Adam Kouhel

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business

“Adventurous and curious learner who embraces every opportunity with an open mind, heart, and perspective.”

Hometown: Waukesha, WI

Fun Fact About Yourself: I performed in a Filipino cultural dance group during college!

Undergraduate School and Major: Marquette University, Information Systems

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Deloitte Consulting, Senior Strategy & Analytics Consultant

The MBA program is renowned for its “Team Fuqua” culture, which is predicated on six paired principles: Authentic Engagement, Supportive Ambition, Collective Diversity, Impactful Stewardship, Loyal Community, and Uncompromising Integrity. Which of these resonates most with you – and what does that principle demand of you as a Fuqua MBA? While all six principles shape what I’m looking for in my MBA experience, Supportive Ambition best captures what I’ve consistently felt in every interaction with the Fuqua community. From applying to enrolling, I experienced genuine encouragement and the spirit of Team Fuqua from current and incoming students, staff, and alumni, all eager to support my journey and success. Team Fuqua is more than a tagline; it is a community that lifts one another up, something I’ve seen time and again even before classes began. During my time at Fuqua, I plan to embody this principle by offering encouragement, support, and celebration of my classmates’ successes, just as others have done for me.

Aside from your classmates and school culture, what was the key part of Duke Fuqua’s MBA curriculum programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship, housed within Fuqua’s business school and closely connected to Duke’s broader ecosystem, was a major draw for me as I explored MBA programs. It offers an interdisciplinary community where I can pursue entrepreneurship in many forms, from startups and venture capital to entrepreneurship through acquisition and private equity. The opportunity to engage with real ventures, take hands-on experiential electives, and collaborate with students across Duke is exactly the kind of environment I was looking for. I don’t yet know the exact entrepreneurial path I’ll pursue, but I’m grateful that Fuqua gives me the space and support to explore it with curiosity while gaining real-world, practical experience.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Duke Fuqua? I’m incredibly excited to be part of FuquaPride and privileged to represent both Fuqua and FuquaPride as a Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) Fellow, a fellowship program supporting the next generation of LGBTQ+ business leaders. I had the opportunity to visit Fuqua early in the admissions process through the Admissions Pride Weekend, and I immediately felt something special. I was moved by how openly and authentically students, admissions staff, and Fuqua leadership shared their experiences. It helped me see how I could thrive here both personally and professionally, and it is one of the many reasons I chose Fuqua. Through FuquaPride, I hope to help create that same sense of belonging for others.

What do you like most about North Carolina so far? North Carolina has completely surprised me in the best way. The Triangle Area (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill) offers a unique blend of innovation, culture, and nature. The food scene is incredible, the people are welcoming, and the region is home to a dynamic community of young professionals. This summer, I’ve taken day trips to the coast, hiked mountain trails with my partner and our golden retriever (Cheddar), and explored Asheville’s breweries. It already feels like home, and it has only been a few months!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career? One of my proudest accomplishments was helping Team Rubicon, a veteran-led nonprofit disaster relief organization, scale its operations. What began as a project during my technology consulting internship evolved into a post-grad, multi-year project, where we designed a volunteer management system that now supports more than 180,000 active volunteers. We streamlined deployment processes, improved tracking and reporting, and ultimately helped get people on the ground faster and more efficiently to create impact where it mattered most. When COVID-19 devastated communities, we leveraged the same technology to deploy emergency food assistance, testing, and vaccination operations across the United States. This long-term engagement was my first consulting project, and it showed me the power of combining my skills, passion, and purpose to make a real difference.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? Success for me will be defined by leaving Fuqua with a network of deep, authentic relationships. I want to complete my MBA experience knowing I have built meaningful connections with thoughtful, smart friends and classmates. I hope to walk away having grown both personally and professionally, and to be able to say that I contributed meaningfully to others in the Fuqua, Duke, and Durham communities. I want these to be people I can reach out to years from now for advice, to ask for help, to offer support, or simply to catch up and see how they are doing. If the spirit of Team Fuqua feels even stronger two years from now – and long after graduation – I will know I made the most of this experience!

DON’T MISS: MEET DUKE FUQUA’S MBA CLASS OF 2027

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