Experience Darden

Curious about asset management? In this episode of the podcast we catch up with Rodney Sullivan, Executive Director of the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management. We chat with Rodney about what led him to Darden, and the incredible resources and opportunities for Darden students interested in asset management – from courses – like Darden Capital Management, to summer internship support, to conferences – like the University of Virginia Investing Conference, to alumni relationships and more. Essential listening.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Kate Bishop (Class of 2022). Prior to Darden, Kate served in the United States Marine Corps, and we chat with her about her decision to pursue an MBA, what led her to Darden, how the Darden Military Association (DMA) supported her during her First Year, what she is looking forward to in her second year and more. Kate also shares insights about Building Goodness in April, Darden’s a student-run organization dedicated to keeping marginalized homeowners living in warmth, dignity and decency and to improving the facilities of local community groups.

In this special episode of the podcast, members of Darden’s Admissions Committee’s and longtime friends of the podcast, Whitney Kestner, Catie Yeilding and Christian West, share tips for researching your target MBA programs. They offer insights and strategies for leveraging virtual events, social media, current students, alumni and more to learn about the people and the communities that will shape your MBA experience. With the COVID-19 pandemic shifting most Admissions events to virtual delivery for the foreseeable future, this episode is essential listening for any prospective student considering any of UVA Darden’s MBA formats.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Mary Swan (Class of 2022). Mary is a second year student in the Full-Time MBA Class of 2022, and prior to Darden, she attend the United States Military Academy and served as an officer in U.S. Army. We talk with Mary about her transition to Darden, how she spent her first year summer as well as her advice for prospective students. Interestingly, after Darden graduation, Mary will be returning to West Point where she will be an instructor.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Oluwaseyi “Seyi” Oyenekan (Class of 2022). Originally from Nigeria, Seyi is a second year student in our Full-Time MBA program, and she is also President of UVA Darden’s Black Business Student Association. We chat with Seyi about her MBA journey, how Darden ended up on her radar, adjusting to the Darden classroom and learning through the case method and her interest in pursuing an investment banking career in Houston, Texas. 

In this episode of the podcast, we chat with recent Full-Time MBA graduate Pranav Dalmia (MBA ’21). During his time at Darden, Pranav founded the Business Ethics club. We talk with him about his passion for business ethics, why he thinks Darden’s practical, hands-on orientation to business education is so impactful and how he decided to pursue a PhD after graduation.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we welcome back friend of the pod, Senior Associate Dean Yael Grushka-Cockayne, to talk about UVA Darden’s newest MBA format, the Part-Time MBA. We also take time to check in with Yael about her first year leading the Executive MBA program, what she’s currently researching, why she’s so passionate about project management and how she’s processing England’s recent loss to Italy in the European Championship final.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the sixth installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Lili Powell. Powell is a member of the Communication faculty, and she also has a joint appointment with the UVA School of Nursing. We talk with her about her interest in mindfulness and resilience, as well as what she has learned from her work with healthcare providers. Powell also shares insights about how the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped and redefined the ways we communicate with one another.

In this episode we continue our spotlight on student founders with an interview with Jing Xu (Class of 2022). Jing has launched a coffee kombucha venture, Cobouchy, focused on creating a fermented coffee beverage that is all-natural, sparkling, probiotic and caffeinated. We talk with Jing about her entrepreneurial journey and how the Darden community helped her get started with her business. Jing also reflects on how serving as the University Judicial Council (UJC) Vice Chair for Graduate Students and University Judiciary Representative on the Darden Student Association helped shape her first year as a Darden student.

Please join our Admissions team for these special micro-podcast episodes giving you a step by step guide to the application process. There are two ways to listen to the playlist... here, on Spotify ► https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2EtyMkjZzi9ErgSjrTxKEl?si=1bffd345fee549ad

How do you get kids to read more? In this episode of the podcast, we chat with Daniel Dickey (MBA ’21) about his start-up venture, the Million Word Challenge, an app that was born from Dickey’s days in the classroom as a Teach for America volunteer and helps readers track how many words they read. Dickey also reflects upon his MBA journey, what led him to Darden, why he’s so passionate about education and the important role that books played in his own growth and development.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the fifth installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Mike Lenox. We talk with Lenox about what led him to Darden, why he thinks lecturing is dead, and why he’s so passionate about Darden’s high-engagement learning environment. Lenox also shares insights from his extensive work on climate change and sustainability, including findings from his recent books "Can Business Save the Earth" (2018) and "The Decarbonization Imperative" (2021), both from Stanford University Press.

