The Intersection Podcast

M.S. Major in Management students Kendra Garcia and Justin Turner discuss their experience in Scheller’s M.S. Major in Management program, a nine-month graduate program. They share insights on the classroom experience, the tight-knit cohort, and how the program is helping them prepare for their careers.

Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, joins The Intersection Podcast for a conversation with past and present faculty directors of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business. Beril Toktay and Andre Calmon talk to Dean Mehrotra about the Center’s impact and explore the future for sustainable business education at Georgia Tech.

In this episode of The Intersection Podcast, host Prem Rupawala sits down with some of the organizers of the 2026 Marketing Innovation Conference @ Scheller to explore what’s in store for the event, happening Friday, Feb. 27, from 1 to 6:30 p.m. at the Scheller College of Business. He speaks with two second-year Full-time MBA students — Marissa Williamson, president of the MBA Marketing Club, and Delaney Baro, vice president of communications of the MBA Marketing Club — and marketing Professor Timothy Halloran, a longtime faculty lead for the conference. Together, they dive into this year’s theme, Branded Together: How Consumer Collaboration Deepens Connection, and discuss why, in a year dominated by AI headlines, it felt essential to refocus on the human side of marketing. From the decline of brand loyalty among younger consumers to the rising importance of co-creation, authentic storytelling, and trust-building, the conversation explores the biggest shifts shaping the way brands and audiences interact today. They also share what attendees can expect at this year’s conference, including presenting companies, featured speakers, and the special addition of a Tech Talks Business panel hosted by Dean Anuj Mehrotra. Learn more, register, and purchase your tickets on the conference website: https://www.scheller.gatech.edu/events/2026/marketing-innovation-conference.html

In this episode of the Intersection Podcast, host Prem Rupawala sits down with Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, to reflect on his first two years of leadership and share his vision for the future of Scheller. Dean Mehrotra discusses stepping into the role at a pivotal moment for higher education, highlighting key decisions and moments that have shaped Scheller’s direction. He also reflects on how his initial priorities have evolved, the strength of the Scheller community, and shares some of the accomplishments he’s most proud of. The episode explores how business schools must continue to evolve in an increasingly complex and tech-driven world, and what it means to prepare leaders at the intersection of business, technology, and societal impact. He also offers insight into what makes Scheller students so special, pointing to the qualities he consistently sees across cohorts. A key focus of the episode is Scheller’s deep connection to Atlanta’s corporate and innovation ecosystem. Dean Mehrotra shares how these partnerships are expected to grow and play an even greater role in shaping student experiences and opportunities. He pulls back the curtain on Tech Talks Business, discussing how the series came to life and what listeners can expect from future iterations. The episode closes with personal leadership advice for students offering thoughtful guidance grounded in curiosity, adaptability, and purpose.

This special Veterans Day episode features two first-year Full-time MBA students: Nicholas Smith, a former U.S. Marine Corps infantry leader, and Joon Choi, who served in the Korean Army as a translator for the U.S. Army. They share their journey from military service to the corporate world, and ultimately to Scheller to pursue their MBA. Both reflect on how the shift from a command-driven environment in the military to a more collaborative one at Scheller has expanded their leadership styles. They discuss what leadership means to them, how their decision-making has evolved outside of uniform, and the new ways they’ve learned to lead. The conversation explores how their military backgrounds help them connect with classmates from diverse cultures and professional backgrounds, and how those same skills translate into teamwork and communication across industries. Choi and Smith also discuss how they will apply their values and leadership experiences to their post-MBA careers, encompassing adaptability, accountability, integrity, and service. To close, they offer thoughtful and encouraging advice to other military members considering an MBA. They reflect on navigating the transition, embracing new ways of learning, and leveraging their unique experiences to lead with impact beyond the military.

