Alex Min - Principal Consultant

An MBA graduate from the MIT Sloan School of Management, Alex was selected by their MBA admissions staff to serve as an Ambassador Captain. In that role, he interacted directly with applicants and provided input to the Admissions Committee on exceptional individuals. As an applicant, he also earned acceptances to Wharton, INSEAD, IMD, and UCLA. After joining The MBA Exchange in 2007, he helped numerous MBA applicants gain admission to top-tier business schools. Alex’s professional background includes entrepreneurship in the general aviation industry as well as international and domestic business development, sales, sales management, and corporate strategy for Fortune 200 companies such as global semiconductor distributor Avnet and $15-billion conglomerate Textron. He was an Officer and pilot in the United States Marine Corps. In addition to his MBA degree, Alex holds a bachelor of science degree in art and design from MIT. He is fluent in Korean.

Elizabeth Bender - Principal Consultant

An MBA graduate of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, she majored in marketing and management. While attending Fuqua, Liz worked in the admissions office advising MBA applicants. While her personal admissions campaign produced offers of acceptance from four top-tier schools, she selected “Team Fuqua” as her ideal fit. Over her 14-year tenure at The MBA Exchange, she has guided 100+ applicants (including two who lacked undergraduate degrees) in gaining admission to leading MBA programs including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, MIT Sloan, INSEAD, London Business School, IMD, and Toronto Rotman. She has also led several key sales and service initiatives for The MBA Exchange. Prior to joining The MBA Exchange in 2008, Liz gained pharmaceutical industry experience through management positions in marketing, sales and human resources for a leading benefits-management company. She also worked in sales and information technology at Eli Lilly and Company. Liz earned a bachelor of arts degree cum laude in mathematics from Hanover College. She studied services marketing, leadership, employee and customer loyalty, and business ethics at The Center for Services Leadership at Arizona State University.

Deepak Punwani - Master Consultant

An MBA graduate of INSEAD (France and Singapore), Deepak has interviewed applicants and trained other interviewers on behalf of INSEAD. Over the past decade he has helped numerous applicants gain admission to top MBA programs including Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, MIT Sloan, INSEAD, Berkeley Haas, London Business School, and countless others with many applicants also receiving substantial financial aid. As an entrepreneur, Deepak co-founded a renewable energy company operating in India and Sub-Saharan Africa. His earlier professional background includes sales management, corporate strategy, and brand development roles for consumer goods companies Colgate Palmolive and Goodyear in China, India and Singapore. Deepak has served as a management consultant for strategy formulation, due diligence, and process optimization for corporations across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, and gained early entrepreneurial experience in Europe. In addition to his INSEAD MBA, he earned a business management degree from the University of Mumbai. Born in Spain, Deepak speaks fluent Spanish and Hindi, and has travelled to over 40 countries worldwide.

Emily Buckley - Master Consultant

A former Associate Director of Admissions at Columbia Business School, Emily was a senior member of the admissions committee and manager of the waitlist process. She also led strategic planning for prospective student recruitment and admitted-student yield. Previously, she assessed MBA applications for Wharton and undergraduate applications for Princeton; served as director of educational counseling for a college admissions consulting firm; and was Associate Director of Admissions at Barnard College. Emily earned her master of education degree from Columbia University and bachelor of English literature and language from Harvard College, where she was captain of the women’s varsity swim team.

Grace Kim - Master Consultant

An MBA graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Grace has an outstanding track record of helping MBA applicants and reapplicants gain admission to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT Sloan and other top-tier schools. Consistently receiving 5-star reviews on Poets & Quants, Grace is particularly adept at helping clients articulate their backgrounds, experiences and aspirations through compelling essays that show who they are and the impact they’ve had. Clients benefit from her 20 years as an admissions interviewer for Harvard and Stanford and from storytelling skills honed during her 15-year career developing multi-million advertising campaigns and marketing billion-dollar consumer brands such as Botox Cosmetic, Yahoo! and ConAgra Foods. Her professional background spans the pharmaceutical, education, packaged foods, online commerce and management consulting industries. Grace graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor of arts degree in economics.

