Meet UNC Kenan-Flagler’s MBA Class of 2026

“With its extraordinary healthcare concentration curriculum, UNC Kenan-Flagler is a perfect opportunity because of the vast number of companies that are in their backyard,” noted Pragnya Paramita Panda, a former Deloitte senior consultant looking to transition into healthcare. “This will help in opening up the opportunities to ground my foot within the healthcare industry, connect with industry leaders and explore various career paths.”

UNC Kenan-Flagler is just minutes from the lively restaurants, music venues and shops in quintessential college-town Chapel Hill – yet only 30 minutes from the Research Triangle Park (RTP), the largest research park in the country and home to employers as diverse as IBM, Cisco, Biogen, Fidelity Investments and GlaxoSmithKline. That gives students access to internships, projects, mentors and partnerships, giving them a leg up on their chosen industries and roles.

The top-ranked real estate program is also a draw for many UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA students like McLean Fonvielle. “Significant population growth in the state has made North Carolina a target market for all national firms,” says the Virginia resident. “I believe it will be attractive to employers to have a knowledge of the state and most recent real estate developments.”

The state also offers a lower cost of living, warm climate, hiking trails and beaches, all lauded by Katja Muller, who spent six months in Rwanda establishing a chain of farm shops across the nation with the One Acre Fund before coming to UNC Kenan-Flagler. With plans to pursue the “greater good” by starting a private equity firm that racks up “significant ESG returns,” she reached out for data in her targeted industry and connected with Pramita Saha, who heads up the Center for Excellence in Investment Management. She received a “wealth of info” about various funds that had hired Kenan-Flagler alumni, and that support helped clinch her decision to attend UNC.

Photo: Johnny Andrews, UNC

Alumni at UNC Kenan-Flagler are engaged and supportive, offering insights and connections to prospective and current students to ensure their success. “I had the pleasure of working with a UNC Kenan-Flagler alum in real estate before coming to school here,” said McLean. “He took me under his wing and helped me learn about new real estate sectors I was not working on directly. He also helped me join the DC Real Estate Group, a group of D.C. real estate professionals under 40 years old ranging from associates to VPs. I grew my network tremendously and made life-long friends.”

Kento Fuchino was also attracted to UNC Kenan-Flagler for its experiential opportunities, particularly the STAR program (Student Teams Achieving Results). “STAR allows students to apply their skills to solve real business issues for corporate partners,” says Kento. “I am particularly excited about the chance to work on diverse teams, including undergraduates, to tackle complex business challenges.”

Experiential opportunities abound: Emily Dixon, a four-time women’s heptathlon champion in the Colonial Athletic Association and fluent in English, Spanish, French and Kinyarwanda, is excited about study abroad options like the Global Immersion and Doing Business In electives.

“With a leadership model that begins with UNC Kenan-Flagler’s core values – integrity, inclusion, innovation and impact – we develop principled leaders with the managerial skills to build and lead high-performing teams, armed with the technical acumen and market-ready skills that add immediate value to the organizations where they work.”

For some students, like Emma Tillitski, business school is literally a homecoming to a “concentration of intelligence” that radiates from UNC Kenan-Flagler. “Not only did both of my parents get their undergraduate degrees from Carolina, but my dad got his MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler as well,” says Emma, who landed a $500,000 grant to add solar energy to the West Tennessee energy grid and plans to move into energy project management post-graduation.

Emma’s cohort is filled with students who have already established themselves as impactful leaders who drive meaningful change. Eliza Joyner got her start in the public sector. She served as a special assistant to the chief of staff for the Small Business Administration and manager of government services for the Madison Services Group, a female-run government relations boutique. Leah Adams contributed research on patient care given to African Americans suffering from multiple myeloma.

When he was just 24, New Jersey native Chris Nwosu launched Conmotors Limited, a trade business specializing in importing and distributing industrial machinery, vehicles and auto parts in Africa. “Establishing a business in Nigeria’s developing economy presented significant challenges, including navigating complex licensing requirements and building trust with customers at such a young age,” he notes. “Overcoming these obstacles has been a major milestone in my career.”

At the Colorado Department of Education, Omar Estrada spearheaded the reformation of the state’s school Medicaid program. “I rewrote many policies for program administration and strengthened relationships with our districts and our state Medicaid agency partner,” he explains of the effort that earned him a Beaumont Foundation 40 Under 40 honor.

“With a leadership model that begins with UNC Kenan-Flagler’s core values – integrity, inclusion, innovation and impact – we develop principled leaders with the managerial skills to build and lead high-performing teams, armed with the technical acumen and market-ready skills that add immediate value to the organizations where they work,” explains Jesse Davis, Associate Dean of the Full-Time MBA Program and Associate Professor of Finance.

With this new knowledge and career-ready skills in-hand, the Class of 2026 will be ready to create positive impact – in their communities, and in the teams and organizations they lead after graduation.

Read the full Poets & Quants Article: Meet UNC Kenan-Flagler’s MBA Class of 2026