Kellogg Executive MBA Women

Cross Section of Kellogg EMP-87 Women

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. — Marianne Williamson

When I applied to the EMBA program at Kellogg, I had been out of school for 12 years, the first few of which I spent working in corporate finance at General Electric and Microsoft and in private banking. Then, I began working with my real passion – international development as Founder and CEO of a non-profit organization. I was also a mother to three daughters, ages 6 and 2-year old twins. Life was interestingly busy.

I have always enjoyed business. At 11, I recruited a friend to bake cookies to sell at the neighborhood corner – an uncommon act for young girls growing up in Nigeria, like I did. Even then, I was an entrepreneur at heart with a relentless knack for innovating and serving.

For six years, I was on the Kellogg distribution list, both electronic and print. I knew that I wanted to one day go back for my MBA, but there never seemed to be an ideal time. There was career, then family, then children. There was always a reason I couldn’t pursue this dream at the time or really at any time. How would I juggle a demanding career with a young family and an intensive MBA program?

However, I thought, “If I don’t do the MBA now, I never will.” In 2010, I took the bold step and applied to Kellogg. I was at a point in my career where I knew having an Executive MBA from Kellogg would make a world of difference for me and my organization. I remember driving down to Evanston from Louisville with my husband in inclement weather to attend an informational session at the Allen Center. As I stood in a room filled with accomplished “career gurus,” I pinched myself to see if this was really happening, if I was really where I thought I was and then whispered under my breath, “What am I doing here?” There were Senior VPs of investment management institutions, regional sales directors at pharmaceutical companies, physicians and heads of specialty units in medicine, CEOs of Fortune 500 businesses – all very seasoned professionals.

As I scanned the room, I saw some women, but very few. There were two or three total. One of the women, Quiana Williams (EMP 85), was already in her first year. She candidly and kindly shared her program experience with me, the challenges of balancing family life and school and the overall outlook. In so many ways, I’m glad I listened carefully to the advice she gave me. Another woman, Grace Healy (EMP 86), also an applicant, shared her background and her application timing. Coincidentally, Grace and I ended up both being admitted the same year, became great friends and were pillars of support for each other during the course of the program.

According to the Graduate Management Admission Council, applications from women in Executive MBA programs were up substantially in 2012, by 37%, but still incredibly low compared to full-time programs. There are many reasons for this, including the lack of an enabling environment for women, cultural barriers and the fact that these programs are available to women in probably one of the most challenging periods of their lives: mid-career while raising a family.

In my cohort, EMP 87, there were 44 students, 11 of whom were women. Immediately, I identified a gap and longed to create an enabling platform for women, like myself, applying to or already enrolled in the EMBA program. Thus, Kellogg EMBA Women was born. I was fortunate to work with an amazing woman and classmate, Rebecca Madelman (EMP 83), to flesh out the idea and mobilize our classmates to join the efforts. The purpose of Kellogg EMBA Women is to connect and support EMBA women at Kellogg through selectively targeted networking events, speaker series, mentoring programs and community service.

Success in the business world, as we know, is not all about working hard. It’s about that strong sense of community, diversity that includes the presence of women and how active they are, good mentorships and a support network. In addition to a mentor/mentee program within the Kellogg EMBA Women platform, there will also be opportunities for female applicants to join existing students or alumni at Kellogg events and for applicants to participate in breakfast sessions that encourage networking and support among Kellogg’s female community. It was very inspiring to see some of my male classmates pitching in and providing insight and contacts based on their experiences and an understanding of me for whom I am – a woman.

I am really excited to see how this platform plays out this year and to share success stories with the broader Kellogg community.

Women from Kellogg EMP 87 Outside of Class

Boundaryless Learning and the Business Card Series

Bernard Godley, EMP87, presenting “Teamwork in the Operating Room” for the Business Card Series

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other – John F. Kennedy

Balancing theory and practice is a key characteristic of the EMBA program at Kellogg. My classmates in the Executive MBA program are high-level executives with substantial experience in management and come from Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, public and nonprofit organizations. Throughout the course of a year, we have amazing speakers and faculty come in to speak to us. Randy Lewis, Senior VP at Walgreens, spoke about leadership and intrepreneurship.  He shared with us how he identified an opportunity to integrate people with disabilities in Walgreens distribution centers, a win-win proposition for the company and the community. Professor Jamie Jones from the Social Enterprise at Kellogg (SEEK) department also gave an exciting presentation on market-based models for social impact, highlighting socially responsible businesses, like Patagonia.