Jennifer LaRusso-Leung - Master Consultant

As a former Associate Director of MBA Admissions for Columbia Business School, Jennifer reviewed applications, interviewed applicants, and was a member of the admissions committee. She has helped numerous applicants gain admission to schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Booth, Wharton, MIT Sloan, Kellogg, and Columbia, among others. She takes a strategic approach to the application process and helps her clients develop a powerful narrative that sets them apart from the rest of the applicant pool. In addition, through her work with a non-profit, Jennifer has extensive experience coaching students with disabilities (visible and invisible) regarding the recruiting, disclosure and accommodations process. Jennifer received a bachelor’s degree in history from Holy Cross and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is also a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach.

Stephanie Horn - Master Consultant

Recognized by industry expert Poets & Quants as one of the “Top 10 MBA Admissions Consultants” for 2017, Stephanie is an MBA graduate with honors from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She was engaged by Kellogg to serve as an admissions interviewer. Immediately after business school, Stephanie was a senior associate at McKinsey & Co., advising technology and service clients on competitive strategies. She has worked in executive positions for DaVita, a Fortune 500 healthcare company; Viking River Cruises, a global travel firm; and Safety-Kleen, an industrial chemicals company. Since joining The MBA Exchange in 2011, she has helped a wide range of clients achieve admission to top-tier business schools worldwide. Stephanie earned a master’s degree in English and bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Bucknell University, where she was a recipient of the Mellon Foundation Fellowship.

Adam Jones

An MBA graduate of Harvard Business School, Adam has helped applicants with diverse backgrounds – including many pursuing a career change into finance – gain admission to top-tier business and policy schools, including Harvard, Kellogg, HEC Paris, UCLA, Harvard Kennedy School, and SAIS, including with full-ride merit-based aid. His professional background includes leading a global data technology startup, investment banking at Morgan Stanley working with healthcare, consumer and technology clients in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. Previously, as an Officer in the U.S. Navy, Adam served in the White House as an aide to the President and in the Pentagon working on naval foreign policy. He was also deployed to Iraq and Japan. Adam has helped lead several nonprofits, including Hope for Education Ghana. In addition to his MBA, he earned a master’s degree in global security studies from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the U.S. Naval Academy.

Aleksey Krylov

An Columbia Business School MBA graduate with honors, Aleksey conducted informational interviews with international applicants as president of the CBS Central and Eastern European Club. He also worked with successful MBA applicants to Columbia, Cornell and Booth full-time programs. His professional background in investment banking and family office investing spans life sciences, consumer products, financial services/fintech, energy, and transportation. Aleksey’s experience includes CFO roles with cross-border life sciences companies including one public, investment analyst roles with two New York-based family offices and an international merchant bank. He started his career as an investment banker at Société Générale where he participated in 46 offerings raising $1.3 billion. He has also worked in Russia and Mongolia, and travelled extensively in Europe, Asia and Latin America. A CFA Charterholder, Aleksey earned his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Babson College. He is fluent in Russian.

Alexis Cepeda Maule

Alexis is an MBA graduate of Stanford Graduate School of Business, with emphasis on entrepreneurship, e-commerce and marketing. Also admitted to Wharton (with a merit scholarship), Columbia (granted the most prestigious Feldberg Fellowship that covered full tuition) and Kellogg, she has helped numerous applicants with diverse backgrounds gain admittance to highly selective MBA and undergraduate programs including Stanford GSB, HBS, and Columbia. Alexis’s professional experience spans strategy, business development and investment banking. Her employers have included Amazon, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, Yoox Net-A-Porter Group, and Bad Boy Entertainment. Alexis has lived and worked in London, Shanghai and Milan. She interned in the Office of the First Lady at The White House. Alexis holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Harvard College, where her application was featured in “50 Successful Harvard Application Essays.” She is fluent in Spanish and conversant in Italian and French.

Alina Liao

An MBA graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Alina was also offered admission with major scholarships to Chicago Booth and Michigan Ross. She has advised applicants – including career changers – on gaining admission to leading MBA programs including Stanford GSB, Harvard Business School, Wharton, and Ross. Alina’s professional background spans consulting, education, project management, talent management, nonprofit strategy, and entrepreneurship. As vice president of an economic consulting firm, she managed clients including Google, Samsung and AT&T. After getting her MBA, Alina co-founded a tech nonprofit, featured in Forbes, and Fast Company, providing mental health coaching to youth. She is currently founder and CEO of a wellness company. In addition to her MBA degree, Alina has a master’s in education from Stanford. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in economics and English at Yale University, where she was captain of the women’s gymnastics team, USA National Collegiate Senior Gymnast of the Year, and Academic All-Ivy.

