Meet The UC Berkeley Haas MBA Class Of 2027

ACADEMICALLY STRONG ACROSS THE BOARD

To some, 273 MBA students might appear to be a small class, particularly when compared to the likes of Columbia Business School or the Wharton School. Reality is, says alum Ann C. Ukadike, the size produces a major advantage. And that doesn’t count the 46,000 Haas alumni or 1,100 undergraduate business students, either.

“Beyond the Full-time MBA cohort, we seamlessly collaborate with Evening & Weekend MBA students, effectively doubling our network, while the Executive MBA program further expands our reach through shared events and engagements across campus. Coupled with access to the broader Berkeley ecosystem, I was able to take courses across different disciplines and participate in cross-program initiatives that enriched my learning experience. The tight-knit Haas community fosters deep, meaningful relationships, and its highly engaged alumni network has been both powerful and accessible. Far from being limiting, the size of Haas made my experience more personal, dynamic and globally expansive than I ever expected.”

And the size has little bearing on the school’s academic quality. In the 2025 Bloomberg Businessweek MBA Ranking, Haas ranked as the #3 MBA program in the United States. More impressive, it was the only program to rank among the Top 10 across all five dimensions: Compensation, Learning, Entrepreneurship, Networking, and Inclusion. It also finished 15th in both the Financial Times and LinkedIn global rankings, while rising to 7th when business leaders were surveyed by CEOWORLD.

It isn’t just business leaders who are bullish on the Haas MBA. When students were surveyed on academic programming last year by The Princeton Review, Haas posted the 6th-highest score. U.S. News conducted a similar survey with business school deans and MBA directors in 2025. Here, Haas ranked Top 10 across six disciplines: Finance, Analytics, Management, Marketing, Nonprofits, and Entrepreneurships, topping out at 4th in Nonprofits and Entrepreneurship.

AN ENTREPRENEURIAL HUB

Bloomberg Businessweek pegged Haas as the 2nd-best MBA program for Entrepreneurship in 2025. From 2019-2023, Haas MBA alumni produced ventures with the 3rd and 7th-highest-funded startups, with Kyte and AtoB raking in a combined $779-million dollars. The school has also placed the 4th-highest number of graduates in venture capital, while the largest university ranks among the best for startup and unicorn founders. Last year, the school deepened its resources in entrepreneurship with the launch of its Entrepreneurship Hub (eHub). Connecting the “entrepre-curious” across Haas and campus, the eHub provides support to students whether they are looking to find an idea, test its viability, or scale it into a venture.

“UC Berkeley is the #1 university in the world for alumni founders, venture-backed startups, female founders, and female-founded companies (according to Pitchbook),” explained Dean Jennifer Chatman in a 2025 interview with P&Q. “And we know that some of the most successful companies arise when founders from different disciplines partner to tackle big challenges. The ‘eHub’ is unique in that it’s designed as an entry point, an incubator, and a launching pad, and will make entrepreneurship more accessible for all Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students.”

Ghazaleh Sadooghi, a ’25 alum and founder of Rumi, credits the Haas program for her startup’s success, including $450,000 raised during her time as a student.

“Through the Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Program, led by Rhonda Shrader, we built valuable connections, including with our first investor, Underdog Labs, who led our pre-seed round and have been great partners, fully sharing our vision and passion for the field. The program also provided us access to the best experts in their respective fields. For instance, pricing is a common challenge for early-stage startups. When we faced difficulties in this area, I easily arranged a meeting with our marketing strategy professor, Bill Pearce. With experience as the former CMO of Del Monte and Taco Bell and marketing director at Procter & Gamble, his insights were invaluable, guiding us to think about pricing strategies in innovative ways beyond simply lowering prices.”

Tabea Anna Charlotte Spors is among the first-year MBAs looking forward to taking the plunge into entrepreneurship. “Haas offers classes that provide opportunities to collaborate with peers and test ideas in a safe environment. There are so many roundtables, mentorships, and speaker events to inspire students and programs that offer mentorship and feedback from real investors.”

She will be joined in the startup space by Sebastian Bardacosta Artagaveytia. He is looking forward to Haas’s legendary Lean Launchpad course, where a methodology enables students to test their hypotheses and build a Minimal Viable Product (MVP).

“I learned about the Lean Startup methodology and loved it,” he tells P&Q. “I thought the motto, “Get out of the building”, was just a metaphor. Spoiler: it wasn’t. During an entire weekend, we built a startup by actually leaving the building, talking to strangers, pivoting, and realizing our brilliant ideas weren’t that brilliant. It was uncomfortable, humbling, and honestly, kind of fun. When I found out about Lean LaunchPad at Haas, it felt like that same energy—but taken to the next level. Real testing, real users, real feedback. Less theory, more doing.”

FAVORITE TRADITIONS

…and more fun too. Among alumni, the best times happened during student events and travels. Ann C. Ukadike, for example, was part of student-run treks that led her to locales as different as Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. That said, some of the best trips didn’t require class members to travel all that far. Case in point, says Julian Watson: HaasVegas.

