Marika Vissak

Harvard Business School

“Optimizing for novelty and impact. Curious, adventurous, analytical, family-oriented, mission-driven.”

Hometown: Bethel, CT and Nashville, TN

Fun Fact About Yourself: My favorite hobby is scuba diving – best spot so far is the Red Sea.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Virginia, Financial Mathematics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Consultant

What makes the case method so attractive as a means to learn and become a better manager? Stories are the single stickiest way to learn – and for me more than most. I have always been an avid sci-fi and fantasy reader, and character names and plot details stay memorable for decades. In the business context, I was really excited to expand my knowledge base by folding in another 500 real-life stories. Additionally, certain messages – like “what is fraud and how not to do it” – are less effective to teach via lecture or essay, versus seeing real and compelling ways that people have made poor choices. Our professors are incredibly skilled at provoking deep, open conversations that get to the core of a case protagonist’s circumstances, ethics, and actions.

Aside from your classmates and cases, what was the key part of Harvard Business School’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? To counterbalance a very structured class and section experience, you have an unstructured extra-curricular side: clubs, speakers, and so many opportunities to foster your interests. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure every day. I am focusing on entrepreneurship, accessibility, and venture capital, and have already had incredible access to introspective founders at all stages. Beyond that, I am working on a business with my technical cofounder (husband) now… stay tuned!!

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at Harvard Business School? I am a director for the upcoming Entrepreneurship Summit at HBS, in March 2026. My panel will be focused on health and human flourishing – think “how do we serve an increasingly unhealthy population?” and “how do we reverse health trends via innovation?”. I am SO excited to finalize and share the speaker slate – we will really get into it, especially around serving the disabled population. These large events are also a great format to meet students and entrepreneurs across Harvard, at MIT, and within the vibrant Boston start-up community.

When you think of Harvard Business School, what is the first word that comes to mind? Why? Super-connector. Even a school of ~1,800 MBAs can feel intimate, thanks to the section experience as well as travel, clubs, and a general attitude of openness. I have loved getting to know hundreds of RCs (first-years) as well as ECs (second-years) through trips to Morocco and Cape Cod and mutual interests like tennis and the jewelry industry. Our amazing professors are key to the experience, and happy to make connections and suggest supplemental reading to further our interests.

Looking at your recruitment, what was the moment when you realized Harvard Business School was the right program for you? Why? Honestly, I wasn’t sold until I visited. I have been aware of top MBA programs since I worked at Darden School of Business as an undergrad, but wasn’t convinced that Harvard would be achievable or a fit for me. During a campus visit in August 2024, I was able to tour, hang around campus (idyllic) while working on my essays, and connect with friends from undergrad. My mind was changed by those friends’ encouragement and attestation to the culture. I felt that the super-social friendly environment and iLab and Rock Center resources would be key to my personal growth and a fun place for my husband to spend two years. Getting the “yes” email in December was still surreal… but I am used to the idea now.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I entered BCG as a lateral hire from another firm, in the new Nashville office. I had to prove my abilities rapidly to hit an expedited promotion target, while also seeking results from the culture activities that give me energy. I grew significantly from the opportunity to support junior staff culture-building and skill development in that transition period – and was really proud of the tight-knit environment that my peers and I could foster. The office gave me the inaugural “Shining Citizen” award for that work. On a personal note, the office was a home for me and we loved living in Nashville.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? I was selected to be a presenter for the Women’s Student Association finals review session for LEAD (leadership class). For each course, four women are chosen to guide 900+ RCs through the full semester of material. While I have definitely learned a ton about hard-skill topics like finance and supply chains, I have also been gripped by the softer-skill leadership discussions we cover in the first semester. The class has energized me to share my experiences candidly with the section. I am really honored that my fellow students were similarly energized and nominated me to lead a review session!

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Harvard Business School’s MBA program? Focus on a true passion of yours. Take the time to deeply explore your own background, bounce that off of the people who know you best, and seek brutal honesty. I applied design thinking to my own essays (sticky notes, diverge and converge, etc. etc.) to come to a final set of topics that would represent ME to the HBS Admissions team. It helped me to actually put a much finer point on my long-term dream of entrepreneurship. I am most invested in accessibility through inclusive design, so I’m working on business ideas that will increase access for all to various aspects of our modern world.

DON’T MISS: MEET HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2027

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