Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog

The F.M. Kirby Impact Prize awards $150,000 annually to a social enterprise with proven impact and a credible path to scale.

We got involved with Net Impact because it was a community of like-minded individuals that we could learn from while gaining access to more relevant recruiting and professional resources.

Each role I held gave me a lesson that didn’t just prepare me for an MBA — it clarified why an MBA was the right next step.

I ultimately chose Fuqua to drive impact and change.

Traveling to South Africa was a reset in how I viewed human connection, social cues, and unspoken norms. As an MBA student used to efficiency, deadlines, and data, I found myself slowing down to absorb the culture around me.

I aimed to pivot from consulting to marketing, which I was successfully able to do. However, an MBA at Fuqua not only facilitated this transition but allowed me to explore alternative career interests, such as venture capital.

For anyone who is considering a business degree and feels concerned about their “nontraditional” path, I’d urge you to change your thinking.

Funding earned in the Fuqua Fast Pitch competition and CASE is supporting my entrepreneurial vision.

The entrepreneurial mindset is about recognizing real challenges coupled with a desire to solve those challenges and create a systematic approach to deliver a solution.

Being on the Kirby Selection Committee gave me a new perspective of scaling social enterprises and funding decisions.