Adrian Abrams

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business

“Startup builder, shaped by community, fueled by purpose. I rise so others can too.”

Hometown: Villa Park, IL

Fun Fact About Yourself: I once ran a podcast called “The Audacity Project,” where I interviewed underrepresented founders and changemakers before launching my own venture-backed startup.

Undergraduate School and Major: Georgetown University, Justice and Peace Studies

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: ElevateAI by NiCE, Product Marketing Manager

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? Supportive Ambition resonates most with me because I’ve never believed in success as a solo act. I’m where I am because people invested in me, and I’ve made it a point to do the same for others.

As a mentor in the Georgetown Scholars Program, I’ve supported first-gen students navigating some of the same challenges I faced. During my junior year, I turned those lessons into a book called A.T.T.E.N.D.: A Hustler’s Guide to Hacking College, which went on to become an Amazon best-seller. It was my way of creating something lasting that could help others long after the mentorship session ended.

Supportive Ambition is more than just working hard. It’s about bringing people with you, creating space for others to shine, and doing your part even when no one’s watching. At Fuqua, I plan to keep showing up that way in conversations, group projects, and the quiet moments where people just need someone in their corner.

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? Being selected as a Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Duke I&E) Impact Scholar was one of the biggest reasons I chose Fuqua. This fall, I’m launching Washletics, a personalized detergent brand built specifically for athletic wear, and I knew I wanted to be in a place that didn’t just support entrepreneurship in theory, but actively invested in it.

The impact scholars program designation gives me early access to mentorship, resources, and a community of builders who are serious about bringing ideas to life. As I scale Washletics, I’m excited to engage with the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem at Fuqua whether that’s testing ideas through pitch competitions, collaborating at hackathons, or refining my business model through I&E programming.

Washletics isn’t just a side project; it’s something I’m committed to building while I’m here. Fuqua’s support means I don’t have to choose between being a student and being a founder. I get to be both.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Duke Fuqua? I’m most excited about getting involved with Fuqua’s community of entrepreneurs through the Duke MBA Private Capital Club and Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

As someone actively launching Washletics while in school, I’m looking forward to being part of a community of founders, operators, and investors who are serious about building. Fuqua offers hands-on opportunities like pitch competitions, startup showcases, and mentorship from investors that will help me pressure-test my business in real time.

But beyond the resources, it’s the mindset that draws me in. It’s a space where people aren’t afraid to take risks, ask hard questions, and support each other through the highs and lows of the startup journey. That’s exactly the kind of environment I want to grow in.

What do you like most about North Carolina so far? What I’ve liked most about North Carolina so far is how green and active everything feels. I live in a walkable area, which makes it easy to get outside and reset, whether I’m running errands or grabbing coffee. Most mornings, I start my day with a distance run on the American Tobacco Trail and it’s peaceful, tree-lined, and one of my favorite ways to stay grounded before the day picks up. When it’s not too hot, my girlfriend and I take her dog, The Great Gatsby, for walks and he absolutely loves them.

Having access to nature, movement, and a slower pace of life has made the transition into this next chapter feel energizing and sustainable.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career? My biggest accomplishment was co-founding the company that would eventually become Appdrop and turning a scrappy minimum viable product (MVP) into real momentum.

My cofounder and I built a barebones version of an app in just a few weeks. No frills, barely polished, but it struck a chord. Within days, it shot to the top of the Apple App Store charts, beating out apps with way more funding and firepower. We used that unexpected traction to open doors in Silicon Valley, get in front of investors, and close our seed round.

What started as a rough prototype quickly became a real company, and I had to learn fast: how to pitch, how to prioritize feedback, and how to pivot and scale without breaking everything. That stretch forced me to trust my instincts, stay scrappy, and move with urgency, even when we were making it up as we went. It was the most intense, humbling, and rewarding experience of my career.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? Two years from now, my MBA experience will be a success if I’ve grown Washletics from an idea to impact by hitting 1,000 sales and securing our first brick-and-mortar distribution partner. Just as important, I want to know I played a role in helping my classmates land the offers they’ve worked so hard for.

I came to Fuqua not just to build a business, but to build alongside a community. I plan to use the next two years to test, refine, and scale Washletics through the entrepreneurship ecosystem at Duke. At the same time, I want to support others however I can. Whether that means connecting someone to a hiring manager, reviewing a resume, or being a sounding board during a tough recruiting week, I want to be someone people can count on.

Success, to me, means leaving Fuqua with something real in hand and knowing I helped others do the same.

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

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