The Full-Time MBA climbed to 17^th in the nation up one spot from last year with the Part-time MBA ranking 14^th and rising six spots.  

Goizueta Full-time MBA Class of 2024 graduates garnered the highest median salary in school history at $175,000 with that number jumping to $205,000 when considering salary plus signing bonus. Nearly 80 percent of accepted job offers were facilitated through the school.

The latest U.S. News rankings also recognized Goizueta’s Executive MBA (the only program ranked in Georgia this year) as a top MBA program for working professionals ranking 17^th in the nation.

“We couldn’t be prouder of our Goizueta graduates and community,” said Gareth James, John H. Harland Dean. “Through your support, we continue to develop principled and impactful leaders and entrepreneurs, foster innovation for a data and technology driven world, and grow a global presence fueled by local synergies. I’m energized about the future of our school and students.”

U.S. News calculates the rankings for full-time programs based on placement success, including employment rates at graduation and three months post-graduation, mean starting salary and bonus; quality assessment which is based on feedback from peer institutions and corporate recruiters; and student selectivity which includes median GMAT and GRE scores, median undergraduate GPA, and acceptance rate.

Part-time or evening MBA programs are ranked based on peer assessment, part-time student ratio and total, GMAT and GRE scores, undergraduate GPA, and work experience for entering students. The Executive program is considered a specialty rank by U.S. News and ranked solely on peer scores.

About Emory University’s Goizueta Business School

Business education has been an integral part of Emory University’s identity since 1919. That kind of longevity and significance does not come without a culture built on success and service. Emory University’s Goizueta Business School offers a unique, community-oriented environment paired with the academic prestige and rigor of a major research institution. Goizueta develops business leaders of today and tomorrow with a Bachelor of Business Administration, Full-time MBA (Two-Year MBA & One-Year MBA), Evening MBA, Executive MBA, MS in Business Analytics, Master of Finance, Master in Management, Master in Business for Veterans, Doctoral degree, and a portfolio of non-degree Emory Executive Education courses. Together, the Goizueta community strives to solve the world’s most pressing business problems. The school is named for the late Roberto C. Goizueta, former Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.

For more information, visit goizueta.emory.edu.

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The jump in both median base salary and median base salary plus signing bonus for the class of 2024 was impressive. For last year’s graduates, the median base salary rose to $175,000, with signing bonuses raising the median total compensation to $205,000, which is the highest median compensation in the school’s history. Notably, this class saw an impressive 175% increase in mean salary upon graduation compared to mean salary at the outset of the program.

“We are incredibly proud of the exceptional career success our MBA students have achieved once again this year,” says Brian Mitchell, associate dean of full-time MBA programs. “Their ability to secure some of the most coveted roles in dynamic and fast-growing sectors speaks volumes about the caliber of our highly engaged students, our remarkable faculty, and the dedication of our outstanding career services professionals. Even in a challenging year, these achievements highlight the value of Goizueta’s rigorous curriculum, expansive professional network, and the wealth of student-centered resources available to support our students.”

Diverse Career Paths Across Industries

Graduates from the Class of 2024 secured roles across a variety of functions, underscoring the program’s versatility in preparing graduates for success across industries. Employment by function includes:

• + 43% Consulting
• + 24% Finance
• + 14% Marketing/Sales
• + 13% General Management

Other fields, such as analytics, information technology, and real estate, also attracted Goizueta talent.

A Strong Network Drives Success

Goizueta’s collaborative culture and robust support systems continue to play a pivotal role in student success. Notably, 76% of accepted offers came from school-facilitated sources. The program’s continued success in facilitating internship and full-time employment offers reflects its dedication to providing resources and connections that empower students to secure meaningful roles aligned with their goals.

Mitchell is not alone in holding the Class of 2024 in high esteem. Maureen Manion-Leone, associate dean and executive director of the Graduate Career Management Center, shares her pride in the outgoing class.

“Our Goizueta students have demonstrated remarkable resiliency in the 2024 job market, securing diverse roles in various sectors,” says Manion-Leone. “We are pleased that job offers were strong for our students at the 3-month mark and jumped considerably at the 6-month mark. They have exhibited resilience in the face of market challenges, finding opportunities that align with their career goals. We are excited to interact with them as our newest alumni.”

Top Employers Recruiting Goizueta Talent

This year’s hiring companies represent a mix of global giants and industry leaders, including:

• + Amazon
• + American Express
• + Bain & Company
• + Bank of America
• + Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
• + Deloitte Consulting
• + Delta Air Lines
• + EY Consulting
• + JPMorgan Chase & Co
• + Lowe’s Companies
• + Microsoft Corporation
• + Morgan Stanley
• + PepsiCo
• + PwC
• + The Home Depot
• + TikTok
• + UPS
• + Walmart

These companies underscore the high caliber of Goizueta graduates and the value they bring to organizations worldwide.

Learn more about the only top-20 full-time MBA that delivers an intimate learning environment in a global U.S. city.

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The start of a new year is a symbolic clean slate. It’s a chance to embrace fresh opportunities, set ambitious goals, and imagine what lies ahead.

It’s also a great time to pause for a moment of reflection. Before diving headfirst into the demands of work, school, or life’s daily rhythm, we can appreciate the journey we’ve traveled over the past year. It’s a chance to celebrate our achievements, reflect on the lessons learned and challenges faced, and carry forward the wisdom we’ve gained.

So, before we launch full steam ahead into the new year, let’s take a look back at some of the most compelling and memorable stories that defined 2024 on EmoryBusiness.com.

Welcoming Impressive Inaugural Classes to Two New Programs

Meet the Inaugural Cohort of Goizueta’s New Master in Management Program

One of Goizueta Business School’s newest additions is the Master in Management degree, a program for recent college graduates with liberal arts and science majors. Spanning 10 months, the program acts as a “fast track” option for students to gain business skills to complement their undergraduate work. Among the inaugural cohort, 38% graduated from an Emory University program, with a total of 84% of the class graduating from their undergraduate programs in 2024.

Meet the First Cohort of Goizueta’s New Master in Business for Veterans

Goizueta Business School launched a new graduate degree last year, and the first cohort of students started in May. The Master in Business for Veterans program is led by Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General and Associate Dean for Leadership Ken Keen. The inaugural cohort of this working professional program includes 31 students. Among them are two Air Force, 19 Army, five Marines, and five Navy veterans and active duty service members. These men and women have decorated and accomplished backgrounds, including several careers of service to the United States.

Experiential Learning Opportunities Abound

MBA Students Explore Denmark’s Model for Work and Well-being

This summer, more than 25 MBA students from Goizueta Business School ventured out of the classroom and across the globe, traveling to Copenhagen, Denmark to explore how the Danes approach their short work week (standard 37 hours), while having some of the most productive companies in the world. The immersive experience is part of a new course at Goizueta, Life Design for the Modern MBA, focused on helping Goizueta students—who are passionate, ambitious, and often working in overdrive—to find meaning and fulfillment in both career and life.

