In this episode of Impact x The Intersection Podcast, learn about the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact’s mission to develop servant leaders. Tune in for the discussion on the Institute’s origins, leadership philosophy, and key programs like the Social Impact Fellowship and Leadership for Social Good Study Abroad—both designed to equip students with skills for driving social change.

How the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact Cultivates Servant Leaders

In this episode of The Intersection Podcast, host and second-year Full-time MBA student Analisa Wade chats with Jonathan Giuliano, executive director of Technology Innovation: Generating Economic Results (TI:GER); Paul Joseph, principal at the Georgia Tech Office of Commercialization; and Pascaline Ezouah, an Evening MBA student who participated in both TI:GER and the Georgia Tech Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) programs. 

Together, they delve into the two innovative programs at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business that are shaping the future of technology commercialization and entrepreneurship. 

The discussion begins with Giuliano providing an overview of the TI:GER program, which pairs Ph.D. and MBA students together to develop technology-based businesses over two semesters. Joseph then introduces the OTL Assistant Program, which he founded recently, after his own experience participating in TI:GER as an MBA student at Scheller.  

The OTL Assistant Program matches MBA students with master's students with specific technology expertise to conduct customer discovery for Georgia Tech innovations. Ezouah shares her firsthand experience participating in both programs, highlighting how they complement each other and enhanced her MBA journey. The program provides students with in-depth knowledge on how to start a business and commercialize a technology. 

The episode also includes the unveiling of an exciting new partnership between Giuliano and Joseph. They announce the launch of a new Technology Commercialization MBA Practicum set to begin in Summer and Fall 2025. This course aims to bridge the gap between the TI:GER and OTL programs, offering students a more comprehensive understanding of the technology commercialization process.  

Listen to the episode to learn more about technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and how to turn an innovative idea into a business.

Scheller MBAs Learn Technology Commercialization Through TI:GER and Office of Technology Licensing

In this episode of Impact x The Intersection Podcast, host Dori Pap speaks with John Mulrow, director of the Degrowth Institute, and Joe Bozeman, assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech, about the topic of degrowth and how it’s implemented into our systems.

Has the Economy Outgrown the Planet?

In this episode of Impact x The Intersection Podcast, host and Full-time MBA student Analisa Wade sits down with Rohit Malhotra, founder and executive director of the Center for Civic Innovation, for a compelling discussion about public policy, community engagement, and what drives the city of Atlanta. 

Rohit Malhotra was raised in the Atlanta area by immigrant parents and has a deep-rooted connection to the city and a passion for equity. Ten years ago, he founded the Center for Civic Innovation (CCI), a policy organization dedicated to ensuring that "generations aren’t fighting the same fights that previous generations had to fight." 

When the CCI was launched, Atlanta had just been named the most unequal city in the United States—a stark reality that shaped much of the organization's early work. Malhotra saw firsthand how flawed public policy can deeply impact individuals and families, particularly during times of crisis. 

“Everyone is involved in public policy, whether you like it or not,” he explains. “If you're not involved in policy, policy is definitely involved in your life. It’s just a matter of whether you have the privilege to not depend on it.” 

Malhotra emphasizes that public policy is only as effective as the people shaping it, which is why the CCI focuses on empowering both residents and community leaders to understand public policy and develop the tools to influence it. For Malhotra, it starts with asking the right questions—like, "How does Atlanta work?" 

One way to answer that question lies in understanding the city’s Neighborhood Planning Unit System (NPU), a civic engagement structure established in 1974. This system divides Atlanta into 25 planning units, each representing a unique neighborhood. It serves as a foundational framework for local governance and community voice. Malhotra continues to shed light on where power lies in Atlanta’s government structure and how everyday residents can become drivers of change. 

Tune in to the full episode to learn more about how the CCI is bridging the gap between Atlanta residents and the policies that shape their lives—and to gain a deeper understanding of how Atlanta truly works. 

How Atlanta Works

In this episode of The Intersection Podcast, Analisa Wade interviews Brittany McCormick and Darius Chinoy, two Evening MBA students at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business who are set to graduate in May 2025. The conversation covers their unique journeys through the program, highlighting both the challenges they faced and the victories they celebrated along the way. 

McCormick and Chinoy, both marketers at heart, share a series of life analogies and motivational mottos that encapsulate their MBA experiences. Their reflections aim to inspire prospective students to embark on their own transformative journeys at Scheller. McCormick entered the program seeking a new career path and has successfully secured a rotational role at Delta Air Lines post-graduation. Meanwhile, Chinoy pursued his MBA to expand his career opportunities in brand management or product marketing management and is now exploring his next steps.

Throughout the episode, the duo discusses how the program pushed them to grow personally and professionally. They emphasize the importance of resilience, adaptability, and community support in navigating the rigorous demands of an MBA. Their stories highlight how Scheller’s resources and collaborative environment have empowered them to redefine their career trajectories. 

This episode offers honest, day-in-the-life anecdotes for anyone considering an MBA, particularly those interested in Scheller for a supportive yet challenging academic environment. McCormick and Chinoy's experiences serve as a testament to the transformative power of an MBA at Scheller. 

Scheller Evening MBA Recap

In this episode of the Impact x Intersection podcast, Analisa Wade, MBA ’25, sits down with Georgia Works CEO Darlene Schultz to discuss how the organization changes lives. This episode offers listeners an in-depth look at Georgia Works through Darlene’s perspective, highlighting the importance of adaptable leadership, the organization’s structured approach, and its unique definition of success.

Schultz begins by sharing her personal view on leadership and how she’s evolved her style to meet the specific needs of Georgia Works, which was founded in 2013 to help men rebuild their lives through workforce development and support.

