Here@Haas is a student-run podcast for the Berkeley Haas Community. We are supported by student donations, Haas Culture Champions, and other sponsors. Our mission is to promote inter-program connectivity of the Haas family, between the different MBA cohorts, years, and programs (FT, EW, and Exec.). With over 1,400 enrolled Haas MBAs on campus every year, there is more to this network than meets the eye. We hope to bridge the network gap ever so slightly and introduce you to people you never knew…
In this episode, we speak with ab banks, a leader at Oxford Tract Farms. ab works with the Berkeley Food Institute and on the ground with Berkeley Student Farms. An Oakland native, ab banks serves as garden lead for People’s Programs in West Oakland, grows food and ensures produce goes from the urban garden into the hands of under-resourced community members. ab was the first member to join…
On this episode of the Here@Haas podcast, we sit down with Ana Carolina “Caro” Mexia, Co-Founding Partner at Nido Ventures and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree. Born and raised in Mexico City, Caro blends her roots in computer science and product leadership with an MBA from Stanford to spot and support the next generation of transformative B2B technologies. Nido Ventures was founded to bridge the…
On this episode of the Here@Haas podcast, meet Dave Alberga, a former Army officer and successful founder, CEO, and investor who sits on several boards. Dave has assisted in the launch of numerous start-up organizations and in their growth into large companies, including leading The Active Network from pre-revenue to $480M in annual sales, and a $1B exit for investors. Prior to Active, Dave served…
In the Leading People class at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, students step beyond the classroom to interview leaders who inspire them. Working in teams, they record in-depth conversations and transform them into compelling podcast episodes. Each episode features a different leader, sharing real stories, challenges, and insights on what leadership truly means—guided by the fresh…
In this episode of Here@Haas, Michele and Vance kick off a new faculty series with one of Haas’ most celebrated educators: Distinguished Teaching Fellow Greg LaBlanc. Known for his dynamic classes on strategy, game theory, and behavioral finance, and for his influential podcast, unSILOed, Greg shares how an early Montessori education shaped his interdisciplinary curiosity, the unconventional…
In this episode of Here@Haas , we sit down with the remarkable Jeep Kline — Haas lecturer, founder and managing partner of Raise Well Ventures , and former World Bank economist whose career spans deep-tech venture capital, global economic development, and transformative leadership. Jeep shares her journey from growing up in Bangkok during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, to advising ministers of…
In this inspiring episode, Vance and Michele sit down with Ravi Malhotra , a second-year MBA student in the EW program at Haas and Corporate Controller at HeartBeam. From his humble beginnings in India to leading finance operations in Silicon Valley, Ravi shares his remarkable journey of grit, purpose, and continuous learning. Ravi dives deep into what sparked his passion for accounting, why he…
In this episode of Here@Haas, we sit down with the multi-talented and dynamic Paramee Intarachumnum —Executive MBA student, Vice President of Social for her cohort, and co-founder of Invex, an investment platform bridging high-quality tech deals with Asian investors. From launching a mentoring startup to building a chicken farm school for underprivileged youth in Thailand, Paramee shares her…
In this episode, hosts Vance and Michele welcome Lucia Casella , an engineer turned MBA student at Berkeley Haas, to discuss her experiences in the Evening Weekend MBA (EWMBA) program. As a member of the LUX 2026 cohort and the VP of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Belonging (DEIJB), and Mental Health Awareness (MHA), Lucia shares insights into balancing a career, academics, and leadership…
In this episode of Here at Haas , hosts Vance and Michele welcome Claudia Viña Vazquez, a second-year full-time MBA student at Berkeley Haas and the former president of the MBA Association. Originally from Spain, Claudia shares her journey from studying in Europe to pursuing an MBA in the U.S., how she adapted to life in the Bay Area, and why she ultimately chose Haas—even though it wasn’t her…
