Wharton Stories » Wharton Ranked #1 in Poets & Quants 2024 Executive MBA Ranking
Wharton Stories
Wharton Ranked #1 in Poets & Quants 2024 Executive MBA Ranking
The Wharton MBA Program for Executives was named the top Executive MBA (EMBA) program by Poets & Quants in their 2024 rankings.
“We are incredibly honored to be recognized as the top Executive MBA program by Poets & Quants for 2024. This accolade reflects our commitment to providing unparalleled education and leadership development opportunities to our students. It underscores Wharton’s dedication to excellence and innovation in business education,” said Wharton’s MBA Program for Executives Director of Admissions Barbara Craft.
This prestigious recognition adds to Wharton’s impressive standing in other major rankings, including the top spot in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 list of U.S. EMBA programs, third place in Fortune | Education’s Best Executive MBA Programs, and a tie for second in the Financial Times’ Global EMBA rankings.
Wharton Field Challenge: Empowering Financial Futures
Image: Penn students explain to visiting West Philadelphia high-school students the difference between index funds and their returns. (Photo courtesy of MGMT 3530 TAs)
Third-year Anthony Wright describes taking an Academically Based Community Service (ABCS) course that teaches West Philadelphia middle- and high-school students financial literacy
This semester, I am taking an ABCS course, Management 3530: Wharton Field Challenge: Financial Literacy Community Project, a course that focuses on helping middle- and high-school students in West Philadelphia become financially responsible.
When researching Wharton as a prospective student, I fell in love with the idea that students were granted the opportunity to take ABCS classes and apply the knowledge learned inside the classroom to help West Philadelphia students. MGMT 3530 stood out to me in particular because it focuses on teaching financial literacy to students in underserved communities. As someone who grew up in a low-income community and a household with minimal financial literacy, I often turned to news articles, documentaries, and renowned business professionals to gain financial knowledge and advice. After finding this class, I knew it would be a privilege to share the financial knowledge I have learned at Wharton with these students and help them attain a life of financial freedom.
The class is structured in two main parts: lectures and in-class teaching lessons. On Mondays, Penn students meet to review the key financial literacy concepts we will cover in each week’s lesson plan. Moreover, we learn about the wealth disparities in the West Philadelphia community and how to best combat them. In these lectures, students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to hone their teaching techniques, classroom strategies, and overall basic financial literacy.
On Tuesdays through Fridays, Penn students go into West Philadelphia schools to build one-on-one relationships with middle- and high-school students and teach key financial literacy concepts covered in the lectures. The students are not only taught concepts but are also able to put this knowledge into practice. They have the opportunity to create the beginning stages of their own startups and can implement new skills in their business models. Furthermore, many students often begin investing in safe investments such as mutual funds, the S&P 500, and other high-performing, low-risk investment options, which start their journey to financial freedom and generational wealth.
One of the most surprising experiences I have had so far in this course is how interested these younger students are in learning about financial literacy. Whether it’s learning about ETFs (exchange-traded funds) and mutual funds, investing in stocks, or maintaining higher assets than your liabilities, the West Philadelphia students are so intellectually curious about what we are teaching and are constantly asking us ways they can immediately implement our advice into their lives and their financial wellbeing.
This course has been nothing short of eye-opening. Being able to witness these students’ brilliant ideas and their motivation to create generational wealth for their families has showed me how impactful this class is.
Growing up, I attended a school called Beacon Academy that helps eighth graders from underserved communities in Boston apply to independent boarding schools. This school changed the trajectory of hundreds of students’ lives, including mine. I was able to pursue my dreams of attending a New England boarding school which opened the door for me to attend a school like Wharton. After pursuing a career in finance, I want to return to Beacon Academy to continue the life-changing work they do and provide more students with the opportunity to create a better life for their families and themselves through education.
MGMT 3530 has inspired me to not wait until I am finished pursuing my career in finance to have an impact in underserved communities. Instead, it has shown me that I can have an impact on young students’ lives throughout my career.
