MBA + MS Design Innovation (MMM Program)at the McCORMICK SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING and KELLOGG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

Why did you choose MMM?

After studying mechanical engineering in undergrad and beginning my professional career in a role where I got to help bring consumer products to life, an MBA was not initially on my radar. However, as I gained more experience on the R&D side, I found myself being drawn to bigger-picture, strategic business questions. I wanted to better equip myself to tackle those questions and realized that an advanced degree would be the best way for me to do that. Initially, I thought an MBA would mean leaving behind my passion for innovation and creativity in the ways I had previously known it, so when I found out about MMM through the website it almost seemed too good to be true. The opportunity to formally build out a foundation in business while weaving in the things I’m passionate about, all while being surrounded by wonderful students & faculty at an incredible institution truly aligned with the next steps I was looking for. From then on, I knew MMM was a program I wanted to be a part of.

What is life like as a MMM student?

Even with a consistent class schedule, I think every week feels different and brings its own adventure! The summer quarter was a great way to adjust not only to life as a student again, but life in a new city with new people. I spent free time cycling with other MMMs, trying new restaurants, and enjoying living within walking distance of the beach (admittedly, it did take me a while to stop calling the lake, “the ocean”). After the fall quarter kicked off, I returned to a whole new schedule where lunch with my KWEST one week might be a recruiting event the next, and an alumni fireside chat the week after that. I spent plenty of time and sticky notes working with my Research Design Build group on our real-world client project, and we applied our teamwork skills outside of the classroom to cook a multi-course feast in celebration of our hard work throughout the quarter. So far, the winter has brought a new sense of excitement as I’m taking elective courses, helping prepare for newly admitted MMM activities during Day at Kellogg, and working on spring plans for the cycling club!

What have you loved about your MMM experience?

There are many things I have loved throughout my MMM experience so far, but two have particularly stood out to me: people and curiosity. On the first day of orientation, each member of our cohort shared a brief overview of their background, interests, and what excited them about MMM. I recall being so appreciative of how genuine folks were in sharing their passions, and I think that really set us up to learn from and collaborate effectively with one another moving forward. In my experience, this authenticity extends beyond my immediate classmates to 2^nd year MMMs and MMM alumni as well. Secondly, MMM has broadened my perspective on what it means to embrace curiosity and bring innovative solutions to life. I’ve stretched beyond my background in consumer goods to study a variety of products and services, both physical and digital, across Kellogg and McCormick classes. From doing a financial valuation of a pop musician’s discography, to conducting qualitative user interviews, to learning how to create and capture value from apples, I’m excited to continue exploring the intersection of innovation and business during the rest of my time in MMM and I know these are skills I will be able to carry with me throughout my career.

How did MMM help you during your summer internship?

In my first year of MMM, I felt that a lot of our curriculum focused primarily on growing user-centered ideas "from 0 to 1." This meant a lot of researching, hypothesizing, analyzing, synthesizing, and, ultimately ideating before narrowing in on a final concept, feature, or design to present. I love the ideation process, and these courses often served as a creative outlet for me amidst much of the core Kellogg coursework focused on introducing business concepts & skills in finance, strategy, operations, and more. However, one question I often found myself contemplating in MMM classes was, "how do we scale this?" I knew that it was one thing to craft a robust, well-thought-out idea, but one also needed stakeholder alignment, funding, buy-in, and more to actually bring the idea to life. As a Summer Consultant at BCG in their Chicago office, I had the opportunity to work on a growth strategy project for a client in the consumer space. In this particular case, the analogous "0 to 1" process had already been completed and it was my team's job to figure out how to scale and roll it out. While I would've been more than happy working on the upfront ideation given my background, I was really thrilled to have the chance to work on this scaling question that had been on my mind for so long. I was able to leverage skills I developed in both Kellogg and MMM courses to build models, synthesize market insights, and more, while contributing to the team's overall progress each week. I am grateful that the MMM curriculum has continued to instill in me the importance of active listening, understanding the "why", and working collaboratively, all while balancing key client & project nuances.