Alina Zhitskaya

Alina is an MBA graduate of The Wharton School where she majored in strategic management. She was selected to serve as an Admissions Fellow, where her responsibilities included facilitating Wharton Team-based Discussions and conducting individual applicant interviews as part of Wharton’s MBA admissions process. Alina was also elected as co-president of the Consulting Club and the Leadership Development Officer of Wharton Women in Business. She worked in private equity and hedge fund capital raising and investor relations at Lazard and Citadel LLC, respectively, before moving into management consulting. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science cum laude from Yale University, studied in France and Japan, and did independent research in India and Russia. Her language skills include Russian and French.

Anjali Takru

Anjali is an MBA graduate of INSEAD (France & Singapore campuses) and served as an admissions interviewer for this world-class business school. Following graduation, she joined management consulting firm McKinsey, guiding fellow professionals through their MBA admissions campaigns and coaching students through the McKinsey interview process. Anjali  has helped numerous candidates gain admission to top-tier schools including INSEAD, London Business School, IMD, IESE, and NTU. In addition to admissions, she has advised on GMAT/GRE preparation, resume/CV development, and interviewing skills. As an Engagement Manager at McKinsey, she supported technology, media, telecommunications, retail, e-commerce and consumer packaged goods clients based in Europe, Asia and the Middle East on strategy, operations and M&A. Prior to attending INSEAD, Anjali held management roles at Barclays Bank. Complementing her MBA education, she holds master’s and bachelor’s (with honors) degrees in economics and is fluent in English, Hindi, and conversant in German and Punjabi.

Ben Johnson

An MBA graduate and Dean’s Fellow of The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Ben concentrated in consumer marketing and was a member of the Admissions Committee. While a member of the Admissions Committee, he reviewed applications, interviewed candidates and made admissions recommendations. Ben has helped numerous applicants with diverse backgrounds gain admittance to highly selective MBA programs including Chicago Booth, Duke Fuqua, UCLA Anderson, and many others. Ben’s professional background includes international roles (global/Italy) in marketing strategy, pricing, advertising, brand strategy, and product development with a strong general management perspective and experience in business turn-around strategies with General Mills, Kimberly-Clark and Bridgestone. Prior to attending business school, he served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. He graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in Honors Economics. Ben is the founding President of Kimberly-Clark’s SALUTE organization focused on recruiting and retaining top military talent across business functions.

Brad Pearson

Brad’s background includes over 11 years in graduate management admissions and administration. He was Associate Director of MBA Admissions for the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, overseeing approximately 4,000 applications per year. In addition, Brad served as Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid for Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to that, he worked in corporate recruitment screening, interviewing and testing executive and technical personnel. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Lewis University, an MBA in marketing and human resource management from Governor’s State University, and completed post-graduate studies at the University of Chicago and Washington University.

Cheryl Silveri

An MBA graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management, Cheryl has advised entrepreneurial and tech-focused clients on admission to MIT Sloan and other top-tier schools. As an applicant, she was offered Fellowships to both Tuck and MIT Sloan. During her time at MIT Sloan she served as an Admissions Ambassador and worked closely with the Sloan Senate and MBA admissions staff on various admissions initiatives. Additionally, she served in senior leadership roles for the Technology Club and helped plan the Venture Capital and Innovation Conference. Currently, she serves in a business development role at Microsoft, collaborating with enterprise executives on their digital transformation and cloud computing initiatives. Cheryl also actively participates in Microsoft’s MBA recruitment. Her professional experience also includes business development and sales for large and small technology companies; marketing for startups in retail, healthcare and enterprise software; and strategy consulting for executives in the healthcare and education sectors. Cheryl has traveled and studied in Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Africa. Cheryl earned a bachelor’s degree in biology cum laude from the University of Arkansas.

