Gabrielle Sims

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business

“Proud Black Mississippian. Believer of exploring your curiosity. Champion for empowering others.”

Hometown: Hattiesburg, MS

Fun fact about yourself: After giving a presentation in a small town during my undergrad internship, my manager and I were driving back and started seeing people falling from the sky. We discovered there was a local skydiving company nearby, and I decided to jump for my 20th birthday.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Howard University – BBSA, Accounting

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Guidehouse, Senior Consultant

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? Delta Airlines, Atlanta

Where will you be working after graduation? At the moment, I’m exploring entrepreneurship or corporate leadership. I want to focus on where I can create the most impact.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Co-President – MBA Association (MBAA), Fuqua On Board Fellow, Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum Fellow

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? One of the achievements I am most proud of during my time at Fuqua is the creation of the One Fuqua Challenge. The One Fuqua Challenge is an initiative I built alongside my co-president, Ben Peace, that has already left a lasting mark on the Fuqua community.

The idea was born out of a core pillar of our MBAA platform: bridging the connection gap between first-year and second-year students. We recognized that Orientation does a beautiful job of building camaraderie within sections through its immersive three-day experience. However, that energy and sense of belonging had no structured vehicle to carry it forward into the rest of the Fuqua journey. We wanted to change that.

The One Fuqua Challenge was our answer. Through the initiative, the MBAA highlighted over 60 events and helped transform section gatherings from occasional occurrences into a regular, highly anticipated part of the Fuqua experience. What started as an idea to sustain the Orientation spirit quickly grew into something much bigger. It became a community-wide movement that brought students together across years, backgrounds, and programs in a way that felt organic, competitive, and genuinely fun.

To celebrate and honor the winning section, we created championship banners to be displayed proudly on campus, along with a dedicated happy hour celebration in the Champions Club as a heartfelt way of saying thank you for showing up and competing with everything you had. But perhaps the most meaningful and unexpected outcome of the One Fuqua Challenge was its impact on second-year engagement. Historically, it had been difficult to consistently draw second-year students back into the rhythm of Fuqua programming, given the demands of recruiting, internships, and the natural winding down of the MBA journey. Yet with the One Fuqua Challenge, second-year students led the charge. They showed up with energy, pride, and a fierce competitive spirit that set the tone for the entire community. Seeing that transformation was one of the most rewarding moments of my presidency.

The One Fuqua Challenge will now live on as a staple of the Fuqua experience long after Ben and I have graduated, and that legacy is something I will carry with immense pride for the rest of my life.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? One of my most significant professional achievements was assisting a federal agency in preparing for its inaugural audit, which resulted in satisfactory findings.

Why did you choose this business school? Fuqua was love at first sight for me. My partner is a Fuqua alumnus and said it was the best two years of his life, so once I decided to apply to business schools, I had to see what the hype was all about. As soon as I stepped foot on campus, it felt like home and my type of people. The thing that sold me completely on Fuqua was the smart, caring, and joyful people. Team Fuqua is real. Believe the hype!

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Professor Shep Moyle has been one of the most impactful educators in my Fuqua journey. Through his New Ventures: Discover course, he completely transformed the way I think about entrepreneurship and building a business from the ground up. What sets Shep apart is his rare ability to cut through the noise, no fluff, no sugarcoating, just honest, grounded guidance that challenges you to be realistic about your vision while still believing in its possibility. He brings both candor and genuine care to every interaction, making him the kind of advisor you actually want in your corner.

In his course, we pressure-tested our ideas. We walked through the full business planning process to critically evaluate whether our concept was truly worth pursuing and whether there was a real problem worth solving. That experience gave me a sharper entrepreneurial lens and a deeper appreciation for the discipline it takes to build something meaningful.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? One of my absolute favorite courses at Fuqua is the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) course. Professor David Robinson & Ben Thomason gave us the opportunity to learn in depth about what happens after the deal closes. We heard firsthand from searchers and operators about their journeys.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? Fuqua Fridays are hands down my favorite tradition in the Fuqua community. Every Friday, something special happens where students, faculty, and staff all come together in our shared community space to unwind, connect, and simply enjoy each other’s company over food and drinks. It’s one of those traditions that reminds you why you chose Fuqua in the first place.

This year, our incredible vice president of student life, Sally Sandoval, took Fuqua Fridays to a whole new level by bringing fresh, creative ideas to deepen connections across all Fuqua programs. One of the most meaningful additions has been inviting greater club collaboration, opening the door for students across every program to experience and celebrate the rich, diverse cultures that make up our student body. What started as a weekly gathering has evolved into a genuine community-building moment and a weekly reminder that Team Fuqua is more than just a saying. It’s something you feel every single Friday.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Looking back, I wish I had explored more of the programming and events held by the greater Duke community. It’s tough to break free from the Fuqua bubble, but it can be done with more intention.

