Stepan Dyachkovskiy

University of Denver, Daniels College of Business

“Media-focused product manager with a unique background in Audio and Video production and an entrepreneurial spirit.”

Age: 36

Hometown: Catskill, NY

Fun fact about yourself: I was honored with an Emmy for best sound mix for my contributions to the live to air musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Electronic Arts with a focus in Music & Sound

Where are you currently working? NBCUniversal

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Delivering a patented product called QRclick from zero to one and changing the way viewers interact with QR codes in live video.

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program? DU allowed me the flexibility to attend in-person events and classes in addition to my online program, and gave me two unique opportunities for incredible international experiences.

What was your favorite part of being in an online MBA program? The flexibility to juggle my existing commitments while remaining focused on my schoolwork.

How did your online MBA experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? The ability to meet and network with fellow working professionals across the country while in a focused learning environment broadened my horizons and opened me up to viewpoints that I did not see in my undergraduate experience. The seriousness of the online student base impressed me.

What is your best piece of advice to an applicant for thriving in an online MBA program? Don’t bite off more than you can chew. With work, family, and education all competing for your time, I found it best to mostly take one class at a time. This allowed me to fully commit to every class and extract maximum learning from every course rather than just trying to get the work done.

How has your online MBA education helped you in your current job? I am confident that the skills I’ve built at Daniels helped me land my current job, and are helping me onboard quickly and better understand my peers and teammates.

Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation? Yes, I was promoted once during my studies and I got a new job a couple of months before my graduation date.

Why did you pursue an online MBA program instead of a full-time residential or executive MBA program? The online MBA program allowed me both the financial and time-based flexibility to study the way I wanted to. A full-time program was not feasible for me.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? AI use was encouraged in several classes and helped me to better understand how AI integrates into modern businesses. Today, I am fluent with many AI tools and run a Claude Code stack on my home machine that basically runs my life.

Number of Hours Per Week Spent on an Online MBA: 10-15

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? Start my own business.

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