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Tepper School Announces Inaugural Cohort of Zenith Leadership Experience
By Katelyn McNally
- Email ckiz@andrew.cmu.edu
- Phone 412-554-0074
The Tepper School of Business is proud to announce the inaugural cohort of Zenith, an innovative leadership experience for second-year MBA students offered through the Accelerate Leadership Center (ALC).
Zenith is made possible through the support of Keishi Hotsuki, MSIA 鈥89 and member of the Tepper School鈥檚 Business Board of Advisors. On November 6, Hotsuki joined cohort members, the Accelerate Leadership Center team, and faculty and staff on campus to celebrate the program鈥檚 official launch.
鈥淶enith represents the next evolution of leadership development at the Tepper School. I deeply appreciate the educational opportunities created by the Accelerated Leadership Center and its ability to harness interdisciplinarity鈥攚here ideas from diverse fields spark curiosity and unlock potential,鈥 Hotsuki said. 鈥淭his program is designed for exceptional MBA students who aspire to go beyond technical excellence and cultivate emotional intelligence鈥攖he capacity to connect with others authentically and lead with empathy. I believe that emotional intelligence is the single most important skill for long鈥憈erm career success.鈥
The program blends introspection, peer connection, and executive-level coaching to activate each participant鈥檚 unique leadership potential, providing the tools for deep self-reflection and adaptive leadership.
鈥淶enith builds on the strong analytical foundation of the Tepper School MBA while drawing inspiration from the creativity that defines Carnegie Mellon,鈥 said Michelle Stoner, Senior Academic Program Manager and Zenith Lead. 鈥淭hat combination helps our students grow into leaders who can see connections across disciplines and drive meaningful change in any environment.鈥
The small, selective cohort format fosters an intimate learning community where students can explore their own complexity, strengthen trust, and refine their ability to influence and communicate.
Members of the 2025 Zenith Cohort:
Louisa Bickford聽聽聽聽
Amritha Elangovan聽聽聽聽
Ben Goldblatt
(Muhammad) Afif Izzatullah聽聽聽聽
Teyonna Jarman聽聽聽聽
Yujin Kim聽聽聽聽
Hitomi Kisu聽聽聽聽
Karim Lahlau聽聽聽聽
Samuel Lin聽聽聽聽
Amber Lo
Catherine Malizia聽聽聽聽
Leon Mangey聽聽聽聽
Steven Nerat聽聽聽聽
Danny Onorato聽聽聽聽
Jason Preffer聽聽聽聽
Athena Pyros聽聽聽聽
Ankita Shankar聽聽聽聽
Gafar Shitta-Bey聽聽聽聽
Eva Tartaglia聽聽聽聽
Brendan Walsh
鈥淶enith helps our students develop the trust, presence, and influence needed to navigate complex challenges,鈥 said Rebecca Joyce, Executive Director of the ALC. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a truly personalized experience that supports each participant鈥檚 growth as a leader, and we look forward to seeing all that this incredible group of students will accomplish.鈥
On November 14, the group gathered on campus for their first immersive experience, a curated program offered in partnership with the 麻豆村 Joseph Ballay Center for Design Fusion that meets students where they are, guiding them to lead with clarity, courage, and emotional intelligence in today鈥檚 complex environments.