For anyone who is on the fence about taking this class, I would highly recommend that they do. It is hard to understand the impact that you can have on students’ lives until you are in the classroom with them and directly interacting with them. For a lot of these students, they have never had the access to such helpful and useful financial advice, and are often so appreciative of the lessons we plan for them. Moreover, this class often gives students the inspiration as well as the confidence to attain a life of financial freedom, generational wealth, and potentially even pursue careers in business or finance.
Activities: Wharton Undergraduate Finance & Technology Group (WUFT), Black Wharton Consulting, Black Pre-Law Association, Wharton Ambassadors
About ABCS Courses
The Penn Netter Center for Community Partnerships offers approximately 80 ABCS courses a year, where students and faculty work with West Philadelphia organizations to help solve community problems, including environmental, health, arts, and education issues.
Wharton Stories
Bridging the Cultural Divide
Personal experience and selfless family sacrifice led Tsion Bezabih, W’27, to create a nonprofit aimed at helping young people connect.
One morning in my Ethiopian home, when I was seven years old, I was awakened by the sounds of laughter and packing. I quickly got out of bed and saw our luggage piled up on the floor next to my mom. I asked, “Where are we going?” She replied that we were going on a shirshir, which meant “vacation.” My parents would always call anything a shirshir, whether it was a trip to the amusement park in Addis Ababa or a visit to Awasa, a vacation spot in Ethiopia. So I assumed we were taking a short getaway to one of the usual local destinations. When we arrived at the airport, I was confused by my aunt’s and grandmother’s tears. Little did I know I wouldn’t be back for another six years.
During my family’s first year in the United States, I frequently complained about our moving away, which I could see hurt my parents. I had vivid memories of my parents back in Africa, with my dad drawing cartoons and heading the office of a newspaper company while my mom owned an import/export business. All of that changed in the U.S.: My dad worked as a valet attendant and my mom as a custodian. At times they juggled two jobs each to support our new lives here in Philadelphia. Going from an office to jobs like those wasn’t easy for my parents, especially considering they weren’t fluent in English. The hardships they went through helped me see how fortunate I was to have parents willing to make such sacrifices. Their difficult path led me to Penn, and during move-in last fall, I saw another Habesha woman pushing a cart twice her size, and I couldn’t hold back my tears. She reminded me so much of my mother.
My parents’ sacrifice, mixed with the hardships I witnessed in Ethiopia, inspired me to help others — initially, orphans in Ethiopia. After reading my college essay on the topic, my former eighth-grade math teacher and mentor, Larry Kaplan, GED’97, reached out to discuss a similar program he was thinking of developing. We quickly set up a meeting at a Center City cafe to discuss our plans for what would later be known as the Philly Unity Project, or Philly UP.
“Grit and passion not only inspire others but also allow people to truly believe in you and your mission.”
Mr. Kaplan, as I still call him, shares my belief that many of the world’s issues stem from a lack of understanding of other perspectives. To address this, we’ve built three components into Philly UP: an educational program that exposes students to a range of topics and fosters discussions; service projects that give back to the community and build deeper relationships among the students; and travel that allows students to see real-world applications of what they’ve learned about. During Philly UP’s first year, we met weekly to shape the educational curriculum and walked through the Rittenhouse Square area, talking to high-school students and professionals to spread our mission. We ran a pilot of the educational program with an amazing Central High School student, Sophia Cucinotti, discussing race and ethnicity for hours, then held a larger event with more high-schoolers to foster space for comfortable conversation and finding common ground despite differing views.
We sought advice from a range of people in our community, including Wharton professors Peter Fader and Martine Haas, whose feedback we incorporated into the programs. Initially, we wanted to create a more global program, but the financial challenges of international service projects were significant. We decided that starting locally was the best approach, and Philly UP has truly become a community effort.
I also faced personal challenges with my reserved nature as we aimed to get Philly UP off the ground. Mr. Kaplan’s guidance and classes I’ve taken at Wharton have allowed me to articulate my ideas clearly and feel more comfortable meeting strangers. Throughout our walks around Rittenhouse, Mr. Kaplan and I would try to talk to as many people as possible. This allowed us to spread our mission and connect with individuals who were inspired by our idea. As a result, we expanded our network, connecting with more people, including City Council president Kenyatta Johnson, G’00, and were even featured on NBC 10 news and in the Daily Pennsylvanian.
