CLASSES
Blake Balser
Blake Balser
Biography
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Undergrad Institution: The University of Texas at Austin
Undergrad Major: Advertising
Pre-MBA Role: Advertising Account Supervisor
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Advertising, GSD&M
McCombs Organizations: Marketing Fellows, Graduate Marketing Network, CLE Fellows, Board Fellows, McCombs Ambassador Committee, Graduate Women in Business, JMBA
Why are you passionate about marketing? Marketing is a people industry, and I love people. Between working with diverse cross-functional teams and obsessing over consumers and their needs, Marketing is a fun industry.
Post MBA Career Goals: Marketing
What do you like to do in your free time? I like to play golf, hike, ski, try new restaurants and travel.
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Watching UT men's basketball games at the Moody Center.
Why did you join Marketing Fellows: I joined Marketing Fellows to gain real world, practical marketing experience outside of the typical classroom environment.
Favorite Ad Campaign: Under Armour's Rule Yourself 2016 Campaign with Michael Phelps
Will Burns
Will Burns
Biography
Hometown: Austin, TX
Undergrad Institution: Texas A&M University
Undergrad Major: Finance
Pre-MBA Role: UX Designer/Project Manager
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Residential & Commercial Services, ABC Home & Commercial Services
McCombs Organizations: Marketing Fellows, Graduate Marketing Network, Board Fellows, Tech Club
Why are you passionate about marketing? I love how marketing brings together a combination of sociology, psychology, creativity, and business
Post MBA Career Goals: Product Marketing/Management
What do you like to do in your free time? Tennis/pickleball, golf, hike, visit national parks and breweries, travel any chance I get
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Hancock Golf Course
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? To gain real world experience in the marketing industry
Favorite Ad Campaign: Dos Equis "The Most Interesting Man in the World"
Shane Centkowski
Shane Centkowski
Biography
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Undergrad Institution: UC Santa Barbara
Undergrad Major: Communications
Pre-MBA Role: Account Management
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Creative Advertising, David & Goliath
McCombs Organizations: Marketing Fellows, Graduate Adventure Business Club (GBAT), McCombs Soccer Club, Graduate Marketing Network (GMN), Graduate Women In Business (GWIB Ally)
Why are you passionate about marketing? I'm passionate about how and why consumers build relationships with brands
Post MBA Career Goals: Brand Management
What do you like to do in your free time? Playing soccer, surfing, reading, playing guitar
Favorite place/activity in Austin: The walking path along the Colorado River
Why did you join Marketing Fellows: To sharpen my marketing acumen and surround myself with professionals as passionate about the function as I am
Favorite Ad Campaign: Terry Tate Office Linebacker "Superbowl Spot"
Azzy Francis
Azzy Francis
Biography
Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Undergrad Institution: Louisiana State University
Undergrad Major: Chemistry
Pre-MBA Role: Analytics Manager
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Non-profit, The Commit Partnership
McCombs Organizations: BGBA, Tech Club, GMN, GWIB, MAC, Consortium, CLE Fellows
Why are you passionate about marketing? Marketing gives me the ability to exercise both my analytical and creative sides to ensure growth for the firm and fulfill a consumer need.
Post MBA Career Goals: Product Marketing in Tech
What do you like to do in your free time? Nature walks, live music/concerts, chilling at home
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Austin 360 overlook, exploring coffee shops and restaurants in Austin
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? My motivation to become a Marketing Fellow stemmed from my desire to be surrounded by a small community of students and industry leaders passionate about marketing. As a career switcher, immersive experiences outside of the classroom will be integral to me thriving in an internship and eventually securing a leadership position in marketing. Furthermore, there are certain hard and soft skills that I need to strengthen to exceed industry expectations upon graduation, i.e. strategic, big idea thinking, public speaking, and slide deck mastery.
