Northwestern United States - Publications - Faculty & Research

Portrait Project

Tanya Khakbaz

Say yes. When I was an undergraduate, I took an improvisation class on a whim. It completely changed my life. Improv has only one rule: say yes. Say yes to the scene that your actors are building with you, embrace their offers and build on them. Creating a story from... View Details

Portrait Project

Tomiwa Igun

I want to light up West Africa! Dark nights, paper fans, candlelight, kerosene lanterns, and aching backs from fetching well water — seems like medieval times! But these were the days of my youth growing up in Nigeria's most vibrant city, where constant electricity was... View Details

Portrait Project

Tedi Gouneva

I want to have it ALL. Maybe a few years ago, maybe even months ago I would have said that career is what matters most, but since I found the "right person" my view of what is most important has changed. I want the perfect combination of fulfilling work and a... View Details

Portrait Project

Suzanne Willis

No more pretenses. It has taken me a long time to get here. Growing up, I wanted to be just like my three older sisters. I liked medicine, because Lisa did. I played French horn, just like Gayle. I begged Allison to include me in her passion for drama. Growing up with... View Details

Portrait Project

Serge Vartanov

When I was sixteen, I had three loves: martial arts, video games, and this really cute boy who sat next to me in Algebra II. As I entered manhood, I realized that only two of these matched society's image of what a "real man" should love, so I hid my crush... View Details

Portrait Project

Sylvie Tran

In an isolated, desolate leper village in Vietnam, I observed a small child. The little boy was freely running around, pushing a makeshift toy, despite the harsh conditions. He was determined, energized, and intensely focused on his toy and I felt empowered by him. If... View Details

Portrait Project

Sridevi Raghavan

Looking out of the first floor balcony of my home in Chennai, I would notice laborers; rickshaw drivers and maids lovingly dropping their kids off at school. I could see their eyes sparkle with dreams and hopes for their children. I learned then of my passion to... View Details

Portrait Project

Sohil Parekh

When I was ten, I wanted to be an astronaut. I thought I'd be able to reach out and touch the stars. Today, my ambitions are humbler. I still want to fly. But it is in earning my wings that the joy of life will reveal itself. I will live my life for the journey and not... View Details

Portrait Project

Sarah Mullen

I plan to CREATE... a successful business that provides a valuable service to my customers – where I can see the fulfillment and satisfaction on their faces and know that the outcome has somehow improved their day and, hopefully, their lives (hospitality, healthcare... View Details

Portrait Project

Soma Mukherjee

I remember the words that graced the entrance to the Operating Room in my grandfather's nursing home in Calcutta: "I expect to pass through this world but once... any kindness that I can show... let me do it now... for I shall not pass this way again." Our... View Details

Portrait Project

Stephen Johnston

Ignorance made my grandmother a young widow; the unwitting victim of culture clash. Maybe this is why building a business to help people communicate and understand each other better is my goal. Cadburys started making chocolate to employ people, not the other way round... View Details

Portrait Project

Sasha Grinshpun

Have you ever been to Carnaval? I traveled to Salvador, Brazil, to witness (okay, okay, and participate in) the debauchery and mindlessness. Imagine the scene: thousands of youngsters dancing to Brazilian pop in the streets—in the scorching summer sun, three eight-hour... View Details

Portrait Project

Suzanne Floy Gauron

I cannot answer the 'what,' but I do know the 'how,' and maybe that's enough. Whether my accomplishments are many or few, I hope to live respectfully of all I have been given. As a child, I spent afternoons lying in the clover, staring up through the leaves of my... View Details

Profile

Samantha Ernst

When Samantha Ernst arrived at Wellesley, “I thought I’d be a math major,” she says. “Then I took multi-variable calculus and wanted to jump off a bridge.” Instead, Samantha studied economics. “I liked it because it’s a mix of people and numbers – a science that seeks... View Details

Portrait Project

Stephen Elliott

My wife Serap and I got married in June, 2009, on a boat on the Bosporus. And our family and friends from all over the world danced with us into the evening as the Istanbul city lights came alive. It's one of the sweetest memories we have, and I'm grateful we could... View Details

Portrait Project

Seth Cohen

Before arriving at HBS, I was well-trained at crafting a resumé. One page of pretty font boasted fancy themes like "entrepreneurial passion" and "social impact." Major life events glowed in bold type. That Dean's award. My first job at Bank of... View Details

Portrait Project

Shani Carter

Joy is all around me. It even compels me to dance while shopping in the frozen food section. Sadly, I almost lost my joy after Daddy passed away. Our move to Raleigh, NC from Plainfield, NJ a few years prior had taken me out of my comfort zone, and I’d relied on... View Details

Alumni WDYDWYD

Shirley Cardona

I'm glad I sweat the small stuff. My mother, a Colombian immigrant, juggled several low-paying jobs to provide for the two of us. As a child, I split most of my waking hours between school and a sitter's home. Every two weeks, on my mother's day off, we'd catch up on... View Details

Portrait Project

Stephanie Belcher

I'm a hustler. Resourceful. Clever. Scrappy. I've been hustling since I was a kid. I've been blessed with the ability to take things that others have tossed aside and make them worthy of attention. From repurposing materials for school projects and thrifting from... View Details

Portrait Project

Sara Alsadi

Two months into my MBA, life suddenly happened: my partner passed away. I struggled and isolated myself. I even considered dropping out of HBS. I lost my main support and guidance; a selfless and loving person who– above everything– wanted me to be happy. He was always... View Details

Publications