A week in Austin, Texas, enabled 30 second-year MBA students from the University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business to take what they learned in the classroom out into the world. This trip, the culmination of an integrated management capstone course, provided insights into innovation and networking opportunities with influential executives, including alumni from Pitt Business and Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering.
Before visiting Austin, the week of Jan. 8, 2024, the students spent the fall semester engaged in lectures and classroom discussions on innovation. During the trip, the students toured large and small companies and spoke with industry leaders to learn first-hand how innovation is fostered and implemented.
“This class ties together everything the students learn,” says Rebecca Badawy, associate dean for MBA and specialty masters. “The students learned about innovation, plus they learned about the powerful alumni community they will join once they graduate.”
Alumni Leadership, Executive Insights
It was this alumni network that opened doors to the organizations and business leaders in Austin. The following alumni played an important role in this capstone trip:
- Lucianne Kempton (BS ChE ‘12), an executive at Inevitable Tech
- Lance Mitchell (BSBA ’02) senior director, strategic global partners at Dell Technologies
- Rogerio Negrao (EMBA ’09) purchasing director of electric programs at General Motors
- Stephen Sikra (BS MatE ’91) chairman, MagisOpus Group
- Angelo Reid (MBA ‘85) manager at IBM
- Douglas Whiting (BA, A&S ‘94) partner, IBM
“Supporting the next generation of the workforce empowers them with valuable insights, lessons learned, field skills, and historical data to give them the foundation needed for future growth and success,” says Mitchell. “The students were very professional, great listeners, and were very engaged. It was a pleasure to host them at our Austin Briefing Center.”
The alumni-facilitated visits showcased various aspects of innovation, from how a start-up shifts its focus and strategy, to how a large automaker ensures a robust manufacturing supply chain, to how sustainability issues are becoming ever more centered in corporate leaders’ minds.
The week also included visits with Opportunity Austin, the Founder Institute, and Capital Factory, where students connected with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to experience this thriving sector of the economy first-hand. Rounding out the week, a visit to Whole Foods showcased retail innovation and how data can be leveraged to improve the customer experience.
Through the company tours and discussions with executives, the students gained valuable business insights.
“My biggest key takeaway from the week was that innovation doesn’t have to be only centered around products,” says Kartikeya Singh (MBA/MS ‘24). “Companies like Whole Foods and IBM are driving innovation through processes and operations which increase their productivity, efficiency and save time which in turn helps them drive customer satisfaction.”
Accelerate Your Career
At Pitt Business, we help students find the MBA program best tailored to their individual academic and career goals to provide the highest possible return on investment. Learn more about the options, which include: a 12-month accelerated format, 18-month full-time format, flexible part-time format, or dual/joint MBA degree options, or complete this form to request more information.