Team Building with Taste: Lessons in Leadership from the Kitchen

At first, Yaqi Liu 26BBA wasn’t keen about getting up early on a Saturday to cook. But over the course of the day, Liu changed his mind. “It was a really good experience,” he says. That experience is called “Team Building with Taste.” It’s a cooking competition in the style of Bravo network’s “Top Chef,” except with the ultimate goal of improving team dynamics. The challenge is a part of the undergraduate BBA program’s Team Dynamics and Leadership class. Over multiple weekends this fall, student teams were given a $50 budget, a set time to plan and shop, and one hour to cook and plate their meals. The teams then presented their dishes to a panel of judges.

How HackATL Fosters Future Changemakers

A lot can happen in 48 hours. For Selina Kao 27BBA, that was the turnaround time afforded her team at this October’s HackATL competition. Their mission? Transform a fledgling business idea into an actionable plan. Hosted by The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, this year’s event—powered by a dynamic collaboration between InnovATL, the City of Atlanta and the center—brought together more than 300 students from across the Southeast. After two days of frenetic brainstorming, building, and pitching transformative start-up initiatives to a panel of judges, the top teams took home over $13K in prizes.

Accomplished Alumni Create Meaningful Impact

Goizueta’s Veterans: Meet Matt Smith

In February 2025, Matt Smith 01MBA will retire as a two-star major general for the U.S. Army. His story is unique because of its many twists and turns. Smith joined the Army in college, before heading to the corporate world in Atlanta in the late 90s and enrolling in Goizueta Business School’s MBA program. However, it wasn’t long before Smith realized that the military was where he was meant to be. He resumed active duty for the Army in 2019, and in December 2022, he stepped into his current role as commander of the Joint Task Force – North. His team has helped federal agencies with interdepartmental coordination and assisted U.S. Border Patrol when they needed additional observation help. Smith says the skills he gained from earning an MBA have helped set him apart as a military leader. Now he’s he’s giving voice to Goizueta’s veterans as part of the advisory board for the new Master in Business for Veterans program.

Meet Marnie Harris: Building Hotels with Purpose

When Marnie Harris 20MBA was an undergraduate biomedical engineering student, she dreamed of building a more accessible world. Harris helped found The Excel Program at Georgia Tech, a certificate program for students with intellectual disabilities. When Harris graduated, she stayed on to welcome the first cohort of Excel students. But she soon came to believe that creating meaningful employment for this demographic must begin inside business, where the jobs are. So, Harris enrolled in Goizueta Business School’s MBA program, where she received the Woodruff Scholarship, Emory’s most prestigious named scholarship, awarded to Emory applicants who want to make a positive social impact. Now, Harris serves as the director of business and marketing strategy at Pavilion Development Company. There, she’s developing and franchising the Shepherd Hotels brand, which focuses on employing staff with intellectual disabilities.

Holistic Health Starts at Home: Meet Kyle Brown

After enrolling in the One-Year MBA program at Emory’s Goizueta Business School, Kyle Brown 20MBA became interested in holistic living and the various ways cannabidiol (CBD) could improve one’s health. Brown soon teamed up with his aunt, an expert gardener and advocate of natural medicine, who had long been growing her own herbs for healthful teas. The duo developed a series of CBD tea formulas, and ultimately launched their brick-and-mortar cannabis bar Bookstore Gallery. While its products assist in pain management on an individual level, Bookstore Gallery leads the charge of healing on a community level. Brown’s holistic healing mission comes to life through diverse events, including therapy-focused happy hours, game nights, tailgates, spoken word poetry, men’s mental health meetups, and creative outlets like “Puff and Paint.”

Groundbreaking Research from Goizueta’s Brightest Minds

Mitigating Bias in AI: Sharing the Burden of Bias When it Counts Most

From directions on Google Maps to job recommendations on LinkedIn, by now, we’ve all grown accustomed to AI systems’ integration in nearly every aspect of our daily lives. But are AI systems fair? The answer to this question, in short—not completely. Fortunately, some dedicated data scientists are working around the clock to tackle this big issue. One of those data scientists is Gareth James, who also serves as the Dean of Goizueta Business School as his day job. In a recent paper titled “A Burden Shared is a Burden Halved: A Fairness-Adjusted Approach to Classification” Dean James—along with coauthors Bradley Rava, Wenguang Sun, and Xin Tong—have proposed a new framework to help ensure AI decision-making is as fair as possible in high-stakes decisions where certain individuals—for example, racial minority groups and other protected groups—may be more prone to AI bias, even without our realizing it. 

Hiring More Nurses Generates Revenue for Hospitals

Underfunding is driving an acute shortage of trained nurses in hospitals and care facilities in the United States. American nurses are quitting in droves, and that’s bad news for patient outcomes. For beleaguered administrators looking to sustain quality of care while minimizing costs (and maximizing profits), hiring and retaining nursing staff has arguably become something of a zero-sum game in the U.S. But could there be potential financial losses attached to nurse understaffing that administrators should factor into their hiring and remuneration decisions? Research by Goizueta Professors Diwas KC and Donald Lee, as well as recent Goizueta PhD graduates Hao Ding 24PhD (Auburn University) and Sokol Tushe 23PhD (Muma College of Business), would suggest there are.

Training Innovative AI to Provide Expert Guidance on Prescription Medications

A new wave of medications meant to treat Type II diabetes is grabbing headlines around the world for their ability to help people lose a significant amount of weight. The two big names that come to mind are Ozempic and Wegovy. However, both medications come with a host of side effects, and are not suitable for every patient. Many clinics and physicians—particularly in smaller communities—do not have immediate access to expert second opinions needed to make decisions about prescription medications such as these. That’s one of the reasons Karl Kuhnert is using artificial intelligence to capture the expertise of physicians like Caroline Collins MD through the Tacit Object Modeler, or TOM. By using TOM, Kuhnert and Collins can create her “decision-making digital twin.” Though there are a number of ways TOM could be useful to the healthcare industry when prescribing medications, not least among them is the potential to expand access to the expert opinions of medical specialists to rural areas experiencing significant health disparities.

Help keep the great Goizueta stories coming with a gift of support to Emory’s 2O36 campaign.

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The immersive experience is part of a new course at Goizueta, Life Design for the Modern MBA, focused on helping Goizueta students—who are passionate, ambitious, and often working in overdrive—to find meaning and fulfillment in both career and life.

According to a recent study from Deloitte, 91 percent of respondents say having an unmanageable amount of stress or frustration negatively impacts the quality of their work. For just the third time in more than two decades, less than half of Americans say they are “very satisfied” with the way things are going in their personal lives.

