Samidha Sane

Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania / Harvard Kennedy School MPA Dual Degree

“Globe-trotter, hiker, dancer, language enthusiast, lifelong learner, coffee lover, and aspiring charcuterie board designer.”

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am fluent in four languages – English, French, Marathi, and Hindi!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Pennsylvania, Huntsman Program for International Studies and Business

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Boston Consulting Group, Consultant

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the Wharton School’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Aside from my classmates, the key part of Wharton’s MBA that drew me was its unmatched flexibility. While there is a core curriculum to ground the cohort, Wharton offers extraordinary freedom to design your own learning journey. This mattered deeply to me because my career interests span entrepreneurship, law, and policy—and I wanted a program that would let me explore them in parallel. For example, in just my first semester at Wharton, I can take courses in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Legal Studies, and Health Care Reform. That kind of flexibility is unparalleled, and it’s what makes Wharton the ideal place for me to shape a career that bridges multiple disciplines.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at the Wharton School? I’m especially excited about Wharton Leadership Ventures. As someone who loves travel, the outdoors, and new challenges, WLV is the perfect way to combine adventure with leadership growth. The treks push you out of your comfort zone, while also teaching you how to lead effectively in dynamic, global environments. It’s a chance to take learning beyond the classroom while building meaningful bonds with classmates—all while doing something I genuinely enjoy.

When you think of the Wharton School, what is the first word that comes to mind? Why? Visionary. During my time at Penn, across both undergrad and MBA, I’ve met some of the most driven students who not only dream big but actively pursue those dreams. Their vision – both for themselves and for bettering the world around them – has continually inspired me to chase my own aspirations.

What makes Philadelphia a great place to earn an MBA? Philadelphia is especially meaningful to me because it’s where I spent my undergraduate years. It’s an incredibly diverse city—rich in culture, food, and people—and one that exposed me to both vibrant opportunities and pressing social challenges. Through volunteering in schools and shelters in West Philly, I saw firsthand the issues the community faces, which deepened my commitment to social impact. At the same time, the city offers robust resources for entrepreneurship and innovation, making it an ideal environment for MBAs and other problem solvers. Philly just has a certain energy – there’s truly never a dull moment.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: At BCG, I recently crafted a five-year ESG strategy from scratch for a client who was initially hesitant to implement ESG initiatives, perceiving them as costly and resource-intensive.

While initially daunting, the opportunity to innovate from the bottom up was invigorating. I researched industry best practices and identified 20 initiatives for the client to pursue. I interviewed internal leaders to assess performance gaps and outline roadmaps and resourcing requirements for each initiative. I also established key performance metrics to enable ongoing tracking of indicators like carbon emissions, ensuring progress continued even after BCG’s engagement concluded. Crucially, I facilitated client workshops, presenting how ESG initiatives foster a competitive edge and value creation, overcoming initial boardroom resistance.

With my leadership, the client held company-wide diversity events, enhanced management of hazardous materials, improved renewable energy use, and committed to implementing all 20 initiatives. I was proud that the efforts not only embedded ESG principles within a major consumer company but also catalyzed a change in mindset among decision-makers.

What is your biggest passion – and how has it helped you make an impact? Passionate about women’s reproductive health, I have dedicated the past decade to addressing gender health disparities: advocating for menstrual equity, investigating reproductive health violations in Morocco, conducting research on women’s sexual safety on public transit, and organizing reproductive health clinics for low-income South Asian immigrants. Going forward, with my management consulting expertise and commitment to improving reproductive healthcare access, I hope to drive systemic change through private-sector innovation, policy advocacy, and the alignment of these critical forces.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)?  Fueled by a passion for merging my business acumen and civic mindset, I am determined to enhance women’s reproductive healthcare by founding a social enterprise that spearheads innovation and policy change. Ultimately, I hope to leverage my experiences to drive policy reforms that champion women and girls at the international level.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Wharton School’s MBA program? Don’t get too caught up in test scores or numbers—what truly matters is your story. The admissions team wants to understand your journey, what shaped you, and how you’ll use your Wharton degree to make an impact. My best advice is to lean into authenticity and let your genuine self shine through.

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