Daniel Fischer

An MBA graduate of the Yale School of Management, Daniel was a member of the Admissions Committee, interviewing applicants and providing recommendations to the Director of Admissions. Since joining The MBA Exchange, he has advised clients to successful admission and substantial merit-based aid at top-tier MBA programs including Columbia, Yale, Stern, Darden, Duke, and Ross as well as internationally at the University of Toronto. Daniel’s professional experience spans both public and private sectors, including consulting in disaster relief for the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Think Tank and Field Innovation Team; business strategy and development for Advertising for Humanity; as well as launching entrepreneurial ventures in the healthcare and extreme sports industries. Daniel earned his bachelor of science degree in mathematics, biology and computer science from McGill University. An avid world traveler and adventurer, Daniel has spent time living and exploring on five continents, including summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro, surfing the world’s longest wave, and cycling across Alaska. Daniel is conversant in French and Spanish.

Denise Bailey-Castro

An MBA graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management, Denise served on the Senate Admissions Committee and worked closely with the Sloan MBA admissions staff on various initiatives. She is also an MPA graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Prior to joining The MBA Exchange, her professional background included analyst assignments at HBO, Paramount Pictures and JP Morgan. Her experience spans markets worldwide and she has traveled to over 25 countries. Denise also worked as an associate with a non-profit in the education sector. In addition to her MBA and MPA, she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and urban studies from the University of Pennsylvania. She is conversant in Spanish.

Inna Rudsky

Inna is an MBA graduate of The Wharton School where she majored in strategic management and operations. Selected to serve as an Admissions Fellow, Inna facilitated Wharton Team-based Discussions and conducted individual applicant interviews for the purpose of assessing applicants. She was nominated to serve as a Teaching Assistant for first-year MBA students. Inna worked in investment banking for HSBC, as well as in strategy and business development for both Comcast / NBCUniversal and Bloomberg Media before transitioning to media partnerships. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Her language skills include Russian and Spanish.

Jean-Philippe Odunlami

Jean-Philippe is an MBA graduate of the Harvard Business School. He has been active in education and career counseling for the past fifteen years, guiding individuals with highly varied backgrounds through successful MBA admission campaigns at top programs including HBS, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia and MIT Sloan. His professional background spans the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Africa. Jean-Philippe has been a consultant and entrepreneur in investment management, cross-border acquisitions, venture capital and real estate development. He also worked in research and analyst roles at JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs in New York City. A native of France, he has also lived in the U.S., Singapore and Japan for several years. Jean-Philippe earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in international business from Dillard University. He is fluent in French and conversational in Japanese and Spanish.

Kara Dyer

Kara is an MBA graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management, where she focused on marketing and entrepreneurship. She has advised a variety of applicants targeting top business schools. Kara  founded a children’s specialty toy company and served as consultant for ZS Associates, which specializes in sales and marketing strategy. She was as an alumni mentor in the MIT Community Catalyst Leadership Program and worked in India with women entrepreneurs to start a sustainable energy company providing power to remote villages. Prior to business school, Kara worked in marketing management and R&D for a consumer electronics startup. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from MIT.

Karen Wu Audi

An MBA graduate of The Wharton School, Karen served as an Admissions Fellow reviewing applications on behalf of the admissions staff. She has successfully advised a wide range of applicants targeting top universities. Prior to joining The MBA Exchange, Karen worked as a management consultant, entrepreneur and scientist. Her experience spans strategy, marketing, business development, and product development for industries including consumer package goods, beauty, healthcare, personal care, chemicals, publishing and education. She has served iconic companies including Estee Lauder, Avon, A.T. Kearney, Procter & Gamble, and DuPont. Karen earned a PhD in analytical chemistry from Duke University and bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology from the University of Delaware. She is conversant in Mandarin.

Kimberly Raynor-Smith

Kimberly has worked in business school admissions and recruiting since 1998. Prior to joining The MBA Exchange in 2004, she was Associate Director of MBA Admissions at The Wharton School where she recruited, interviewed and evaluated applicants and provided individualized support to female applicants. Previously, Kimberly was an MBA recruiter at Bain & Company and Boston Consulting Group. She has expertise in counseling candidates from application to post-graduation career. Kimberly holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire where she majored in psychology and sociology.

Louis Sterling

Louis earned his JD and MBA with Honors from Harvard University. He has provided guidance and support to law and business school applicants since 2003. While attending Harvard, Louis was president of the JD/MBA Club. He also served as a resident tutor at Harvard College helping students navigate the JD admissions process. Louis worked in investment banking for Goldman Sachs and later in the private equity and municipal-bond guaranty industries. He graduated as valedictorian from Howard University with a bachelor’s of business administration degree, majoring in finance. Conversant in Spanish, Louis was a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship and studied in Spain.