From Classroom to Copenhagen: A Study in Life Design

During the semester, the new course covers topics such as the history of paid work, women at work, work/life balance, reflection tools, value identification, and goal setting. The trip is designed to inspire both group discussion and introspective thought on career, life, and the future of work.

“It’s incredible to see top business schools offer happiness and life design courses as part of the curriculum,” shares Marina Cooley, assistant professor in the practice of marketing at Goizueta. “With our tight-knit community, I thought we could go even deeper and ricochet against a work-life culture that is so different from our own in order to be inspired about what the future of work and leadership could look like.”

For Alex Banoczi 25MBA, the course offered a restart and a change in perspective, “As a professional coming from the world of consulting, I’ve dealt with my fair share of intense work weeks and tight deadlines. On paper, I achieved success, but indelibly felt the impact of those years on both my health and relationships—missed dinners, canceled events, and computers I brought on vacation,” he shared. “As someone returning to consulting after business school, I yearned for more knowledge on not only how to be a great leader, but a great balancer as well.”

Welfare and Dignity for All

During the trip, students headed to the Happiness Research Institute, an organization dedicated to scientifically studying well-being, happiness, and quality of life. They met with a panel of accomplished expats and a leading sociologist at Copenhagen Business School to compare the work/life experience in the U.S. and Denmark. They later boarded a bus and traveled to Lego, one of the most profitable CPG companies in the world to uncover how family life integrates with work. A common theme emerged: the Danes are committed to the happiness and welfare of their people.

Denmark operates as a universal welfare state and with that comes high taxes and far-reaching benefits for all social classes. These services include incredibly low-cost and high-quality childcare (think $450 a month; 3:1 ratios for kids to teachers in the 0-2 age group). Add to this free healthcare, free college (Denmark actually pays students a $900 stiped each month to attend), and high-quality elder care that focuses on keeping individuals in their own homes as long as possible—and you can see why people and policy makers across the world have studied Denmark in their search for a thriving society.

In fact, Denmark is consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries. During the trip, certified analyst Catarina Lachmund at the Happiness Research Institute shared that six factors explain 75% of the national differences in happiness: social connections, healthy life expectancy, gross domestic product, freedom, kindness, and trust.

In a panel with expats who’ve lived in Boston, Philadelphia, and Atlanta, students learned that social classes in Denmark live together and play together daily. It’s fairly common for a CEO and plumber or handyman to be friends. Maria Schraeder, an expat who now serves as senior product manager for Maersk, shares “Your job doesn’t define you.”

A Social Contract: Rights + Responsibilities

To achieve high-quality services for all, Denmark draws from a deep pool of dollars through high taxes and a wide base of workers. The country boasts extremely high employment; the vast majority of women work, and single earner households are a rarity. Population growth also represents an important part of the equation. The culture is defined by a dedication to working to support others. “In Denmark, you are part of the system,” shares Professor Caroline de la Porte of Copenhagen Business School. “You can’t opt out.”

Throughout various seminars and panel discussions, a common theme emerged: Trust plays a huge role in Danish society. Trust in the government, trust in the community, and trust between individuals all contribute to this societal framework.

In Denmark, it’s fairly common practice for parents to leave their babies in strollers outside shops and restaurants when grabbing a cup of coffee with friends or dinner with family. Kids often ride the local metro and buses to school starting at age seven or eight. Lachmund shared “Crime is low here. You can walk safely at night.”

Citizens and organizations also trust that they will give back to one another. In fact, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that 35% of Danes over 16 years of age engage in volunteer work.  Companies like Denmark-based Lego give a huge portion of their proceeds back to the greater good with 25% of its profits funneling to the Lego Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching children how to learn through play.

In Denmark, and in all of Scandinavia, the Law of Jante rules. It’s a flat country with a flat hierarchy that values humility and team over individual accomplishment.

Security and Trust Drive Innovation

In a country built on trust, innovation thrives. Employees are not tied to their jobs for social security, allowing individuals to job hop without fear. If they feel they are no longer contributing to the growth of the company, they pursue other passions.

At Pandora, the world’s largest jewelry brand, senior vice president of e-commerce Jesper Damsgaard shared, “Many people don’t consider money as the main reason for work. Instead, it is curiosity and the desire to do great work that drives them forward.”

Company Values Lead the Way

Many companies embed courage into their values. At Lego, two of its three corporate values speak to innovation—“brave” and “curious. ” At Pandora, leaders encourage employees to “dare” and “dream. ” During a tour of the manufacturing headquarters at Lego, Peter Meineche, director of quality and environmental, health, and safety shared “We see failure as a natural part of the process, and we encourage our team to fail and share learnings with others.”

Innovation is also critical to Lego’s bottom line. Meineche described how the company constantly asks its engineers to innovate with parts, using the same parts in multiple ways. “If we can use the red petal from our rose collection and also use this part as Spiderman’s face, we don’t have to build another $100K machine.”

Swinging Big: A Badge of Honor

During the trip, students also visited CopenHill, a waste-to-energy plant topped with a ski slope, hiking trail, and climbing wall. The facility is the perfect embodiment of Denmark’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and play. Throughout the tour of the plant, the guide walked students through the journey of the facility from initial plans to its opening and future improvements. “It wasn’t a linear process and there were plenty of swings and misses, but there was a commitment to moving forward. The guide almost wore each of the missteps as a badge of honor for swinging big and learning along the way. It was a really eye-opening view into the mindset of the Danes,” shares Cooley.

This commitment to innovation drives Denmark’s economy. “Denmark’s economy is robust, sustainable, and internationally competitive,” shares Cooley. In fact, Denmark ranks among the top countries globally in terms of GDP per capita and serves as a global leader in renewable energy and sustainability. The green economy is a key driver of growth and innovation. The country is also home to global companies like Maersk, Novo Nordisk, Danske Bank, Pandora, and Lego.

Play is Valued and Expected

When Danes envision thriving, they aim high. During the panel discussion, expats described the goal as “self-actualization” and the culture as driven by an “existential calm. ” A big piece of the Danish culture is crafting your own version of play.

Visitors to Copenhagen quickly notice all the bikes littering the streets, a primary mode of transportation for Danes, including the wealthy. Biking is just one of the many ways play is integrated into the city center. Canal swimming is also a common pastime, representing a way to stay fit and enjoy the city’s waterways.

The Danish government also subsidizes hobbies and play. Residents often join official Clubs, focused on interests like kayaking, knitting, language, and reading for a small annual fee. Danes typically belong to multiple Clubs (one expat claimed her mother-in-law was currently part of 13). Clubs also represent a foundational way for Danes of different social classes and backgrounds to meet and mingle. In addition to weekly Clubs, Denmark also offers one-week immersive courses in subjects like music, drama, and film.