Our goals in the new school year are to fundraise, bring in more board members, and start the first Philly UP cohort by the spring. Recruiting students and talking to high schools in the area about partnerships has already begun. In the long term, our aim is to expand our mission and realize my dream of a global approach, taking students to other countries for service projects and building connections through travel and teamwork.
This experience has taught me that sharing your passions and ideas is essential, since it could lead to something great. Breaking out of your shell, no matter how difficult, is crucial to articulating your ideas. Grit and passion not only inspire others but also allow people to truly believe in you and your mission. Words are powerful, and if you can inspire one person to believe in that mission, it can create a ripple effect — much like the one my parents created for me.
Hometown: Philadelphia by way of Ethiopia Concentrations: Finance and entrepreneurship
About Philly Unity Project
The mission of Philly UP is to nurture and inspire teens to break down racial, cultural and religious barriers by building up understanding, empathy and human dignity.
Wharton Stories
Wharton student interns at Common Cents
“As financial landscapes evolve and new economic challenges arise, the role of organizations like Common Cents becomes even more important”
Erin Hong, WH ’26, Tenafly, NJ
Published on November 6, 2024.
This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern at Common Cents, a student-run organization at the University of Pennsylvania that doubles as a national nonprofit. Our mission is impactful yet simple: to prepare college students and underserved high school students with the necessary financial skills to achieve independence. The core of Common Cents’ approach lies in its community-oriented structure, where committees collaboratively organize events, workshops, and craft bespoke educational resources tailored to the unique needs of our peers.
The intimate setting of Common Cents, where I knew each team member personally, fostered a warm and supportive environment that was conducive to both personal and professional growth. This familiarity allowed for a free exchange of ideas, making our meetings feel more like brainstorming sessions among friends rather than formal corporate gatherings. It also enabled me to take initiative confidently, knowing that my contributions would be received openly and constructively.
This story is by Erin Hong. Read the full story here.
Tips for Round 2 Applications from the Admissions Director
The Round 2 deadline for Wharton’s MBA Program for Executives is January 14, 2025.
The Round 2 (and final) deadline for Wharton’s MBA Program for Executives is Tuesday, January 14, 2025. It’s crucial to start working on your application early, as crafting a strong submission requires significant time and effort.
This is the top recommendation from Admissions Director Barbara Craft. She advises prospective applicants to plan backwards from the deadline to figure out how much time is needed to secure sponsorship from your employer (their sign off is a required piece of the application). You will also need time to prepare for a standardized test, write compelling essays, complete the online application, gather transcripts, and secure a letter of recommendation from your manager or above.
“You can’t accomplish everything in just a week,” she says. “Begin early by discussing your plans with key people in your life, such as your partner, employer, and children. Their support is essential as you navigate this journey.”
Barbara also encourages visiting the program and engaging with current students. “It’s important to ensure that this program is a good fit for you. Current students can share their experiences in the program and explain the depth and flexibility of the curriculum and the time commitment required.”
If you receive an invitation for a virtual interview, be sure to come prepared. “Candidates should formulate thoughtful questions that relate to their unique circumstances and the Wharton experience. We’re trying to determine if someone is a good fit for this program and if the program is a good fit for them. Our questions aim to uncover how well prepared you are for an MBA, what your future aspirations are, as well as how you will contribute to the Wharton community,” she explains.
Recognizing that this is a significant decision, the admissions team is available to answer your questions and provide all the guidance they can, notes Barbara.
Here is a checklist of what is required to be submitted by the January 14 application deadline.
To learn more about the application process, we invite you to join us for a Virtual Application Workshop on Monday, December 16 from 7:30 – 8:00pm ET.This session is designed to help candidates navigate the admissions process, understand the requirements, and gather tips for a successful application.
Wharton Stories
Navy Vet Insights: What Military Applicants Should Know About Wharton’s EMBA Program
Navy Veteran and Wharton EMBA student Marco Segura, WG’25 aims to inspire and support more veterans in joining the program, by actively sharing his experiences, supporting military applicants, and demonstrating the value of their perspectives in the Wharton community.
