“I'm interested in how businesses scale and transform. At MIT Sloan, I've explored that question through the entrepreneurial mindset and the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework, and through experiences with organizations at very different stages.”
For Deanna Gutierrez, MBA ’27, her entrepreneurial spirit started long before her time at MIT Sloan. As an 8th grade history teacher, she saw the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbate existing inequities and strain resources in her high-needs urban district. “My students inspired me to bring innovation into my classroom and develop solutions to the challenges I was experiencing firsthand.” But Gutierrez wanted to also make an impact at a larger scale, by expanding access to education and healthcare.
She decided to pursue an MBA to deepen her hard and soft skills and to build a rich network, giving her the momentum she needed to make a pivot into strategy and operations work. MIT Sloan’s hands-on approach to learning with Action Learning labs, its world-class faculty, and community drew her to Cambridge. “At MIT Sloan, I have access to resources across the whole institute, which is a huge plus for exploring entrepreneurship.”
Already, she’s been working to make that large-scale impact. She took part in the Disciplined Entrepreneurship lab, partnering with Homeroom Hero, an ed-tech startup founded by three MIT Sloan MBAs that helps teachers save time and improve instruction through AI-powered tools. “It was a meaningful chance to engage with entrepreneurship at a practical, early stage while working on a problem I care deeply about: teacher burnout.”
She first connected with the founders before starting her MBA coursework, testing the product using her own lesson plans. To support the launch of a pilot program, Gutierrez focused on school partnerships and ecosystem mapping as she built a network map of the Harvard, MIT, and greater Boston education landscape to support early outreach and relationship-building.
“Through this experience, I came away with a more grounded understanding of startup growth and a clearer view of how disciplined frameworks shape entrepreneurial decisions.”
One Day with Deanna Gutierrez, MBA ’27
8:30 a.m.
I start my day with Teams Lab, led by professor Nelson Repenning and Sarah Hosein, SFMBA ’24. During this lab, I work one-on-one with an external executive coach to reflect on my teambuilding. We work through questions such as: What are my teambuilding superpowers, and how do I leverage them? What are my weaknesses and blind spots, and how do I mitigate them? How can I bring out the best in individuals and support effective team dynamics?
9:30 a.m.
This lab has been such a great way to reflect on my past professional experience, my time at MIT Sloan, and my future goals. After I graduate, I want to pivot into a strategy and operations role in an industry that expands access to education or healthcare, two areas I'm passionate about.
10:00 a.m.
This semester I'm focusing on some of the soft skills that I think are going to be so integral for the future of work. One of the big lessons that I've taken away from some of the more technical courses that I've taken in past semesters is that judgment and empathy are going to be absolutely critical in this new stage of work.
11:45 a.m.
Next, I head to a teaching assistant meeting with senior lecturer Kara Blackburn for Communications Lab. Being a TA has been a big part of how I've explored entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan.
12:00 p.m.
I’m the Head TA for this class, meaning I work as Kara Blackburn’s right-hand woman. Together we train 14 TAs and develop the facilitation guides used in sessions. The role draws on my experience as an 8th grade history teacher in Chelsea, Mass., and on the pedagogical best practices I refined at the Harvard Graduate School of Education as a Harvard Teacher Fellow.
12:40 p.m.
I grab a quick lunch at the MIT Sloan Cafe in E62, or Slafe. Lunch is a critical part of building community at MIT Sloan. Lunch at the MIT Sloan Cafe might be a cohort lunch, a Healthcare Club Lunch & Learn, a casual catch-up with friends, or a talk from an industry leader visiting for a course.
1:00 p.m.
After that, I have Global Markets, which is one of my favorite courses this semester. It’s taught by professor Simon Johnson, dean Rick Locke, and senior lecturer Luis Videgaray. The class focuses on the impact of globalization and geopolitical politics and the way in which those different forces impact business across the globe, raising key themes that I think are going to be integral for being a future business leader.
1:30 p.m.
Something that really surprised me about MIT Sloan was the warmth and accessibility of the faculty. There's a real open-door culture, and I've been able to attend office hours and build genuine relationships with my favorite professors.
3:00 p.m.
Once class is over, I head to Communications Lab with a group of six first-year students. TA’ing has been one of the best parts of this semester because it lets me invest in creating a meaningful learning experience for first-year Sloanies.
6:00 p.m.
After class, I have a Healthcare Trek Networking Event at Eastern Standard in Kendall Square. Because of MIT Sloan’s connection to the broader MIT ecosystem and its location in Cambridge, it’s made it easier to build my network and meet people with the same goals as me.