Lynn Replogle

An MBA graduate of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with concentrations in strategy, finance and entrepreneurship, Lynn has supported a range of successful candidates pursuing admission to leading business schools. She has served as an admissions interviewer, analyzing and evaluating MBA applicants for the Booth admissions office. At Booth, Lynn and her teammates were finalists in the New Venture Challenge, Northwestern Biotech & Healthcare Case Competition, and Venture Capital Investment Competition. Her professional background includes life-science strategy consulting as well as building an early-stage, venture-backed startup. Prior to attending business school, she served as an engineer and scientist at Abbott Laboratories. Lynn earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she received the President’s Undergraduate Research Award as a research assistant.

Margo Diewald

An MBA graduate of The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, Margo won three case competitions, including the Deloitte Case Competition, the Fuqua Case Bowl, and the Dell Marketing Intern Case Competition. She has advised a range of MBA applicants in gaining admission to top-tier business schools including Chicago Booth, Kellogg and Fuqua. Additionally, she has recruited graduates of highly ranked MBA programs for consulting and corporate roles. Her professional background, including strategy consulting at PricewaterhouseCoopers and global marketing at Dell, enables her to help MBA applicants position themselves with clarity, impact and consistency. Margo earned her bachelor of science degree in business management, with concentrations in marketing and finance, at North Carolina State University. Having received a Park Scholarship for scholarship, leadership, service, and character, she has served on the Regional Selection Committee for this prestigious award since 2014.

Maria Spaulding

An MBA graduate of Harvard Business School, Maria has a diverse professional background featuring roles in marketing, strategy and investment banking at corporations such as JPMorgan, Kraft and Bayer. At The MBA Exchange since 2011, she has helped numerous clients gain admission to highly selective MBA programs including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, MIT Sloan, Columbia, Kellogg, INSEAD, London Business School and others. Maria has drawn from her success in building and growing corporate brands to guide MBA candidates in differentiating their positioning based on specific experiences, interests and skills. Her marketing expertise helps clients craft compelling, focused applications that resonate with each targeted school. Committed to community service, she has served as president of a non-profit board and conducted business and professional development seminars. Maria holds a bachelor of arts degree from Columbia University, where she majored in economics and history. She is conversant in Spanish and Portuguese.

Marina Glazman

An MBA graduate from The Wharton School, Marina served as an Admissions Fellow, assessing applicants for admission to the full-time MBA program. She founded an online retail startup company, reinventing the shopping experience for home décor. Additionally, she previously worked in corporate strategy, consulting, and competitive intelligence, serving media, education, and pharma clients at Bainbridge, Inc.; and worked in international revenue strategy at Dow Jones with The Wall Street Journal. Prior to Wharton, Marina co-founded and ran Olympia Consulting Group, providing marketing strategy for growth-stage retail, media, and hospitality businesses. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of California-San Diego in International Studies and Russian Literature.

Matthew Strickler

A JD/MBA graduate of the Kellogg School of Management and Northwestern Law School, Matthew served on the Kellogg Admissions Committee and was later an alumni admissions interviewer for MBA and JD/MBA applicants. He has helped candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds achieve success gaining admission to top-tier MBA programs (including Stanford, HBS, Wharton, Kellogg, Booth, Columbia, Tuck, and MIT Sloan), EMBA, JD (including Harvard, Chicago, Northwestern, UPenn, and UCLA), JD/MBA, part-time MBA, and MBA/MPP and MPP/MPA programs. Matthew has held management positions in strategy, finance, and operations at HP and Salesforce.com. Matthew has extensive experience in management consulting, most recently with the Sharma Strategy Group, with particular expertise in strategy, innovation, and driving transformation in the consumer/retail, technology, and health-care industries. In addition, he has extensive global experience, having lived/worked throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Matthew previously served as a principal at the Boston Consulting Group (Boston, Melbourne, and Dallas offices) where he played a key role in BCG’s extensive support for business school applicants targeting top-tier MBA programs. Formerly a captain, combat engineer and paratrooper in the U.S. Army, Matthew earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and international relations from the U.S. Military Academy.

