How Social Impact & Sustainability Days sparked my EdTech ambitions
By Azka Rehan ’25 Two-Year MBA Program
When I applied to business school, my purpose was clear: I sought to build the skills and garner the support needed to develop an EdTech business grounded in social impact. The choice of where to pursue this ambition was easy — The Kellogg School of Management. The impressive resources it offers in the social impact space and its culture that nurtures purpose-driven businesses were two major factors that drew me in.
My Kellogg journey began in 2021 as a member of the Joint Ventures (JVs) club as Seemab Hassan ’23 MBA, my husband, was completing his program. This club brings together the partners and spouses of Kellogg students and gave me exposure to the school’s supportive culture. When I returned as a student in 2023, my first actual experience as a student surpassed everything I had anticipated.
My first encounter with other Kellogg students was in August through the Social Impact and Sustainability Days (SISD). This takes place before Culture is Made (CIM) and the Kellogg Worldwide Exploration Student Trips (KWEST) — two popular pre-program experiences aimed at fostering community among incoming students.
Let the competition begin
SISD is a two-day, pitch-style competition that immerses students in four critical tracks: corporate innovation for impact, education equity and innovation, healthcare access and affordability and climate solutions. Teams come together and collaborate to develop creative solutions, ideas or products addressing pressing challenges within these fields. I requested to join the education equity and innovation track.
My teammates were exceptional. David Gordon ’25 Two-Year MBA brought his experience as a former consultant at L.E.K. Consulting and as a former corps member at Teach for America. He also leveraged his current role as a founder of a tutoring company which gave our team invaluable practical insight into teaching.
Liana Hsu ’25 Two-Year MBA spent eight years at Stanford University’s School of Medicine as a researcher. She added a perspective rooted in analytical rigor and research-backed approaches. Akash Roy ’25 Two-Year MBA has extensive background in business operations and has held several strategic roles. He became essential in shaping a viable and practical business model as we explored our concept.
Bringing the idea to fruition
With their support, we decided to develop my EdTech business idea — an upskilling platform for women in Pakistan who have been out of the workforce for an extended period of time. The two-day format was both rigorous and enriching. On the first day, we attended discussions that highlighted the vast array of social impact opportunities at Kellogg and listened to experts in the social innovation field. We also learned about frameworks to apply to our projects and spent hours refining our pitch with the guidance of our track leader, the brilliant Carmita Semaan ’04 MBA.
The following day was when the competition truly came alive — each group presented their pitches within their tracks, competing with seven to 10 other teams. Winners from this phase advanced to present to the final panel of judges.
Our hard work paid off. After countless hours of brainstorming, refining and revising, we won our track. The elation didn’t stop there. We presented in the Global Hub’s spacious White Auditorium overlooking Lake Michigan surrounded by peers, faculty, guests and judges — nearly a crowd of 200 people. After all was said and done, we won both the Judges’ Choice and the Students’ Choice awards. The student award was determined by a live poll, making the recognition very special.
Setting the wheels in motion
This experience was nothing short of transformative. It was invigorating to collaborate alongside peers who shared a commitment to using business as a tool for positive change. I received invaluable feedback from my team that strengthened my business idea and forged bonds that would evolve into some of my closest friendships at Kellogg.
Additionally, I established relationships with notable members of the Social Impact faculty such as Megan Kashner. Her mentorship, which began during SISD, has become a vital support system throughout my time at Kellogg.
I also connected with experts like Semaan, whose career centers around empowering underrepresented and under-resourced communities. As the founder and CEO of the Surge Institute, an education leadership accelerator, Carmita shared insights that profoundly impacted my personal development. She pushed me to be more confident, assertive and persuasive — a skill set that I credit as essential to my growth in leadership and communication.
The recognition and proof-of-concept that I received from winning the competition and the guidance from my mentors gave me the confidence to pursue my business idea further. Today, I’m proud to say that the idea born during those two days is still thriving. I even chose to work on it over the summer of 2024 in lieu of an internship. The journey continues, and so do the relationships and lessons I gained from that remarkable start at SISD.
At the start of this academic year, I returned as a student track leader. Eager to give back to the community that had inspired me so deeply, I was impressed by the exceptional talent and genuine kindness of those coming through Kellogg.
A look back at Social Impact Days 2024
