Brian Waldrep

Emory University, Goizueta Business School

“Former professional ballet dancer, pivoting into business with a passion for culture, learning, and fitness.”

Hometown: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have a severe peanut allergy that has put me in the intensive care unit in three different countries.

Undergraduate School and Major: St. Edward’s University – Arts and Humanities

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Alberta Ballet, Rehearsal Director

What makes Atlanta such a great place to earn an MBA? There seems to be something for everyone in Atlanta. I am excited to be back home in the southeast and in such a multicultural city. There are also impressive companies headquartered in Atlanta that lend to a vibrant economic scene and professional opportunities.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Emory Goizueta’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? One of the key factors that drew me to Emory was the emphasis on a “small-by-design” class size. I had not been in a physical classroom since my junior year of high school (having completed my high school and my undergrad online while working full-time as a ballet dancer), so I really sought out a program that would allow for a personalized and intimate approach to learning.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Emory Goizueta? Discussion of the new curriculum for this upcoming school year with a focus on AI is super compelling; I have lawyers in my family, so the intersection of law and business intrigues me; I have a sibling who is a brand manager at Coca-Cola so any and all coordination with Coke is exciting; I love to golf so I can’t wait to join the GOLF CLUB… There are too many to choose just one!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I have had the honor of performing the title role in John Cranko’s Onegin with two ballet companies on two continents. Based on the novel by Alexander Pushkin, this dramatic three-act ballet is one of the most sought-after and coveted roles a male ballet dancer can perform.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your Emory MBA experience a success? I want to have discovered my second passion in life. I was fortunate enough to find one in my first career as a ballet dancer and would consider it a privilege to discover a second in the next phase of my life.

DON’T MISS: MEET EMORY GOIZUETA’S MBA CLASS OF 2027

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