Even companies embrace the culture of play. In fact, Danish company Lego is actually an abbreviation of the two Danish words “leg godt,” meaning “play well.” Each year, on June 16, the organization has a company-wide play day where manufacturers, retailers, and engineers shut down and practice the joy of play.

Further, Danes value experimentation and play in schooling. Many teenagers in Denmark head to boarding school—or efterskole—for a year or two between the ages of 14 to 18. The schools provide “enlightenment for life rather than formal vocational training.” Post-high school, Danes often take two to three years off to travel, strengthening their global perspective—and their play “muscles”—before they commit to next steps in career and life.

Freedom for Family (and Friend) Time

While Danish society values work, time with family and friends holds equal weight. Both cultural practices and formal policy create space for social and familial bonding.

The statistics bear this out. In fact, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), only 1% of Danes work long hours (defined as 50 hours or more a week on average) compared with 10% of other countries in this forum. Expats noted that colleagues who work longer hours in Denmark often don’t get a pat on the pack. Instead, colleagues express concern and confusion: “Why are you working longer? Are you not being efficient?”

Another stark differences between Denmark and the U.S. is its national policy on parental leave. While the U.S. has no formal policy, Denmark entitles mothers to four weeks leave before the birth of a child, and each parent receives 24 weeks leave after the birth—52 weeks in all. With regard to time off in general, the Danish national standard mandates five weeks of paid leave each year for all workers, in addition to public holidays.

When meeting with Damsgaard at Pandora, he recounts taking vacation with his family earlier this year. Many of the company’s employees took a consecutive 4-week holiday to truly disconnect and, while Damsgaard dialed back in a couple of times for key deliverables, he shares his boss set the tone for the team, “He didn’t check in or email. He fully disconnected.”

To student Alex Banoczi, that was inspiring, “A successful, striving executive not only took dedicated time away to recharge, but also held enough trust in those around him to relinquish control. It made me realize that the Danes are truly onto something—when you’re on, be on; when you’re off, take the time to replenish and come back stronger.”

The Future of Work: Reimagining the Status Quo

Now that students are back and the course is complete, Cooley and the Goizueta MBA students are reflecting on lessons learned and what they will bring to their version of the future of work. It’s a timely and thought-provoking question as there are many hurdles to overcome.

A recent study from Deloitte shows 77 percent of respondents say they have experienced employee burnout and 83 percent of respondents say burnout from work can negatively impact their personal relationships.

The future of happiness and fulfillment may just begin at work. Could the Danes point the way?

“It’s a great starting point,” says Cooley. “A workplace that values play, innovation, and the whole human is a wonderful step in the right direction. The MBA students of today will be managing Gen Z and Gen Alpha behind them and these cohorts have different expectations of work/life balance. We need to manage them in a new way.” She continues, “The ultimate goal is transforming workplace culture, teaching a whole new generation how to lead in a way that promotes passion, productivity, and innovation.”

The Takeaway: Culture is Key

For Banoczi, the experience has been impactful. “This idea of being present for every life moment, whether in a professional or personal setting, is something I will bring with me moving forward. I want to incorporate the idea of “no-ego” into my work; we all can learn from each other, so we all must listen actively,” he shares. “Finally, I need to be mindful that throughout my career, I will now be a role model to those around me. My actions today are an extension of their actions tomorrow. We should not see missed vacations as an indicator of commitment. Instead, we should have open discussions to understand others’ values so that we can assist in developing mindful and empathetic working cultures.”

Culture is key. In embracing these lessons, today’s future leaders and MBAs may be the key to shaping workplaces where passion, purpose, and well-being thrive.

Learn More

The Life Design for the Modern MBA course is just one way Goizueta builds experiential learning opportunities into the fabric of its MBA programs. At Goizueta, you’ll work on real projects for real business clients, go on immersive global experience trips, complete hands-on leadership training, and tailor your academics to your career interests. Learn more about the only top-20 full-time MBA that delivers an intimate learning environment in a global U.S. city.

 Learn more from Marina Cooley as she discusses life design and the future of work on 2O36: The Podium and the Goizueta Effect podcast.

The post MBAs Explore Denmark’s Model for Work and Well-being appeared first on EmoryBusiness.com.

Goizueta upholds many storied traditions that span programs and graduation years. Undergraduate students participate in an orientation retreat as well as the iconic graduation year photo. First-year MBA students have the legendary clap-in and Goizueta Coca-Cola Toast.

For the second-year MBA students and students from the One-Year MBA program, it is Keystone, two days of volunteering, networking, and self-reflecting.

“Keystone was created in 2012 to reunite and merge our returning students from the two full-time MBA programs. Over the years, it has blossomed into a rich tradition. It now includes a community service day and the writing of a five-year goals letter. We also welcome our first-year MBA students with another Goizueta tradition, the annual clap-in and Coca-Cola toast,” shares Brian Mitchell, associate dean of full-time MBA programs and Goizueta Global Strategy & Initiatives.

Day of Service

One of the hallmarks of Keystone is the day of service, during which students volunteer at organizations across Atlanta. This year, Ross Hegtvedt 25MBA, the vice president of community outreach, led the charge. While researching potential sites, Hegtvedt included a combination of existing partners as well as new organizations across the city.

“I grew up here in Atlanta and fervently believe that Atlanta influences everything. So I love this city,” says Hegtvedt. “I really wanted to share it more with my classmates.”

The volunteer locations included Atlanta Children’s Shelter, Atlanta Community Food Bank, Flowing with Blessings, First African Community Development Corporation, New Life Community Food Alliance, Amico Farms, Trees Atlanta, and Zoo Atlanta.

Volunteers learned how animals at the Zoo were fed during the winter. Some of their classmates learned how to properly care for Atlanta’s trees. Still others played chess with unhoused community members and helped with laundry and shower services.

At Goizueta, community is a core value, and business and society are interwoven.

“This tradition and the spirits that animate our service exemplify the best of Goizueta’s culture and values,” says Hegtvedt.

Creating a Lasting Impact

This year’s total volunteer turnout and service hours per person were the highest yet. The group of 96 students worked on 10 projects and volunteered 290 service hours.

“I’m so grateful that this is a tradition at Goizueta,” shares Hegtvedt. “I wanted folks to take advantage of this opportunity. It’s a chance to practice reflection, service, and even being present with issues we might not encounter everyday but that countless others do.”

Pooja Bhatt 25MBA is president of the Graduate Business Association. She spent her day of service at a local food bank, which was able to serve more people than normal thanks to the extra hands. The presence of the extra volunteers also created a unique opportunity for the students to apply their classroom knowledge.

“As MBA students, we leveraged our innate problem-solving mindsets while volunteering, identifying opportunities to optimize the servicing assembly lines. This allowed us to reduce bottlenecks and enhance the efficiency of the food distribution process, in real time,” recalls Bhatt.