As EMBA students and because of our diverse experiences, we have so much to share with each other and to learn from one another. A unique opportunity to do this outside of the classroom setting was through the Business Card Series (BCS). I had the privilege of implementing BSC within my cohort, EMP 87. BSC provided a platform for my classmates to present their work, as well as current or past professional challenges. The presentation topics were selected and content developed in relation to one or more topics covered in class. I was pleased with the level of participation and feedback from my peers. The Series became so popular that suggestions were made to invite other cohorts to attend if it coincided with times they were on campus.

Sara Baker, EMP87, presenting “Best Practices in M&A” for the Business Card Series

Classmates could present in teams or individually. Doctors Bernard Godley, Julie Hughes and Richard Altieri – all physicians – spoke to us about “teamwork in the operating room.” Despite the fact that each of them represented different specialties, the take-away remained that being a good leader starts from building effective teams. Justin Poggioli shared information with us about the challenges and lessons learned from creating a new, cross-functional division in the high-technology industry. Classmates Sara Baker and Ray Ballotta presented some of the best practices in M&A. Sara, who has an HR background, shared the importance of cultural sensitivity and managing diverse global teams during times of corporate uncertainty and change, while Ray, a Partner at Deloitte, shared the rigors involved in M&A transactions in his industry. My classmates were quite impressed with the number of transactions of deals north of $500MM that he is involved in annually. Pedro Carjaval gave us insight into being at the center of a multi-conglomerate family business, and Bernard Roy, CEO of Capital Bank in Haiti, shared information on strategic crisis management, using the 2010 earthquake as an example of the leadership he demonstrated to prevent a total banking meltdown for the bank’s customers.

At the end of these presentations, one thing was clear: My classmates and I left the room feeling even more connected, knowing more about each other and inspired from having expanded our depth and breadth of business knowledge.

It’s the Kellogg Way

The Youth for Technology Foundation Supports Members of the Community

…But for many of their children, the sprawling urban zone of more than 450,000 people, including almost 32,000 registered internally displaced people, is a social, educational and careers dead end…
– UN Refugee Agency, 2010

Of all the choices of the world’s best business schools to attend for my MBA, I chose Kellogg. For me, one reason was the exemplary spirit of giving back that Kellogg students and alumni exhibit. Business leaders today are thinking about more market-based models. A great product idea matched to a noble mission is rarely enough to make meaningful progress in the face of massive social challenges, such as improving the livelihoods of billions living on less than $1 a day. Today’s leaders must understand that a strong business model must incorporate social and economic conditions of markets, cultures and beneficiaries or customers in resource-limited settings.

Last summer a few classmates and I had a life-changing experience when we traveled to Soacha, a town about 50 miles south of Bogotá, Colombia, to establish a community technology and learning center (CTLC), the Soacha Digital Village (SDV). With support from Kellogg and the Youth for Technology Foundation (YTF), a non-profit organization, we spent four days in Soacha meeting with and learning from the community, setting up the lab, conducting train-the-trainer sessions and providing technology training to children and the community-at-large.

Soacha, a grim marginal municipality to the south of Bogotá, is Colombia’s major reception center for internally displaced people. Approximately 32,000 displaced people live there. Like other large cities in the country previously relatively unscathed by decades of war, many of its poor neighborhoods, “barrios,” have become a breeding ground for youth gangs. Children involved in the armed groups are often not enrolled in school and do not participate in any after school programs. The establishment of the SDV is to reach out to those at-risk children. In Soacha, 80% of the families live under extreme poverty, due to lack of education, employment, public services deficit, forced displacement and juvenile delinquency. 

Before our working visit to Soacha, several classmates from my Kellogg EMBA class, EMP-87, first worked in partnership with a grassroots organization, Semilla y Fruto, and the community to understand what their needs were and how a CTLC could help address those needs. We were fortunate to have Rosemery Carrillo, a Colombian native and classmate, connect us with our partner organization and make initial introductions. We developed a deeper understanding of what activities really interested the community members, what their specific concerns were and what services would complement already existing services. Together, we developed a vision for the Soacha Digital Village that is above and beyond basic computer training, as it was important to view the technology as a means to an end and not the end in itself. Several of my classmates reached out to their employers, who generously donated technology equipment and computers for the project. Classmates like Troy Foster, chief technology officer at Bosch Software, donated hands-on time on-site to help lay networking cable and connect the computers.

