Monica Widjaja

University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

“Optimistic hustler, resilient founder, and impact-driven community builder — failed, learned, and rebuilt with purpose.”

Hometown: Jakarta, Indonesia

Fun Fact About Yourself:

* I started my F&B business in my home garage! Now it’s a 7-year brand with two outlets in Jakarta, including a full-service restaurant.

* Despite running two companies, I’m a matcha latte addict who still gets excited about Netflix binges and karaoke nights.

* In junior high, I spent my first month eating lunch alone in the back row, often crying at home, but later won student body president, elected by 700+ students and 50+ teachers!

* In 2020, I co-founded Donation For Nation, raising $55,000 to support 100+ hospitals, 1,000+ homeless individuals, and build three schools in rural areas in Indonesia. However, what I cherish the most are the grateful tears of doctors and the smiles of children and elders we helped.

Undergraduate School and Major:

School of Business and Management, Bandung Institute of Technology (SBM ITB) Major: Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:

Anugerah Sentra Kreasindo Inc. (Syver Vermond & Souvenir Lokal Indonesia) – CEO & Co-Founder Corporate merchandising company providing souvenirs, gifts, and packaging solutions.

Kuliner Bahagia Anugerah Indonesia Inc. (Eat Pork Love & Pokoknya Ayam) – CEO & Co-Founder Multi-brand food & beverage company specializing in authentic Indonesian flavors.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Chicago Booth’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Booth’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is exactly what I need to fuel my post-MBA goal of building a waste management tech startup. The Polsky Center and Rustandy Center aren’t just names to me, they’re places where I know I’ll find mentors, partners, and even investors to push my idea forward.

I love how Polsky drives founders through programs like the New Venture Challenge (NVC), which awarded over $2.2M in 2025, the highest ever for any university-based startup competition. And Rustandy adds another layer by helping turn social innovation into real-world impact. That’s why Booth feels like the right launchpad for me! I’m not just planning to study entrepreneurship here, I’m planning to live it (and yes, I’m aiming to join the NVC, too!).

The Booth MBA is also known for being highly data-driven. Why does the program’s focus on quantitative analysis and decision-making appeal to you? How have you been able to leverage this approach in your career so far? Booth’s data-driven DNA resonates with me because I’ve always believed good instincts need to be backed by solid evidence. Running two companies in Indonesia, I face new challenges every single day, and I’ve learned how risky it is to rely purely on gut, especially in competitive industries like F&B and corporate merchandising.

For example, at Eat Pork Love, we dove deep into sales and customer profile data from online delivery platforms like GrabFood, GoFood, and ShopeeFood. By analyzing which promotions worked best for which customer segments, we improved ad conversion rates and significantly boosted sales.

At Syver Vermond, my corporate merchandising company, I used data from client order histories and seasonal purchasing trends to predict demand for certain product categories. Also, analyzing client order histories revealed that over 80% of sales came from just 20% of clients. That insight completely changed how we prioritized resources, focusing more energy on nurturing key accounts while optimizing operations for smaller ones.

These experiences showed me how data turns uncertainty into strategy. That’s why Booth’s emphasis on quantitative analysis excites me: it will sharpen my ability to model decisions, forecast growth, and scale ventures with analytical rigor. For my future waste management tech startup, this skillset will be critical in winning the trust of partners, investors, and communities I want to impact.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Chicago Booth? My post-MBA goal is to launch a waste management startup tackling food waste in Indonesia, where US$22.4B of food is wasted annually, enough to feed 125M people. I aim to repurpose this waste to combat hunger and child stunting, while eventually expanding to agricultural and household waste to improve the quality of life for millions, especially in low-income communities.

To pivot from my current traditional businesses into launching a technology-based startup, I’m excited to learn from courses like New Venture Strategy and Building the New Venture, which will give me frameworks to balance social impact with financial sustainability. The Polsky Center will be my launchpad — through mentorship, the Polsky Fellowship, and the Build Accelerator — to refine my model and move toward execution. I also look forward to competing in the New Venture Challenge.

Equally, I’m eager to join the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital (EVC) Group, a student-driven hub where aspiring founders and investors exchange ideas and build together. Being in this community will not only sharpen my entrepreneurial thinking, but also surround me with peers who share the same drive to innovate and scale.

I am also excited to lead a trek to Copenhagen to learn directly from the founders of TooGoodToGo about their success in food waste management and adapt their model to Indonesia, where delivery is preferred over pickup.

For leadership growth, courses like Interpersonal Dynamics and Leadership Studio will help me lead diverse teams with emotional intelligence and adaptability.

Finally, Booth’s strong sense of community excites me. With all my partners currently women, I deeply value uplifting one another and look forward to joining Chicago Women in Business (CWiB) to connect and grow alongside other female leaders.

What has been your first impression of the Booth MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far? Tell us your best Booth story so far. My first impression of Booth students and alumni has been how genuinely generous and approachable they are. Despite their impressive backgrounds, they never make you feel small. Instead, they listen with empathy and share their journeys in a way that feels encouraging.