Veterans and members of the military comprise more than 10% of the Wharton MBA Program for Executives (EMBA) class. Wharton second-year EMBA student and Navy veteran Marco Segura, WG’25, is one of those passionate to see that number increase.
“It’s a wonderful program and worth it, but like everything else you have to put your left foot in front of your right foot and go all in,” says Marco “Military students bring a lot of value to the program with their unique perspectives and experiences, and I am committed to helping more veterans transition into business.”He knows first-hand about unique experiences. Growing up in Lima, Peru, he dreamed of becoming an American and serving in the military. At age14, he embarked on an undocumented immigration journey to Virginia. Living with his aunt, he learned English in high school and planned a future in construction – until an admissions brochure arrived in the mail from the University of Virginia that ignited his aspirations for a four-year degree.
Marco with his mother in 2021, Photo: Ada Hermoza-Ross and George Ross
“I started to see how school was like magic,” says Marco. “It could unlock opportunities – and this would only happen in the U.S.” His new goal became to do well in school, attend college, and then join the military.
While he did earn his undergraduate degree from UVA, the rest of his plan was delayed due to his immigration status. As he sorted that out, he earned a master’s degree. Finally, after a delay of several years, he was able to join the Navy – but with a hitch. “When you’re a new American, you have to wait for a lengthy background check to be an officer, but I didn’t want to wait any longer to serve, so I enlisted,” Marco explains. With no prior mechanical experience, Marco became a ship mechanic and attended law school at night. “I was the only enlisted person in my Command attending law school night classes, waking up at 4 a.m. for military duties and then spending evenings in school.”
His focus shifted in his last semester when he attended a guest lecture by Wharton alumna and negotiation expert Mori Taheripour, WG’03. “Her talk ignited my interest in business and led me to consider pursuing an MBA at Wharton,” Marco recalls. After attending admissions events and engaging with Wharton’s EMBA program to learn if it would be a good fit, he decided to apply.
Today, he’s a second-year EMBA student at Wharton’s San Francisco campus, a Tillman Scholar, and Senior Assistant Vice President of Corporate & Investment Banking at Wells Fargo’s Confirmations Team. As a leader of the Wharton Veterans Club, he actively encourages fellow veterans to explore the EMBA program by sharing his experiences and how he navigated the admissions process.
Marco with his wife Karolline Segura Photo: Leonor Hermoza
Marco emphasizes how he made sure to tell his personal story and how he would contribute to the Wharton community. “Approximately 1% of the population in the U.S. serves in the military; we are unique individuals with our own experiences and perspectives that we can bring to the classroom. That kind of diversity brings value to the ecosystem.”
Another important part of his application process, he says, was preparing for the standardized test and knowing when to ask for help. “I thought I was going to apply in Round 1, but I wasn’t happy with my Executive Assessment (EA) score. So, I sought out tutoring to improve my score enough to apply in Round 2,” Marco explains.
Knowing when to ask for help has continued to be crucial throughout his journey. “In my first year, I struggled with some quantitative subjects, but a member of my learning team helped me understand the material. I went to his house every week and we’d work together. Wharton EMBA students are collaborative, and we’re all committed to each other’s success,” he says. The program, he adds, forms a tight-knit community. “It’s an amazing place with a unique student body. My classmates are my inspiration and have become family. That’s why I want to make sure to give back to other military applicants by increasing awareness and supporting them through the process because this is an incredible opportunity.”
Undergraduate degree University of Virginia, Masters Degree Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Law Degree Santa Clara University School of Law
Explore Wharton’s EMBA Program
If you are a veteran or military student, we invite you to register for our upcomingVeterans Webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 8:30pm ET to learn more about Wharton’s EMBA program.
If you have questions for Marco, he can be reached at: masegura@wharton.upenn.edu
Wharton Stories
Crayon Politics: Simplifying Complex Policy for Young Voters
Third-year Chuby Madu, along with fellow Wharton students, launched Crayon Politics, a student-run platform dedicated to providing Gen Z with easy-to-understand data to be more informed voters.
