Connor Grigg

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“An enthusiastic and up-to-the-challenge person who loves people, sports, and the outdoors.”

Hometown: Durham, NC

Fun Fact About Yourself: As a kid, I was on a competitive jump rope team called the Bouncing Bulldogs.

Undergraduate School and Major: Bucknell University, Mechanical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: B.I.G. Adventures, Marketing Manager

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of MIT Sloan’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? For me, it was the deep commitment to entrepreneurship. The Martin Trust Center at MIT Sloan offers unmatched resources and a community where ideas are supported and tested in real time. Additionally, the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Certificate adds structure to that journey, which will help me build the entrepreneurial skills that will benefit my career regardless of the direction I take. When selecting which program I wanted to attend, Sloan’s emphasis that anyone can be an entrepreneur—accompanied by their track record of spinning companies out of the program—made the decision easy.

Action Learning Labs are one of MIT Sloan’s biggest attractions. Which lab interests you most? How does it fit with your interests? I am most interested in MIT Sloan’s Entrepreneurship Lab (E-Lab) because it offers a unique, hands-on opportunity to work directly with early-stage ventures. With a background in and inclination towards small businesses, I’m eager to hone my understanding of how real-world challenges are navigated in small, fast-moving business environments. Entrepreneurship Lab will give me the chance to deepen that understanding by contributing meaningfully to a startup team while learning from their day-to-day realities.

When you think of MIT, what are the first things that come to mind? How have your experiences with the Sloan program thus far reinforced or upended these early impressions? When I think of MIT, the first things that come to mind are innovation and leadership development. Situated in Kendall square, aka the most innovative square mile on the planet, MIT has a reputation for pushing boundaries—whether in technology, entrepreneurship, or new ways of thinking. My early experiences at MIT Sloan have only proved to reinforce those impressions. From seeing MIT Sloan students partner with MIT Engineering professors to commercialize their groundbreaking R&D, to participating in a leadership development program before I even got on campus, MIT Sloan’s commitment to fostering principled leaders and innovating for the good of humanity has shone brightly.

What excites you about earning an MBA in the Boston area? I’m excited to earn my MBA in the Boston area because it’s a hub of academic energy. With so many top universities and graduate programs in one place, the environment feels alive with ideas and intellectual curiosity. I’m thrilled to be a part of a community where people are constantly learning, questioning, and creating across disciplines. I also love that MIT Sloan embraces this broader academic ecosystem and allows me to cross-register for courses at nearby schools, opening even more doors to explore and grow.

What is your unique quality that will enable you to make a big contribution to the Class of 2027? With a professional background ranging from a large consulting firm to a fast-paced startup to a small, manufacturing business, I have a unique breadth of insight into different industries, organizational structures and processes, and roles and responsibilities. These experiences have equipped me to wear many different hats, contributing from the various tools in my belt as the situation demands. Meanwhile, that same breadth of exposure has given me a real appreciation for the depth of expertise many of my peers bring to the table, having committed their early careers to their respective industries and organizations.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest career accomplishment came while I was at BIG Adventures. At the time, the outdoor recreation industry was navigating the fallout of a major market disruption due to COVID. While many of our competitors stumbled, our organization saw an opportunity to strengthen our brand and capture market share. As a marketing manager, I was part of a talented, agile team that repositioned our brands, deepened customer loyalty, and expanded our reach. It was a defining experience in turning uncertainty into strategic growth.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into MIT Sloan’s MBA program? One tip I’d give to anyone applying to Sloan is to show how you value collaborative environments. MIT Sloan isn’t looking for people who push others down trying to climb to the top—they’re looking for people who want to lift others up and grow together. The culture at MIT Sloan is one of teamwork, support, and learning from each other—if that sounds like the kind of culture you want during your MBA, let that shine through in your application!

DON’T MISS: MEET MIT SLOAN’S MBA CLASS OF 2027

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