In this episode of The Intersection Podcast, host and Full-time MBA student Prem Rupawala sits down with three Executive MBA students: Darshil Dharia, Kevin Seveur, and Ayla Vagal. The discussion centers around their experiences returning to the classroom as seasoned professionals. Despite each bringing a wealth of experience to the table, all three emphasize how transformative it has been to learn not only from world-class professors but also from their peers in the cohort. They share what surprised them most about the program, the ways they’ve been able to immediately apply classroom insights into their careers, and how the diversity of backgrounds in the Executive MBA community has elevated their learning experience. The conversation also touches on the balancing act of managing demanding jobs, personal commitments, and an intensive program schedule. Dharia, Seveur, and Vagal discuss the strategies and support systems that have helped them succeed, and how the journey has already begun to shape their leadership aspirations. To close the episode, they each reflect on the advice they would give to someone considering an Executive MBA program. Their perspectives offer candid and thoughtful guidance for professionals weighing the decision, highlighting what it takes to thrive in the program while balancing the realities of work and life.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In this episode of The Intersection Podcast, we’re honoring Black History Month. Host and second-year Full-time MBA student Analisa Wade talks with Georgia Tech MBA alumni Torri Smith, Executive MBA ‘24, and Jamaal Broome, Evening MBA ‘11, about their education journey transitioning from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to Scheller for their MBAs. Smith received her undergraduate degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and is an associate director at Collins Aerospace. Broome earned his undergraduate degree from Hampton University and is the managing director at AKARA Consulting, a media and sports entertainment consulting firm. During the episode, they discuss how attending an HBCU laid a crucial foundation for their growth. Broome emphasizes the rich historical context he was exposed to at his HBCU, providing him with knowledge and perspectives often overlooked in traditional educational settings. They also discuss their time at Scheller, detailing how the MBA program has enhanced their leadership skills and career prospects and highlighting the extensive resources and networking opportunities provided by Georgia Tech. The conversation also touches on how they've made an impact at Scheller and how the MBA has helped them become better leaders. A key theme of the discussion is how Smith and Broome have leveraged their dual experiences - from HBCUs and Scheller - to bring fresh perspectives and ideas to their communities and workplaces. They emphasize the importance of "paying it forward" by utilizing their newly acquired resources and knowledge to benefit their broader communities. This episode offers valuable insights for HBCU graduates considering an MBA, current business students, and professionals interested in the intersection of diverse educational experiences and business leadership.

In this episode of The Intersection Podcast, host and second-year Full-time MBA student Analisa Wade sits down with three members of Scheller’s Full-time MBA Social Committee: Palmer Mattice, Ankit Sharma, and Isabella Vear. Together, they discuss the Social Committee and how it adds a sense of community to the program. Mattice shares his experiences of joining the Social Committee as a first-year representative. He highlights how his involvement has helped him meet several second-year students and bond with his cohort quickly. His insights provide a fresh perspective on the benefits of early engagement in social activities. Sharma talks about his initial reluctance to join the Social Committee. He shares how his involvement turned into a rewarding experience, offering a unique viewpoint on overcoming hesitations and embracing new opportunities. Vear, who is passionate about event planning, discusses her motivation to join the committee. She was inspired to ensure a diverse range of activities were planned. Her dedication to creating varied experiences has made a noticeable impact on the social scene at Scheller. Throughout the episode, all three guests share their favorite social events so far and give listeners a sneak peek into some exciting plans for upcoming events. Their stories paint a vivid picture of social life at Scheller, highlighting the importance of community and connection.

Dean Anuj Mehrotra discusses his first year leading the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. Dean Mehrotra highlights key achievements and Scheller's progress, while emphasizing the school's collaborative spirit and his enthusiasm for the future.

In this episode of The Intersection Podcast, host and second-year Full-time MBA student Analisa Wade sits with three first-year Full-time MBA students - Hanan Musa, Kelsey Chen, and Prem Rupawala - to discuss their first semester at the Scheller College of Business. The three students chat about balancing their core groups, class assignments, social activities, and the job recruiting process. Musa shares how she balances classwork and recruiting activities while adhering to her busy schedule. Chen highlights the importance of self-care and being okay to say “no” when you need rest. Rupawala, an international student from London, reflects on adapting to a new country and his excitement about exploring Atlanta. Listen to the episode as they provide valuable tips on pivoting from your career to a Full-time MBA program, the ins and outs of the international student experience at Scheller, and prioritizing personal time when transitioning back to school.