What specific experience motivated you to start Crayon Politics?
I started competing in congressional debates in middle school. While competing, one thing I often noticed from researching current events was that social welfare cases that were highly desired by the public were often still shot down in Congress. So, in a way, I have always been aware of a disconnect between politicians’ policy and what constituents want.
Where did the name come from?
The name Crayon Politics stemmed from our site’s goal of portraying political information in a simple, digestible way. When thinking about simplicity, my mind went to elementary school. From there, I started thinking about the different elements of elementary school until I started thinking about crayons. Crayons worked perfectly because they symbolized simplicity while also being multicolored. Politics isn’t just red and blue.
Why did you decide to initially focus on the Israel-Hamas war, climate change, and reproductive rights?
In politics, there are millions of issues. Since the goal of the site is to make politics more digestible, we aimed to unpack three key issues that voters care about. We went about this by interviewing over 200 Penn students on what key issues they thought mattered the most this election and showcased the results on our site.
We plan to expand the scope by continuously changing the topics showcased on the site based on data from our users on what they believe are the biggest issues in our current political climate. We also have a newsletter that will unpack current events and topics across all topics.
How do you avoid oversimplifying complex topics and misinformation?
The goal of our site isn’t to be the final destination for acquiring political information but rather the first step in the right direction. To engage most people in taking that first step, our information has to be simple and digestible. Our goal is to teach people to become data- and fact-driven voters rather than defaulting to their voting biases (for example, race, gender, political affiliation). To assist voters to be more research-driven, we link out debates and governmental resources towards the bottom of our website that users can explore.
We limit bias and misinformation by focusing on candidates’ past actions and current stances through direct quotes. Data that is shown on our site is confirmed information of what a candidate has either said and/or voted on for a particular issue.
How has your time at Penn contributed to your ability to create a product like this?
My time at Penn has opened my eyes to the power I have as an individual. I’ve taken a couple of entrepreneurship courses like Social Entrepreneurship that emphasizes creating with social benefit. That culture and drive to innovate while assisting people is what I brought to this. By going to Penn and taking entrepreneurship courses, exploring Venture Lab, and meeting entrepreneurially minded people, I’ve learned that startups/businesses have the power to make a difference in critical issues.
What are your long-term goals for Crayon Politics?
Our long-term goal is to push people to become more informed voters. By having more informed voters that leads to more informed voting decisions which ultimately puts better people in positions of power, creating better policy. We think young people especially have the power to lead this change, so we are focusing on Gen Z voters.
As we expand, we want to include more Penn writers and students interested in politics. We are considering expanding it as a club where students can volunteer. We’re hoping to onboard writers from other schools by recruiting them from their school newspapers.
Activities: Joseph Wharton Scholars, Black Wharton, Wharton Undergraduate Private Equity and Venture Capital Club, Successful Transition & Empowerment Program
About Crayon Politics
Mission: To close the gap between political knowledge and civic engagement among Gen Z by making political education accessible, engaging, and relevant to the issues that matter most to our generation.
“We work on clarifying core values, realigning with our strengths, and reconnecting with why students originally applied to Wharton. Ultimately, this helps students build confidence around individual recruiting plans.” – Maria Halpern, W’03
As students prepare for the anticipated rigor of the Wharton MBA program, one aspect often overlooked is the profound impact mental health can have on career outcomes—especially during the high-stakes recruitment process. We sat down with Maria Halpern W’03, Well-being Coach from Wharton’s Office of MBA Career Management, to discuss the intersection of well-being and career success. With a unique perspective as a Wharton alum, Maria sheds light on how stress, anxiety, and burnout can affect even the most promising job searches, and how prioritizing mental, emotional, and physical health can empower students to make meaningful career transitions.
Maria Halpern, W’03, Well-Being Coach in the Office of MBA Career Management (Image: Maria Halpern)
MBA Admissions: Can you tell me how you came into your role as a Well-being Coach, and what your goals have been since joining the MBA Career Management team?