At least 1,500 displaced children, ages 5 to 16 years, and their families will benefit from this project each year. The Soacha Digital Village provides these services in an effort to empower community members to develop life-skills and provide training on how to use technology to create opportunities for themselves:

• After school programs which integrate technology into youth activities
• Basic computer classes offered at a low cost to unemployed adults and at-risk youth
• Job training and placement programs
• Entrepreneurship and leadership training programs

There is a rise in the number of for-profit companies adjusting their models to a for-profit social venture or socially responsible business due to several factors, including privatization, pressure from the consumer, constrained resources, transparency, the economy and the opportunity, among others. It is imperative that MBA programs encourage future business leaders to think more broadly than pure profit, but also about social impact. It’s about building leadership skills and awareness for socially responsible global leaders.

Now, that’s the Kellogg way.

Walking through the neighborhoods in Soacha, Colombia on the way to the Soacha Digital Village.

02.

illustration by Edwin Lee

SONGS capture moments, and moments are a cocktail of happenstance, musings, grit and emotions — which collectively defines “what” we’ve done, “who” we are, and “where” we’re headed. And over time, we curate a meaningful soundtrack to our lives — comprised of songs that capture these defining moments.

Let me share a track from my personal soundtrack — Miike Snow A Horse Is Not A Home. It evokes early May mornings running alongside Tel Aviv Beach — the smell of the crisp Mediterranean Sea, powder-fine texture of Israeli sand, and slow escalating commotion of a city collectively waking up. This isn’t the recount of a recent business-related excursion or that of a birthright trip to the Holy Land. Rather, a Kellogg global elective. During the 2^nd year of the EMBA program, students can complete electives abroad (and urged) at a Kellogg partner school — this particular elective was at the Tel Aviv University Recanati Business School.

Israel is a place like no other — steeped in Biblical history clashing with modern sensibilities. Moreover, its epicenter, Tel Aviv, is a patchwork of modernist Bauhaus appeal coupled with the dodginess of New York in the 80s, and its half-million residents exudes the neighborhood quaintness of a long-forgotten Brooklyn absent of Williamsburg hipsters and when Dodgers roamed Ebbets Fields.

Most importantly, Israel has been coined “Start-up Nation” for their entrepreneurial spirit and cadre of successful technology start-ups — most recently exhibited by Facebook’s $100M acquisition of the Israeli facial recognition start-up Face.com. As a result, the 62-year-old nation with a population equal to the State of Virginia has emerged as a model of entrepreneurialism that countries (at all stages of development) covet and feverously attempt to replicate. As an economist, I applaud their savvy ability to supercharge the neoclassical growth model (known to macro-nerds as the Solow-Swan Growth Model), which implies: Technological Progress has a multiplier effect on the two principle drivers of economic growth – Capital and Labor. As a result, by focusing on increasing their economy’s “technology” quotient, the Israeli’s have been able to garner greater productivity out of both their physical infrastructure and population of 7.3 million; hence, Israeli technology start-ups attract more venture capital dollars per person than any country in the world and the economy boasts a standard of living comparable to their European and American counterparts.

I imagine the band of G20 finance ministers and central bankers kickin’ it at a Labor Day barbeque blasting Jay-Z’s A Star is Born applauding Israel’s meteoric rise to economic prominence (Everyday a star is born / Clap for ‘em / Clap for ‘em / Clap for ‘em / Hey), and providing a sustainable growth blueprint for young upstart nations with global ambitions. The Philadelphia-based dee jay Diplo defined it best, “Maybe it’s the mandatory military service in the most volatile area of the world, but Israeli kids party like there’s no tomorrow. They’re absolutely manic.” In sum, Diplo was attempting to describe Chutzpah — unabashingly ferocious tenacity coupled with unadulterated abandon that gives you the distinct feeling something special is about to happen.

SIMILAR to the EMP 86 cohort, the Kellogg-Recanati (KR15) cohort consists of extraordinary talents — comprised of Israelis, Arabs and Muslims. Yes! One would imagine Israelis and Palestinians sharing the same classroom would erupt into a West Side Story musical number with a well-choreographed knife-fight. But, contrary to the socio-political drama featured on Fox News and CNN, the KR15 cohort exude a collaborative partnership and mutual fondness that transcends stark cultural and political divides — not to suggest folks don’t have their differences — that is absent in today’s politics and public discourse.

One of the most vivid illustrations of transcendence occurred when the Palestinian students from the KR15 cohort organized a day trip to Bethlehem and dinner in Ramallah, both cities under Palestinian Authority. And since Israeli law forbids Israeli citizens to enter Palestinian-controlled territory unless they receive governmental approval, the Israeli KR15 students were discouraged (and forbidden) to attend. But, as I shuffled onto the tour bus with my fellow Americans — and Kellogg cohorts from Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia — we were joined by three Israeli KR15 classmates, who refused to be told they couldn’t break bread with their friends. Chutzpah at its finest!

