Takeya Green

Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business

“Bold. Determined. Vibrant. And a whole lot of sass!”

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Fun fact about yourself: I am a retired Houston Texans NFL cheerleader. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences in my life. I got to meet and dance for musical artists such as Flo Rida and Big Boi from Outkast, and always had the best view of all the home games, field side view!

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Chemical Engineering

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? The Dow Chemical Company, Senior Production Engineer

Where did you intern during the summer of 2021? Credit Suisse, Investment Banking Summer Associate (Houston, TX)

Where will you be working after graduation? Credit Suisse, Investment Banking Associate

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Consortium Fellow, Forte Fellow, Toigo Fellow, Board Fellows (Houston reVision), 1st Year Jones Student Association Representative, Admissions Ambassador, Finance Center Teaching Assistant, Communications Fellow, WILC Sponsors Chair, Finance Association Social Chair, Consortium President, MA Wright Fund Chief Marketing Officer

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of being selected to be a part of the MA Wright Fund. The MA Wright Fund is a highly selective student fund that teaches students how to conduct equity research analysis, actively manage a portfolio, and invest in the stock market. The class had the most influence on me and increased my confidence in understanding real world financial markets and company valuation.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? My biggest accomplishment in my career is getting recognized by my company’s C-Suite for a project I worked on. After the installation of my project, my company immediately realized $1M+ in annual profits.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Rice because of its location. Houston is a beautiful, diverse, up-and-coming city that doesn’t carry a large price tag. While attending Rice, I did not have a roommate and was able to live comfortably due to the low cost of living. I also knew I wanted a job in Houston post-MBA and it made the most sense to attend a school closest to the area I wanted to live.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite MBA professor was Dr. Jill Foote. She was the faculty director for the Wright Fund and is the only professor I text. She taught me so much about the world of finance and was available to talk to me about the financial markets and life. She allowed me to ask any questions and was a safe space for me as I learned about finance.

What is the biggest myth about your school? Whenever people talk about Rice, they call it an energy school. Although there are many people, like myself, who go into those fields, we have more and more people going into tech. I have classmates who are working in real estate, sports, beauty, and many other fields post-MBA.

What surprised you the most about business school? I was most surprised by how much I changed personally by going through the MBA. Some of the views I had on crucial topics such as politics or the economy changed due to in-classroom conversations and new concepts I learned.

What is one thing you did during the application process that gave you an edge at the school you chose? I was 100% authentically myself. I truly believe a person’s authentic self is their biggest competitive advantage and I really channeled that during my application process.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? The classmate I admire the most is my business school bestie, Raisha Smith. It’s very rare to meet someone who has such an intense drive for success and a HUGE compassionate heart. The passion she has for her Houston community is beyond measure and I truly feel she does not get enough support and recognition for the things she does. Despite that, she still focuses on making an impact in everything she touches AND she secured one of the most sought out career positions that many MBA students do not get an opportunity to recruit for. She will be an account executive for Microsoft and is a black woman to look out for in tech!

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? Honestly, I influenced myself. During my first year as an engineer, my job had semi-annual meetings with the commercial team. It was there that I learned about business within the chemical industry. The first meeting, I introduced myself to the business president and asked his background. Once I found out he was a chemical engineer by trade, I knew I wanted to pursue business down the line. After the meeting, I talked to my direct boss and others about the best way to transition into business. On that journey, I learned going to business school would be the best way to pivot from engineering to a business role.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? The top two items on my professional bucket list are write a New York Times best seller and be on the cover of Forbes magazine.

How has the pandemic changed your view of a career? The pandemic has given me the courage to be bolder in my asks of corporations. A career is a part of your life, not the entirety; therefore, spending time at home with family or any other activities you like to do should not take a backseat to your career if you choose. Moving forward, I expect some type of virtual/hybrid aspect within any corporation I work for.

What made Takeya such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2022?

“What? You didn’t build your own DCF!” were not the words Takeya Green, the former chemical engineer and Houston Texans cheerleader, wanted to hear during an interview for the Rice Business student-managed fund. After all, it was now past 10 pm on Thursday. She was exhausted; and most of her classmates had been out enjoying the evening for hours. Upon leaving the morale-defeating interview, she had a choice to make. Go hang out at the bar with her classmates or binge-watch some Netflix while wallowing in her sorrows. She chose neither. Instead, she went to the website of Aswath Damodaran, the NYU professor and equity analysis guru. Over the next few hours, with sheer determination, she taught herself and built her first full DCF. Then at 3 am, she submitted the DCF to the nearly two-decade veteran faculty member who oversaw the student-managed fund.

Although initially dinged for not having a complete analysis, her grit and the quality of the new quantitative component propelled her into a seat in the fund. Once inside the fund and wanting to exchange ideas to get the most of her MBA experience, she was one of the more vocal students. Everything was going well for Takeya. She had landed a coveted investment banking role and had just finished her rigorous internship. Then, she faced another setback—the professor who adored her and was a mentor retired. The new professor took over a well-structured course, but realized he needed student help. Wanting to keep the class student-focused, he saw the same charisma and leadership qualities in Takeya that his predecessor had. Thus, he quickly asked her to be the chief marketing officer of the Wright Fund. She was terrific at promoting the fund, so much so the fund had its highest applicant pool ever. Her work hard, play hard mantra permeated the fund’s culture. In addition to being the best presenter in class, she was well-organized, which was critical in setting up interviews and organizing other fund events. By making herself constantly available both to the faculty and her peers, she was instrumental in the overall success of the course during a turbulent and transitional time.

Then, it was her turn to be the interviewer. During the interviewing procedures, she left yet another indelible mark by bringing data-driven research into the process to promote and advocate for other women, which helped the fund accept the highest number of females in its history.”

James Lenz
Director, MA Wright Fund
Director, El Paso Finance Center