Maria Halpern: The importance of well-being is something that is very personal to my own professional journey. When I was a Wharton student (many years ago!), my dream was to be a marketing executive. After graduating, I landed a great job at American Express and was ultimately promoted to Chief of Staff supporting the Head of Global Advertising and Brand Management. I was the epitome of a “successful” Wharton graduate and on the path towards my dream job, but the reality was I didn’t have the tools to help me manage stress and anxiety and I developed many unhealthy coping habits. I also have an autoimmune condition that is triggered by stress, so I was frequently getting sick and began reflecting on whether the corporate environment was the right fit for me. I realized how much I enjoyed helping others thrive in their careers, and that led me to become a career advisor at Wharton and for companies like Shift.org and IDEO where I was also supporting high-impact career transitions. While these roles were rewarding and I had left the corporate world, I was still struggling with anxiety and putting so much pressure on myself to be “perfect” that it took a serious physical toll. That’s when I decided to get educated on how our mental, emotional, and physical health is interconnected, so I became a health & wellness coach, certified through the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching. I was thrilled when Wharton’s MBA Career Management team hired me back as the team’s dedicated well-being coach because as a former career advisor (and student), I knew how valuable this new resource could be. My primary goal is to help students see their well-being as a key aspect of the recruiting process and provide them with the support and tools they need to focus on their mind, body, and authentic self.
MBA Admissions: How do you work with MBA students? What kind of issues can students discuss with you?
Maria: Students can sign up for well-being coaching the same way they sign up for a career advising appointment. These sessions cover a wide range of issues and students will often book several sessions to build some accountability towards the goals we set. Some students schedule time to discuss developing healthy habits around nutrition, movement, and sleep. Others want to think through strategies for managing stress and anxiety or prioritizing time across academics, community-building, and recruiting. Staying motivated, combatting imposter syndrome, and being true to your own sense of self throughout the recruiting process are also common topics.
MBA Admissions: What unique mental health challenges do students struggle with during networking and job recruiting?
Maria: We often liken the recruiting process to an endurance sport because it requires resilience, stamina, and a growth mindset. Students dedicate a lot of time to drafting resumes, networking, applying to jobs, and interviewing and in each of these stages, there will inevitably be some setbacks. Whether it’s not getting selected to interview, not hearing back from an alum you were hoping to connect with, or ultimately not getting an offer from a company you had your heart set on, those feelings can be hard to navigate. There are also marketplace challenges that are out of the student’s control, so it ultimately comes down to understanding what we can control… which is our mindset and the story we tell ourselves. We use research-backed positive psychology exercises and practices to help build resilience and motivation. Recruiting can also feel overwhelming if students are unsure of what direction they want to take or if students feel pressured to pursue a path because they see others doing it (we call this the “herd mentality”). When students pursue opportunities that are not aligned with their own interests, strengths, and values, they experience more stress and may end up in roles that are ultimately not right for them. This is another way well-being coaching can be helpful. We work on clarifying core values, realigning with our strengths, and reconnecting with why students originally applied to Wharton. Ultimately, this helps students build confidence around individual recruiting plans.
MBA Admissions: How can students maintain their mental health as they transition from 2 years in an academic environment back to their career?
Maria: The post-MBA career path is often associated with things like performance reviews and promotions, which places a lot of emphasis on outcomes and results. While I’m all for achieving career goals, when we focus too much on outcomes, we tend to get caught up in worrying about the future or ruminating about the past (i.e. Will I ever make it to the next level? Why didn’t I perform better in that meeting?) and we lose sight of the process itself, which is where all the learning and enjoyment tends to live. So, I’d encourage students to build consistency around a ritual that provides an opportunity to get back to the present and connect with themselves, or with a trusted person or community. Perhaps it’s a standing FaceTime call with a long-distance friend from childhood, or a simple meditation or journaling practice. Ideally, this is something that also helps connect you to the larger whole of life. For me, running in fresh air helps me feel more connected with the world around me and the intense physical activity forces me to stay grounded in the moment!
Our MBA Career Management team is dedicated to connecting students with a wide range of employers from the Fortune 500 to start-ups. Wharton MBAs are in high demand because they create immediate and sustainable value for corporate, nonprofit, and government organizations around the world.
