My time at Wharton

As a student interested in pursuing a career in business, Wharton’s Leadership in the Business World (LBW) program opened my eyes to how to effectively work with a team and think critically about how to solve problems that arise while growing a company. LBW is an intensive summer program for rising seniors, which provides three weeks of classes where students analyze companies such as Apple and Netflix, explore optimal strategies of leadership and teamwork, and present an original startup with a team of peers.

Asking questions of Wharton professors such as Flavio Serapiao, as well as teaching assistants, allowed me to experience the inquisitive, warm-hearted nature of University of Pennsylvania firsthand. As I explored subjects such as marketing strategies and company management, I became even more curious. With an environment full of peers that shared my interests in business and leadership, I found myself having in-depth conversations ranging from how to lead a team to the optimal approach to the current stock market. Seeing how many of the students around me have launched startups inspired by personal passions has further inspired and motivated me throughout my daily life.

My favorite part of this program was creating a startup with a team of my peers. We identified that a critical problem the world faces is that about 85 percent of children don’t wear helmets. Our solution was a helmet that was fashionable but still safe. The helmet has Bluetooth sensors that track the child and cause the bike to automatically brake if danger arises, as well as a camera. The slick appearance of the helmet is more appealing, promoting an increase in helmet use.

Throughout this process, I grew my leadership skills through having hands-on, real-time experience working with a team. For example, by distributing tasks to people based on their skill sets, we were able to use our various strengths to become successful in planning our startup.

Overall, I loved meeting and conversing with people from all over the world who share my interest in business and leadership and appreciate the life-long relationships I have built. As young, inspired leaders, we have a vision that we want to share with the world.

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