Priya Mangat

INSEAD

“Doctor/entrepreneur promoting diversity, breaking the mould, practising kaizen.”

Hometown: London, U.K

Undergraduate School and Degree:

Kings College London Medical School

Imperial College London

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? I was working on the COVID frontline as a doctor in London

Where did you intern during the summer of 2021? N/a

Where will you be working after graduation? Yet to be determined

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: I am an Academic Representative and work closely with students, the Dean, the Director of Programme, and faculty to identify and remedy issues around the remote learning experience, examinations and delivery of course content. A huge draw of INSEAD is its diversity, but this also means students of different backgrounds have different baselines and needs.

Therefore, I am building an internal tutor network where students can make Asks (e.g. “Can somebody help me understand the Tangent Portfolio?”) from the student community to help with topics and questions that may arise from the courses to encourage collaboration.

I am still in Period 1. However, I am involved in planning events and providing insights in the Healthcare and Entrepreneurship and INSEAD Women in Business Clubs and hope to apply for leadership roles when the transition into our cohort occurs in Period 3.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? It is still very early in my INSEAD journey – month 2 – but I hope to immerse myself as the year progresses!

Within my first week at INSEAD, I recognised concerns around personal safety, particularly when walking around Fontainebleau in the evening. I therefore created WalkSead – an online group where students can reach out to the INSEAD community and buddy up to promote personal safety. This also offers the additional benefit of sparking conversations and building relationships with somebody new. I’m pleased with the uptake and impact this has had on the student life experience, alongside attaining the endorsement of the Global Director.

I am currently working on an idea to promote sharing and reducing waste – BorrowSead – to help save money and the environment in a mostly international student community, recognising when a student needs “an Allen Key to adjust my bike”, “an air mattress for visiting guests” or “a financial calculator for my homework”.

Two days ago, I took part in an intense startup bootcamp weekend – with no team and no idea. It was an exhilarating, exhausting and exciting experience, with lots of learning. I felt honoured when the Director of the Programme and Venture Partner at Antler personally reached out to me afterwards and recommended me to a highly-sought after and exciting opportunity.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am proud to have worked as a doctor serving marginalised communities – whether that has been during the COVID-19 pandemic in London, providing remote support to Zambian community healthcare workers, or reducing the information asymmetry in the UK’s Asian population by creating information videos in Hindi and Punjabi combating misconceptions.

Recognising a further underserved community – postnatal mothers – I am proud to have taken the unusual step as a doctor to found my own startup in the wellness space and achieve a position on a competitive accelerator, win an Entrepreneurship Award, and get selected as an NHS Clinical Entrepreneur.

Why did you choose this business school? I am somebody with a non-traditional background. Therefore, it was extremely important for me to be in a school that not only promotes diversity of thought, culture and profession, but also one that enables me to continue leading a purposeful and inclusive life. Through countless hours of research (both online and offline), many discussion with students (both past and present), and understanding how I could contribute to the community, the choice of INSEAD became obvious to me.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I should have taken French lessons before I started and really made use of the opportunity to develop my skills locally in Fontainebleau. Hopefully I can catch up as I have signed up for voluntary French (B1) classes!

What is the biggest myth about your school? You must have a clearly outlined roadmap for your post-MBA journey. In fact on day one, we had a talk about being a Hunter vs an Explorer and I was surprised to find a lot of Explorers, who are enjoying the journey and still finding their own way.

What surprised you the most about business school? I am very pleased that despite such impressive profiles; everybody I have met is so humble, willing to help and contribute to the community. I am proud of the humility of my classmates!

What is one thing you did during the application process that gave you an edge at the school you chose? It was extremely important for me to understand the values of INSEAD. I really did my due diligence: asking probing questions to alumni and current students in my current industry and my desired industry, but also outside of these. That way, I knew there was alignment. In fact, even my interviewer stated that she was impressed by the challenging and candid questions I asked her in order to make an informed decision. I think approaching the process with humility and confidence, evaluating, and ultimately truly believing that INSEAD was the best place for me came across positively in the process.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I have been impressed by every student who I have had the privilege to get to know, whether it’s through the impact they have had or aspire to have in society, the adversity they have had overcome, or their unwavering support of others.

I most admire Nikitha Mannam, a filmmaker and animator and mother of a 2 year-old child. I admire her confidence and conviction – despite her non-traditional background – to pursue an MBA and immerse herself in new experiences. I participated in a startup bootcamp with Nikitha – which she ultimately and deservedly won – and I am confident she will succeed in her ambition to set up her own studio and also apply her learned skills to have a greater impact in her family’s NGO. Furthermore, Nikitha is somebody with great compassion, is always supportive of others and provides unique insights and calmness in an often fast-paced and intense environment.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? I am very fortunate to have a positive female mentor who has been a role model since my medical training days. She was present as my medical career evolved and when I entered the startup world. When I considered the option of an MBA and had doubts mainly due to imposter syndrome, it was my mentor who encouraged me to recognise my unique offering and supported me to apply to unlock my true potential.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I hope to continue serving under-represented communities and aspire to have my own startup addressing the needs of women in the Femtech space, leveraging my medical and startup background, and combining it with my learnings from the MBA.

I aim to pay it forward and improve the representation of women in business by extending my reach as a mentor and continuing to advocate for equal opportunity

What made Priyadeep such an invaluable member to the Class of 2022?

“Priyadeep brings fantastic diversity to the class. As a general practitioner who also took the leap into entrepreneurship and founded a start-up for postnatal women to take control over their wellbeing. The Admissions Committee was convinced that she is going to play an important leadership role in the future of healthcare.”

Virginie Fougea
Global Director of Admissions & Financial Aid

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