While Hegtvedt organized the event, Bhatt helped identify ways the two programs could network and interact and even heard classmates wondering when they can give back next.

The Famous Keystone Letter

There’s one tradition all alumni can look forward to when returning to campus, whether for their five-year reunion or just a quick visit with Mitchell after the five-year mark: They receive the letter they wrote to themselves during their own Keystone experience.

“The letter-writing tradition is rather interesting,” says Bhatt, who shared that her words have a tendency to come true. In her application letter, she expressed an interest in being “intensely involved” in the Goizueta community. Now, she’s “enjoying the fruits of those seeds I planted.”

While writing her letter, Bhatt asked classmates she was sitting next to for their signature or to write a little note – similar to the signing of yearbooks at the end of the school year.

“I’m sure those will be an interesting thing for us to discover when we open these letters at our reunion!”

Goizueta’s Full-Time MBA programs are the only top-ranked MBA offering world-class academics and small-by-design classes delivered in a dynamic, global city.

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Delivering on its promise to provide world-class educational experiences that translate into real-world impact, Goizueta’s graduates entered the job market in full force. In fact, 96 percent of the Class of 2023 secured job offers within three months of graduation. Goizueta is consistently among the top five MBA programs for employment outcomes. Further, median salaries for graduates rose to $163,000 with signing bonuses elevating the median salary to $193,000.

“We are exceptionally proud of the outcomes our MBA students. Our sustained excellence in employment outcomes is a reflection of the strength of our highly engaged students, amazing faculty, and outstanding career services professionals,” shared Brian Mitchell, associate dean of Goizueta’s Full-Time MBA Programs. “These results continue to position Goizueta among the very best business schools in the world.”

The Full-Time MBA Program at Goizueta is consistently ranked as a top program by leading publications, including U.S. News & World Report where the program ranked 18^th and Fortune where the program recently rose to 17^th in the nation.

The Bloomberg Businessweek Best B-Schools relies on graduating students, recent alumni, and companies that recruit MBAs to compile its rankings. Bloomberg ranks schools based on five indexes including compensation, learning, networking, entrepreneurship, and diversity (for US schools only).

Learn more about the complete Businessweek MBA rankings.

About Emory University’s Goizueta Business School

Business education has been an integral part of Emory University’s identity since 1919. That kind of longevity and significance does not come without a culture built on success and service. Emory University’s Goizueta Business School offers a unique, community-oriented environment paired with the academic prestige and rigor of a major research institution. Goizueta develops business leaders of today and tomorrow with an undergraduate degree program, Full-time MBA (Two-Year MBA & One-Year MBA), Evening MBA, Executive MBA, MS in Business Analytics, Master of Finance, Master in Management, Master in Business for Veterans, Doctoral degree, and a portfolio of non-degree Emory Executive Education courses. Together, the Goizueta community strives to solve the world’s most pressing business problems. The school is named for the late Roberto C. Goizueta, former Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.

For more information, visit goizueta.emory.edu.

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There are 20 MBA students and six undergraduate BBA students currently serving in the program’s fourth and fifth cohorts. Of these fellows, many have either started their own businesses or innovated within one. According to Cayce, nearly a quarter of the fellows either currently manage a startup or have in the recent past.

These students have some level of experience that indicates they’re willing and ready to explore what are otherwise unconventional paths for a lot of Goizueta students.

Brian Cayce, Managing Director, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

As fellows, the students will have access to unique learning opportunities in three areas. These include venture development, capital formation, and corporate innovation and creativity. These opportunities include classes, experiential learning, and opportunities to connect and work with members of Atlanta’s startup and venture community.

From Healthcare to Film: Meet Two of the 2024 Fellows

Omid Razmpour 26MBA/PhD

The early stages of Omid Razmpour’s 26MBA/PhD nursing career coincided with the worst part of the Covid pandemic. Razmpour soon found himself battling burnout and let his manager know he was struggling. But rather than provide him with the resources he needed, Razmpour’s manager told him everyone was facing the same issues. So, when the struggle became unsustainable, he left. “That wasn’t my goal—to leave my job within the first year,” says Razmpour. 

Razmpour’s experience as a nurse made him passionate about reducing turnover in the nursing profession. To that end, Razmpour, who is also pursuing his PhD at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, created the RETAIN (Retention Evaluation and Turnover Analysis) Framework^©, an innovative, data-driven approach to quantifying the nuanced cost of nurse turnover. With RETAIN and his PhD dissertation, Razmpour is attempting to make the business case for investing in the nursing profession. “My partners and I really think this project has the potential to be industry-changing,” he says. 

Razmpour sees his time as a fellow at the center much as a nursing student who learns in the classroom and then applies that knowledge in a lab or hospital.

I’m really passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment, but if I didn’t have the opportunity to apply that knowledge, then I feel like it’s kind of a waste.

Omid Razmpour 25MBA

“That’s what the center offers,” Razmpour explains. “I’m going to be able to get into projects, work with the team, and be able to apply my learning.”

Cayce is excited to work with Razmpour to support his curiosity on how to grow nurse-founded ventures solving big problems the entire industry faces. “The fact that Razmpour has felt the pain of the target population he seeks to serve offers him the tremendous advantage of empathy,” says Cayce. “This will serve him as he evaluates startups and makes investment recommendations in this space.”

Parallel to his involvement with the fellowship program, Razmpour has connected with Nurse Capital. The venture capital company was started by a pair of former nurses and invests in “nurse entrepreneurs.” He’s working with the company’s general partners on due diligence, potential investment opportunities, and the organization’s backend operations.

Patrycja Kepa 21BBA 26MBA

After a brief stint in consulting, Patrycja Kepa 21BBA 26MBA joined independent film-making company Anchored Lens Productions as its chief operating officer. Dedicated to producing high-quality content, Anchored Lens is also leveraging the exposure that the film industry provides to help end homelessness (10% of the company’s profits from its feature films goes to its homeless foundation). The production company’s second feature film, The Grove, will debut in theaters in February 2025, and Anchored Lens is currently in talks with streaming services to distribute the film.

Cayce is excited to work with Kepa on the business side of media and entertainment, exploring the role of technology as well as potential opportunities for startups like Anchored Lens. According to Cayce, the fact that Kepa has raised a significant amount of capital and is currently running her business while also pursuing her advanced degree “is kind of off the charts for a Goizueta student.”

Kepa hopes to leverage Goizueta’s and the center’s networks and to learn from fellow entrepreneurs—especially when it comes to a long-term vision for Anchored Lens.

I’m excited to get guidance from people who’ve actually done that. I’m very open to new opportunities and to collaborating and seeing how it can benefit Anchored Lens Productions.