Wharton’s MBA Career Management team helped 650+ companies make offers to Wharton students. MBA Career Management helps students leverage and build upon previous professional accomplishments and provide personalized support on the journey to achieve internship and full-time success.
Wharton Stories
Write Your Own Story: How the Moelis Advance Access Program Unlocks Opportunity for Students
The Moelis program “gives someone who thought they had to check a box for their business-school application a different opportunity,” says Ken Moelis W80 WG81.
Patricia Tang WG26’s admission to Wharton’s Moelis Advance Access Program changed her career trajectory. Tang, who began her MBA this fall, had planned to follow a traditional path to business school after graduating from Northwestern University: She would spend a few years as a consultant before pursuing her graduate education. But the program, which enables students to defer admission to Wharton’s full-time MBA program while they work for two to four years after college, “motivated me to think about different paths and what I truly wanted to do,” she says.
The Moelis program, which selected its first class in 2018, was established with philanthropic support from Ken Moelis W80 WG81 and Julie Taffet Moelis W81 to offer students a sense of professional license early in their careers. “It gives someone who thought they had to check a box for their business-school application a different opportunity,” Ken Moelis explains. In a sign of quick growth for the program, Tang and other Moelis Fellows — as students in the program are known — make up about one-tenth of the School’s newest full-time MBA class. “Part of the appeal is the assurance that you can do the things you care about. For some, it’s an opportunity to gamble, because they know they have their Wharton acceptance,” says program director Jake Kohler.
Tang’s self-reflection following her admission to the program ultimately led her to transition from a role in consulting to a post at online clothing reseller ThredUp, whose social mission fit with her own ambitions. “I was starting to think about how I could pursue a more impact-focused career in parallel with the fact that I had the MBA in my back pocket,” Tang explains. “The MBA was the push I needed to pursue my passion for sustainability.” Her product-management job at ThredUp also provided foundational on-the-ground experience at an up-and-coming organization, which affirmed for her that she wanted to fund rising businesses herself someday. Now while at Wharton, Tang is also an investor at Virta Ventures, a venture capital firm founded by Russell Sprole WG11 that backs companies working on climate-technology solutions.
Customizing My Wharton MBA: From Innovation to Inclusion
Image: Courtesy of Pexels
“Add on a major that terrifies you (quantitative finance, anyone?) Get to know your professors and the amazing work that has brought them to the University of Pennsylvania. And most importantly: go beyond the Wharton bubble and get involved in the greater Philadelphia community that boasts a rich history and dynamic population.” — Chelsea Perry, WG’24
One of the unique features of being an MBA student at Wharton is the opportunity to specialize and choose one or more concentrations (majors) in academic coursework. When applying to Wharton, I elected to study Entrepreneurship & Innovation if admitted. Prior to Wharton, I was a product development manager at CVS Health where I led efforts to disrupt the progression and treatment of chronic kidney disease impacting millions of underserved communities. Though I had laid the foundation for an incredible career, I was aware of technology’s unrelenting influence on disrupting and reforming the healthcare industry and knew I needed to evolve my skillset and business acumen as rapidly as healthcare delivery was changing before my eyes.
As a first-year student at Wharton, my company interests ranged from digital health startups such as TruePill and Cityblock Health to large tech companies with healthcare subsidiaries such as Amazon Health Services or Google Health. Choosing the Entrepreneurship & Innovation major seemed like a natural fit because it would allow me to develop acumen in technical and strategic functions such as financial modeling, decision-making analytics, and growth marketing to identify megatrends and opportunities in the burgeoning post-COVID digital health landscape. For these reasons, I was eager to explore Wharton’s ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation in and out of the classroom. Courses offered in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation major such as New Product Development and Healthcare Entrepreneurship, would equip me with the analytical tools and field project exposure to pitch product ideas in addition to gaining access to Wharton’s global entrepreneurship network. Little did I know that I would pick up an additional major in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in my second year at Wharton.