Favorite Ad Campaign: Airbnb Made Possible by Host
Pooja Ghadiali
Pooja Ghadiali
Biography
Hometown: Mumbai
Undergrad Institution: D. J. Sanghvi College of Engineering
Undergrad Major: Information Technology
Pre-MBA Role: Entrepreneur
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Manufacturing, R-Tech Products and Packaging India Pvt Ltd
McCombs Organizations: Graduate Business Council, Graduate women in business, Marketing Fellows, Tech Club, International Graduate business association, Indian graduate business association, Graduate marketing network, Food and Beverage innovation club, Wine club, eQual, Wellness collective
Why are you passionate about marketing? It is the one thing that can really influence a consumer. It can be the make or break point for the success of the consumer. The ability to tell a story that can impact and improve people's lives makes me passionate about marketing
Post MBA Career Goals: Product Management
What do you like to do in your free time? Paint, Read, swim, write short stories, watch tv shows, bake
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? I joined Marketing Fellows to gain insights about different industries and solve real world problems in a short period of time. It also gives me the opportunity to become a more effective public speaker and story teller
Favorite Ad Campaign: Nike - You Can't Stop us and Biba- The change convention (#ChangeIsBeautiful)
Izzi Gonzalez
Izzi Gonzalez
Biography
Hometown: Alpharetta, GA
Undergrad Institution: Texas A&M University
Undergrad Major: Marketing
Pre-MBA Role: CX Analyst
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Financial Services, Citi
McCombs Organizations: MAC, Marketing Fellows, LAHMBA, GWIB, Consortium
Why are you passionate about marketing? I love the consumer behavioral piece of marketing and understanding the psychology of what makes consumers tick. I'm a creative thinker and love being able to take data-driven insights to create marketing strategies and campaigns.
Post MBA Career Goals: Marketing in Entertainment/Fashion/Beauty Space
What do you like to do in your free time? Play video games, hang out with my husband and my rescue pup, curating my closet, art & music
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Love eating out - some of my fav places include Loro, Kismet Cafe and Madam Mam's
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? I want to be able to improve my presentation skills and get rid of my stage fright! I'd also like to use this opportunity to learn more about the different types of careers in marketing, and how marketing is viewed across different orgs and industries.
Favorite Ad Campaign: "Dream Crazier" by Nike
Rashmi Gupta
Rashmi Gupta
Biography
Hometown: Nagaland, India
Undergrad Institution: Sikkim Manipal University
Undergrad Major: Technology
Pre-MBA Role: Software Engineer
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Aerospace, Boeing
McCombs Organizations: GWiB, IGBA, LAHMBA, Tech Club, IMBASA, Soccer Club
Why are you passionate about marketing? Besides storytelling, what I love about marketing is that it is dynamic and ever-changing. Marketing is more than just ads, its about creating value and communicating these values to the customers in the most effective way. It's about creating a trustworthy relationship with your customers and making them keep coming back to you.
Post MBA Career Goals: Tech Product Management
What do you like to do in your free time? Run/Hit the gym, but now also adding cooking to the list.
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Lady Bird Lake
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? To learn the art of curating products and businesses around the customers and address their unique requirements by understanding the elements of psychology and sociology to understand the consumers in a better way. The MF curriculum is impressive - with access to resources, live cases, working with companies, practicums, field trips and especially the network.
Favorite Ad Campaign: Nike: What will they say about you? and Dhara jalebi ad
Steven Huang
Steven Huang
Biography
Hometown: Dalian, China
Undergrad Institution: Colgate University
Undergrad Major: Economics and International Relations
Pre-MBA Role: Project Manager
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Education/Ed-Tech, Higher Ground Education
McCombs Organizations: eQualMBAs, EABA, GCG, MAC, IMBASA, LAHMBA
Why are you passionate about marketing? Marketing is about studying consumer insights and figuring out how to connect people with various brands. I love that!
Post MBA Career Goals: Consulting
What do you like to do in your free time? Exploring new food and drink spots, taking my dog to parks or hiking trails, and tennis.
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Walking my dog Baowie at Lake Mueller park and grabbing Veracruz breakfast tacos!
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? I wanted some hands on experience helping solve real life business marketing problems while being in school so that I can apply the knowledge I've learnt so far. But also, love the close knit community that marketing fellows have!
Favorite Ad Campaign: A new one: Amazon super bowl dog commercial
Priyanka Kingrani
Priyanka Kingrani
Biography
Hometown: Bhopal
Undergrad Institution: Thakral College of Technology
Undergrad Major: Electronics and Communication Engineering
Pre-MBA Role: Senior Operations Manager
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Publishing/Business, Nice Global
McCombs Organizations: GWIB; Board fellows; tech club ;IGba
Why are you passionate about marketing? It’s one thing to create a great product but it’s another to segment the right market and be able to change someone’s desire into a need . I am passionate about learning the techniques to make a want into a need and that’s why keen on learning about marketing .