Patrycja Kepa 21BBA 26MBA

The center is working with the organizers of Avant South to bring its annual gathering of creatives, entrepreneurs, and business professionals from industries such as entertainment, music, content creation, and e-sports, to the Emory campus in the coming years. “I think there’s a huge opportunity at Emory to introduce more initiatives—even courses—about media and entrepreneurship,” says Kepa. “Atlanta is such a hot spot right now, and I don’t think it’s been fully tapped into yet.”

Expanding the Fellowship’s footprint

Later this year, the center fellows will get a chance to work on two technology conferences.

This October, the fellows will create a concierge-type service that matches attending venture capitalists with startups at Venture Atlanta, a conference that supports tech companies in the Southeast. And at Startup Atlanta, a non-profit focused on connecting, growing, and promoting Atlanta’s startup ecosystem, center fellows will provide judges with the due diligence reports to help them determine winners in several showcase categories.

“Students will see the themes that are really driving innovation. And that’s not just at Emory, but across the Atlanta ecosystem and beyond,” says Cayce. “They’ll also get exposure to some of the best startups in the area and learn about their process of securing investors for their startups.”

Tapping into the Emory Ecosystem

Additionally, the fellowship program continues to build connections across the Emory University ecosystem. The collaboration between Goizueta and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing on behalf of Razmpour is one such example. “We are diligently working to collaborate across the University with other schools,” Cayce explains.

This includes working with the University’s new vice provost for entrepreneurship, Wilbur Lam, professor and W. Paul Bowers Research Chair in the Department of Pediatrics and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory University and Georgia Tech. Lam has been tasked with fostering a vibrant startup culture throughout the University.

The center is also assembling a robust mentor network. It hopes to offer “venture mentoring,” a team mentoring service for startups across the Emory ecosystem. “We want to be an agent for growing the number of founders that come through Goizueta’s doors and see success with their efforts,” says Cayce.

Learn more about The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Emory University’s Goizueta Business.

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Goizueta’s rise in the rankings is attributed to key factors like career success, brand reputation, and the leadership positions its alumni hold at top companies. In fact, the 2023 Full-Time MBA class reported one of the highest employment rates nationwide, with 96 percent of graduates securing full-time job offers within three months of graduation. This marks the ninth time in ten years that the school has maintained a job placement rate of 95 percent or higher.

Not only are Goizueta graduates quickly securing employment, but they are also achieving record-breaking salaries. The median salary for 2023 MBA graduates reached $163,000, with the figure climbing to $193,000 when factoring in signing bonuses. Moreover, 90 percent of these offers were a direct result of the school’s robust career services and network.

“We’re thrilled to see our graduates making an impact in business and society,” said Gareth James, John H. Harland Dean of Goizueta Business School. “Our commitment to nurturing principled, forward-thinking leaders and entrepreneurs is evident in these results. With a strong foundation in data and technology-driven innovation and a focus on growing a global presence fueled by local synergies, we are equipping industry with exceptional talent and empowering our students to achieve their fullest potential.”

Learn more about Goizueta’s MBA programs.  

Fortune’s ranking methodology focuses on outcomes such as starting salary and job placement, overall perception of the school’s brand among industry leaders, as well as representation of alumni in C-suite roles at Fortune 1000 companies. Learn more about the methodology and the complete rankings online.

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In Goizueta’s One-Year MBA program, students solve real business problems, study international business abroad, become leadership coaches, and learn from some of the world’s best business minds. And they do it all within 365 days.

This year’s class is extra ambitious. Thirty percent of the 2025 cohort are pursuing a dual-degree with another Emory University program.

“We are extremely excited about this One-Year MBA cohort,” shares Brian Mitchell, associate dean of Full-Time MBA Programs and Goizueta Global Strategy and Initiatives. “The class is a clear representation of our growth strategy for this important program. We are expanding the appeal to students who are pursuing dual-degrees in various academic disciplines. These students will be able to add tremendous value to their careers due to their knowledge of business strategy and operations. That will differentiate them from other professionals in their respective fields.”

The class is made up of 25% international, 53% U.S. minority students, 13% LGBTQ, and a wide range of industries. All of these unique perspectives will enrich classroom conversation and learning experiences with the real-world clients these students will be working with through projects. In addition, the cohort has an average work experience of five years.

Just a few of the intriguing backgrounds include:

• – An environmental engineer who left the energy sector to join the family business, eventually operating a portfolio of seven quick-service restaurants.
• – A member of LG Chem’s investor relations team who guided a task force in overseeing IPO process for LG Energy Solution, a wholly owned subsidiary of LG, which led to a $10 billion investment.
• – Emory University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy class of 2025 president, who is also active with Emory’s Farmwork project, which delivers therapy to underserved rural communities.
• – A digital marketer who evaluates analytics for top YouTube creators to determine licensing offers on their existing channel catalogs, who’s also a successful real estate investor.
• – A U.S. Army captain who served in the Old Guard, overseeing all military full honors funerals, and was the Officer in Charge of the 21-gun cannon salute battery that fires in honor of the president and other heads of state.
• – A consultant who contributed to a go-to-market strategy for a pharmaceutical client for their new launch in a niche oncology market.

Ready to expand your business acumen through experiential learning and accelerate your career in just one year? Read more about Goizueta’s One-Year Accelerated MBA program.

Enjoy more images from the class of 2025’s first day on campus below:

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The Roberto C. Goizueta Award for Leadership is the highest honor a student graduating from Goizueta can receive. Funded by The Goizueta Foundation, the school awards this honor to two students who embody a love of learning; inspirational leadership; creative thinking; courage and commitment; transparency and trust; and excellence and integrity. The Goizueta Foundation established this endowed award at the business school in 2019 in honor of Roberto C. Goizueta on the school’s 25^th Naming Anniversary.

Honoring the Award Recipients

“At Goizueta, we are preparing principled leaders to have a positive influence on business and society,” says Gareth James, John H. Harland Dean of Goizueta Business School.

Students like Jonathan and Nick have left an enduring mark on Goizueta. I can’t wait to see the ways in which they will continue to thrive and leave their mark on the world.

Gareth James, John H. Harland Dean of the Goizueta Business School

“We are immensely grateful to The Goizueta Foundation for their commitment to preparing the future’s brightest minds to lead business forward,” says James.

Ross and Brown each receive a $25,000 award. They have also identified a faculty or staff member at Goizueta who had the greatest impact on them during their time as a student. Each faculty and staff selected receives a $5,000 honorarium.

“We are proud to support The Roberto C. Goizueta Award for Leadership,” says Olga Goizueta Rawls, Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer of The Goizueta Foundation. “I congratulate Jonathan and Nick on their many important contributions to the Goizueta Business School community and their peers. Today more than ever, business schools must prepare students to lead in an ever-changing world. Jonathan and Nick have shown they possess the leadership qualities to do exactly that.”