Micah Rowland

An MBA graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Micah was a member of the Admissions Advisory Committee, interacting directly with applicants and visitors to the School. Following graduation, he advised a range of applicants on business school admissions before joining The MBA Exchange. After business school, he joined management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, serving companies in retail, consumer goods, technology and the public sector in North America and Asia. After leaving McKinsey, Micah spent stints in strategy and brand management at Starbucks before moving into the tech startup world where he has served in executive roles at several venture-backed startup companies. Prior to business school, he was a systems engineer in the defense sector after earning his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Duke University.

Michele Shen

An MBA graduate of the New York University Stern School of Business, Michele specialized in marketing, strategy, and EMT (entertainment media and technology). At Stern, she interacted directly with admissions staff and prospective students in the evaluation process supporting the Torch Committee. She has worked with a variety of business school applicants since 2010 with successes in helping clients gain admittance to schools such as NYU Stern, Kellogg, Columbia, UCLA Anderson, Cornell Johnson, Duke Fuqua, UT Austin McCombs, USC Marshall, and others. Michele’s professional background includes product marketing, digital marketing and brand strategy, working with leading companies such as Yahoo!, DirecTV, Toyota, Neutrogena, Omnicom, and Samsung. She has expertise in introducing product marketing strategy, building departments/teams and creating product marketing-specific processes for early and mid-stage ad tech (SaaS and tech platform) start-ups. Her most recent employers are direct partners with companies like Google, Facebook, Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Amazon, and Twitter. Michele earned a bachelor’s degree from UCLA with a double major in communication studies and sociology. She is fluent in Mandarin.

Miklos Raibon

An MBA graduate of Columbia Business School, Miklos focused in marketing and entrepreneurship, helped guide the Center on Global Brand Leadership, and was active with the Marketing Association of Columbia. Additionally, he was a member of the Hermes Society, assisting the Admissions Office with events and providing recommendations on applicants. Miklos interviewed MBA candidates as an alumnus and assisted others with informational interviews. Miklos has helped clients gain admittance to schools such as Columbia, MIT Sloan, Kellogg, NYU Stern, and Yale SOM, among others. He has extensive experience working with applicants that have non-traditional career backgrounds as well as career switchers. Prior to joining The MBA Exchange, he entered the Brand Leadership Development Program at ConAgra Foods and then continued his brand management career at Kimberly Clark and Keurig Dr Pepper. Miklos earned his bachelor’s in management science and engineering from Stanford University. During his time at Stanford, Miklos worked as an intern in the Office of Undergraduate Admission where he conducted on-campus information sessions, counseled applicants, and presented at area high schools.

Nathaniel Kanefield

An MBA graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Nathaniel is a skilled coach and mentor. A dual admit to Harvard Business School as well, Nathaniel attended Stanford GSB to focus on entrepreneurship and tech, serving as co-president of the Entrepreneurship Club. His professional experience spans management consulting, strategy and operations, product management, partnerships, and finance. He served in several capacities at AOL including as Chief of Staff to the CEO. Prior to AOL, he worked at Oliver Wyman as a management consultant. Nathaniel recently founded a marketplace startup in the events space. He holds a BA from Dartmouth College where he graduated with dual degrees in history and economics. Nathaniel has lived and worked in Washington DC, New York City, Tel Aviv, Mexico City, Bogota, and San Francisco and is conversant in Hebrew, Spanish, and French.

Rangena Hotaki

An MBA graduate of Harvard Business School, Rangena has helped numerous applicants gain admittance to every top-10 MBA program as well as highly selective MPP, MPA and JD programs. She takes pride in formulating a compelling and effective admissions campaign for every client. Experienced in strategy and management consulting, Rangena has been employed by Accenture & Booz Allen Hamilton with a focus on the telecommunications, technology, financial services, and public sector industries. She has worked in the retail sector, as owner/operator of a successful Domino’s Pizza franchise, and conducted strategic planning for luxury brand Coach. Passionate about global community service, Rangena provides pro-bono management consulting to nonprofit organizations and business expertise to women’s entrepreneurship and advocacy institutions. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and Spanish from the University of Virginia.

