Mikyla Simones

“Laughs easily, lives on a horse farm, follows curiosity wherever food, service, and travel lead”

Hometown: Prescott, Wisconsin

Fun Fact About Yourself: I share my birthday with both grandmothers—and was born without wisdom teeth (yet made it to grad school), which feels equally rare

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Wisconsin – Biochemistry (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: HealthPartners, Executive Sales | Growth Strategist

What has been your favorite part of the Twin Cities so far? What has made it such a great place to earn an MBA?

The Twin Cities strike a rare balance: world-class healthcare and corporate innovation paired with a genuinely collaborative, grounded community. I love that I can spend my days learning alongside organizations like Medtronic, Mayo Clinic, and Boston Scientific, then reset on a lake trail or in a neighborhood coffee shop. It’s a place where big ideas feel accessible, relationships feel real, and the learning extends well beyond the classroom—making it an energizing and deeply human place to earn an MBA.

Carlson MBAs spend a year in hands-on Enterprise programs for Consulting, Branding, Ventures, and Funds. Which program do you intend to enroll in? What excites most about your Enterprise program?

I have enrolled in the Brand Enterprise after seeing firsthand how even breakthrough medical technologies can falter when their value isn’t clearly understood or trusted. In my career, I’ve watched clinically strong solutions stall—not because they failed patients, but because their story failed to connect with providers, payers, and health systems. Brand Enterprise excites me because it builds the leadership muscle to bridge that gap—translating complex science into brands that earn adoption, scale impact, and ultimately improve care.

Aside from your classmates, experiential learning, and location, what was the key part of the Carlson MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you?

Carlson’s integration of purpose with performance was a defining factor in my decision. The curriculum doesn’t silo ethics, community impact, or long-term value creation—it weaves them directly into how leaders are trained to make decisions. I’ve seen how strategy choices extend beyond the balance sheet, shaping trust, adoption, and real-world outcomes. Through experiences like Brand Enterprise and MILI, that philosophy is put into practice. This alignment mattered to me because it reflects the kind of leader I aim to be: thoughtful, results-driven, and deeply accountable to the communities those results serve.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

One of my proudest career accomplishments was being part of the team that helped facilitate the negotiation of lifetime fertility treatment coverage at Regions Hospital. I remember how different the conversation felt when the focus shifted from short-term costs to long-term dignity—giving patients the freedom to make deeply personal decisions without financial fear dictating their future. Supporting this patient-forward initiative required aligning clinicians, financial leaders, and institutional stakeholders around a shared commitment to access and sustainability. That experience affirmed my belief that the most impactful strategies are those that balance rigor with empathy and create outcomes that truly change lives.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far:

One of my biggest accomplishments as an MBA student has been earning acceptance into the Medical Valuation Laboratory in Palo Alto through Carlson’s Medical Industry Leadership Institute (MILI). This experience affirmed that medical technology is a natural and well-aligned next chapter for me. Working under an NDA, I contributed to a complex medtech evaluation that required navigating real-world ambiguity and strategic tradeoffs. This program alone made me feel less lost in the sauce—and more equipped, confident, and ready to get after the future I came here to build.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far?

My best memory as an MBA student has been building genuine relationships with my classmates—those late nights untangling cases, laughing through simulations, and celebrating small wins that somehow felt huge. Somewhere between group chats, coffee runs, and shared pressure, Minnesota Carlson turned a room full of high-achievers into a real community. That sense of belonging—of being challenged and supported at the same time—has been the most meaningful part of my MBA experience so far.

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