In this episode, co-hosts Aaliyah and Philip introduce The Fuqua Show's newest team members, Head of Content Sam Shain and Head of Marketing Jade Tsai, while reflecting on lessons learned from the show's season so far. Happy Holidays from the entire team! Host: Aaliyah Brown and Philip Coale More information about applying to Duke's Fuqua School of Business can be found at https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/admissions. Note: This is a student-run production. The opinions expressed in this podcast are...

In this episode of The Fuqua Show, we sit down with Teniola "Teni" Tayo, a renowned policy advisor and global strategist, and a Fuqua MBA, to explore how global policy shapes economic development and leadership in an increasingly interconnected world. Teni shares her journey across Africa, Europe, and the United States, drawing on her work with institutions such as the UN Development Programme, the World Bank, and Nigeria’s highest levels of government. From advising on trade and investment p...

Caty Stanko joins The Fuqua Show to share how earning her MMS degree helped launch her career at Deloitte in New York, but even more, how her mother’s dementia diagnosis inspired her to channel grief into action. She recounts training for the NYC Marathon alongside her brother to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s research, transforming personal pain into advocacy and hope. Along the way, she reflects on how the network and confidence she gained from Fuqua helped her balance early care...

Devery Hamilton, Jr. is a student in Fuqua's one-year Accelerated MBA program, but this is not his first degree from the school of business. After playing college football at Stanford and Duke, Devery spent several seasons playing football professionally in the NFL. After injuries led to an early retirement, Devery has returned to Fuqua to pursue a future career in the business of sports and media. Host: Philip Coale More information about applying to Duke's Fuqua School of Business can be fo...

In this inspiring episode of The Fuqua Show, host Aaliyah Brown sits down with Lieutenant Commander Whitney Koenigsknecht, a proud Michigan native, U.S. Naval Academy graduate, and Supply Corps Officer whose career has been defined by resilience, service, and leadership. Whitney shares her journey from growing up in Grosse Pointe Shores to serving aboard the USS KEARSARGE, USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, and USS TRUXTUN, where she managed logistics for complex naval operations across Europe and the Mi...

In this heartfelt episode, we sit down with Bianca Valladares, a second-year MBA student at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, to explore her journey of identity, resilience, and belonging. As Co-President of the American Latinx Management Association (ALMA) and Development Lead for the Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics (COLE), Bianca has played a vital role in advancing belonging and equity at Fuqua. She discusses her professional journey from international development recru...

Dr. Erica Marshburn is an emergency medicine physician and a second year in the Daytime MBA program at Duke's Fuqua School of Business. In this episode, she shares her journey as a first-generation college graduate who trained to save lives in the ER (and elsewhere!). She shares with the audience why she returned to business school and how she wants to use her MBA to change the healthcare system for the better. Guest: Erica Marshburn Host: Philip Coale More information about applying to...

Born and raised on a crop and cattle farm in North Carolina, Belton is a proud member of the Lumbee Tribe. After an early career in state government and non-profits, Belton is in the final year of a dual Master of Public Policy and Master of Business Administration program at Duke University. In this episode, Belton reflects on the professional journey that has taken him from tobacco fields in Robeson County to the Governor's office in Raleigh. More information about applying to Duke's ...

Welcome back to The Fuqua Show! In this season's inaugural episode, hosts Aaliyah Brown and Philip Coale reintroduce listeners to The Fuqua Show, a podcast sharing the stories, lessons, and passions of Team Fuqua at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. We interview diverse members of the community - students, alums, partners, faculty, staff, and more - to learn about the unique things they bring to the Fuqua community. Episode Producers: Aaliyah Brown and Philip Coale Hosts: Aaliyah ...

In this heartfelt episode of The Fuqua Show, host Abimbola sits down with Chizoma Ekechukwu - a second-year MBA student whose strength, warmth, and leadership have touched every corner of the Fuqua community. She's Co-President of the Black Business Student Association, a Career and Admissions Fellow, and a trusted mentor. But beyond the titles, Chizoma carries a story that changed everything. While navigating the challenges of business school, Chizoma was diagnosed with cancer. What followed...