Post MBA Career Goals: Product Management, Tech
What do you like to do in your free time? I enjoy writing short stories and poems , going for nature walks and practicing yoga.
Favorite place/activity in Austin: I love Titayas for a good Thai meal and Moge tea for some Boba tea.
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? My career path
Favorite Ad Campaign: Starbucks : it starts with you campaign
Ivy Lee
Ivy Lee
Biography
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Undergrad Institution: UT Austin
Undergrad Major: Supply Chain Management
Pre-MBA Role: Project Manager
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Semiconductor, Applied Materials
McCombs Organizations: Consortium, Board Fellows, GWIB, Tech Club, GMN
Why are you passionate about marketing? It's powerful to be able to discover an insight and tell a story that connects consumers to brands.
Post MBA Career Goals: Product Marketing
What do you like to do in your free time? Being outdoors with my dog Penny!
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? I wanted to learn and build on my creative problem solving & presenting skills by doing a real case challenge week after week. It's been a great experience with the most supportive group!
Favorite Ad Campaign: Spotify Wrapped
Caleb Makonnen
Caleb Makonnen
Biography
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Undergrad Institution: Texas A&M University
Undergrad Major: Supply Chain Management
Pre-MBA Role: Supply Chain Manager
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Bio-Technology, Agilent Technologies
McCombs Organizations: Black Graduate Business Association (BGBA), Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (CGSM), McCombs Ambassador Committee, Graduate Marketing Network, Sports Entertainment and Media Association, Graduate Consulting Group, Tech Club, Graduate Women in Business (Ally)
Why are you passionate about marketing? I have always been interested in psychology and why people make the choices they make. I enjoy putting myself in other people's shoes, understanding their pain points and finding solutions. A career in marketing allows me to marry my passions in psychology and problem solving and help a business grow in the process.
Post MBA Career Goals: Product Marketing or Strategy
What do you like to do in your free time? I like making music and working on entrepreneurial ventures
Favorite place/activity in Austin: I love going to concerts around in the city, especially during SXSW
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? I joined Marketing Fellows because I believe it will better prepare me for real-world marketing projects. I enjoy getting hands-on practice with other like-minded students and appreciate the variety of ways we execute cases, while also comparing tools, techniques, and insights. I believe this experience will sharpen my critical thinking skills, communication style, and firmly prepare me for my post-MBA career.
Favorite Ad Campaign: Liquid Death - "Don't be scared, it's just water"
Emily McHale
Emily McHale
Biography
Hometown: Berkeley Heights, NJ
Undergrad Institution: Boston University
Undergrad Major: Journalism
Pre-MBA Role: Marketing & Business Development
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Financial Services, American Express
McCombs Organizations: Marketing Fellows, GWIB, Tech Club, GMN, Food & Beverage Club, Wine Club
Why are you passionate about marketing? I believe marketing is at the core of any company's success - in order to attract customers, you have to successful market your product or service. I also love that marketing operates at the intersection of analytics and creativity.
Post MBA Career Goals: Product Marketing/Management
What do you like to do in your free time? Trying new restaurants and coffee shops; traveling; cooking & baking
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Lady Bird Lake
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? I wanted to join Marketing Fellows because of the unique opportunity to come up with solutions for actual business problems that companies are facing.
Favorite Ad Campaign: Airbnb, "Made Possible by Hosts"
Mona Mirza
Mona Mirza
Biography
Hometown: Sikar, Rajasthan, India
Undergrad Institution: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur
Undergrad Major: Chemistry
Pre-MBA Role: Product Associate
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Financial Services, Goldman Sachs
McCombs Organizations: Tech Club, CLE, MAC, GWiB
Why are you passionate about marketing? What excites me the most is marketing psychology - the attempt to understand the ways consumers think, feel, reason, and make decisions. Statistical inferences and data analysis are useful tools for that but to really understand the customer psyche - what makes them tick - not only helps businesses sell products, but build things that people want.
Post MBA Career Goals: Tech, Product Management
What do you like to do in your free time? I like to read/listen to audiobooks
Favorite place/activity in Austin: The Oasis on Lake Travis/Rowling hall
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? I wanted to use the experiential learning platform of marketing fellows to learn effective communication and customer-focused mindset . Coming from a technical background, marketing skills can help translate innovations into successful products and services.
