Community | Values

Community, Culture, and Belonging for Everyone

MIT Sloan believes in the power of human potential. Knowing that good ideas and talented people come from everywhere, we strive to make our community a welcoming place where people from a diverse set of backgrounds can grow and thrive, where they can do their best work, and where everyone feels that they belong.

Organizations must be intentional about unlocking the full potential of their members by providing growth opportunities and removing barriers to development. Personal development thrives in environments where relationships are built on mutual trust, shared values, and a sense of collective purpose. We must cultivate a community in which everyone feels they belong—and is given opportunities to grow alongside, and learn from, people whose experiences differ from their own.

Our work is centered on advancing these goals for every member of our community.

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Meet our Community

Ana Carolina Smith

MBA '26

Undergraduate Degree and University

Bachelor's in Computer Science from Harvard University

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Julia de Alencar

MBA '26

Hometown

Recife 🇧🇷

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Aria Ragas

MBA '26

Hometown

Atlanta, GA 🇺🇸

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Muele Wilcox

MBA' 25

Undergraduate Degree and University

Bachelor of Science in Accounting University of Port Harcourt

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Mateus Batista Rocha

MBA '25

Hometown

Belo Horizonte, Brazil

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Leah Budson

MBA '25

Hometown

Newton, MA

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Sebastián González

MBA '25

Undergraduate Degree and University

B.A. in Economics from Rice University

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Paige Hartnett

MBA '25

Hometown

Andover, MA, United States

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Ted Phan

MBA '25

Hometown

Vietnam

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8:25 a.m.
I’m walking across the MIT Sloan campus on a rainy day, headed to my Economic Analysis for Business Decisions class – a core class – in Building E51. You can see the Charles River in the background if you squint.
8:40 a.m.
In class, friend and fellow MBA ’25 Aaron Thornton and I are talking about today’s assignment, which focused on competition among companies with undifferentiated goods. In this class, I’ve learned some useful frameworks around pricing and competition.
9:15 a.m.
In Economic Analysis for Business Decisions, we worked in our MBA core teams (groups of six classmates with whom you complete all your first semester projects) to write a strategy proposal for an aluminum company. Now, we’re trying to convince another core team that our proposal is the better option.
9:45 a.m.
That’s me and Neha Golakia, MBA ’25, in class.
9:50 a.m.
I’m on my way to Financial Accounting, another core MBA class. Accounting was one of those classes that I knew I had to take to grow as a founder and credible business person, but I dreaded spending time on it. It turns out, when you learn the rules, accounting is just a big puzzle. I’ve really enjoyed the class and can’t believe I hadn’t learned this skillset earlier.
10:15 a.m.
My accounting professor Matt Phillips (right) has done an incredible job making accounting principles clear and interesting. In this class we discussed stock compensation: the various types, how to approach compensation as an employee, and the decisions companies make in offering compensation to staff.
12:00 p.m.
Tim Valicenti, MBAn ’18, MBA ’24, and I are meeting in the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship to brainstorm startup ideas. Tim and I teamed up after the projects we were previously working on didn’t pan out. We’ve whiteboarded and experimented with a ton of ideas! A key reason I’m pursuing my MBA is to discover startup opportunities at MIT that I deeply believe in. These days AI is changing so rapidly, and MIT has been a great place to prototype while we search for a direction we have real conviction in.
12:30 p.m.
While at the Trust Center, I also attended the end of a “Pitch2Match” event, where founders can connect with collaborators and supporters. This one was focused on energy and climate startups. Tej Mehta, MBA ’25, and I grabbed a free lunch afterward. Tej is a good friend and founder who is building a company focused on reskilling workers to meet the massive labor needs of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy investments.
12:45 p.m.
Fatima Hussain, David Brown, both MBA ’25, and I. We’re walking to our Organizational Processes class in E62. It’s only been a few months, but I’ve been lucky enough to meet lots of great people at Sloan!
1:15 p.m.
In our Organizational Processes class, Professor Kate Kellogg teaches how companies operate – their structure, their internal politics, and their culture. Today’s discussions centered on re-skilling in companies. After your company has access to a new technology or process, should you re-skill employees or hire new ones? What are the pros and cons? This class largely revolves around reading case studies and discussing companies, and past Sloanies have told me it ends up being one of, if not THE, most useful class as a leader after graduation.
2:30 p.m.
I’m back at the Trust Center for the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Club content team meeting. Catherine Ming, MBA ’25, is on the team with me and we’re planning a conference for the club in the spring. Our main job is to track down speakers for the event, and it’s been a good way to meet more people in the space.
4:00 p.m.
I’m headed to Shy Bird, a restaurant across the street from MIT to meet with my MBA core team. Shy Bird has awesome fried chicken, and I love fried chicken. This evening, I’ll hang out with the team for a few hours before spending the night preparing for the MIT Energy & Climate Hackathon [It was held two days later Nov. 10-12, 2023 and a big success!].