Ƶ MBA alumni are directors of marketing and financial planning. They are vice presidents, global executives and health care analysts. They are business owners and leaders in their fields. They are working in places such as Bank of America, IBM, Red Hat, RTI International, Fidelity Investments, Oracle Netsuite, Credit Suisse, Duke University Health System, Wyndham Championship and Everlast Worldwide. They are also part of a network of professionals who will offer support, advice and guidance throughout your career.
Position: Team Leader
Company: Fidelity Investments
Brandon Swindell G’25 chose to pursue and MBA at Ƶ to stay competitive in his career and develop new skills in his field.
Ƶ provided excellent value. The ability to adjust the pace of the program based on my family and work commitments made it an easy decision.
Position: Digital marketing manager
Company: MDI
Brie Rainey G’18 says the Ƶ MBA was an investment in herself. Not only did she gain business knowledge, she was challenged to be a leader and received the support needed to redefine her capability zone. After graduating from the program, she began the next chapter of her career as a digital marketing manager at MDI.
The most frequent question I have received since graduating from the Ƶ MBA program is ‘Was it worth it?’ My response: Are you worth it? This program is not just another piece of paper or fancy 3-letter acronym to add to your resume. It is truly an investment you make in yourself. While I learned a breadth of business education from the coursework, the program challenged me to become a leader instead of a follower. With the tremendous amount of support given by the Ƶ MBA faculty and fellow classmates, I can truly say the program pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me the confidence to redefine my capability zone.
Position: Senior director of operations
Company: Propella Therapeutics, Inc.
Jonathan Lindberg G’18 credits the Ƶ MBA program for helping open doorways to career opportunities, further developing his global mindset, and growing his network. He says he’d do the program “all over again in a heartbeat.”
The Ƶ MBA program impacted me in so many profound ways. Professionally, obtaining this degree helped opened doorways, ultimately leading to a creation of an exciting new role within my current company. Personally, participation in the program helped me further develop an enhanced global mindset and perspective. Last but not least, the Ƶ MBA program provided exposure and access to a talented and diverse group of peers that I now am honored to have as part of my personal network. Perhaps the greatest endorsement I can give – I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
Position: Owner
Company: Simply Oak Boutique
Melissa Troutman G’15 recognizes her Ƶ MBA experience as a stepping stone to her dream of being an entrepreneur and business owner. She credits the MBA program for connecting her with community members and preparing her with the skills necessary to run a successful business.
I began the MBA program to help further my education and establish a solid foundation for a career in business. What I didn’t know at the time was that it would propel me into making my dream a reality. With the completion of a class project for a proposed business plan, I used the knowledge I had gained in my courses and applied it to real life; thus resulting in becoming an entrepreneur and starting my own business, Simply Oak Boutique.
Position: Consultant
For Josiah Jodrey G’18, his Ƶ MBA experience, which included studying abroad as part of the International Business course, helped grow his global network and lead him to career opportunities in the UAE.
During my time in the Ƶ MBA program, I was given the opportunity to study abroad and interact with business in an international context. This was a very impactful experience for me, and began my journey of networking with international companies and creating contacts in cities all over the world. Ultimately, my Ƶ MBA was the catalyst that gave me the opportunity to be working in Dubai as a regional operations manager.
Position: Marketing and social media manager
Company: Wyndham Championship
Leslie Johnson G’18 leveraged her Ƶ MBA experience to begin her career path to becoming a marketing director for a professional sporting event or team. After graduating from the part-time program, she is on her way as the marketing and social media manager for the Wyndham Championship.
I decided to get my MBA so that I could gain more experience and knowledge in order to better prepare myself for my dream career path. In my first class of the program, we had to interview and shadow someone in a position that we would like to see ourselves in. I ended up getting hired by the person I shadowed within a few months of the interview. That position, along with the MBA program, prepared me for the position of Tournament Services Manager for the Wyndham Championship, a PGA TOUR event.
Position: Executive director
Company: Beth David Synagogue
Corie Hampton G’18 wanted to make a career change from healthcare to business. After 3.5 years in the Ƶ MBA part-time program, she graduated with the knowledge, skills and connections needed for the next step in her professional journey.
When I began the MBA program I was in the middle of a career change and hoped to gain the knowledge and skills needed to help me transition from the healthcare world to the business world. Not only did I learn in class, I also learned from my classmates. The time with my Ƶ MBA classmates and professors helped me find my future career path and successfully transition into my current role as the executive director of a synagogue.
Position: Chief Operating Officer
Company: She Built This City
A passionate executive who has devoted her entire career to empowering underserved populations, LaToya Faustin G’10 has used her background in business and education to support upward mobility efforts in Charlotte for the past eight years. She is now the COO at She Built This City, where she is a staunch advocate for workforce development pathways and access to the construction industry for women and non-binary individuals in our community.
Choosing to pursue my MBA after finishing my commitment with Teach for America was not what I had originally envisioned for my career path but was absolutely an amazing decision. The Ƶ MBA experience adequately prepared me for the many hats one has to wear as a nonprofit executive and has been the cornerstone of my approach to community development. The nonprofit world isn't typically full of MBAs, so the perspective I can bring to the table often accelerates initiatives and conversations in both path and pace atypical of the industry.
Position: Director of Communications
Company: Morrisette
Not only did Morgan Hood G’19 gain a solid business foundation through the Ƶ MBA, she also developed the skills and confidence needed to advance in her career.
Ƶ's MBA program provided me with a holistic, business-focused education, which I lacked from my undergraduate experience. Today, my expertise in a variety of business areas is vast. I can bring value to any meeting, whether it be centered around finance, operations, team management or marketing. My greatest personal takeaways from the program are increased self-confidence and strong communication and public speaking skills.
