Shaping my journey from creative visionary to strategic product leader
By Rishabh Mittal ’27 MMM Program
My professional life has always been a blend of creativity and business. From crafting compelling visual narratives as a photographer to leading technical teams and generating millions in revenue as one of the youngest managers at a CRM company, I’ve seen how an artistic vision can be a powerful driver for business success. Through my previous tech consulting work, I’ve worked closely with Fortune 100 clients to reimagine customer experiences and optimize workflow journeys, which have deepened my passion for building scalable, user-centric solutions.
However, I realized that to truly create and lead transformative products, I needed to complement my design expertise with a solid foundation in business strategy and finance. That's what brought me to the MMM Program at Kellogg. The dual-degree program is the perfect professional fit to bridge my experience and prepare me to drive innovation in product management.
The value of design thinking in business
Through Professor Steve Franconeri’s Whole Brain Communication course, I learned how to convert abstract, verbal problems into salient visuals and sensory cues — whether by expressing numbers as tangible objects or reframing words into visual metaphors.
In one of my group projects, we collaborated on a hotel chain business strategy case where long front-desk wait times were frustrating customers and hurting satisfaction. Our team was able to reframe the problem from the customer’s perspective. Rather than defaulting to traditional fixes like adding staff or improving training, we mapped the guest journey and prototyped a mobile check-in app, creating a simple and intuitive solution that significantly reduced check-in time. This not only improved loyalty but also unlocked upsell opportunities and lowered staffing costs.
By blending design thinking with business acumen, I was able to approach the problem more creatively, pivoting my mindset toward designing products that are both customer-centric and strategically impactful.
A curriculum that fosters innovation
The MMM curriculum has been a true game-changer. The program’s structure feels intentional and is designed in a way that ensures students not just learn about business and design but also have opportunities to apply what we learn to real case scenarios.
Over the summer, I took some design courses and made some solid friendships along the way. I also took advantage of the summer to get a head start on preparing my resume and cover letter, shortlisting target industries and building connections with career advisors at the Career Management Center (CMC).
Jennifer Jaucian, a career advisor at the CMC, provided invaluable personalized feedback on my LinkedIn profile. She helped me refine my 30-second high-level pitch, which was instrumental in networking during coffee chats and meetings with new connections in my targeted industries.
A key part of the curriculum that influenced my solutioning approach was the pre-course term led by Greg Holderfield, co-director of the MMM Program. This course introduced me to the Research - Design - Build (R-D-B) framework, which emphasized a human-centric approach to design thinking rather than a purely technology-driven one. This methodology focuses on three core parameters: desirability, feasibility, and viability.
The first activity, a self-introspection exercise using the Research Plan Framework to observe my own activities, was particularly impactful. This helped me to internalize the “AEIOU” approach to problem-solving, a design methodology used to observe and drive solutions based on people's activities, environments, interactions, objects and users.
High empathy, high impact: A culture of collaboration
What truly sets Kellogg apart is its collaborative culture and how the community shows up when you need help. I remember one time when I reached out to a second-year student for career support. I caught him during a school break called “Yacht Week,” but he selflessly took two full hours to get on a call with me. That level of commitment to ensure another student’s success is a defining characteristic of the Kellogg community.
I’ve discovered this supportive environment in several aspects of my Kellogg experience, from student-led clubs like the Kellogg Consulting Club to my study groups — each student has brought a unique perspective and background. The community is remarkably welcoming and traditions such as Small Group Dinners (SGDs) have provided an intimate setting for meaningful conversations that build lifelong friendships.
This strong sense of close-knit community is complemented with its proximity to Chicago, the country’s third-largest city. I've gotten the best of both worlds: the camaraderie of a college town and the incredible professional and cultural opportunities of a major city. Whether it's attending professional events, exploring new neighborhoods or enjoying the city's lively social scene, the school’s location provides a natural extension of the classroom and a great way to build a professional network.
Read next: Blending creativity and design with business in the MMM Program