Danielle Valle Gilchrist
Public & Nonprofit Full-Time MBA*, Concentration: Marketing Boston, MA“I feel supported and encouraged to take risks and do my best. My classmates have become like a family and I can truly count on them to be there for me in and out of the classroom, and for years to come.”
*Renamed Social Impact MBA beginning in 2018
For Danielle Valle Gilchrist, Questrom’s Social Impact MBA (formerly Public & Nonprofit MBA) program is what brought her here, but Questrom’s deeply caring community is the thing that continues to amaze her. “Questrom is a community that cares deeply about each other and leading with heart,” she says.
She explains that Questrom is incredibly unique because of its community of professors and classmates who truly care about each other and making an impact. At BU Questrom, Gilchrist says, “I feel supported and encouraged to take risks and do my best. My classmates have become like a family and I can truly count on them to be there for me in and out of the classroom, and for years to come.”
Gilchrist isn’t new to this amazing city. Before Questrom, Gilchrist worked for the City of Boston. Most recently as the director of the City Hall to Go program, which was a government accessibility initiative that brought city services to the neighborhoods.
Gilchrist is not someone who stands on the sidelines. During her time at Questrom she’s been very involved around campus by being the chair of several clubs and organizations, traveling to Israel on a student-led trek, and taking part in various competitions. One of her favorite experiences was bonding with her classmates when she won the Best of the Best class project competition.
Questrom’s real-world learning has made it clear to Gilchrist where she wants to be after graduation. Her summer internship for Dunkin’ Brands proved to be most valuable. She worked specifically for the Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins Community foundation. Her summer project involved benchmarking partnerships between nonprofits and corporations and provide recommendations for possible future partnerships. She explains how her role there helped provide insight into her future goals, “I was able to refine my career search and understand that I am most interested in a cause-marketing role and developing similar partnership programs.”
Questrom has taught Gilchrist the importance of business with heart. As for her future plans? After Questrom she hopes to move to the Bay Area and find a role in a cause-marketing firm or at a B Corporation, which is a company that pledges to do good and is socially responsible. She says, “More than anything else, I want to find a role where I can fight for the greater good in a business setting.”