Jonathan Ross Honored for Strong Moral Compass and Putting People First

During his time in business school, Ross has embodied the values of Goizueta. He achieved academic distinction in his coursework and served as a fellow for the Business & Society Institute. He also exhibited superior strategic insights by taking first place at two intercollegiate case competitions. An inspirational leader, Ross is a sought-after mentor, sounding board, and teammate, who shares an authentic concern for others.

While serving as president of the Emory Impact Investing Group, Ross created a new way to educate potential new members about the different aspects of impact investing. This ultimately led to the creation of an ‘early analyst’ experience for students. Ross took it upon himself to create open lines of communication with the administration to help adapt to new policies and procedures implemented for students.

Ross also served as president of the Goizueta Consulting Group. He and fellow club leaders revamped the group’s website and resources to better serve members. He created networking nights, casing workshops, and a mentorship program.

“In every interaction, Jonathan considers the weight of his decisions against what is ethical, what is allowed, and most importantly, what is intended,” staff nominations noted. “What this means is that he asks questions that may result in an answer that he does not like or that creates more work for him. But his moral compass is always pointed in the direction of what is right.”

Strength in the Goizueta Community

Receiving such an award is an honor for Ross, who feels fortunate to have such a supportive and helpful community.

“I am incredibly honored to have been selected for the Robert C. Goizueta Award for Leadership,” Ross says.

During my time as a Goizueta student, I was incredibly lucky to have access to many mentors and resources. The students above and below me helped me to find my passions and community.

Jonathan Ross 24BBA

“Faculty like Professor Roberts have equipped me with skills and guided me toward resources,” Ross continues. “Staff members like Dean [Andrea] Hershatter have made Goizueta the incredible place that it is. They have all contributed deeply to my success and inspired me to give back to the community.”

Honorarium Recipient: Peter Roberts

In recognition for his mentorship, Ross selected Peter Roberts to receive one of this year’s $5,000 honorariums. Roberts serves as a professor of organization and management at Goizueta. He is also the academic director of specialty coffee programs at the Business & Society Institute.

Professor Roberts has taught me the importance of utilizing my studies at the intersection of business and society. He consistently pushed me throughout college and my recruitment to consider how I could remain involved with social impact at school and after graduation.

Jonathan Ross 24BBA

“I would not have the direction I do if it were not for Professor Roberts,” Ross says. “With that said, his impact extends far beyond my experiences. As one of the founders of Goizueta’s Start:ME program and an internationally recognized supporter of the sustainable coffee industry, he has embraced impact and business and used his faculty to help hundreds of students do the same.”

Nick Brown Rises to the Challenge and Helps Students Succeed

There was never a doubt that Nick Brown knew how to take on a challenge. With a military background guiding him, Brown served as president of the Finance Club at Goizueta. There, he implemented improvements to the recruiting process, doubling the amount of investment banking interns from the previous year. By uncovering issues in the recruitment process, Brown created a more balanced evaluation criteria to help students succeed.

“Nick has always stepped up into roles and responsibilities to help his classmates,” fellow student Harman Lindsey 24MBA says. “Coming out of the military, Nick was very much behind a lot of civilian peers to start. That never stopped him from stepping up and being ready to assist and help his classmates.”

As an active member in the Finance and Veterans Clubs, fellow students appreciated his honest advice. “Nick’s character is unwavering,” Goizueta student Patrick Forrestal 24MBA says. “As a Marine, he learned to always stand for that which is right. He carries that ethos with him to this day.”

Sharing the Honor

Receiving this award is a momentous accomplishment for Brown who wishes to share this honor with everyone who helped him along his journey.

Receiving the Roberto C. Goizueta Award for Leadership is an extraordinary honor. It underscores the values and vision that Roberto C. Goizueta exemplified for Emory’s business community.

Nick Brown 24MBA

“This recognition is deeply meaningful,” Brown says. “It connects my journey to the legacy of an individual who profoundly shaped our institution. I share this honor with my supportive family, fellow students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the Marines I have served with. They have all greatly influenced my development. This award is a testament to the high standards of integrity and leadership we uphold at Goizueta Business School.”

Honorarium Recipient: Ken Keen

Brown recognized Lieutenant General USA (Ret.) Ken Keen, associate professor in the practice of organization and management and associate dean for leadership, as the faculty member who most impacted his MBA journey.

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Keen’s dedication to developing principled leaders to have a positive influence on business and society inspires all of us at Goizueta. His steadfast support for veterans and his mentorship have been instrumental in my personal and professional growth.

Nick Brown 24MBA

“His guidance has taught me to effectively apply the skills and experiences from my military service and MBA education in meaningful ways as I embark on this new chapter of my career.”

Find out how Goizueta Business School is preparing principled leaders to have a positive influence on business and society.

Learn more about the meaningful work of The Goizueta Foundation.

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Emory University is one of 32 schools that operate in partnership with The Philanthropy Lab program. The organization, based in Ft. Worth, TX, aims to expand student interest and participation in philanthropy. Since 2011, the Philanthropy Lab program has invested nearly $15 million in partner schools to facilitate experiential courses on philanthropy.

The Power of Experiential Learning

Goizueta’s Philanthropy Lab course is designed to be experiential. Students form “mini foundations” that, according to the class syllabus, are “challenged to identify and make grants to Atlanta-based nonprofits, incubated by the Center for Civic Innovation (CCI), that address inequity in innovative ways.”

“Experiential learning is the best way to get at the nuance and complexity of fields like philanthropy or business,” said Brian Goebel, managing director of Goizueta’s Business & Society Institute. “Nonprofits and philanthropic organizations leverage a lot of the same core management skills, structures, and processes to be effective in their work.”

The Philanthropy Lab program typically works with liberal arts departments such as sociology and history. However, Wesley Longhofer, executive academic director for Goizueta’s Business & Society Institute and associate professor of organization and management, wondered if a business school might have sustained demand for this type of class.

In 2019, he approached Goebel with the idea and, not long after, Goizueta’s Business & Society Institute launched its first Philanthropy Lab course. During the recent celebration, Longhofer reminded attendees that the course was created to be “place-based.” That is, it shouldn’t “shy away from the issues and challenges that Atlanta is facing.” (A SmartAsset 2024 Study places Atlanta, GA, among the top five U.S. cities where income inequality is highest.) Since the course’s inception, enrollment has been steady. This year, 27 undergraduate BBA students and five MBA students took the class.

Students Share Experiences

As part of the celebration, one of those students, Agha Haider 25BBA spoke to the course’s impact. “This semester has opened many of our eyes to ways that we can impact the community around Atlanta,” Haider told the audience. He described what he called, “the Emory bubble,” the notion that students who attend Emory University don’t experience the “real” Atlanta. He described the Philanthropy Lab as an opportunity to break out of that bubble, especially when conducting face-to-face interviews with the nonprofits as potential grantees.

We have had the opportunity to meet with all of you. And we have learned more about the ways that you’re shaping your community for the better.