Reza Shahcheraghi

An MBA graduate of the Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley, with concentrations in entrepreneurship, marketing and organizational behavior, Reza is a trusted advisor to business professionals worldwide. Among other top schools, he has helped clients gain admission to Kellogg and USC Marshall with clients receiving significant scholarships. Reza’s prior background includes management consulting at McKinsey & Company focused on financial performance and organizational effectiveness for clients in banking, construction and other industries. Other past affiliations include Silicon Valley Bank, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He also has extensive background in advising non-profit foundations, NGOs and social entrepreneurs. Having lived in the U.S., Latin America and Europe, Reza is fluent in Portuguese and Farsi, and conversant in Spanish. He earned a bachelor’s degree commerce at the University of Virginia with emphasis in finance and MIS.

Saurabh Dhingra

An MBA graduate of INSEAD (France), Saurabh worked closely with INSEAD’s Admissions Committee assessing profiles and interviewing applicants. He has counseled individuals targeting top schools such as INSEAD, London Business School, Oxford Said, IE Spain, IMD, Wharton and Kellogg on admissions and career planning. Saurabh’s professional experience includes strategy and corporate development in financial services as well as management consulting at McKinsey & Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG. As a consultant, he advised clients in the financial services, natural resources and industrial sectors on competitive strategy, corporate finance, M&A and performance improvement. His background spans Asia Pacific (China, India, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand) as well as Europe (UK and France). Saurabh is a Chartered Accountant and holds a bachelor’s degree with distinction from SRCC, University of New Delhi.

Seth Gilmore

An MBA graduate of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Seth has supported a range of business school candidates and advised successful applicants on essay writing, interview preparation and overall positioning. At Tuck, Seth supported the director of MBA Admissions on matriculant research and data analysis. His professional background includes management roles at Intel and The New York Times. Seth’s entrepreneurial experience includes founding two companies in the U.S. and co-founding one in India. He has advised other entrepreneurs in Europe, South Africa and Bangladesh, and helped organize a national conference for LGBT MBAs. Seth also co-founded a restaurant company with locations in Boston and Seattle. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Denison University where he was awarded the Presidential Medal, his alma mater’s highest honor.

Shamus Donlon

Shamus attended Northwestern University where he earned MBA and MEM (Master’s in Engineering Management) dual degrees through the highly selective Kellogg School of Management MMM program. He was also offered admission to Chicago Booth. While attending Kellogg, Shamus was selected and trained by the MBA Admissions Committee to evaluate and interview candidates. Since 2013, he has used his admissions insights and experiences to help applicants gain admission to the world’s most prestigious business schools including Kellogg, Booth, Dartmouth Tuck, Michigan Ross and many others, often with substantial merit-based scholarships. Shamus has a perfect 5.0 average rating (out of a possible 5) from past clients as confirmed in the Poets&Quants Admissions Consulting Directory. His professional background spans the beverage (Pepsi), management consulting (Bain), and software industries including corporate strategy, mergers & acquisitions, e-commerce, as well as brand marketing for the world’s largest winery. Shamus earned his bachelor’s degree in business and industrial engineering from the University of California Berkeley.

Sonny Tai

An MBA graduate of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Sonny concentrated on marketing, strategic management and entrepreneurship. Following graduation, Sonny served as an admissions interviewer, analyzing potential candidates for the Booth admissions staff. Sonny’s professional background includes strategy and operations consulting with Accenture. Prior to business school, he was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. Sonny previously lived in South Africa and Taiwan, and volunteered in Africa where he launched an online jewelry business benefitting local artisans. He earned a bachelor’s arts degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is fluent in Mandarin and proficient in French.

Steve Johnson

An MBA graduate of Harvard Business School, Steve’s background includes strategic planning and M&A in the asset management arena. He has held a range of responsibilities including product management, strategic planning, and marketing with top companies such as Fidelity Investments, Intuit (makers of Quicken and Turbo Tax), and EXP Systems, a high-technology start-up. Before joining The MBA Exchange as a consultant, he helped numerous candidates apply successfully to top business schools. An accomplished writer and communicator, Steve has a bachelor of arts degree from Yale University, where he double majored in history and economics.

Steven Hooper, Jr.

An MBA graduate of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Steven served as an Admissions Associate and Host, interviewing applicants and working with the Admissions staff throughout the application process. At Tuck, he also served as President of the Student Board and a member of the Technology, Entrepreneurship, VC/PE and Tripod Hockey Clubs as well as the Dartmouth Graduate Student Senate. Steven’s professional background spans investment banking and venture capital, advising and investing in companies of various stages and industries, and entrepreneurship in the food and beverage industry. He has worked, traveled and studied extensively throughout Europe, Africa and Asia. Steven graduated cum laude from Colby College where he received his degree in economics with distinction and minored in computer science. He also participated on Colby’s crew team.

