Meet The Class Of 2018 At Kellogg

Dana Weinstein

Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management and McCormick School of Engineering (MMM Program)

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: A champion for saying “yes” to underserved people and communities when it’s easier to say no.

Hometown: Sharon, MA

Fun Fact About Yourself: For fans of The Office, I am related to the “real” Jim Halpert.

Undergraduate School and Major:  Princeton University, Politics and Women and Gender Studies

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:  Partners for the Common Good and the Community Development Bankers Association – Director of Innovation and Impact, Investments and Impact Manager, Public Policy and Communications Associate

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: A year ago, I had the opportunity to help design a new business line for my organization. A major investor in the community development finance sector was struggling to properly manage their portfolio. If they didn’t get help, they were considering pulling the plug on their investment program entirely. I worked collaboratively with my Director of Finance, Chief Credit Officer and CEO to craft a proposal that matched my company’s areas of expertise to the client’s weak points. The client required a lot of hand-holding and process took over a year to complete. At the end, it was incredibly rewarding to know that by being patient and addressing the investor’s needs, we were able to expand our business and keep a significant source of funding available to the industry.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? The hardest part about business school is saying no to amazing opportunities. So invest the time before and during the application process to really get to know yourself and what you want out of your MBA experience. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay flexible or open to other possibilities. But if you can articulate what makes you come alive, you put yourself at the center of your own story, which helps others (admissions officers, fellow students, employers) get excited about you.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? MMM was the reason I got interested in business school. I wanted my MBA to push me personally and professionally as well as help me get outside of my comfort zone(s). I was attracted to MMM because it champions non-traditional, diverse perspectives and trains MBAs to think at the intersection of what’s economically viable, technologically possible and most importantly, desirable for the people you’re serving. What I love about the program is that it provides significant hands-on experience in the practice of design innovation combined with a structured curriculum and a small cohort, all embedded within a larger world-class MBA. Also, the people at Kellogg are the best. Everyone is down to earth, interesting and interested. There’s no other MBA community like the one we have at Kellogg.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I am passionate about financial inclusion. I believe that innovative financial products and services can help meet the needs of low-income communities and create growth opportunities for financial institutions. My dream career involves the intersection of product development and business strategy – how can financial services providers apply human-centered design to better understand the needs of low income people? How can technology break down barriers and enable us to reach these communities? There are a billion people at the “base of the pyramid” and millions of people in the United States who would rather participate in the economic mainstream than remain marginalized on its edges. My dream job involves helping financial services providers see opportunities to meet these needs where others merely perceive risks.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program?   I’d like them to say that I always believed my classmates were “good enough” to go after what they wanted right here and now.