Complete this sentence, "If not for MLT..."
I'm not sure I would have accessed a competitive MBA program. I'm not sure I would have had time for true introspection, which gives me clarity on where I need to be today.

Please describe the impact MLT had immediately upon completing your program.
With MLT, I gained admission to an elite MBA program, a soft internship offer before I started my MBA program, and a national network of MBA's across the country.

How has MLT changed the financial/economic trajectory for you and your family?
MLT, like the MBA, has provided me with a network and an ability to be mobile in my career.

Has MLT elevated your personal and professional aspirations? If so, please provide an example.
MLT has definitely elevated my personal and professional aspirations. It has helped me gain the confidence and education to launch my own business ventures and to consult with others on their ventures. Had it not been for MLT and the MBA, I would have not had the confidence to leave a traditional career in order to focus on non-traditional business ventures.

How has MLT's community helped advance your personal and/or professional happiness?
My closest business partners and advisors are fellow MLT alumni. We have a real community.

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 formulate a plan to move to a career in entrepreneurship. The plan, or roadmap, gives confidence.

Have you helped advance vulnerable people on their path to economic mobility? If so, how?
One of my proudest moments was working with members of the Goldman Sachs recruiting team as we engaged with leaders of at-risk high schools to identify their top students. We were able to invite them to a Goldman Sachs-MLT-sponsored event and where MLTers from multiple industries spoke with students about best practices for managing the first few years of high school in order to land an internship. Since the event fell under none of Goldman Sachs’ divisions, I financed it myself. Years later, while hosting another MLT event, a young woman and her sister approached and thanked me, telling me that that event put them on an amazing trajectory. The young woman, Angelica Rodriguez, is now a student at NYU, an MLT Career Prep Fellow, and a banking intern at J.P. Morgan. I didn't have to do much more than point these talented high school students in the right direction in order to create impact.

Share 2-3 ways you've been able to accelerate your organization's journey toward greater diversity and inclusion.
Being a good corporate citizen and performing is one way I have accelerated my organizations journey toward diversity. I also hold informal gatherings with other minority colleagues to help guide less tenured employees. In addition, I collaborated with my company’s HR team to plan formal and informal recruiting events.

Share your favorite song, movie, or book, and why it appeals to you.
Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. I’m sorry for sharing a business book, but every time I go through my list of favorites, I come back to this one. It's about how to focus on things that matter—like building ideology first versus thinking about profits first—in order to build a successful company. Early in my career, I completed a management program where we spent a lot of time focusing on our ideology, which helped the book resonate with me. I'm not a bore, my favorite movie is Lee Daniel's The Butler. I think African Americans and their ability to move forward despite difficulties is so encouraging.

What is your superpower?
Listening and being helpful.

What gives you hope?
The silent army across multiple industries working toward the next social revolution, with a focus on eradicating social ills.