Success Story

Alumni Video Spotlight: Joncarlo Mark MBA 00
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Alumni Video Spotlight: Joncarlo Mark MBA 00

Founder of Upwelling Capital Group

From launching a boutique investment firm to mentoring future business leaders, alumnus Joncarlo Mark shares the leadership lessons that continue to shape his success. View video.

From Goldman Sachs to Amazon: Building My Career Through Analytics
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From Goldman Sachs to Amazon: Building My Career Through Analytics

UC Davis MSBA turned my frustration into transformation

Alumna Maria Ahumada MSBA 22 reflects on her team's Practicum project, her technical growth and the career-defining experiences that prepared her for success at Amazon while mentoring the next generation of Latinas in tech.

Meet Our 2026 Commencement Student Speakers
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Meet Our 2026 Commencement Student Speakers

Graduates reflect on growth, challenge and what's next

Three members of the Class of 2026 will take the stage at Commencement to share their inspirations, experiences, and journeys with their fellow graduates, families and friends. We asked them about their student experience and what's next.

Our Road to the Big Bang! Finals: Building AI-Powered AgTech Focused on Cattle Health
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Our Road to the Big Bang! Finals: Building AI-Powered AgTech Focused on Cattle Health

UC Davis MSBA project plants seed to solve $2B dairy cow industry drain

MSBA alumnus Jeremy Twumasi Ampofo, the CEO of HerdSense, a Big Bang! Business Competition Residency Award winner, shares how his team is innovating at the intersection of machine learning and AI integrated with cutting-edge, ruggedized hardware to eliminate subclinical lameness in dairy cattle.

From Burnout to Breakthrough: Rebuild Your Career and Confidence with an MBA
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From Burnout to Breakthrough: Rebuild Your Career and Confidence with an MBA

Turning exhaustion into alignment and professional growth

Feeling stuck or exhausted in your career? UC Davis Associate Director of Admissions and alumna Leticia Garay shows how an MBA can restore energy, clarity, and belonging—turning burnout into alignment while building confidence, community, and a life you love.

From Self-Doubt to CEO: My MBA Changed My Life as a Leader
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From Self-Doubt to CEO: My MBA Changed My Life as a Leader

What the UC Davis MBA taught me about trust, confidence and executive accountability

“The decision to pursue an MBA was not about changing careers. It was about strengthening my ability to lead,” says alumna Ashlee Cervantes Thomas, CEO of a leading security company. “It changed my life as a leader.”

The Startup Treadmill Is Broken for Deep-Tech Companies
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The Startup Treadmill Is Broken for Deep-Tech Companies

Why science-based startups need a different model

“That exit should have been ours.” MBA alumnus Tim Keller, founder of Gunrock Venture Studio, unpacks why deep-tech, science-based startups collapse—and makes the case for a faster, smarter venture studio model.

Earning an MBA Without Pressing Pause on My Career
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Earning an MBA Without Pressing Pause on My Career

The power of employer tuition support

Working in healthcare benefits leadership, Brett Smith wondered if an MBA was worth it. The UC Davis Online MBA helped him build strategy, finance and leadership skills without leaving his job.

I Used to Stay Quiet in Meetings. Now I Lead Them.
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I Used to Stay Quiet in Meetings. Now I Lead Them.

An MBA journey from listening to leading and shaping strategy

From observing executives to leading a product launch at Costco, Full-Time MBA alumna Farah Shartaz reflects on the financial tradeoffs and leadership growth that shaped the real return on her MBA.

Engineering in Germany to Business Leadership at UC Davis
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Engineering in Germany to Business Leadership at UC Davis

How the Master of Management built my global business perspective

From Germany to UC Davis, MM student Ahmad Karim Katta turned being the only international voice in class into a leadership advantage, building global perspective, community and confidence in the inaugural Master of Management cohort.

My Journey to Become an AI Product Marketing Leader
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My Journey to Become an AI Product Marketing Leader

Practical product marketing workflows

Double Aggie alumna Elle Grossenbacher, a tech product marketing leader, returned to her alma mater to lead an exclusive AI webinar for fellow graduates and students, walking them through a mock product launch using AI tools.

Navigating from Big Four Accounting to Wine Industry Finance
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Navigating from Big Four Accounting to Wine Industry Finance

Using technical accounting skills to move into investment banking and advisory

From Big Four accounting to wine industry dealmaking, UC Davis MPAc alumnus Griffin Mitchell followed his instinct over a rigid plan. His journey proves the right foundation doesn’t just prepare you—it expands what’s possible.

I Had MBA Envy for Years. Then I Just Did It.
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I Had MBA Envy for Years. Then I Just Did It.

What working full-time while earning an MBA actually looks like

Online MBA alumna Katja Gagen had MBA envy for years. Now Head of Corporate Communications at Bloom Energy, she says the payoff wasn't the credential. It was the person she became.

From Classmates to Co-Founders: How We Turned Group Projects into a Startup
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From Classmates to Co-Founders: How We Turned Group Projects into a Startup

"We noticed how naturally our strengths balanced out"

From analytics homework to entrepreneurship, recent MSBA graduates Jeremy Twumasi Ampofo, Kyle Ayisi and Jovoney Morton transformed UC Davis group projects into Habituals, an AI-powered app making self-improvement human, data-driven and sustainable.

How I Got a Deloitte Offer Without an Accounting Background
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How I Got a Deloitte Offer Without an Accounting Background

What UC Davis MPAc taught me about standing out

He almost skipped the Deloitte table. Chris Ngan MPAc 26 walked into Meet the Firms convinced his background disqualified him—until one conversation reframed everything and changed his career trajectory.

From Football to Finance: My Leadership on the Field Became an Asset
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From Football to Finance: My Leadership on the Field Became an Asset

Master of Management helped build a career beyond the game

Master of Management alumnus Thomas Mirabella lacked corporate experience but had five years collegiate experience leading offensive lines. He shares how his leadership on the field and in the classroom scored a job offer in banking.  

 

I Wrote “Get Hired” on My Career Vision Board—Then Made It Happen
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I Wrote “Get Hired” on My Career Vision Board—Then Made It Happen

How focus, upskilling and UC Davis alumni connections guided my AI career path

This wasn’t manifestation. It was intention. Bay Area Part-Time MBA alumna Prachi Mishra shares how clarity, consistency and preparation shaped an AI-focused job search and led to a new role.

My Nontraditional Path to an MBA
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My Nontraditional Path to an MBA

“I pursued an MBA to understand business—and my own blind spots.”

From dropping out of college to launching a viral nonprofit and building Cosmoforge, a thriving marketing agency, this entrepreneur found purpose—and powerful partnerships—through the UC Davis Full-Time MBA.

Alumni Video Spotlight: Sonic Prabhudesai MSBA 18
Sonic Prabhudesai and Dean H. Rao Unnava
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Alumni Video Spotlight: Sonic Prabhudesai MSBA 18

Charles Schwab. Meta. And now, co-founder of somi.

Sonic Prabhudesai MSBA 18 shares his journey from working on analytics for $1.5T in assets under management at Charles Schwab to driving global growth at Facebook. He recently co-founded somi, a startup redefining how consumers use their data. View video.