Impact Portfolio: We Are MLT
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Impact Portfolio ❯❯ Jerome Simmons

Jerome Simmons


ORGANIZATION

Adobe Systems, James H Lowry and Associates

EDUCATION

Undergraduate: Grinnell College
MBA Program(s): University of Chicago - Booth Graduate School of Business

MLT PROGRAMS

MBA PD 2016, MBA Prep 2016

Complete this sentence, "If not for MLT..."
I would have missed out on critical coaching and guidance that has set me up for success—not only over the last four years but also for the rest of my life.

Please describe the impact MLT had immediately upon completing your program.
MLT introduced me to opportunities at top business schools and employers and, more importantly, MLT gave me access to a community of professionals in those rarefied spaces. MLT equipped me with the knowledge and network to continue to grow and thrive as a management professional.

How has MLT changed the financial/economic trajectory for you and your family?
MLT was critical in helping me earn a spot at the Chicago Booth School of Business, one of the top business schools in the world. Through MLT's Super Day, I earned my job at Adobe, a thriving tech firm the Bay Area.

Has MLT elevated your personal and professional aspirations? If so, please provide an example.
MLT encouraged me to learn about different industries and career paths by meeting with different firms. I hadn't considered a career in marketing until I attended a brand camp hosted by an MLT partner. Now, I work in marketing strategy where I want to build my career.

How has MLT's community helped advance your personal and/or professional happiness?
I get a lot of pleasure from helping other people, so I enjoy talking to MLT MBA Prep and MLT PD fellows about Chicago Booth and Adobe. I love my work at Adobe and this would not have been possible without MLT alumni, coaches, and peers who helped me prepare for interviews.

Speak to a challenge MLT helped you overcome and how did that help your trajectory (i.e. confidence that you belong, growth mindset, vulnerability).
MLT helped me overcome the business school application process, which is full of hurdles and requires a significant amount of self-reflection. The organization encouraged me through test prep and personal development exercises, and MLT helped me connect with alumni, admissions directors, and current students in order to do the due diligence necessary to succeed in the application process. Chicago Booth was an exceptional two-year experience that reinforced my decision to pursue a career in marketing strategy and changed my view of the world. However, MLT was the catalyst that helped me secure this academic experience.

Have you helped advance vulnerable people on their path to economic mobility? If so, how?
Prior to business school, I consulted in Diversity & Inclusion and helped develop programs that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars flowing to diverse business enterprises. Today, I mentor people and provide guidance on the MBA process as well as different career opportunities.

Share 2-3 ways you've been able to accelerate your organization's journey toward greater diversity and inclusion.
I have mentored and coached minority undergraduate students through interviews at Adobe and I helped one student secure an internship at Adobe. I am currently developing a mentoring program for the Black Employee Network at Adobe.

Share your favorite song, movie, or book, and why it appeals to you.
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World—and Why Things Are Better by Hans Rosling. The book helps readers think about how to use data, while showing the positive social progress that has been made throughout the world.

What is your superpower?
I've got a very good memory.

What gives you hope?
Now more than ever, data measurement and tracking is being democratized, which empowers people to effect change.

This content has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Published in 2019

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