Whether it’s a night out or the launch of a new venture, Israel’s next generation warrants our attention and admiration.  And to an equal extent, the rising tide of Palestine’s 21^st century business pioneers are not only savvy business minds; but also the engine that will build that nation and improve the lot of the Palestinian people. Clap for ‘em / Clap for ‘em / Clap for ‘em / Hey — just added another track to my personal catalogue.

Live-In Week Soccer Match – USA vs. International

Evanston, Illinois – Michael Antis had 4 shots on goal, scoring once, and assisted Steve Kinsick for another to lead team USA to a 3-0 victory over team International on Thursday. Antis was assisted by a gloriously long pass from Northwestern’s own Timothy Allen.

Jim Frank moves in

Sam Morton, the converted college football kicker, scored the other goal unassisted by blasting one past the flailing arms of international keeper Abdel Tefridj. Sam’s goal was the finishing blow to what some would call an embarrassing defeat of the international team. It was Sam’s endurance and team USA’s relentless pressure that eventually lifted them to victory. The rules for “the live-in week grudge match” were agreed upon by team captains Mark Buchmann and Abdel Tefridj with Sohel Kahn officiating. All in attendance felt the 11 on 11, 30 minute, co-ed match lived up to the hype.

The International squad showed signs of brilliance and were clearly the more eloquent team on the pitch. Long, accurate passes from Marco Fischella to Sri Chakravarthy evoked memories of Landon Donovan and Alexi Lawless. Arul Sugunakumar displayed amazing speed and control while weaving through the suddenly lead footed USA defense. Sanja Licina and John Duong showed strong legs and grit while remaining on the field for the majority of the match. Kara Carlisle, Natalia Pavchinskaya and Ana Vasquez proved to be scrappy on the defensive side of the ball, Kara even set aside her own personal safety and traditional soccer technique to block a pass with her face during a critical part of the game.

Victor Neira waits for the ball

However, it was the stamina of the America born team that would help bring them the victory. Chris Chenoworth, Ben Weiss and Jim Kennedy applied a constant attack on the international keepers. While Jerome Bryant, Jane Dillon and Kristi Dahlke provided a nigh-impenetrable wall on defense. The few shots that got through the American defense were quickly swallowed up by the sure handed keeper Jonathan Schroder. After the match, I was able to capture a quote from funny man Timothy Allen “What the United States team lacked in skill, we made up for with heart…..and skill.”

Congratulations to team USA.  You were the winner on the field, but we were all winners during cocktail hour!

EMP – 90 – Thanks Kellogg Staff!!

01.

illustration by Edwin Lee

THE GROUNDS of the Kellogg campus is indistinguishable from the set of one of those midday BBC Channel films featuring the emotionally subdued enduring love of an aged-couple – aptly titled “Geriatric Gestures of Endearment”.  Surrounded by the crashing waters of Lake Michigan, complemented by twenty-eight different varieties of spruce, and accented with Greco-Roman sculptures peaking out from a maze of exotic shrubbery.

Inside, Kellogg men wearing bespoke seersucker suits gingerly holding smoking pipes with their finely manicured hands exchanging light-hearted banter about making a “killing” shorting [insert overvalued stock ticker].  And out back, Kellogg women gracefully skating across a checkered-pattern lawn half-heartedly playing badminton in their Christian Louboutin red-soled stilettos chatting about the number of children they saved from [insert trivial 3^rd world ailment].

If this is your impression of Kellogg, please stop reading — I’ll be hard pressed to further the fantasy.  Otherwise, hopefully the recounts of my Kellogg EMBA experience will be insightful for aspiring EMBA hopefuls, evoke nostalgia for Kellogg alumni, or satiate my voyeuristic EMP 86 classmates hoping for a kitschy radio disc jockey shout-out.  Mike Zwonitzer it’s your birthday / we gonna party like it’s your birthday / we gonna sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday.

As a former speechwriter, I always find writing in my own voice rather trying — one tends to lose your own voice when helping others find theirs.  But, we’ll give it the “ole college go”.  Lets kick this off in early 90s DJ Kool fashion.  Let me clear my throat.  Ahem.  Ahem.  Cue the brass introduction.