Favorite Ad Campaign: Dumb ways to die - a public campaign by Melbourne Metro Trains to promote railway safety. The content was so memorable with playful animations and a catchy song. They leveraged humor and creative storytelling to instill behavior change and awareness. The shareability component led to a significant reduction in number of train related accidents in Australia. Google it!
Manasi Ranjan
Manasi Ranjan
Biography
Hometown: Mumbai, India
Undergrad Institution: Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Prayagraj
Undergrad Major: Computer Science & Engineering
Pre-MBA Role: Software Engineer
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Financial Technology, Fidelity Investments
McCombs Organizations: MBA Tech Club, IMBASA, GWIB, IGBA, CLE Fellows
Why are you passionate about marketing? I have always been fascinated by data-driven solutions for real-world problems and am particularly drawn to understanding how brands and products utilize actionable insights derived from data to develop the best strategies that cater to global diversity. Combining this with the power of storytelling, you get a compelling way to communicate complex ideas in creative ways.
Post MBA Career Goals: Technology
What do you like to do in your free time? I enjoy reading, drawing and playing games
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Walking around Lady Bird Lake
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? I believe the best way to learn about a field is to work on actual problems which the cases in class can help me with. I want to further explore and develop my expertise and learn from the very talented individuals within my class as well!
Favorite Ad Campaign: Vodafone's "Happy to Help"
Samina Sarwat
Samina Sarwat
Biography
Hometown: Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Undergrad Institution: University of Dhaka
Undergrad Major: Marketing
Pre-MBA Role: Product Manager/ Brand Manager
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Telecommunications, Telenor (Grameenphone Ltd.)
McCombs Organizations: Marketing Fellows, International MBA Students’ Association, McCombs Ambassador Committee, MBA Tech Club, Graduate Women in Business, Muslim Graduate Business Association, Board Fellows, Graduate Business Adventure Team, Wellness Collective, Graduate Marketing Network
Why are you passionate about marketing? I am passionate about marketing because it is an area where you can use analytical skills and creativity equally. Marketing, in this day and age, is so broad, and the possibilities to derive insights from, add value to, and make impact in each stage is endless.
Post MBA Career Goals: Tech Marketing
What do you like to do in your free time? Hanging out with my cat, painting, reading, cooking, music, watching true-crime documentaries, board games, traveling
Favorite place/activity in Austin: LORO, Kayaking in Lady Bird Lake
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? The Marketing Fellows program at McCombs is one of the best experiential learning opportunities to develop marketing skills. As an aspiring marketer, I joined Marketing Fellows as its rigorous curriculum will prepare me to tackle many real-world marketing problems.
Favorite Ad Campaign: Emirates Airlines “We’re On Top Of The World” Campaign
Nandini Shenoy
Nandini Shenoy
Biography
Hometown: Mumbai, India
Undergrad Institution: Government Law College (University of Mumbai)
Undergrad Major: Law
Pre-MBA Role: Director - Brand & Marketing
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: CPG, Pink Harvest Farms (gourmet food start up)
McCombs Organizations: GWIB (leadership). Memberships - Food & bev, IMBASA, IGBA
Why are you passionate about marketing? I love marketing because it allows me to apply both my inherent creativity and strategic skills to complex business problems. It has the power to transform seemingly random information into a meaningful story that can resonate with audiences for generations, and that's something I hope to achieve one day.
Post MBA Career Goals: Consulting/ Marketing
What do you like to do in your free time? Cooking/ Baking, hanging out with whatever animals I can find that day
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Does exploring the product aisles of HEB count?
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? To work with some cool companies and cooler people in a high pressure test every week, of course!
Favorite Ad Campaign: Share the Load - Ariel India
Gabby Stone
Gabby Stone
Biography
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Undergrad Institution: Stanford University
Undergrad Major: Major: American Studies, Minor: Psychology, Master's Degree in Communication, Media Studies
Pre-MBA Role: Marketing Associate
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Tech, Blue Tech Inc.
