Riley Kiltz Vice President at Concentric Equity Partners
About
My business education informally started at quite a young age. During my childhood, my parents started multiple ventures and brought me along in the process. At a very young age, I learned the value of hard work and the creative freedom allowed to business leaders, which is part of what drew me to the business undergrad program at TCU.
After graduating, I worked for a small private equity group called Cephas Partners that was responsible for real estate investments and asset management for Blackstone in Latin America. It was a great ecosystem to learn in, but ultimately, I left to start my own company. I ended up launching two ventures. One of them I scaled and sold. The other I crashed and burned. Definitely learned more on the latter!
Q & A
How has MMM made a difference in your career?
Business school is a great opportunity to reset. I was burnt out and tired after launching the two companies, and I wanted to go back to the drawing board and reflect on what went well and where I could’ve improved as a builder and entrepreneur. The MMM program provided a soft landing and an encouraging community to do this work. By the time I graduated, I had experimented with many ideas and ultimately landed in a role that I would not have had access to prior to MMM. Additionally, I felt equipped to re-enter and thrive in the next chapter of life.
What value do you think MMM graduates bring to industry now?
Swagger. Not in an arrogant way (that’s not the MMM vibe), but we’re quite confident in our distinctiveness. It starts at Kellogg over the first summer but carries into the marketplace post-grad.
Impact > Fame. We tend to be more focused on valuable outcomes for the collective whole than getting credit for the right idea. Curiosity, ethnography, and empathetic leadership are a part of the culture, so MMMs are often trying to draw out the answer together with teams and customers, not construct it individually.
Self-deprecation. Pairing business with a design process is fun, unless you don’t learn to laugh at your losses. The faMMMily dynamic is rooted in an understanding that each of us are human and flawed…and that it’s okay. I notice that many MMMs learn to take themselves less seriously and often sit at the edge of laughter despite the intensity of the moment. MMMs are able to stay level-headed and keep those around them at ease while still achieving incredible things.
What advice do you have for a student just starting the MMM Program?
Lean in and drop your mask at the door. The MMM cohort is a special group of people who you will want to grow with. Start by showing up as the person you are, not some achievement aggregating cyborg. Getting a couple of master degrees may be useful, but the most valuable component of the whole experience is the relationships that will stick with you for life. This looks different for everyone. Some people hit up every event and others lay low with a small group. You do you, but do not let these two years go by without being honest and vulnerable with this crew. I think you’ll be surprised how well they’ll care for you and support your development.
