Blog

As summer begins to turn to fall in the Upper Valley, the CDS is excited to welcome back our second year MBA fellows to campus. These incredible students spent their summer at technology giants, innovative startups, category-leading companies, and top consulting firms. 

Over the last twenty-five years, the program has transformed in many ways. For example, student fellows today complete research projects on topics of their choosing. These projects were completed by the students across the entire second year and allowed students to “go deep” on a topic that was personally meaningful to them. Over the years, many fellows have completed outstanding work in their projects, with white papers produced often helping them land jobs after graduation! 

The center team has experimented with different constructs over the years as well. One such experimentation produced a two-year partnership with Google (via alumnus of the program, and current Global Director of Apps and Games at Google, Brent Dance T’13) where teams of three fellows partnered on research with the team at Google, resulting in two co-published white papers and presentations of findings to the leadership team at Google.

Read the joint Google-CDS whitepapers:

Playbook: Go-to-Market Strategies for Mobile Gaming Studios

Brand Marketing for Mobile Games

Another example of experimentation was a project by Alex Becker T’21. Alex worked with the center on a two-year project and independent study to publish an e-book on the future of product marketing through the Product Marketing Alliance. 

Read Alex’s e-book:

The Product Marketing Field Guide

A cornerstone of projects in recent years has been a requirement that fellows connect with industry thought leaders, often alumni of the program, to bring practitioners’ points of view into their work. This requirement also supports networking between students and alumni, and has been a valuable contributor to enhancing the impact of projects. 

Continuing our evolution of the program this year, the center has reframed the project requirement this year to allow for new modalities and add an element of service to projects. These new service projects will retain the aspects of research projects that have proven to be so valuable, such as the ability for students to determine their topic and the requirement that students connect with alumni and thought leaders, but will open up new form factors and implement a requirement that whatever project is chosen must contribute to the larger center and Tuck community. 

To showcase this evolution of the project process, we’ve asked T’25 MBA fellows to share a bit about their projects. Below, you will find overviews of each fellow’s project, why they chose it, and how it benefits the larger community. 

 

T’25 MBA Fellow Service Projects

Sidney Drill

My project: The evolving landscape of athletic tech

Why I chose this project: As an amateur athlete, I have a fitness watch, and regularly find myself asking questions: What is HRV? Are AI coaches actually smart enough to train me? Why does my watch always think I’m “strained”? In recent years, advancements in technology have significantly impacted the world of sports and fitness. From wearable devices to advanced analytics, these innovations have revolutionized how amateur athletes train, compete, and recover. I’m curious to explore emerging trends, available data, and future visions to better understand the evolving landscape of this technology.

How it benefits the community:  Empower individuals to make more informed decisions about integrating these innovations into their training routines and lifestyles, whether they’re training for an ironman or moving couch-to-5k.

Rohit Kattekola

My project: Podcast series with speakers from Tuckies in the Tech Industry

Why I chose this project: As a student going through the recruiting process in the first year, the focus at Tuck was majorly on consulting which sometimes means that students are not completely aware of opportunities elsewhere. Through this podcast I wish to bring in perspectives from Tuckies in Tech industry and thereby improve future Tuckies’ understanding of careers and also latest trends and happenings in the industry

How it benefits the community: Understanding speakers’ experiences in the Tech industry can help future Tuckies be aware of all the available opportunities for them and broaden their perspective about how they can shape their careers

Yifan Li

My project: Tech recruiting industry guide

Why I chose this project: While tech is a vast industry with lots of opportunities, tech is also much less structured than banking and consulting. For those who have never worked in tech, it is unclear what companies out there have the best growth prospects and how their skills and background could potentially benefit the companies. From my personal experience, I discovered that many students chose to not apply to tech jobs because they lacked confidence in their understanding of the industry. I would like to change this situation by creating a knowledge base of the most prominent sub-industries in tech, covering the core demands, key players and pain points of each industry. This would broaden my own perspective on tech and unlock new potential in tech recruiting for Tuck students.

How it benefits the community: The industry premiers will help students with no prior experience in tech to break into tech and activate the tech alumni network in the process.

Jessica Lim

My project: Coordinating Tuck’s Tech Recruiting Resources

Why I chose this project: I chose this project because I saw an opportunity to improve the tech recruiting experience at Tuck by creating a more cohesive and accessible support system for students. With the increasing interest in tech careers, I want to ensure that resources from the Tech Club, CDS, and Career Services are better coordinated and easier to navigate. By consolidating these resources into a central hub, my goal is to make tech recruiting a more traditional and structured path at Tuck, ultimately providing students with clearer guidance and support. 

