Morgan Atkins

Emory University, Goizueta Business School

“Professional relationship builder aspiring to bridge divides between underserved, rural communities and economic mobility.”

Hometown: Olive Branch, MS

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was selected to represent my home state as a 2023 Mississippi Cherry Blossom Princess. The Cherry Blossom program gives young women the opportunity to represent their states in educational, leadership, and cultural activities, while celebrating the longstanding relationship between the U.S. and Japan. Former Cherry Blossom princesses include Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell from Michigan.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Mississippi, B.A. in Public Policy Leadership

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Governance Program Manager at the Bipartisan Policy Center

What makes Atlanta such a great place to earn an MBA? As someone pursuing a social impact career, Atlanta is the realized promise of public-private partnerships. Philanthropy, corporations, and government have found innovative approaches to addressing community needs while creating long-term, sustainable growth.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Emory Goizueta’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school, and why was it so important to you? Goizueta’s emphasis on experiential and co-curricular learning was a deciding factor for me, as I wanted to know that the skills I’m practicing in the classroom would be immediately applicable in the real world. From the Goizueta IMPACT challenge to the Business & Society Institute, I can combine my previous nonprofit experiences with data-driven decisions and strategy to create purpose-driven profit models.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Emory Goizueta? I’m most excited to participate in the Philanthropy Lab. Having previously been on the grantee side of philanthropy, I am eager to collaborate with my classmates to make a difference through grantmaking to local Atlanta nonprofits and to understand the decision-making of philanthropic organizations.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In my previous role, I created an impact tracking system to show the ripple effect of the bipartisan Congressional exchanges I managed. Because of my research, we discovered that dozens of pieces of legislation had been introduced as a result of the newfound partnerships between our Congressional pairings, including five bills signed into law. Moreover, I demonstrated that relationships remain fundamental for effective governance, and that trust is the highest-value resource, which is a lesson I carry with me into Goizueta.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your Emory MBA experience a success? I hope to come out of this experience with a new perspective, one that bridges strategy, purpose, and efficiency. I also hope that I build bridges between my peers, whether that is through discussions in the classroom, engaging with the broader Atlanta community, or even just inviting them to watch my favorite football team with me. At my core, I will always be a relationship-oriented extrovert, and I hope my devotion to community and engagement will encourage my peers to weigh business and society evenly in their future careers.

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