McCombs Organizations: CCIMS Marketing Fellows, Graduate Women in Business (GWIB), Graduate Consulting Group (GCG), eQual MBAs, Wine Club, UT Intramural Sports
Why are you passionate about marketing? Marketing relies on strategic thinking, problem-solving, and creativity to drive results. I'm passionate about solving these consumer puzzles and working closely with teammates to discover unique insights.
Post MBA Career Goals/Industry: Strategy Consulting or Marketing
What do you like to do in your free time? Taking my dog to Zilker Park, SoulCycle, swimming, eating tacos!
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Cuantos Tacos
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? I joined Marketing Fellows because of the program's emphasis on leadership training, strategic thinking, and team building. I was drawn to the case-based curriculum and ability to work on real-time marketing puzzles executives face today.
Favorite Ad Campaign: Nike "Just Do It"
Aaron Terrill
Aaron Terrill
Biography
Hometown: Shawnee, KS
Undergrad Institution: Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Undergrad Major: Financial Economics
Pre-MBA Role: Procurement/Supply Chain - Data Analytics
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Oil & Gas, Phillips 66
McCombs Organizations: MBA Soccer Club, The Consortium, Marketing Fellows
Why are you passionate about marketing? I love the freedom to integrate creativity with data and business resulting in engaging a global audience.
Post MBA Career Goals: Tech - Marketing
What do you like to do in your free time? Playing soccer, Watching NBA, Taking care of my infant child
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Food: Home Slice Pizza; Activity: Butler Pitch and Putt
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? I wanted to learn how to engage a customer base, and understand global marketing trends.
Favorite Ad Campaign: The Apple "cool guy" vs. PC "nerd" was a classic.
Carlos Torres
Carlos Torres
Biography
Hometown: Curico, Chile
Undergrad Institution: Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
Undergrad Major: Mechanical Engineering
Pre-MBA Role: Head of Business Development
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Chemical Manufacturing, Noracid
McCombs Organizations: LAHMBA, Soccer Club
Why are you passionate about marketing? I am intrigued about how some businesses are successful and others don't
Post MBA Career Goals: Tech, PM or Supply Chain
What do you like to do in your free time? Go to a park with my family
Favorite place/activity in Austin: All parks that are close to Lady Bird Lake.
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? Curious about Marketing
Favorite Ad Campaign: Apple campaign with giant billboards with pictures that had written "shot on Iphone"
Tiffany Wang
Tiffany Wang
Biography
Hometown: Taichung, Taiwan
Undergrad Institution: National Yang Ming University
Undergrad Major: Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences
Pre-MBA Role: Product Marketing Manager
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Healthcare, Envista Holdings Corp
McCombs Organizations: MBA Tech Club, Graduate Consulting Club, Graduate Women in Business, East Asia Business Association
Why are you passionate about marketing? Witnessing how more customers and therefore patients benefit from the products we provide through right marketing campaign drove my continued interest in marketing
Post MBA Career Goals: Marketing at Big Tech
What do you like to do in your free time? Trying new sports, reading, painting, cooking
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Austin Bouldering Project
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? It's a great/ safe place to refine my marketing skills most effectively with hands-on opportunities from real cases
Favorite Ad Campaign: International Women’s Day campaign by CPB London 2022
Jake Willis
Jake Willis
Biography
Hometown: Gorham, Maine
Undergrad Institution: Ithaca College
Undergrad Major: Communications
Pre-MBA Role: Program Manager
Pre-MBA Industry and Company: Non-profit, Back On My Feet
McCombs Organizations: SEMA, GBAT, Consortium, Marketing Fellows, MBA Soccer, BGBA, GWIB
Why are you passionate about marketing? I love solving problems for consumers, finding insights about their behavior, and leveraging them to better serve their needs. Marketing also has the power to inspire, and change human habits not just for the sale of products, but for the betterment of their lives.
Post MBA Career Goals: Brand Manager - Sports/Entertainment/Media
What do you like to do in your free time? Soccer, Pickleball, Running, Live Music Around Austin, Park hangs, Travel, & watch my beloved Boston Celtics.
Favorite place/activity in Austin: Barton Springs!
Why did you join Marketing Fellows? Marketing Fellows gives you a front-row seat to the frameworks and trends that executives are utilizing and thinking about today. It allows you to develop essential marketing skills in a real-world environment and test those skills in front of some of the smartest minds in the industry.
Favorite Ad Campaign: Find Your Greatness - Nike, 2012 London Olympics