Gevin Reynolds

Stanford Graduate School of Business

“JD/MBA candidate and former White House speechwriter leveraging law and business to revitalize American democracy.”

Hometown: Smyrna, GA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I hosted a cooking show on YouTube when I was in high school. Don’t ask me if it still exists…

Undergraduate School and Major: Harvard (BA, Neurobiology); Yale Law School (JD, in progress)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Associate Director of Speechwriting, Office of Vice President Kamala Harris

What has been the best part of living in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley so far? It’s too hard to pick one, so I’ll share two. The first is that living in the Bay Area means you’re only an hour or two away from some of the most beautiful nature anywhere in the country. I have already gone on amazing weekend trips to Monterey and Santa Cruz. The other weekend, my fiancée and I basked in the beauty of the redwoods in nearby Purisima Creek Preserve. The second is that the GSB is quite literally in the heartland of American innovation. That means you’re always running into legendary founders and investors on campus – many of whom I have had the chance to speak with and learn from. I am inspired by the past and present of this place, and it’s amazing to now be a part of shaping its future.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Stanford GSB’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? My decision to attend the GSB boiled down to its motto: “Change lives, change organizations, change the world.” I wanted to attend an institution that did not just believe in impact, but expected it from each and every one of its alumni.

Through conversations with current and former students, I learned that the GSB’s first-year curriculum consisted of courses not only about finance and accounting, but also about ethics and leadership. My experiences at the GSB have confirmed everything I heard from them. Through courses like Leadership Laboratory (“Lead Labs”) and Leading with Values, I have tested out different leadership styles, grappled with challenging ethical scenarios, and begun to formalize my own leadership philosophy. Finally, given all that’s going on with AI, I am grateful to be at a school like Stanford, where I am learning enough about emerging technologies to be dangerous as a leader in this increasingly digital age.

What has been the most important thing that you’ve learned at Stanford GSB so far? Lead Labs revolves around the core question: Why would anyone follow you? In the same small group each week, we performed role-playing exercises and gave each other action-impact feedback – all to help us each crystallize our answer to the course’s core question. Now on the other side of Lead Labs, I can confidently say that learning why anybody would follow me has been the most important thing I’ve learned at the GSB so far.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Stanford GSB? My favorite class so far has been Finance 207, a course I’m taking this quarter on Corporations, Finance, and Governance in the Global Economy. Each day, we discuss a real business case and hear from a guest speaker – whether the Chief Strategy Officer of Meta or the Chief Financial Officer of AB InBev – who was intimately involved in what happened. The course has helped me understand how the concepts we learned in finance last quarter actually play out in real life.

Outside of the classroom, Wednesday night intramural flag football under the bright lights was the perfect way for my friends and I to blow off some steam in the fall – even if I may have pulled my hamstring a time or two in the process. Does that mean I’m getting old?

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Serving as a speechwriter in Vice President Harris’ office at the White House was the honor of a lifetime. It required me to translate complex policies into narratives that resonated with the American people. It reminded me that words are more than just text; they are the tools we use to build public trust and invite people back into the democratic process.

At the NFL, where I worked for two years after graduating from college, I am also proud to have co-designed and launched NFL Votes, the league’s first-ever nonpartisan voting initiative. Leveraging the league’s massive platform, we turned stadiums into polling sites and mobilized players and fans to head to the ballot box. This project taught me that businesses can be powerful engines for social good – a lesson that I have continued to explore during my time at the GSB so far.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? I have only been at the GSB for a quarter-and-a-half, but I’m proud of myself for the openness with which I have approached this experience. Over the past six months, I have stretched myself to learn new skills, grow my network, and expand my horizons. I have vibe coded a website using cutting-edge AI tools, formed a new football-watching squad, and visited Lake Tahoe for the first time–all while learning the fundamentals of business.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? A few weeks ago, I got to have lunch with Joe Tsai, the chairman of Alibaba and owner of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty, following his fireside chat on campus. During the small group session, I asked him about how his early legal career prepared him for the incredible business career he has since had. He challenged me to take risks, something lawyers aren’t exactly known for doing. This opportunity was particularly meaningful for me because I am a Tsai Leadership Fellow at Yale Law School – Joe’s alma mater – and have tremendous respect for the impact he has made as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and leader.

What advice would you give to a prospective applicant looking to join the Stanford GSB Class of 2028? Prioritize radical authenticity. Unearth the “why” behind your mission. Admissions wants to learn about your lowlights and growth as much as (or perhaps even more than) they do your highlights and successes — so tell your story honestly. Speak with current students to understand the culture beyond the classroom, and visit campus to feel the energy of Town Square. Ultimately, lean into what makes you different; that is where your greatest contribution to this community lies.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE STANFORD GSB MBA CLASS OF 2027

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