How it benefits the community: My project will improve the Tech recruiting experience for students and make resources more apparent and accessible. It will also formalize and coordinate the roles and support offered by CDS, Career Services, and the Tech Club to improve student engagement with programming and improve service delivery to students. 

Thamires Mouta

My project: AI Immersion for Tuck Students

Why I chose this project: AI is revolutionizing the business landscape, significantly boosting productivity across sectors. Tuck students need to be at the forefront, equipped with the latest AI knowledge and leadership skills. To achieve this, I plan to interview Tuck alumni who are pioneering AI applications and create an AI Immersion Trek for our students.

How it benefits the community: This project will empower Tuck students with essential AI insights and skills, preparing them to lead in an AI-driven future.

Hernan Ovalle

My project: Empowering the Tuck Community with AI Through Experiential Learning

Why I chose this project: I chose this project because AI tools have profoundly impacted my own ability to accomplish tasks that I previously found challenging or impossible. I believe that by sharing my experiences and knowledge, I can inspire others to take the initiative to explore AI and leverage its capabilities. My goal is to demystify AI and make it accessible, so that more people feel confident in using it to improve their productivity, creativity, and decision-making processes.

How it benefits the community: This project benefits the Tuck community by equipping them with the knowledge and tools to harness the power of AI in their everyday lives. By integrating AI into their workflows, community members can achieve greater efficiency, tackle more complex challenges, and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Additionally, as AI continues to shape the future of various industries, this project ensures that the Tuck community remains at the forefront of these developments, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning.

Elsa Pikulik

My project: Balancing data-driven marketing and consumer privacy

Why I chose this project: I am passionate about privacy and have an interest in and prior experience with marketing. I decided to explore how businesses can effectively balance data-driven marketing with consumer privacy, a critical and often overlooked aspect of digital marketing strategies.

How it benefits the community: I hope that this research will benefit the community by providing practical strategies for businesses to navigate the complex landscape of data privacy, ultimately fostering a more responsible and customer-centric approach to marketing. The insights and best practices will help professionals, including Tuck students pursuing careers in marketing, sales, or consulting, enhance their understanding and implementation of privacy-conscious marketing techniques.

Juvenal Quinones

My project: My project aims to create a comprehensive database and network connecting historically underrepresented groups of students and alumni passionate about tech, facilitating mentorship, resources, and opportunities to build a sustainable pipeline that promotes diversity and inclusion in the industry.

Why I Chose This Project:

As a future tech professional, I am deeply committed to becoming a diversity champion. I recognize the systemic barriers that have historically marginalized certain groups, preventing them from fully participating in the tech industry. This project is intimately important to me because I believe that fostering diversity not only enriches the tech industry but also drives innovation and equity. By building this pipeline, I want to contribute to a more inclusive future where diverse voices and perspectives are represented in tech.

How It Benefits the Community:

This project benefits the Tuck community by fostering a culture of inclusion and expanding our network to include a broader range of perspectives and experiences. By building a database and network of students and alumni who are passionate about entering the tech industry but have faced historical marginalization, I am not only supporting their professional growth but also enriching the community with their unique insights and talents. This initiative will also enhance Tuck’s reputation as a leader in diversity and inclusion, attracting more students who are committed to driving positive change in their industries.

Imad Shaer

My project: The strategic tensions within critical digital topics (e.g., regulation in tech; consumer privacy and data openness)

Why I chose this project: I chose this project to enhance the strategic thinking towards business choices in the tech and digital world. The aim is to foster a culture of open-mindedness and diverse opinions towards digital features and areas that touch everyone’s lives on an individual basis. This also provides the opportunity to deepen the understanding of the politics within the tech world.

How it benefits the community: The project will open up a platform to discuss and develop thought leadership on topics current and future business leaders will have to engage with and work around. It will also hopefully create a greater space for healthy and informed discussions and debates around the digital world.

Valeria Tiffer

My project: Managing Trust & Safety in the Age of AI

Why I chose this project: As AI technologies become increasingly embedded in online platforms, managing trust and safety is more crucial than ever to ensure that these platforms continue delivering on their intended purposes. This project will engage Tuck alumni leading these efforts to understand their perspectives on AI and trust and safety; as well as exploring their roles in leading cross-functional teams to develop and execute trust and safety strategies. A series of panels will be organized and key lessons learned will be collected in a paper to be shared with the broader Tuck community.

How it benefits the community: This project will equip Tuck students with the necessary understanding to address these issues in their future careers to foster a safer and more trustworthy digital environment.