In this episode of the podcast, we chat with rising second year Full-Time MBA student, Chris Kraft (Class of 2022). Kraft is originally from Minnesota, and she reflects upon her decision to pursue an MBA, what led her to Darden, as well as the challenges and the highlights from her first year as a Darden student. Kraft also hosts her own podcast – The Career Queer – and we even managed to find time to talk music, which given her connection to the Twin Cities naturally involved a discussion of Prince.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the fourth installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Greg Fairchild (MBA ’92). We talk with Fairchild about what it’s like to teach at Darden as an alumnus, why he’s passionate about entrepreneurship in rural and inner city communities as well as his work with the Resilience Project and the Darden Prison Program. Fairchild also reflects upon how his personal connection to the Tulsa Race Massacre has shaped his professional interests.

Where some people see problems, other people see opportunities. We chat with Coco Woeltz (MBA ’21) and Isabelle Kayal Larsen (EMBA ’21) about Hummingbyrd, their sports bra and athletic apparel-focused venture. Woeltz and Larsen reflect upon their MBA journeys, what led them to Darden and how the venture courses and resources of the Batten Institute brought them together. Woeltz and Larsen  also share insights about the importance of friction points in the entrepreneurial journey and what they are learning as they work to take Hummingbyrd to the next level.

File under: Essential listening. Executive Director of Admissions Dawna Clarke chats about the innovations for this year’s application, including essay optionality, the continuation of the test waiver pilot, and an update to the number of required recommendations. Dawna also shares her favorite tips and advice for Darden applicants, including the importance of approaching the application process with joy, excitement and pride in your accomplishments.

DeMario Moore (Class of 2022) and Jen Bundy (Class of 2022) are the newly elected Darden Student Association (DSA) President and Executive Vice President. We chat with DeMario and Jen about their background, how they decided to pursue an MBA and what led them to Darden. They also share more about drew them to DSA leadership as well as their vision for the DSA in the year ahead. We also discuss their best advice for prospective students, and why everyone should have a folder in their inbox title “Greatness.”

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the third installment of our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Dennie Kim. We talk with Kim about his background growing up in New York City, how he knew he wanted to be a teacher, what attracted him to healthcare and how COVID-19 has highlighted challenges and inequities in the US healthcare system. Kim also shares his advice for MBA students considering a career in healthcare.

This year, UVA Darden has three Consortium co-liaisons – Chisom Omenyinma (Class of 2022), Rafael “Rafa” Rivera (Class of 2022) and Sarah Rumps (Class of 2022). We talk with Chisom, Rafa and Sarah about how they decided to pursue an MBA, what attracted them to the Consortium liaison role and what their goals are for the year ahead. We also find time for a few time management tips, TV recommendations and, of course, pieces of advice for incoming Darden MBA students.

We continue our spotlight on student founders with an interview with Megan Nash (Class of 2022). Megan‘s venture, Rayna, is an electric hair trimmer made for women, by women. We talk with Megan about the inspiration for the product, what her research says about the potential market opportunity, how the Darden community have helped her along her entrepreneurial journey and how her venture has gone from idea to prototype and manufacturing in less than a year. 

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the second installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Kinda Hachem. We talk with Hachem about growing up in Toronto, what initially sparked her interest in Economics, her “Economics of Money and Banking” course and more. We also check in about a number of hot topics in Economics, including the current U.S. debate about inflation, K-shaped recoveries on a global scale, the greatest current threat to the banking system, and the concept of a global corporate tax rate.

Purvaj Dharia (Class of 2021) is the outgoing VP for International Affairs for the Darden Student Association (DSA). We connected with Purvaj earlier this year to talk about his MBA journey and how the DSA has supported international students during the pandemic. Purvaj also shares why he thinks people and culture should be top of mind for any prospective MBA student.

Did you know the fashion industry is responsible for 10 percent of global greenhouse emissions? However, Darden First Year student Elizabeth Blankenship (Class of 2022) has a solution. Her contemporary fashion venture, Coton, uses only existing materials, bought directly from other luxury fashion brands and mills across Europe, to produce its clothes. We recently connected with Blankenship to talk about her MBA journey, the inspiration for her venture and the importance of doing the hardest thing first.

Alex Zorychta (Class of 2021) is a connector, and his venture, Zalence, allows connectors to curate pools of people they think should meet one-on-one. We chat with him about his entrepreneurial journey and how the Darden community has helped him explore and refine his venture.

We caught up with Director of Venture Programs for the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (and friend of our Admissions podcasts) Jason Brewster to talk about the current state of the venturing at Darden. He also shares insights about effectuation, resources available to Darden student entrepreneurs and reading recommendations for aspiring venturers.