The episode also delves into the organization's problem-solving strategies. A few years ago, the Georgia Works team noticed that, while many of their program graduates were experiencing great progress, they were still struggling to find stable housing. To address this, the organization merged with another nonprofit—originally founded as The Housing Tonight, Inc. (HIT)—to expand its mission and offer comprehensive support services that help individuals secure long-term housing.

What sets Georgia Works apart, Schultz explains, is its departure from the widely adopted "housing first" model. While acknowledging this approach can be effective, she emphasizes that Georgia Works tackles the root causes of homelessness—such as addiction and mental illness—through its workforce development program.

“We want to address these issues [addiction, mental illness] alongside providing housing,” says Schultz. “By confronting them head-on, these men have a better chance of not returning to prison, jail, or homelessness.”

Tune in to the episode to learn more about how Georgia Works is empowering men and supporting the Atlanta community through its transformative workforce development initiatives. 


Georgia Works

Every end is a beautiful new beginning. In this episode of The Intersection Podcast, Analisa Wade retires her hosting mic and talks with Prem Rupawala, incoming second-year MBA student and the new host of The Intersection Podcast, about her experience in the Full-time MBA program.  

Wade describes her journey to Scheller an unconventional one. After graduating from Spelman College, she began her career in product development at Macy's. She then worked in business development and marketing for law firm Kirkland & Ellis before starting her marketing agency, which she ran for four years. All that experience culminated in her pursuing her MBA at Scheller in 2023. 

From the moment Wade stepped on campus, she has been a pillar in the Scheller community.   She was one of the founding members of the inaugural TechForward MBA conference, president of the Tech Club, an MBA ambassador, and a CHARGE fellow. 

Listen to the episode to learn how she balanced it all, stepped outside her comfort zone to grow, leveraged the support of the Scheller community, and navigated her MBA recruitment journey to land a role at Microsoft.  

Host Analisa Wade Reflects on Her Scheller MBA Experience

In this episode of The Intersection Podcast, host and Full-time MBA student Analisa Wade sits down with Brin McFall, a first-year Full-time MBA student, and Chasten McCrary, a third-year Evening MBA student, to explore their experiences at the Scheller College of Business.  

McFall and McCrary share their perspectives on being women at Scheller, emphasizing the inclusive atmosphere and the various ways the programs empower women students to thrive academically and professionally. 

McFall talks about her experience balancing family life with her studies and how it inspired her to create "The Beekeepers," a new community for Scheller parents. The Beekeepers initiative showcases how students are encouraged to address needs they identify within the program. 

McCrary, who brings a unique dual perspective as an Evening MBA student and a Georgia Tech employee, discusses how her experiences in both roles complement each other. She shares insights on leveraging her background in student admissions as a student ambassador, where she now encourages prospective students to pursue their MBA dreams at Scheller. Her story illustrates the program's commitment to fostering leadership and giving back to the community. 

Tune into the episode to learn more about the women's experience in MBA programs, work-life balance, and how to make the most of your MBA journey.  

How Women at Scheller Lead and Build Community

In this episode of The Intersection Podcast, host and Full-time MBA student Prem Rupawala talks with three fellow MBA students: Angelica Martini, Leonardo Ribeiro, and Lauren Dasher about their recruitment journey to securing summer internships at Citibank, Boston Consulting Group, and Delta Air Lines.  

Martini’s internship recruitment preparation began before classes even started, thanks to her involvement with the Forté Foundation. While at the Forté Conference, she networked with companies early and met her future internship employer. She’s spending her summer as a U.S. personal banking associate at Citibank in New York. 

Ribeiro entered the MBA program as an engineer. He initially wanted to transition into a research and development role. However, after networking more and attending info sessions, he decided consulting was the path for him. He secured a management consulting internship at BCG in Atlanta. 

Dasher, formerly a teacher pivoting into business, was interested in leadership development and had a targeted approach to her recruitment journey. She prioritized authenticity and alignment over volume, and her efforts paid off. She’s interning at Delta as a commercial customer strategy intern. 

Tune into the episode to learn more about each student’s unique recruitment journey, the challenges they faced, advice for students, and how the Scheller community supported them along the way.

How Three MBA Students Secured Internships at BCG, Citibank, and Delta

 

In this special follow-up episode of The Intersection Podcast, host and Full-time MBA student Prem Rupawala reconnects with three of his classmates,  Angelica Martini, Leonardo Ribeiro, and Lauren Dasher, to hear how their summer internships at Citibank, Boston Consulting Group, and Delta Air Lines unfolded. 

Martini reflects on her summer as a U.S. client experience associate at Citibank in New York City, where she navigated a new city and industry, building a strong network while battling the challenges of imposter syndrome.  

Similarly, Ribeiro, who transitioned from an engineering background into consulting, opens up about the steep learning curve of his internship with BCG in Atlanta and how he developed the “consulting toolkit” to thrive in a client-facing environment.  

Dasher, a former elementary school teacher pivoting into business, shares her experience interning at Delta Air Lines as a commercial strategy intern, highlighting how she balanced authenticity with the demands of corporate leadership development. 

Together, they offer insightful reflections on the challenges they faced, the strategies they used to overcome them, and the lessons they’ll carry forward. They also share advice for incoming  Full-time MBA students  preparing for internship recruitment, from practical preparation to mindset shifts, and they emphasize the vital role the Scheller community played in their journeys. 

MBA Students Reflect on Internships at Citibank, BCG, and Delta

At Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business, we cultivate innovators who aren't afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and create opportunities in a complex business world. Join us as we talk with Scheller students and alumni, faculty, and other experts to gain insights into what it means to lead innovation in a tech-driven world. Topics range from personal stories and career insights to cutting-edge faculty research and current trends in tech and business.