How has having an MBA benefited
your business? How would you say your time at
Hult changed you as a person?
The MBA program is an opportunity to meet
a diverse set of people. It was a cultural
shock to work with people from pure
sales, marketing, or IT backgrounds whose
experience was so different to our own. But
it is one of the best ways to learn many things
in a short period of time while simultaneously
making good friends and business partners.
Our very first partners were in fact from Hult.
Today we feel a close connection to our
global MBA network and we are still in touch
with the school for new hires. Hult was a very exciting and very
challenging experience. We believe we
became stronger, learned to deal with
“No” and how to fight for our dreams,
and find various ways to get the result that
we wanted. Basically, Hult prepared us
to be entrepreneurs.
Why did you choose Hult and what did
you want to get out of the experience of
coming to Hult?
When we were choosing a school, we
thought about Hult as a place for enhancing
our international experience. And in terms
of diving into an international environment,
Hult exceeded our expectations. It was
exciting to study with people from all over
the world. Also, for us as a couple, it was
important not to stay out of business for too
long—Hult was just one of a few schools
in the U.S. which provided a one-year
MBA program.
One of the most important skills we
gained was the ability to freely express
our ideas in front of a large audience.
Speaking at even small scale board
meetings before Hult left us feeling
uncomfortable, but after a year’s worth
of practice we felt confident participating
in conferences attended by hundreds of
people. The school’s focus on negotiation
and presentation skills was also
tremendously helpful for personal and
professional growth.
How has your Hult network benefited you?
Some parts of our business, such as
cross-border M&A transactions, relate to
intensive international activities. We often
reach out to our fellow alumni in different
countries for referrals or general guidance
on acceptable business practices. It’s always
great to have a fellow Hult graduate in each
country where we do business.
Will you hire any Hult alumni or students
to work for you?
We are always in touch with the corporate
relations department at Hult—the San
Francisco manager, Paris Badat, does
a great job connecting us with the best
students on campus. This year we hired
several talented folk from the school,
including our first hire from the bachelor
program, Gia Liu, who received the Most
Entrepreneurial Student Award. There is
probably no better place for hiring people
with an international mindset. We have also
reconnected with several Hult alumni who
helped us start Enter Capital, including Eric
Dew, who is now an Operating Partner.
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