My journey to the MMM Program began after completing a design thinking certificate from IDEOU. At the time, I was running my own architecture company focused on sustainable, site-specific designs. I was searching for ways to bridge my diverse interests and aspirations: managing a business and leading others to work collaboratively and with empathy; solving complex problems through creativity at different scales and scopes of design; and developing rigorous skills to tackle social impact and climate change with confidence and credibility.
When I discovered MMM, it felt like the perfect fit: combining a Master in Design Innovation with an MBA. I've always believed that the most innovative solutions emerge when you integrate different disciplines, and MMM embodies this philosophy perfectly. Another significant draw was the small cohort size and Kellogg's culture. Having relocated multiple times throughout my life, I deeply appreciate the value of a tight-knit community. Everyone I met from the program made me feel like I had found "my people"!
What is life like as a MMM student?
It’s intense, dynamic and stimulating! I’d say there are opportunities for everyone, and you have the luxury to choose how you want to balance academics, personal time, social activities, and recruiting efforts. This balance shifts from quarter to quarter, month to month and sometimes even week to week, which can be very refreshing!
MMM has an advantage of starting in the summer, when the weather is beautiful and there are only the 70-ish people from our cohort + students from the 1 year MBA program. This was a great start to our experience at Kellogg, having very structured pre-determined class schedules, and free time to meet all of our peers. It’s amazing how quickly everyone got along and became friends, enjoying the city (both Evanston and Chicago!).
After KWEST, which marks the beginning of the fall quarter and the arrival of all new students, recruiting and club activities also started so there was a greater need to choose what to focus on. Now, during Winter, things are falling into place more easily. We're starting to have a routine within our sections, clubs, extracurricular activities, and smaller groups of friends.
What have you loved about your MMM experience?
So many things! I've caught myself feeling truly fulfilled multiple times since I started the program. I look around me and I'm just blown away by the amount of talent, curiosity, kindness, and support from the MMM cohort. It's truly unique!
I love knowing that these are people I'll always share a bond with. Whether we're tackling group projects, enjoying dinners together, throwing parties, having movie nights, going on boat rides, or taking trips – it feels like I've gained a superpower!
It's such a gift to be able to see the world from a broader perspective now. I feel like I have the ability to navigate multiple situations with more confidence. It's not just about what we're learning in class (which is a lot!!) – it's about the whole experience and how it's shaping us.
What have you loved about your MMM experience?
Over the summer I worked at Amazon Brazil as a Senior Product Manager, and I was thrilled to join the Seller Experience team! I feel like MMM gave me a great toolkit that was appreciated by my manager and my team. The human-centered approach we practice in class helped me connect with sellers and internal teams, my main stakeholders for the project, and turn their pain points and aspirations into clear product roadmap. In practice, that meant writing an interview guide, mapping user journeys, and facilitating a design workshop with my team (it often felt like our fall class, RDB). On the technical side, analytics coursework (especially R, which I had learned during the Spring for the first time in AAA class) accelerated my ramp-up on SQL and data analysis, which I used to size opportunities and model the business impact of an upcoming launch. DDD course also shaped how I wrote a Business Requirement Document and collaborated with engineers, developers, and analysts. Finally, MMM helped me feel confident to participate in senior-level meetings.
