as a Product Manager and combine these with more of the quantitative skills I was trying to master while at Booth. Additionally, Professor Dube will make sure that you are ready to defend your logic!

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? When I first got into Booth, I wrote down all the courses I was planning on taking and all the concentrations I would earn. In hindsight, I wish I would have been more flexible with my plan and more open to taking new courses that Booth added to the curriculum. There is so much to learn!

What is the biggest myth about your school? The biggest myth about business school is that you can’t ask for help. Whenever I needed help understanding a concept or bouncing some ideas off someone, there would always be someone (usually multiple people) who would want to help me out. Booth has such a collaborative culture that is immediately evident.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Chicago is one of the best cities I have ever lived in! One thing that I need to point out is the number of events that happen on a weekly basis. There were times when I was walking down Millenium Park and see that there was a concert or that there was a random pop-up yoga session!

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Booth has added several courses revolving around AI and business. One class that I took was AI and Financial Information by Bradford Levy — my group was able to create a model that helps private equity associates evaluate a take-private target.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? While there are many MBA classmates that I admire, I will choose the first person I met at Booth – Thomas Gubbay. Thomas is someone who can push you to critically think about multiple perspectives, cheer you on when you are doing something that is out of your comfort zone, and help you throughout your whole journey. Thomas will brighten up anyone’s day, and I know that he will do anything in his power to help his community.

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

1. Create a to-and-through consulting firm for low-income, first-generation students.
2. Teach a Booth class.

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

“Kevin is a recipient of Booth’s most prestigious scholarship, the Distinguished Fellows program. Each year, five Fellows are selected based on a demonstrated record of leadership, personal initiative, and academic excellence. As the Faculty Director of the Distinguished Fellows, it’s been my pleasure to work with Kevin as a part of the Leadership Practicum in which all Distinguished Fellows participate over the course of their two years at Booth. In that capacity, I’ve had the opportunity to observe that Kevin possesses the rare knack of skillfully balancing a tricky dynamic between two opposing concerns that are at the heart of leadership, challenge and support.

On the one hand, Kevin challenges both people and circumstances out of a desire to realize better outcomes. Kevin has brought this capacity to several concerns regarding the student experience at Booth. As a co-chair of Hispanic American Business Student Association (HABSA), he has been instrumental in enhancing Booth’s attention to pre-admission career development programming, internships, and other opportunities for Hispanic and Latin students. A member of the Deans’ Diversity Advisory Committee, Kevin worked with Booth staff to frame the issues that affinity groups were facing, and to advocate for better solutions and a clearer path for future students. Indeed, in our work with Distinguished Fellows, Kevin is one to note the limitations of ideas and to argue for better solutions.

Even while Kevin speaks candidly and to the heart of issues, he is a generous spirit who supports others and facilitates their success. As an Admissions Fellow at Booth, he’s offered perspective to interested applicants. His concerns extended to ensuring a plurality of voices were represented in our First Day activities for admitted students. This year, Kevin co-led and mentored 15 first-year students on a trip abroad; his openness and curiosity was evident in the fact that they did not know in advance their destination! Within the Distinguished Fellows community, Kevin has been an active and influential presence. One of his most significant contributions involved working with a peer to plan a multi-day reunion for current Distinguished Fellows and over twenty years of alumni.

In my eleven years as an Associate Dean and a faculty member, I’ve worked closely with hundreds and hundreds of extraordinary students. Even within this talented group, Kevin stands out as exceptional. He is an original voice in both intellectual and practical matters and he demonstrates the courage to stand alone in voicing his ideals. And at the same time, Kevin is empathetic and dedicates himself to connecting with and building up the people around him. I am confident he will make impactful contributions in whatever endeavors he pursues.”

Chris Collins
Associate Dean for Leadership Development

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