In the four years since I completed the Weekend Executive MBA program, I’ve enjoyed leveraging my skills in amazing ways by expanding my leadership impact and starting a mission-driven business. My Fuqua experience was fruitful in many ways and heightened my skills in strategy design and implementation. I was inspired to develop further as a leader and entrepreneur. That ultimately led me to a Goldman Sachs program that pairs small businesses with resources to hone their focus and promote growth, the ultimate complement to my MBA foundation. 

In this Q&A, I share how I’ve progressed in my career and my unforgettable Goldman Sachs experience.

1. What have you been up to since graduating from Fuqua in 2020?

My life after Fuqua has been quite interesting and full of some phenomenal leadership opportunities! Shortly after completing the program, I was appointed as the inaugural chief medical officer of health equity, diversity, and inclusion (HEDI) for the Duke Health physician practice. In addition, my current role as the Vice Chair of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) within my department was expanded.

Collectively, these leadership promotions continue to allow me to spend more time focusing on how to develop strategic initiatives for equitable and inclusive care throughout our care delivery platforms. The combination of my experience as a surgeon and the leadership insights I gained from Fuqua has served me extremely well in these pivotal roles. I continue to practice orthopaedic hand surgery, my first love, which lends on-the-ground experience for thoughtful decision-making.

Additionally, I’ve been able to cultivate significant growth in the business I started during my MBA program. In 2020, I formed the Orthopaedic Diversity Leadership Consortium (ODLC), a membership-based consulting organization focused on providing resources for leaders of health equity and DEI in healthcare. Our mission is to optimize the sustainability and effectiveness of these roles and efforts through solution-oriented professional development experiences.

Taking a deep dive into entrepreneurship and innovation has been amazing! I have had the great fortune of presenting, teaching, and coaching leaders nationwide, and have partnered with major medical device companies and professional societies to facilitate the creation and elevation of their own health equity and DEI strategies. Further, ODLC was recently selected as an equity transformation partner of the American Hospitals Association.

Most importantly, since graduation from Fuqua, our family grew with the addition of our son, who is now three years old. He adds an entirely different level of energy to our household.

2. You recently graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. Congratulations! Will you please tell us about the program and your experience?

This program is an absolute game-changer! I was introduced to this opportunity by another Fuqua alum and quickly discovered the impact that it was having on thousands of small businesses over the years. The purpose of the program is to provide dedicated business growth education, networking, and business advisement for small business owners who have a certain level of success and want to take their businesses to the next level.

Goldman Sachs invests millions into this program for greater community and societal impact. Over 14,000 small businesses have graduated from these efforts. After applying and interviewing for the program, it became clear that this experience would be the perfect complement to my MBA education.

I was part of the 21st cohort of national small business owners, and we spent 12 weeks immersed in live and intensive education centered around the growth of our businesses. I was able to evaluate ODLC’s business model, our mission, vision, and competitive advantages. I also created a comprehensive growth strategy plan to maximize impact on the market and our communities.

The modules covered everything from marketing, leadership dynamics, and business valuation, and the faculty members were top-notch. For the last week, our cohort visited Goldman Sachs headquarters in New York for a week-long in-person experience, where we completed additional modules, pitched our businesses, and interacted with our section mates on a deeper level prior to the graduation ceremony.

You can learn more about my main takeaways from the Goldman Sachs program, how my Fuqua education prepared me for entrepreneurship, and my advice for others wanting to follow a similar path here.