Nyla Thompson

Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

“Bronx native looking to improve marginalized communities through product innovation and strategy.”

Hometown: Bronx / Wallkill, New York

Fun Fact About Yourself: I grew up training as a dancer in various styles at the Alvin Ailey School.

Undergraduate School and Major: Williams College, Economics and Computer Science double major

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: JPMorgan Chase, Vice President Product Manager

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? I was really drawn to the flexible core curriculum because I appreciate the way Wharton allows students to have agency over their graduate education and choose their own adventure to accomplish their professional goals.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at the Wharton School? I am most excited for the Global Modular Courses and Global Immersion Program courses because traveling is important to me. My love for travel started when I studied abroad at Oxford University for my junior year during undergrad and I was fortunate enough to travel throughout the UK and Europe during that year. I come from a background where many of my family members have not had the opportunity to see more of the world outside of the Bronx so having the opportunity to travel as an MBA student at Wharton would be amazing.

When you think of the Wharton School, what is the first word that comes to mind? Why? Accomplished. Everyone who attends the Wharton School is already so accomplished and striving to accomplish even more. The school also has so many accomplished alumni and faculty.

What makes Philadelphia a great place to earn an MBA? Philadelphia is a great place to earn an MBA because it’s a city full of diversity, excitement, culture, and history. It is also a moderately-sized city making it easy to get to know classmates inside and outside of the classroom. It is also easy to pursue different industries and business paths given its thriving local economy and proximity to other major cities.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My last promotion from Senior Associate to Vice President Product Manager at JP Morgan is one of my biggest career accomplishments because I pivoted into product management and JP Morgan was the first place I officially had that role. It means the world to me to experience working in that role for the first time at such an amazing company and thrive to the point of getting a promotion after only two years. That accomplishment made me secure in my abilities as a product manager and more secure in my choice to continue pursuing a career in the product space.

What is your biggest passion – and how has it helped you make an impact? I am passionate about helping people with similar backgrounds thrive and accomplish. This has influenced my decision to join alumni committees for organizations where I’m an alumni, help with admissions work for those organizations, and even mentor high school students when applying to college. Ultimately, I hope that I can align what I do outside or work with my career in product to positively impact the Black community, and especially Black women, through product development.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? Become a senior product manager for a consumer facing product that positively impacts Black and Brown communities.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Wharton School’s MBA program? Be authentically yourself and make sure to utilize the full application to give admissions a full picture of who you are!

DON’T MISS: MEET WHARTON’S MBA CLASS OF 2027

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