My name is Michael and I’m in the 86^thcohort of the Kellogg EMBA program — started Kellogg in January 2011.  My professional career (to-date) is a collection of interesting experiences, started off at Salomon Brothers after reading Liar’s Poker, then went to work for the Democrats after being unsettled by the Gordon Gekko “greed is good” culture of the late 1990s, later moved back to New York and dabbled as a Saks Fifth Avenue catalogue hand model to selecting music tracks for Ralph Lauren fragrance commercials, then drove West to create television and film properties, to a tenure at IBM as an executive speechwriter and strategist, to now co-authoring a book with David Wilhelm, former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman and 1992 Clinton-Gore National Campaign Manager.

THE OPEN HOUSE I attended May 2010 at the Evanston campus seemed ages ago — when Apple stock was trading at a mere $199/share, before Charlie Sheen’s world tour of cocaine-fueled bad behavior, and Iron Man 2 was tops at the box office.  Last weekend, like a 2010 version of myself, a new crop of prospective students attended the Evanston Open House.  Many had similar questions, “How are study groups assembled”, “How has your Kellogg experience been”, and “What can I read to prepare for the EMBA program”.  The answer to the first two questions is “carefully” and “great”, but the latter is somewhat difficult to answer.  There isn’t any series of texts you can read or subject matter you can gain proficiency that will better prepare you for the program.  Rather, an earnest conversation with your partner (e.g., spouse, lover, or houseboy) is often overlooked, but most essential.  Ensure you lucidly communicate “why” you want to attend the program, “what” support you need to excel and your partner needs during your absence, and “how” it will enrich both your lives.  As the program progresses, it’s not macroeconomics or international finance that’ll give you fits — but the lack of encouragement and support you receive from home.  In sum, if you can’t muster enthusiasm and excitement from your partner on the merits of your candidacy — I doubt you’ll be able to convince the Admissions Committee either.

Partners’ Weekend: Always a Treat

Kellogg EMBA kids

So I’m a typical EMBA student -   thirty something, a husband with a demanding career, three young children, a super career and a life!  One of the reasons that the Kellogg Executive MBA program was top of my list when I considered going back to school was the amazing support network that I heard about and have now witnessed as being a part of the Kellogg family.  I remember talking with current students before I applied to Kellogg and being told that the successful completion of an EMBA was a “family affair”. In addition to the support from your spouse, partner or significant other, a key part of the two years is the support network that Kellogg provides to ensure that we have a satisfying, successful program experience.

My class, EMP-87, hosted the annual Partners’ Weekend from May 17-20 on the Kellogg Miami campus. Partners’ Weekend is designed to engage our spouses, partners and families in the EMBA program. During this annual tradition, they get a taste of life on the Miami Campus and a sense of what makes our Executive MBA program one of the world’s best. Partners are introduced to classmates and faculty and witness firsthand what it means to be an EMBA student at Kellogg – the amazing teamwork, the late study group sessions and the irreplaceable interaction, needless to say the amazing food the weekend offers.

The sacrifice and support of one’s partner is critical in ensuring their success as they balance career with study and quality time for family. Getting an EMBA is a significant time commitment and for my spouse, participating in this weekend was one of many ways for him to involved, expand his professional networks and make new friends.

It is always very interesting to watch our children meet each other, play together most of the weekend and become friends by the time the weekend is over. Lasting memories, for sure, and who knows? Maybe one day they will meet again in the same Kellogg cohort, this time as students themselves.

The weekend began with a social hour and a welcome dinner on Thursday. For some of us, this was the first time introducing our spouses to our classmates (my family was not able to make the weekend in my first year at Kellogg). On Friday, our partners had lunch at the amazing Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant where, despite the rainy weather that afternoon, there was great conversation. Many interesting conversations were shared at lunch ranging from how partners work together to share responsibilities for the children when one partner is away in school to how partners do the assigned readings together, just for the fun of it.

On Saturday, our partners had the pleasure of sitting through a class with Stephen Presser, a professor of management & strategy and business law at Northwestern. Professor Presser is a leading American legal historian and expert on shareholder liability for corporate debts. Partners came prepared to ask questions about American law and our legal system. Professor Presser expressed to several of us after the class that our spouses would make “fine lawyers”. Partners were also granted with the degree of “Master of Understanding” having participated in the class. Such a nice gesture!

The weekend ended with a wonderful dinner at Season’s 52 restaurant. Everyone attended with their families and the children had so much fun. Many of them were asleep by the end of the evening. These are the experiences we will treasure forever.

In reality, pursuing an EMBA is not just about one person; it is also about those that go through this experience with us – in one way or the other.  To them – our spouses, partners and children - we give thanks!