Marivi Gonzalez

Marivi Gonzalez has always felt drawn to helping others. With an educational background in industrial engineering, she somehow found herself working in a different field—impact investing. “I loved it,” she says, “but I wanted to find a way to combine my work with my passions.” It was a mix she found in the Social Impact MBA program. “I believe if you’re going to spend eight or more hours a day doing something, you might as well do something good for the world,” she adds. She found her place to create value for the world here at Questrom.

Originally from Mexico, Marivi immediately felt at home at Questrom. “I had heard great things about this very strong program, and I realized I would have the opportunity to be around like-minded students. I came to Boston and visited all the schools, but when I walked into the Questrom atrium and saw all of the different flags representing students’ home countries, I said to myself, ‘this is it.’ It really was a perfect fit.”

Marivi came to business school with a goal in mind—to start a new venture in the food industry. “I just started working with the BUild Lab to start my own company where I will create affordable snacks for people with diabetes. There aren’t a lot of affordable options—especially in Mexico—and I want to give back to my community,” she says. “It is a great fusion of business and my interests.”

Outside of class, Marivi has harnessed her drive, dedication, and work ethic to lead various clubs, many of them specializing in global business. “I overbooked myself,” she admits. Her impressive extracurricular resume includes being the president of the Global Ventures Consulting Club, coordinating consulting trips to Guatemala, and being a member of the Latin American MBA Association and the Net Impact Club. “I love these groups; they’re all great communities,” she says with a smile.

Marivi is also a part of the BU On Board Social Impact club, which gives her hands-on experience in the social impact sector outside of the classroom. “I helped to organize the Net Impact Summit,” she says, “and I’ve been going to some board meetings for a nonprofit organization that helps to reduce food waste here in Boston.”

Marivi says her time at Questrom has helped her to be committed to what she believes in and to focus her time wisely—but above all, it’s taught her that the business world is filled with compassion. “Questrom showed me that there are a lot of good people in the business world. Business, profits, ethics, and having a social impact don’t have to be mutually exclusive. They don’t have to fight against each other—you can incorporate all of them into your work—and that’s something I wouldn’t have learned had it not been for Questrom.”

As for the future, Marivi plans to head back to Mexico to launch her business. “I strongly believe in doing things that help my country—and I’m excited to see where my journey at Questrom takes me.”