“Every year in early September, over 300 Haasies descend on Las Vegas for a weekend to engage in the most awesome networking experience they’ve ever had. As the first of the four big Haas Treks (in addition to Haasemite, a Yosemite National Park Camping Weekend; TaHaaski, a Palisades Tahoe Ski Weekend; and HaasBoats, a Lake Shasta Boating Weekend), HaasVegas is the perfect celebration and icebreaker for first years and an amazing way to catch up after the summer for second years.”

Another popular event: Haas Drag Race, a fundraiser inspired by the RuPaul competition. Here’s how ’25 alum Ryan Jewe frames it: “Glitter. Wigs. Makeup. Illegal dance practices in classrooms. Each of the eight cohorts between the first and second-year classes competes against each other in a lip sync production, complete with full drag, choreography, sound mixing and comedy in a sold-out local bar. While this event could easily be a favorite based purely on how fun it is, the event – and weeks of buildup – hold special meaning for many members of the LGBTQ+ community. It is an opportunity for the entire school to experience and express support for queer culture and lives.”

AN INTERVIEW WITH JENN BRIDGE

2025 became a historic year at the Haas Business School, as Jennifer Chatman, one of the architects of the Defining Leadership Principles, assumed the role of Dean. Known as the “culture queen” around campus, Chatman will continue to tweak an already successful formula. What might that look like? Last year, P&Q conducted an interview with Jenn Bridge, executive director of the Berkeley Haas Full-time MBA Program. From new programs to support of international students and alumni, here are Bridge’s thoughts on what to expect from the Haas MBA.

P&Q: What have been the two most important developments in your MBA program over the past year? What type of impact will they have on current and future MBAs?

Bridge: “What’s shifted very quickly in the past year is the urgency to prepare our students to lead in the age of AI and algorithms, where analytical rigor, creativity, and ethical decision-making become even more critical competitive advantages. We are now preparing to launch an AI for Business Graduate Certificate for students that will provide the course work that they need to adapt to these changes. The certificate program is expected to launch in spring.

We also opened the doors to our new Berkeley Haas eHub last February. The eHub’s goal is multipurpose. It serves as a starting point for students trying to navigate the some-100 separate entities devoted to innovation and entrepreneurship on campus—including incubators, accelerators, competitions, and hackathons. It’s also a beautifully remodeled Julia Morgan house that provides a home to meeting space, programs, and mentorship for students at different stages of the startup journey.”

P&Q: What do you see as the main differentiator that distinguishes your MBA program from other schools? How does it enhance the student experience and make them more attractive to employers?

Bridge: “What sets Haas apart is our approach to developing leaders who believe that business is for both profit and purpose. Our Defining Leadership Principles—Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself—aren’t just slogans. They’re operational principles embedded in over 180 processes that guide everything from admissions to curriculum to career development. This creates what we call “path-bending leaders,” who challenge assumptions, reframe problems, and create entirely new possibilities. We teach students to be bold, entrepreneurial AND ethical, driving both business success and positive impact simultaneously.”

P&Q: What types of services do you provide to first-year MBAs to ease their transition into business school?

Bridge: “Haas offers the following to help students transition into the MBA program:

ILaunch: Two dedicated days for international students.

WeLaunch: Four tailored days that enable students to hit the ground running once classes start. Sessions include information on how to work effectively on teams and communicate effectively in a business environment.

ACE (Academic & Career Essentials for all students): ACE is academic preparation, including fine-tuning Excel skills and statistics coursework. Our Career Management Group also helps the new class jumpstart their internship searches.

[We also have] a new series of career workshops rolled out during orientation that will continue in the fall semester, which incorporates content designed to teach students to use AI in the job search.”

P&Q: What types of support do you provide to international students before and during business school to enable them to better acclimate to your country?

Bridge: “Typically, nearly 40% of Berkeley Haas MBA students are international. They are an important part of UC Berkeley and the Haas community, bringing global voices, sharing their cultures, and contributing different business perspectives.

The main point of contact for questions related to student visa status and visa regulations while at Berkeley is the Berkeley International Office (BIO).

Before beginning class, all international students attend ILaunch, a two-day program dedicated to them. ILaunch addresses topics ranging from cultural awareness and engagement to financial aid, banking, and career essentials for international students. Students also hear from international Haas alumni about their Haas experience and career search process Haas also has dozens of student-run clubs that provide many opportunities for international students to connect—including the Haas Africa Business Club, the Asia Business Club, the European Business Club (EBC), and the Latin American and Hispanic Business Association (ALMA).

Berkeley Haas was among the first business schools to receive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) designation for MBAs. The designation makes all international students who graduate eligible to apply for an additional 24-month visa extension during post-MBA employment.”

P&Q: How does your program integrate other disciplines, such as the liberal arts and STEM, across your curriculum to provide students with a more interdisciplinary experience in business school?

Bridge: “Haas offers multiple dual-degree programs that integrate business with other disciplines, including MBA/MCS (a master’s in climate solutions with Rausser), MBA/JD (with Berkeley Law), MBA/MEng (engineering), and MBA/MPH (public health). In the entering Class of 2027, 29 of 273 students are pursuing dual degrees.”

Next Page: Profiles of 12 Members of the MBA Class of 2027

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