Blog

The Center for Digital Strategies is thrilled to welcome an exceptional group of rising second-year MBA students as our 25th class of CDS Fellows! This diverse cohort brings a rich tapestry of experiences, skills, and perspectives that will undoubtedly contribute to thought-provoking discussions and collaborations over their second year and after graduation as part of our alumni MBA Fellows community.

Welcome to the T’25 class of MBA Fellows!

Sidney Drill from Rockville, MD, combines B2B, SaaS, and data analytics expertise from her previous role at Qlik, enabling her to bridge technology and business innovation. A hobby wedding cake baker and marathon runner, she will explore the future of running wearables for her service project an is recruiting for summer internships in product marketing, marketing, and technical roles. Welcome, Sidney!

Rohit Kattekola from Hyderabad, India, leverages marketing expertise across SaaS, product, and brand management roles in the tech industry. He promotes building high-quality, long-lasting tech products for sustainability. Rohit, a certified barista who can masterfully brew a ristretto doppio, will join Adobe’s Digital Growth team in San Francisco for his summer MBA internship. Welcome, Rohit!

Yifan Li, a former senior software engineer at Grab’s Beijing office with full-stack development and SaaS expertise, is eager to discuss industry trends and learn from her peers’ diverse experiences as a fellow. A technical resource for the group, Yifan aims to build a tech industry map to introduce Tuckies to different domains. For her summer internship, she will join BCG San Francisco as a consultant in their Technology and Data Advantage practice. Welcome, Yifan!

Jessica Lim, a former state government tech consultant from Far Hills, NJ, believes in consolidating technology systems to improve efficiency and productivity. An interesting fun fact about Jessica – she was previously a competitive synchronized ice skater on Team USA’s Junior division! She will join Amazon’s Bellevue office as a Senior Program Manager intern this summer. Welcome, Jess!

Thamires Mouta, a fintech and retail banking expert from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, offers a non-tech perspective on strategically applying emerging technologies like AI. While excited about AI’s potential, she cautions against premature adoption before validating use cases. Thamires, who speaks fluent Portuguese, Spanish and English (and is learning Italian), will join McKinsey’s Miami office as a Summer Associate. Welcome, Thamires!

Hernan Ovalle from Santiago, Chile, a former product owner at Banco Bice focused on digital transformation initiatives and data visualization, brings unique insights from the tech and startup ecosystems in South America. An avid traveler who has visited all continents except Antarctica, Hernan is also passionate about mountain biking and exploring the trails around Hanover. He advocates for a balanced approach between digital and traditional methods. Welcome, Hernan!

Elsa Pikulik from Wellesley, MA, is passionate about gender diversity in tech. A former product marketing manager at cybersecurity firm SimSpace, she aims to promote more women pursuing tech careers. This summer, Elsa will join ServiceNow as a Product and Solutions Marketing Intern in Boston. Welcome, Elsa!

Imad Shaer from Beirut, Lebanon, a strategic thinker well-versed in digital transformation strategy from his time at Deloitte Consulting, is interested in analyzing the tensions between regulation, privacy, and AI. Challenging conventional wisdom, Imad advocates for the liberation of the digital world to enable innovation. Welcome, Imad!

Juvenal Quiñones from the Bay Area brings cloud computing, agile methodologies, and big data knowledge honed at Salesforce, advocating for responsible consumption and sustainability in the tech industry. This self-described “accidental daredevil” has a knack for stumbling into risky situations during his travels, from getting lost in jungles to sliding down inactive volcanoes. This summer, he will intern in Nike’s operations department at their Oregon headquarters. Welcome, Juvenal!

Valeria Tiffer, a former e-commerce founder from San Jose, Costa Rica, with a background in law is interested in exploring policy issues, privacy, and trust and safety surrounding AI technologies. An avid traveler who has visited 48 countries so far, Valeria also enjoys creative writing classes in her free time. She looks forward to broadly explore digital strategies, new topics, and remain updated on tech developments as a fellow with the CDS. Welcome, Valeria!

This talented and diverse group is united by their passion for technology, eagerness to learn, and commitment to driving digital innovation. Their unique backgrounds and the mentorship from the CDS alumni network promise an enriching environment for shaping the future of digital strategies. We are excited to welcome our newest Fellows and witness and support their impact at Tuck and beyond!

About the CDS Fellows Program:

In 2000, thanks to the generosity of Ed Glassmeyer, Roger McNamee and others, the Center for Digital Strategies opened its doors to MBA students at the Tuck School of Business. The mission of the center has always focused on educating business leaders, and in particular Tuck MBAs, on the enabling role of technology in modern businesses.

In our first year, the center welcomed three fellows into the center. Since 2000, more than 200 MBA students have benefited from the program, which has evolved to incorporate in-depth research and service projects, experiential learning trips, corporate research partnerships, case writing for Tuck professors, and customized learning opportunities tailored to each student’s interests.

The MBA Fellows program for second year students works to expand upon the students’ understanding of digital strategies and the impact of technology on the future of general management. Students are challenged to grow via hands-on learning opportunities, and are encouraged to build their networks and share their knowledge with the CDS community.

The program is highly competitive, with selection open to rising second-year students. Applications for the CDS MBA Fellows program are accepted in the Winter Term for the forthcoming academic year.