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? In Strategic Brand & Project Management, we completed the case study around Slane Irish Whiskey’s U.S. launch. The lesson I took from it was that differentiation is necessary when entering a new market. The saying “if you make it, they will come” is no longer true.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Durham has completely won me over in ways I never fully anticipated. What makes Durham so special is its rare and beautiful balance. It has the warmth, familiarity, and tight-knit energy of a small town, while simultaneously offering the richness, variety, and vitality of a much larger city. It is the kind of place that feels both exciting and comfortable at the same time, which is not easy to find.

The food and bar scene alone is something worth celebrating. Durham is home to an incredibly vibrant and diverse culinary landscape that reflects the creativity and culture of the community itself. There is always something new to discover and always a reason to get out and explore.

But what truly sets Durham apart goes beyond the food and nightlife. Durham invites you to engage, to connect, and to become a real part of the fabric of the city rather than simply passing through it. The local events, the arts scene, the community organizations, and the people themselves all contribute to a culture that is warm, proud, and deeply alive.

What business leader do you admire most? One of the most defining moments of my undergraduate experience was having the privilege of hearing Ursula Burns, former CEO of Xerox, speak. I remember walking out of that room feeling something shift inside of me, a quiet but powerful realization that I could be completely, unapologetically myself and still reach the highest levels of leadership. That moment planted a seed that I have carried with me ever since.

What I admire most about Ursula Burns is not just the historic nature of her achievement as the first Black woman to serve as CEO of a Fortune 500 company, but it is the way she carried herself through it all. She never shrank to fit the room. She never traded her authenticity for acceptance or softened her edges to make others more comfortable. In a corporate world that too often demands conformity as the price of admission, she refused to pay that toll, and she won anyway. Her story gave me permission to stop seeing my individuality as something to manage and start seeing it as one of my greatest strengths. She showed me that you do not have to become someone else to succeed. You just have to be relentlessly committed to becoming the best version of who you already are. Ursula Burns redefined what leadership looks like, and her example continues to inspire and challenge me to show up fully and fearlessly in every room I enter.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Fuqua continues to evolve with the integration of AI in the classroom. In the Managerial Writing course, we began by discussing how we plan to use AI throughout the semester and how it can best support our learning. Fuqua is moving beyond viewing AI as a crutch and instead embracing it as a collaborative and supportive tool.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Benjamin Peace, my MBAA co-president, has been one of the greatest gifts of my entire Fuqua experience. When I think about what I will carry with me long after graduation, my relationship with Ben is at the top of that list. From the moment we began working together, it was clear that he was someone truly special. He is the kind of person who shows up fully, gives everything he has, and somehow makes the people around him better simply by being in the room. Ben approaches every challenge with an unrelenting work ethic and a quiet determination that is both rare and deeply inspiring. He sets his mind to something and gets it done every single time without losing his warmth, his humor, or his ability to make the journey genuinely enjoyable for everyone involved.

What I admire most about Ben is that he leads with both excellence and joy, proving that you never have to choose between the two. Working alongside him has reshaped how I think about leadership, collaboration, and what it truly means to show up for your team. I am a better leader, a better partner, and honestly, a better person because of him. I am deeply grateful our paths crossed at Fuqua, and I have no doubt the world will continue to see just how extraordinary Benjamin Peace truly is.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. I have a goal of becoming CEO of a company, either through Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA) or starting my own business from the ground up.

2. I want to find meaningful ways to invest in my hometown and state. I intend to make those who have come before me proud for pouring so much into me.

What made Gabby such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“Gabby’s ability to bring people together, maintain perspective during complex conversations, and move the community forward with energy and purpose is a rare and powerful leadership trait.

Through initiatives like the One Fuqua Challenge, she helped reinvigorate community engagement across Fuqua’s programs as MBA Association co-president. The effort brought renewed energy and pride to the student body, and her impact was nothing short of transformational.

What stands out most about Gabby, however, is the way she approaches leadership, with an unfailingly positive attitude and a thoughtful perspective on the issues that matter most to the community. In our weekly meetings, she consistently brought both optimism and insight, creating space for meaningful discussion while keeping the group focused on solutions.

Gabby has a genuine desire to address issues in ways that serve the whole community. She listens carefully, considers multiple viewpoints, and approaches challenges with both empathy and practicality. That combination of positivity, reflection, and action made her an incredibly effective leader for Fuqua.”

Steve Misuraca
Associate Dean, Daytime MBA Program

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