How did a law graduate end up running one of the most elite athletic programs in the country? Nina King made history as Duke’s first female Vice President and Director of Athletics—and only the third Black woman ever to lead a Power Five athletic department. From law school to locker rooms, she’s risen to now overseeing 27 varsity teams, teaching at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, and raising two boys. Nina is redefining what leadership looks like in a male-dominated arena. And she’s e...

Mitchell Woodruff (Class of 2024) grew up in the small town of Crestwood, Kentucky. After earning a degree in psychology from Xavier University, Mitchell pursued nursing at Bellarmine University and worked as a pediatric ICU travel nurse across the U.S. and abroad. He spent time providing care on a ship off the coast of Africa, helping children with cleft lip and palate repairs, and eventually decided to switch careers, enrolling in the Duke MBA program. Now, Mitchell is preparing for a move ...

Dr. Ronnie Chatterji returned to Fuqua in 2023, after serving in the White House as implementation lead for the $52 billion CHIPS and Science Act. He thrives at the intersection of academia, public policy, and business, working as a professor and researcher at Fuqua for the past 18 years. He has co-authored 2 books, published over 30 peer-reviewed articles, and written op-eds in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review. Ronnie has also worked in President Obama's C...

Dr. Veronica Valencia Victoria (Class of 2024) is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and could also be considered a doctor of reinventing herself. Originally from a small town in Colombia, she moved to the U.S. when she was 12 years old, ultimately becoming the valedictorian of her high school. Inspired by her family, she became a physical therapist and supported patients over 4 years. After the loss of a friend and fellow healthcare worker during the pandemic, Veronica was driven to start a schola...

Kandasi Griffiths (Class of 2024) had a goal to see the world. And after living in 17 places on 4 continents, she is certainly on her way! After college, she taught English in Paris, organized conferences in the UK, and learned jewelry making in Italy, before pivoting to international development. She worked in Afghanistan, Jordan, Tanzania, Guinea, Benin, and Togo, learning about global health and seeing how she could best contribute to community development. Kandasi then founded a social en...

Annie Forrest (Class of 2024) grew up in a small Appalachian town called Richlands, Virginia, where her family has lived for 8 generations. She left home for the University of Virginia, where she became an advocate for sexual assault and relationship abuse prevention. She then moved to New York City to continue this work full time at the One Love Foundation. And after 9 years away, she came back to Richlands and became inspired to work on uplifting rural communities. In this episode, Annie s...

Dr. John M. de Figueiredo (Faculty Director, Duke Center for Institutional and Organizational Performance) has taught strategy, law, and economics at Duke for more than 14 years and has received 8 teaching awards. However, when trying to start his career in academia, he was rejected from every PhD program he applied for, all because someone lost his GRE answer sheet! In this episode, John discusses how rejections, constant setbacks, and serendipity have led him to new opportunities, such as b...

Queen Nwokonneya (Class of 2024) has big ambitions to improve people's lives in developing countries. Originally from Abuja, Nigeria, she discovered a passion for international and economic development, which brought her to the UK for school and back to Africa for work. Through her pre-MBA career, Queen advised the Lagos government on urban renewal policy, worked with her hometown community to plant 5,000 trees, helped vaccinate over 100,000 children, and more. In this episode, Queen shares m...

Erin Worsham spends her days helping people create positive impact in the world. She has been at Duke for a total of 19 years, first as an undergrad music major and now as the leader of Fuqua's Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE), Erin has developed a rich understanding of social impact, from her time as a Stanford MBA student to her jobs at the World Bank, USAID, Booz Allen Hamilton, and now Fuqua. In this episode, Erin shares experiences and advice on being a "non...

Happy (?) Tax Day! To celebrate, we're bringing you a special episode with our professor and resident tax guru Scott Dyreng - featuring advice on taxes, life, and everything in between. Scott Dyreng grew up on a turkey farm in rural Utah and made his way to writing op-eds for the Wall Street Journal. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Scott has seen the world (Chile, UK), started a family (with six children), built a blueberry farm, and taken several detours before ...