Vincent Mahloko

“A people-first builder, passionate about relationships, ideas, and creating things that matter”

Grad Year: Class of 2024

Current Employer / Role: Luminaries Founder Residence: Founder & Managing Partner

Is this the industry and role you envisioned yourself in upon entering the program? 

Not at all. I entered HEC with a strong background in financial services and a growing interest in entrepreneurship, but I certainly did not have a clear vision of becoming a Founder & Managing Partner building across startups, capital allocation, and the Europe-Africa corridor.

The MBA gave me the space to explore that uncertainty rather than rush to resolve it. I arrived with ideas, including some early startup concepts, and the experience helped me understand that my real interest lies at the intersection of people, entrepreneurship, capital, and ecosystems. Luminaries is the clearest expression of that journey so far.

Why was HEC Paris and their MBA program the right fit for you among all of the options out there?

HEC Paris offered something I found difficult to replicate elsewhere: a truly international environment, a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem, and access to a community that was incredibly diverse in both background and ambition.

I also wanted to be in Europe. Having grown up in South Africa and spent my career in financial services, I was increasingly interested in understanding the European market and how it connected with the rest of the world. HEC’s location, its network, and the flexibility to pursue experiences beyond the classroom made it the right fit for me.

How has the program helped you grow personally or professionally since graduating?

Personally, HEC taught me to become much more comfortable with uncertainty. I entered the program with a fairly traditional professional background and a clear sense of what I thought my next steps should look like. I left with a much greater willingness to explore, experiment, and change direction when the evidence suggested I should.

Professionally, the MBA gave me the confidence and network to move from thinking about entrepreneurship to actually building. It also broadened my perspective significantly. My experience at HEC and HKUST, alongside the time I spent in Hong Kong, exposed me to different ways of thinking about business, capital, and growth. I now find myself constantly connecting ideas and people across markets and industries. And on two occasions now, have had the opportunity to go back as guest speaker to HEC to impart some knowledge.

What’s a standout moment or memory from your time at HEC Paris that really stuck with you?

Being part of the organizing team for MBAT was a real highlight. There was something special about bringing together hundreds of MBA students from around the world through sport, competition, and community.

My exchange in Hong Kong is another experience that has stayed with me. I initially went for a four-month exchange at HKUST but ended up spending 10 months in Hong Kong. The additional six months were spent exploring startup ideas and immersing myself in the environment. That decision probably captures a lot of what HEC gave me: the confidence to follow an opportunity even when it did not fit neatly into the original plan.

How did you balance your work/school/home life during your degree? What were the biggest challenges?

I am not sure I ever truly mastered the balance. I probably tried to do too much at once, which is a very honest answer.

Between the academic demands of the MBA, MBAT, exploring startup ideas, and trying to maintain meaningful relationships, the biggest challenge was accepting that I could not give 100% to everything simultaneously. The experience taught me to be more intentional with my time and, importantly, to prioritize people. The MBA is an incredibly short period of your life, and I did not want to look back and realize I had been too busy to properly get to know the people around me.

What are some of the biggest takeaways or skills you gained from the MBA experience?

The biggest takeaway is that the time is short, and it is an amazing experience. Make the most of it.

Get to know people. Build real relationships. And, if it is within your means to do so, keep the best of those people in your life for a very long time.

Professionally, I developed a much broader understanding of how different industries, markets, and business models work. But I think the most valuable skill was learning to ask better questions and be comfortable not having the answer immediately. The world is far too complex for anyone to know everything. Your ability to learn, adapt, and surround yourself with people who know things you do not is incredibly valuable.

What is your advice for those who are considering applying to the HEC Paris MBA program?

Come with an open mind and do not try to optimize every minute of the experience for your career.

Of course, take the academics seriously and make the most of the professional opportunities. But the people you meet and the relationships you build will probably stay with you far longer than most of the content from your classes.

Say yes more often. Join the organizing team. Go on exchange. Take the trip. Have the long dinner. Build the relationship. You have a very limited amount of time to experience a community like HEC. Make the most of it.

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