Class of 2020 Student Profiles

Adar Arnon

BS, Computer Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Adar was a Captain in the Israel Defense Forces where he specialized in computer architecture and cybersecurity. His work leading national security projects and developing new concepts and methodologies for cybersecurity products earned him multiple awards for creative thinking. Prior to its sale to a market leader, Adar was also the co-founder and CTO of JobHop, an online employment platform designed to replace outdated job boards.
 
What excites you most about the MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program?
 
I am most excited about studying and working together with my MS/MBA cohort. We all share a passion for technology, but from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. I believe that the experience of studying together and learning from each other as a cohort will make all of us better leaders and entrepreneurs down the road.

Lucas Baker

BS, Computer Science, Stanford University
 
Lucas enjoys working at the intersection of data science and artificial intelligence. He designed and built tools for the AlphaGo team as a software engineer at Google DeepMind. Prior to this, Lucas was the co-founder and CEO of Hackermeter, a company that matched developers with organizations through coding challenge portfolios. Hackermeter was acquired by Pinterest, where Lucas helped lead the scaling of the company’s analytics tools and data pipeline. 
 
What excites you most about the MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program?
 
What I find most exciting about the MS MBA Program is the opportunity to pursue directed self-optimization along a number of axes, both technical and non-technical, and the chance to learn from the insights of extremely capable, driven, and broadly experienced classmates.
 

Mollie Breen

BS, Computer Science, Duke University
BA, Mathematics, Duke University
 
Mollie is an Applied Research Mathematician at the Department of Defense and has been awarded for showing exceptional technical work and leadership. In life as in work, she solves problems using unexpected means recognizing that achieving goals often entails going about them in irregular ways. In 2017 she was a contestant on Girl Starter, a business based competition. Mollie was one of eight women entrepreneurs featured and won the Microsoft challenge for best prototype. Most recently she has been selected to be a Horace W. Goldsmith fellow for leadership in a non-profit setting.  
 
What excites you most about the MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program?
 
There is so much to be excited about. I’m particularly eager to work alongside the professors of each school and the other MS/MBA students to explore and strengthen the ties between engineering and business.

Jeff Chen

BE & BBA, Mechanical Engineering and General Business Management, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
 
Jeff is the co-founder and CTO of Lumos Helmet, an award winning Harvard i-lab spinoff that aspires to improve the safety of urban cycling. The helmets produced are the first to integrate lights, turn and brake signals and were featured in Engadget, Wired and CNN. As one of the three co-founders of Lumos, Jeff is also heavily involved in the operations, finance and marketing functions within the company. 
 
What excites you most about the MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program?
 
I am most excited by the unique experiences that the MS/MBA is going to provide. Through it we will learn the skills and frameworks that bridge the worlds of engineering and business which is the key to creating a successful technological startup.

Kyle Dumont

BS, Electrical Engineering, Northeastern University
 

In work and in life, Kyle likes to get the most out of each experience and takes things beyond the basic set of requirements. He is currently a consultant with Parallel Design and the founder and CEO of AllSpice, a software platform designed for electrical engineers. Prior to this, Kyle worked for iRobot and Voxel8 where he produced 3 patents.

What excites you most about the MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program?

In the MS/MBA we will have a tight-knit cohort to resonate ideas among while simultaneously being integrated into the diverse HBS and SEAS ecosystems. The program perfectly mirrors my own interest in redefining the relationship between business management and technology within modern organizations. This focused, two-year curriculum is precisely the foundation I plan to build upon in order to validate product concepts, develop business strategy, and staff cohesive teams to realize a vision. I’m glad to be part of the inception of this program. 

Jade Kessler

BS, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University
 
Jade was a Program Manager at Microsoft. In her role she collaborated across teams to design and develop various Office products. She also used her engineering knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit to help others. While at Duke, Jade interned with the Social Entrepreneur Corps in Nicaragua where she helped local entrepreneurs grow their businesses. She also served as design chair on a team accomplishing rural electrification for a solar-powered health clinic in Kenya through Duke Engineers for International Development. 
 
What excites you most about the MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program?
 
The MS/MBA program is an opportunity to expand my knowledge of engineering and design, while developing a strong foundation in business. I am most excited about becoming part of a creative and entrepreneurial community that I hope will help me grow as a leader in tech.

Martina Pillay

BS, Bioengineering, University of Illinois
 

Martina has been pursuing her passion for building analytics and modeling solutions within the evolving healthcare ecosystem. At PwC, her focus was on understanding how both traditional healthcare players and new entrants can use analytics to achieve efficiency, quality and accountability of care for patients. At One Medical, she led the data and analytics strategy for the new enterprise business. Outside of work, Martina served as a mentor with GirlVentures’ Girls Climb On, a program designed to help girls build leadership skills such as communication and teamwork.

What excites you most about the MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program?
 
As an aspiring technology leader in healthcare, I’m extremely excited for this program to be an incubator for students to build skills around entrepreneurship and innovative management. I especially look forward to the hands on opportunities we will have in developing our own projects, such as the capstone project in the second year.

Valentina Toll Villagra

BS, Mechanical Engineering, Boston University College of Engineering
 
As a Startup Project Manager at Amazon she actively participated in design reviews to optimize the layout of new fulfillment warehouses and led cost-reduction initiatives aimed at redesigning work stations and support areas. She then led the build-out of these projects, turning the designs into reality. Valentina also volunteers with Junior Achievement, an organization designed to provide students from kindergarten through high school with knowledge and skills in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and career readiness.
  
What excites you most about the MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program?
 
I like that the MS/MBA is not two disconnected degrees taking place simultaneously, but rather a joint program where the components of each degree complement each other. I’m excited about the many hands-on experiences that are part of the MS curriculum which gives you the chance to put your ideas into practice.