Agha Haider 25BBA

“One of the things this class has taught us is to really take some time to learn more about the community you’re currently in—whether that’s as a post grad in New York City or in rural Alabama,” Haider told the community leaders and grantees in attendance.

Beyond the Metrics

Alan Ferguson 99MBA welcomed attendees to Atlanta Habitat for Humanity’s headquarters. The former CEO of Habitat for Humanity now serves as chief housing and real estate officer at Atlanta Housing.

He reminded the students that outcomes go “beyond the metrics.” It is important, he said, to track resources and results. However, “trust-based outcomes,” which are more difficult to measure, are equally as important, Ferguson said. He used Habitat for Humanity as one example.

How many homeowners have been able to use their home as a platform to transform their lives in other ways? Maybe they pursue additional education or entrepreneurial dreams. Or they may really take time to invest in themselves, in their hobbies. They may start doing crafts and gardening, and all those types of things that add to their quality of life in a robust way.

Alan Ferguson 99MBA

In addition to Goizueta Business School and the Center for Civic Innovation, the Emory Philanthropy Lab receives support from The Shapiro Foundation and an anonymous Emory University alum. “Giving money away and doing it thoughtfully to make a positive impact and do no harm is harder than people think,” explained Goebel. “That’s been a neat part of this program. It’s gratifying to see those affiliated with the Emory and broader Atlanta community give back. They are helping this generation learn how to be effective philanthropists and changemakers.” A number of community leaders served as guest lecturers throughout the course.

The 2024 Philanthropy Lab Awards Grants to 13 Recipients

Six student teams—five teams comprised of BBA students and one team of MBA students—awarded grants to recipient organizations. From a field of 23 nonprofits, the students selected 13 community organizations to receive these grants. “I give the students great kudos. It’s hard to make those decisions when you see so many good organizations apply for funding,” explained Goebel.

3D Girls, Inc.

Educating and empowering young women and girls to advocate for themselves and their families. [Grant amount: $5,666]

BestFit, Inc.

Removing barriers to economic mobility while building self-efficacy and reducing cognitive burden—increasing educational outcomes, employment opportunities, and long-term economic growth prospects. [Grant amount: $8,322]

ChopArt

Providing dignity, community, and opportunity to middle and high school-aged youth experiencing homelessness through multidisciplinary arts immersion and mentorship. [Grant amount: $4,583]

Close Ties Leadership Program

Unlocking Black boys’ full potential through early exposure to college and career opportunities, in-school mentorship, and individualized social-emotional support. [Grant amount: $10,000]

College AIM

Creating a more equitable postsecondary system by exposing students to college and financial aid opportunities, counseling young people from ninth grade through college graduation, and dismantling systemic racial and economic barriers. [Grant amount: $10,000]

Freedom University

Educating and empowering undocumented students and fulfilling their human right to education. [Grant amount: $9,583]

Goodie Nation

Eliminating the relationship gap that stands in the way of success for too many promising entrepreneurs, especially those who are people of color, women, or aren’t located in coastal financial centers. [Grant amount: $ 6,500]

Hope for Youth, Inc. (HYPE)

Empowering girls of color with technology skills that prepare them to become future leaders in 21^st century careers, cultivating a pipeline of diverse talent for the tech industry. [Grant amount: $7,083]

Jared’s Heart of Success Inc

Educating and empowering youth through impactful communication, focusing on conflict resolution and mental well-being. [Grant amount: $7,083]

Learning In Color Corporation

Designing inspiring K-12 educational facilities to improve the learning outcomes of low income, Black and brown students so that they gain math and reading proficiency and graduate from high school prepared for college and careers. [Grant amount: $6,166]

Small Bites Adventure Club

Helping children discover and eat more fruits and vegetables by empowering their educators with high quality, equitable, and affordable hands-on cooking resources. [Grant amount: $3,500]

Step Ahead Scholars

Creating educational equity by empowering historically under-resourced students to and through higher education and towards equitable life outcomes, so they can thrive in today’s social and economic climate. [Grant amount: $8,000]

Umi Feeds

Addressing the critical issue of food waste by rescuing surplus food and redistributing it to those in need. [Grant amount: $3,500]

For the third year in a row, Close Ties Leadership Program received a grant, this year collecting $10,000. The organization serves young Black boys in underserved communities. “We are committed to them and to their families and their communities from the time they’re 10 until they graduate high school,” explained Brandon Martin, CEO, Close Ties Leadership Program. Currently, 60 boys are enrolled in the program. With the grant, Martin plans to extend the organization’s team to serve 90 boys next year. The Goizueta students impressed Martin. “You can feel the intense knowledge and experience they’ve learned,” he said.

Like Close Ties, Freedom University has been awarded multiple grants from the Philanthropy Lab. The organization works to empower undocumented students banned from equal access to higher education in Georgia. Freedom University received $9,583 from the program this year. “There is a parallel here. Undocumented students today are experiencing some of what we experienced as Black Americans back in my time,” said Charles A. Black, Freedom University’s Chairman of the Board. Born in Miami, FL, in 1940, Black was unable to attend segregated colleges in Florida. He moved to Atlanta to attend Morehouse College, where he was a leader in the Atlanta Student Movement.

Freedom University plans to use the grant to fund a virtual study abroad program in Japan. “Undocumented students can’t leave the country if they ever hope to come back,” explained Laura Emiko Soltis, executive director, Freedom University. The four-week program is open to undocumented students at Freedom University, Oglethorpe University, and Emory University.

Building Connections across Degree Programs

Throughout the course, the BBA and MBA students attended class together. Many of the students, along with class partners, made a class-sponsored trek to the Equal Justice Initiative’s (EJI) Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. During the trip, the students learned how nonprofits like the initiative address racial inequality. “I think it created a more dynamic learning environment,” said Goebel. “It was powerful to have connections built across our degree programs.”

Creating a Space of Nuance

Tené Traylor, vice president for nonprofits and philanthropy at the Urban Institute, co-teaches the Philanthropy Lab course along with Goebel. “So many people, when we meet, say they wish they’d had this class when they were in college. They would have been able to understand more about giving. Or they would have been able to challenge their thinking about giving,” says Traylor. “What we try to do is to create space for that, for the rigor of that thinking. We also try to give them a bit of space to hold the emotions related to that. Because the work is very nuanced. It’s not black and white. Hopefully we’re able to create a space of nuance for these young people.”

Over the next 12 and 24 months, students will follow up with the nonprofits to learn how the grants are being implemented.

The Philanthropy Lab has provided guidance and seed funding for Emory’s Philanthropy Lab to take shape. The course has local support from Emory’s network of donors, including The Shapiro Foundation. It is delivered in collaboration with the Center for Civic Innovation.

Read more about how Goizueta’s Business & Society Institute is shaping business for the future.

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