About Marissa: Marissa Buffo (’23) is a first year at UCLA Anderson and, prior to Anderson, she worked in both consulting and international exchange. Originally from Chicago, she also lived /worked in Copenhagen prior to moving to Los Angeles, so she has a special appreciation for the warm, sunny days that persist year round. In her spare time, you can find Marissa outside running laps in the park, hiking on the nearby trails, or reading at the beach.
One of the main reasons I came to Anderson was the diverse array of options for experiential learning that are available from day one in the program. From global immersions to local internships, the program structure is built around facilitating opportunities for students to put theory into practice. I wanted to be in an environment where I was challenged both academically and in an applied context; and Anderson supported these goals through programming, global immersions, and internships – all of which I have been able to take advantage of in my first year of the MBA!
- Investment and Consulting Teams (AVIP, ASAM, ASG)
It’s one thing to learn about the process for sourcing an investment, pitching a stock, or developing strategic recommendations for a client…it’s another to actually put yourself in the shoes of a VC, investment manager, or strategy consultant. Opportunities at Anderson through Anderson Venture Impact Partners (AVIP), Anderson Student Asset Management (ASAM), and Anderson Strategy Group (ASG) facilitate application of classroom learnings in a real-world investment or project. For all three opportunities, students must apply and then are divided into groups once accepted. As a first-year director within AVIP, I was fortunate to get exposure to the LA venture ecosystem and conduct first-hand sourcing and due diligence on healthcare startups to formulate a pitch to our investment committee. Companies that are selected for investment by the committee get incorporated into the AVIP portfolio and second years are engaged in monitoring investments – analyzing both financial and impact metrics.
- Global Immersions
Anderson has a strong focus on global engagement and developing MBAs into internationally mindful business leaders. Even during the COVID pandemic, the Center for Global Management ran virtual programming that allowed for interaction with alumni and business leaders spread across the world. Post-COVID, Anderson has brought back the travel component of courses called ‘global immersions’ – students have several classroom sessions with a professor who is an expert in a specific region before traveling as a group to the city / region for company visits, cultural activities, and interactive lectures with local business leaders. I traveled to Santiago this March for the course “Doing Business in A Rapidly Changing Emerging Country: Chile and Its New Constitution” led by Prof. Sebastian Edwards, previous World Bank chief economist for the Latin America and Caribbean. Students heard from executives in significant sectors such as mining, fishing, wine, and banking and had discussions with notable economists and academics to gain a better understanding of the business environment in Chile and how this environment could potentially shift with a new constitution.
- ‘Academic’ Internships
Los Angeles is the base for a wealth of startups, non-profits, and major corporations – this gives Anderson students plenty of opportunities to gain experience in their target industry. The Anderson careers portal posts a wide range of internships in entertainment, finance, marketing, VC, and more, but plenty of students have also found opportunities through networking at conferences, alumni outreach, or a peer student’s past / current professional connections. I’m currently working at a fast-growing startup co-founded by an Anderson alum in an industry that I find exceptionally fascinating / important – space! I’ve enjoyed connecting with the founders and leveraging the knowledge from the Anderson marketing core course to provide value to the team. ‘Academic’ internships only have the academic qualifier because they happen during the course of FTMBA academic programming, but often continue into the summer or post-MBA.
Student Blogger: Marissa Buffo '23
Undergrad: Indiana University ‘17
Pre-MBA: Consulting, International Exchange
Leadership@Anderson: President, Anderson Venture Impact Partners (previously Director – Healthcare); Director of Prospective Student Affairs, Admission Ambassador Corps; First Year Director, Admit Weekends Committee
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