At the same time, I kept telling everyone that I feel like I truly belong with the incoming Boothies! We just vibe! We share the same humor and laugh a lot whenever we meet. Everyone is so welcoming, fun to talk to, super smart and accomplished – yet also chill, goofy, and supportive. We’re constantly exchanging info about deadlines, what needs to be done, and tips about Chicago, which makes me feel like I’m never alone in this journey.

The same applies to Booth alumni and seniors! They are always positive, approachable, and happy to help with any question. It made me realize that Booth’s “Pay It Forward” culture isn’t just a phrase on the website, but something real that’s lived out every day. Overall, I’m so grateful for all the new friends I’ve made already, and knowing I’ll be surrounded by classmates and alumni who genuinely want to see each other succeed makes moving 20+ hours away from Indonesia feel much less scary, and instead, truly exciting.

One of my favorite Booth moments happened in Jakarta when Nicole, Booth’s MBA Admissions Director, and Noah, a fellow incoming Boothie, visited Jakarta, Indonesia. A group of us incoming Indonesian Boothies took them out to try Padang food, one of our most authentic local cuisines.

Padang food is famous for Rendang, a slow-cooked beef dish packed with spices that has been named the most delicious food in the world multiple times. We also introduced them to Ayam Pop (a unique Padang-style chicken dish). Watching them try it for the first time – and love it – was so satisfying and fun!

Beyond the food, what made it special was the conversation! We laughed, shared stories, and felt an instant sense of connection that made Booth feel even more like home before we’ve even stepped on campus. For me, it was a perfect preview of Booth’s welcoming and down-to-earth culture, all while proudly showcasing a piece of Indonesia!

What makes Chicago such a great place to earn an MBA? For me, Chicago is more than just a place to hustle: it offers balance. Balance for me means practicing self-compassion, staying rooted in my three core values (family, fitness, and faith), while still pushing myself academically and professionally.

The city gives me space to be ambitious but also fulfilled. As the financial hub of the Midwest, it connects Booth students directly with world-class firms in finance, consulting, tech, and entrepreneurship. At the same time, Chicago is more affordable than New York or San Francisco, yet still full of life with incredible food from every culture, a beautiful lakefront, music festivals, and sports. The neighborhoods make you feel at home, and the people are so warm and welcoming that I felt comfortable here within just a few days.

Personally, I’ve already felt this balance. Living at Millennium Park Plaza (the “Boothie hub”), I can hit the gym downstairs, run along the Riverwalk with stunning views (yes, Emily in Paris vibes!), and come home to a community of classmates who are fun, joyful, and incredibly supportive to live alongside. My faith also finds a place here, with inclusive, welcoming places of worship across neighborhoods, giving me peace, strength, and grounding. The Cathedral in Chicago is so beautiful and magnificent too!

Chicago makes me realize that while the MBA journey is demanding, it doesn’t have to be only about chasing the next big thing. Here, I can grow my career, nurture meaningful friendships, stay true to my values, and enjoy the city I now get to call home!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I co-founded Syver Vermond (Anugerah Sentra Kreasindo Inc.) in 2019 with two partners. Together, we grew it 52x over five years into Indonesia’s leading one-stop solution for custom corporate merchandise. We’ve served 200+ national and multinational clients — from the United Nations and the Central Bank of Indonesia to brands like Lexus, Mazda, Bioderma, Gatsby, and Remington — delivering over 500 projects across industries.

But beyond the numbers, my proudest accomplishment is the growth of my team. Across my two companies, more than 40 people now have meaningful careers and a positive work environment. Hearing one of them say, “Working here has been so fulfilling, Kak Monica. The work is professionally challenging yet helps me grow, and the environment is so positive, everyone is cooperative and a joy to work with” is more valuable to me than revenue milestones.

One story that stays with me is Deviana, who started in 2020 as a cook in my F&B venture and is now senior cook and kitchen leader. With the savings she built while working with us, she was finally able to achieve her dream of getting married in her 40s. For me, success isn’t only measured in profits; it’s measured in the impact we create and the lives we uplift along the way.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Chicago Booth’s  MBA program?

1. Be Authentic. Admissions already knows you’re accomplished, everyone applying is! What they want is to see you as a person. Don’t aim to impress with a flawless image. Instead, share the challenges, messy parts, funny or vulnerable moments that shaped you. Let them feel like they know you beyond your milestones, like they just had a real coffee chat with you. Show them your “why” and how Booth fits into your journey.

2. Do Your Homework. Go beyond the website. Explore Booth’s courses, clubs, centers, and ecosystem to see how they align with your post-MBA goals. When you write about Polsky, Rustandy, or a specific class, make it personal, explain how you’ll actually use those resources to grow your career and yourself.

3. Connect with People. Booth’s “Pay It Forward” culture is real. The generosity of alumni and students can’t always be captured on a website, it’s something you feel when you talk to them. Reach out, but be respectful of their time. These conversations not only give you richer insights, they’ll also make your essays and interviews more authentic.

DON’T MISS: MEET CHICAGO BOOTH’S MBA CLASS OF 2027

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