Sumi Maun

An MBA graduate of Harvard Business School, Sumi has advised applicants who gained admission to top-tier MBA programs including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, and Columbia. In addition to her role with The MBA Exchange, she currently serves Harvard University as an interviewer assessing undergraduate applicants. Sumi worked at McKinsey & Company advising clients in the media, retail, medical device, and non-profit industries. She also served in strategic planning and business development for MTV Networks and Time Warner Interactive. Sumi holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and management sciences from Northwestern University. She has traveled to over 25 countries worldwide.

Susie Gruda

An MBA graduate of The Wharton School, Susie emphasized marketing and strategic management. While attending Wharton, she also worked in the admissions office evaluating applications on behalf of the admissions staff. She has successfully advised a wide range of applicants targeting top-tier MBA programs including Wharton, HBS, Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan, Kellogg (and their MMM program), Columbia, and others, many of whom have received full or partial merit-based scholarships. Susie has also advised clients on post-MBA career transitions and interviewing. Her professional background includes senior management roles at Google in New York City and Toronto, as well as positions with Amazon, McKinsey & Company, and a number of tech startups. She has lived in the U.S., Canada and Australia. Susie earned a bachelor of commerce degree at McGill University with concentration in marketing, math and psychology.

Talon Rindels

Talon Rindels is an MBA graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Talon served in leadership capacities including VP of the Marketing Club and President of the Triathlon Club. Following graduation, she interviewed and assessed candidates on behalf of the Kellogg admissions committee and served as a lead on-campus recruiter for General Mills and ConAgra. Talon has successfully guided MBA applicants targeting top U.S. and European programs including Stanford, Harvard, Kellogg, Booth, Columbia, Ross, Fuqua, Darden, London Business School, INSEAD, IE Business School, HEC Paris and others, many of whom have received full or partial merit-based scholarships.  She places a particular emphasis on working with clients of SE Asian descent and has traveled extensively to India on business.  Clients benefit from Talon’s 15 years of consumer/brand storytelling and her caring, empathetic nature while working through periods of self-doubt.  Her professional experience spans CPG/Retail marketing, brand management, global M&A, sales, finance, ecommerce, and merchandising for iconic companies such as General Mills, ConAgra Brands, Mars, Inc. and Target.  Passionate about inclusion, Talon serves as an ambassador of the Network of Executive Women.Talon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance and business management from the University of Wisconsin Madison. See Talon’s Reviews on Poets & Quants.

Taneka Francis

An MBA graduate of Harvard Business School, Taneka has advised a range of applicants with diverse backgrounds in gaining admissions to top-tier graduate schools. While attending HBS, she was a consultant to non-profit organizations and wrote one of the first web-based cases now taught in a second-year course. Taneka’s professional history includes equity research, private equity, asset management marketing, and management consulting at leading companies such as Accenture, Goldman Sachs, The Hartford, and T. Rowe Price. She graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and operations research.

Valerie Villarreal

An MBA alumna of Stanford Graduate School of Business, Valerie has provided MBA application, interview and case-coaching support for nearly a decade. As a first-generation college graduate and daughter of immigrants, she has particular expertise in and passion for helping clients refine their vision and convey their diversity. Valerie began her career in management consulting at McKinsey & Company, then transitioned to product and marketing roles in the tech sector for Live Nation and Snapchat. She has advised startups in the insurance, healthcare, and fintech industries. Her professional experience also includes asset management at Deutsche Bank and product management at Amazon. Valerie earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Stanford. She is proficient in Spanish.

Yhana Chavis

Prior to joining The MBA Exchange, Yhana served Northwestern University as Associate Director of the MMM dual-degree Program at the McCormick School of Engineering and as Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Kellogg School of Management. She evaluated a wide range of applications and assessed candidates from around the world. Previously, Yhana was Regional Director for the Office of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania. She began her career at Delta Airlines. Yhana earned a master’s degree in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Agnes Scott College. Active in community service and volunteerism, she is fluent in Spanish.