While most of my classmates will be taking positions in finance, consulting, and other traditional MBA industries, I will be venturing out on my own by establishing Elisabeth Events. I may be the first ivy league MBA grad to start an event planning firm! My close friends know that this is exactly what I was meant to do, but others may be a bit curious, so here is my story:

My Roots in the Nonprofit Sector
Prior to Columbia Business School, I worked at Advocates for Children (AFC), a nonprofit educational advocacy organization serving NYC’s public school students. Although I joined thinking that I wanted to pursue a career in public interest law, I was immediately drawn to the management side of the organization. While I was there, AFC reached a turning point in its 30 year history — it had grown from a staff of 6 to over 50 in just 6 years. This resulted in opportunities for me to gain responsibility quickly, and I took the lead on AFC’s business development initiatives which grew the operating budget by 26%:

• spearheading new marketing and branding initiatives;
• cultivating AFC’s Junior Board to increase pro bono and fundraising resources;
• directing a lobbying campaign targeting the NYC Council to secure funding for a citywide education helpline; and
• leading a team to plan and execute the annual summer benefit (the favorite part of my job!)

Since I recognized that the nonprofit sector has become a highly sophisticated (and competitive) industry, I wanted to become the most effective leader I could, using strategies drawn from case study examples and sound business reasoning… so I decided to pursue an MBA, ultimately knowing that I wanted to use what I learned for the benefit of the nonprofit sector.

An MBA at Columbia Business School

This year, I am continuing that role as Cluster Chair and I also serve on the Graduate Business Association’s Events Committee. I also had the honor of coordinating two major industry conferences: the 2008 Columbia Women in Business Conference (Reception) and the 2008 Social Enterprise Conference. Right now, I am thrilled to be spearheading a committee to plan our annual school-wide Spring Fling gala, which will be held at Cipriani Wall Street in April!

Lifestyle Marketing at Strategic Group
Last year, I was thrilled to intern at Strategic Group, a boutique lifestyle/luxury marketing firm (the marketing arm of Strategic Hospitality, which owns hotspots such as Tao, Tao Vegas, Marquee, and Lavo). The firm is a fashionista’s dream: hosting Bridgehampton Polo, hiring celebs to pose with our client’s luxury products, operating gifting suites during Sundance and Fashion Week, etc. Having heard about the company before school, I was really excited to work on these types of glamorous projects.

Me with Nacho Figueras (Ralph Lauren model & polo player) at Bridgehamton Polo!

However, after two semesters of working there, I quickly realized that this world of glitz and glamour was not for me. Each day I spent there, I longed for something more meaningful to do with my life… I wanted a personal connection with clients, and I wanted to have more direct social impact.

Luckily, I still had a year of school left, so it was not too late! Upon returning to school in the fall, I immediately became more involved with the Social Enterprise club and entrepreneurial initiatives/courses. After making the decision to launch Elisabeth Events instead of pursuing a more traditional MBA career path, I finally felt at peace. Plus, I built up my luxury marketing and branding experience, which has been extremely helpful for my nonprofit clients since I learned the secret sauce of how big brands are able to engage consumers through events!

Each piece of the puzzle fit together to give me the necessary experience, professional network, and skill set to achieve my goals. Now, every day, I am so excited to work on my business and bring it to life!