Discovering My Favorite Courses: A Deep Dive into Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
During my third semester at Wharton, I took a slight detour from my Entrepreneurship and Innovation coursework to study a topic I was deeply passionate about: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This was the first year the DEI major was being offered and I was keen to explore topics such as workplace discrimination, gender equality, and the historical economic exclusion and its consequences for marginalized ethnic groups in the United States. Having experienced the impact of structural discrimination and racism on the healthcare system in America, I looked forward to learning more broadly about the relationship between corporate firms’ performance and their purported endeavors to dismantle such injustices in a post-George Floyd society. Taught by Dr. Corinne Low, Associate Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, Economics of Diversity & Discrimination was the litmus test and class that ultimately led me to pursue DEI as a double major.
Another popular course and major requirement for DEI majors at Wharton is Reforming Mass Incarceration and the Role of Business. This class is the brainchild of Dr. Damon Phillips, a leading researcher and social justice expert acclaimed for his former leadership of Columbia University’s Tamer Center for Social Enterprise and current leadership of Wharton’s Coalition for Equity and Opportunity. His unique course offering introduces future leaders to mass incarceration in the U.S., its effect on employment and entrepreneurship prospects for formerly incarcerated people, and how the business community can contribute to the success of those impacted by the criminal justice system. One highlight of the course is the “Re-entry Simulation”: a virtual simulation that places MBA students in the shoes of someone who was just released from prison. Students experience how frustrating and near impossible it is for formerly incarcerated people to get on their feet post-release. Simple tasks, such as obtaining an ID card, visiting a parole officer, navigating public transportation, and adapting to new technology—all while managing on a limited budget—highlight the minimal structural support available to those reentering society after serving time. Many students who take this class and simulation end up enrolling in a follow-up experiential course wherein student volunteers serve as professional mentors and teach inside SCI Chester, a medium-security, all-male correctional facility in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Erin Guder, WG’24, Simone Hinson, WG’24 & Joshua Blatt, WG’24 after teaching a class on entrepreneurship and innovation at SCI Chester. Photo: Chelsea Perry
Seeing my friends and classmates become instructors actively engaged in lifechanging prison education inspired me to get more involved. I enrolled in the experiential course and joined the recruitment, education, and marketing team, helping coordinate efforts to expose more Wharton students and members of the Penn community to Professor Phillips’ incredible work. One of my favorite memories as a DEI major was visiting SCI Chester and observing a student-led course on tech entrepreneurship and innovation. Walking through the facility and learning from the brilliant course participants left a profound impact on me. In April 2024, I was also able to volunteer at the Business Case for Second Chance Employment Conference hosted by the Wharton Coalition for Equity and Opportunity. Co-sponsored by JP Morgan Chase and the Eaton Corporation, the conference brings together business leaders, academics, administrators, state leaders, and justice-impacted communities for discussions on creating pathways to sustainable employment for individuals who are formerly incarcerated.
Guest speakers at The Business Case for Second Chance Employment Conference hosted by the Wharton Coalition for Equity and Opportunity. Photo: Chelsea Perry
Overall, graduating Wharton as a dual major in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and DEI was a transformative experience that I will look upon fondly for years to come. As a Wharton student, I was fortunate enough to be put in positions to shed light on the privilege it is to be a student at this illustrious institution. My advice for current and future students: don’t take it for granted. Add on a major that terrifies you (quantitative finance, anyone?) Get to know your professors and the amazing work that has brought them to the University of Pennsylvania. And most importantly: go beyond the Wharton bubble and get involved in the greater Philadelphia community that boasts a rich history and dynamic population. Don’t squander an opportunity to leave this place better than you found it and unlock new interests and passions along the way.
By investigating how social, psychological, and economic factors affect the performance of individuals, groups, and firms, the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion major prepares students to face the challenges involved in creating and maintaining organizations that are diverse, inclusive, and rooted in equity. As organizations attempt to harness the contributions of many stakeholders, students who pursue the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion concentration will not only be well prepared for DEI-focused careers, they will also be prepared to be leaders of change in any organizational role.
The DEI major draws from courses in Management and other Wharton departments, including Legal Studies & Business Ethics and Business, Economics & Public Policy. Learn more here.
