The Fuqua Show
Welcome to The Fuqua Show, a podcast sharing the stories, lessons, and passions of Team Fuqua at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. We interview diverse members of the community - students, alums, partners, faculty, staff, and more - to learn about the unique things they bring to the Fuqua community.
Disclosure: This is a student-run production. The opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers' own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Duke University or the Fuqua School of Business.
Episodes
92 episodes
E91 — Julia Korn — Trading "Just Getting By" for a Career You Actually Want
What if the ladder you've been climbing is leaning against the wrong wall? Most of us were handed a blueprint for success. Climb the ranks, check the boxes, keep moving. But what happens when you're excelling on paper and still feel...
E90 — Gil Vazquez— Grit: Beyond the System's Walls
On this episode of The Fuqua Show, we sit down with Gil Vazquez (Class of '26) for a masterclass in resilience, gratitude, and the audacity to bet on yourself. Gil’s story isn't your typical polished resume; it is a raw look at what happens whe...
E89 — Jessica Thomas — The Power of the Redirect: From Toy Designer to Sustainability Trailblazer
In this episode, we explore what it means to truly use business as a force for good. We sit down with Jessica Yinka Thomas, a proud Fuqua alumna (MBA '04), the Director of the Business Sustainability Collaborative at NC State University's Poole...
E88— Elisabeth Scott — Ambition, Authenticity, and the Rooms You Build for Others
What does it look like to move through an MBA with both strategic clarity and genuine heart? In this episode, host Aaliyah Brown sits down with Elisabeth Scott: second-year MBA, future Kearney consultant, and a leader who has never treated ambi...
E87 — Jon Valdez — Miami Born, Fuqua Made: A Lesson on Pride, Heritage, and Purpose
In this episode, host Sam Shain sits down with Jon Valdez to discuss his transformative journey of self-discovery, identity, and leadership.Jon shares his story beginning with his early childhood in Miami's Little Havana with his Cuban i...
E86 — Shafiq Motiwala — From Karachi to Capital One: Creating Opportunities and Building Community
In this episode of The Fuqua Show, Marketing Chair and first-time host Jade Tsai interviews Shafiq Motiwala (MQM ’25), who grew up in Karachi, Pakistan and traces how his parents, sister, and a formative economics teacher shaped his passions fo...
E85 — Nikin Shah — Legacy & Leverage: How to Scale, Sell, and Start Again
In this episode of The Fuqua Show, host Aaliyah Brown sits down with Nikin Shah, the Founder and General Partner at Front Porch Venture Partners, to explore the intersection of operational excellence and strategic investment. Based in the heart...
E84 — Professor Scott Dyreng — From Tax Class to AI Classrooms: Innovation at Fuqua
Professor Scott Dyreng returns as the first repeat guest on The Fuqua Show; this time not to talk about where he came from, but where Fuqua is going.Now serving as Senior Associate Dean for Innovation, Scott takes us inside...
E83 — Eliot Digby-Jones — From Sandhurst to Fuqua: Leadership Lessons from Conflict Zones to Boardrooms
In this episode of The Fuqua Show, we sit down with second-year MBA Eliot Digby-Jones, British Army veteran and medical services officer, whose career has taken him from Ukraine to Somalia and the early days of COVID response in the UK...
E82 — Sean Wilson — Durham, Entrepreneurship, and Brewing a Life of Impact
Sean Wilson, Daytime MBA and MPP alum from the class of 2000, joins The Fuqua Show to reflect on an unconventional path through Durham, Fuqua, public policy, and entrepreneurship. Sean shares how his early years in the restaurant indus...
E81- Aki Garrett- Scaling Impact: The Playbook for Purpose-Driven Leadership
In this episode of The Fuqua Show, host Aaliyah Brown sits down with Akinwole “Aki” Garrett, President and COO of BlackDoctor.org, to explore a career defined by the powerful fusion of corporate excellence and community mission. ...
E80 — Olivia Termini — Coaching, Career Exploration, and Duke Basketball
Celebrate Women's History Month with us on The Fuqua Show. We're joined by daytime MBA program second year, Olivia Termini. Olivia shares about her childhood growing up in Pennsylvania, her passion for playing and coaching soccer, her ...
.png)
E79 — MJ Merkley — Artist, Psychotherapist, Mom, and Executive MBA Student
We continue our celebration of Women's History Month on The Fuqua Show. We're joined by Global Executive MBA class of 2026 student, MJ Merkley. Hear MJ share about her childhood growing up in Utah and her adult life of wandering that's...
E78 — Emilia Hull — Growing up abroad, Consulting, and Sustainability
Celebrate Women's History Month with us on The Fuqua Show. We're joined by Daytime MBA Class of 2019 alumna, Emilia Hull. Emilia shares about her childhood growing up as a Third Culture Kid in Belgium, her early career as a Marin...
E77 — Katherine Zhu & Jiaqi Jiang — The Global Bridge: Leading with Culture & Community
In this special Lunar New Year episode of The Fuqua Show, host Aaliyah Brown sits down with Katherine Zhu and Jiaqi Jiang to explore global journeys, cultural identity, and the power of community at Fuqua. Both serving as Presidents of...
E76 — Patti Kamara — Systems, Service, and Leading Forward
In this Black History Month episode of The Fuqua Show, we sit down with systems-focused leader and first-generation HBCU graduate Patti Kamara to reflect on leadership shaped by legacy, service, and global perspective. Patti shares how her earl...
E75 — Gabrielle Sims — Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and New Year Resolutions
Our very own MBAA Co-President, Gabby Sims, joins The Fuqua Show to chat about her life before Fuqua, her experience at Duke so far, and how the MBA experience is shaping her path going forward. Listen in to learn about entrepreneurshi...
E74 — Bob Kulhan — Learning to Lead with Managerial Improv
Bob Kulhan joins The Fuqua Show to share about his company Business Improv which has hosted a week-long managerial improvisation workshop at Fuqua for the past 27 years. This workshop lasts 5 days and encompasses 33 hours of improv tra...
E73 — Co-Hosts Aaliyah and Philip — Holiday Wrap Up
In this episode, co-hosts Aaliyah and Philip introduce The Fuqua Show's newest team members, Head of Content Sam Shain and Head of Marketing Jade Tsai, while reflecting on lessons learned from the show's season so far. Happy Holidays f...
E72 — Teniola Tayo — From Public Service to Global Strategy: Leadership Across Borders
In this episode of The Fuqua Show, we sit down with Teniola "Teni" Tayo, a renowned policy advisor and global strategist, and a Fuqua MBA, to explore how global policy shapes economic development and leadership in an increasingly interconnected...
E71 — Caty Stanko — Running Toward Purpose: Career, Community & Alzheimer’s Advocacy
Caty Stanko joins The Fuqua Show to share how earning her MMS degree helped launch her career at Deloitte in New York, but even more, how her mother’s dementia diagnosis inspired her to channel grief into action. She recounts training ...
E70 — Devery Hamilton, Jr. — German Born, Maryland Raised, NFL Approved
Devery Hamilton, Jr. is a student in Fuqua's one-year Accelerated MBA program, but this is not his first degree from the school of business. After playing college football at Stanford and Duke, Devery spent several seasons playing football prof...
E69 — Lieutenant Commander Whitney Koenigsknecht — Forged by the Sea: Leadership, Resilience, and Service
In this inspiring episode of The Fuqua Show, host Aaliyah Brown sits down with Lieutenant Commander Whitney Koenigsknecht, a proud Michigan native, U.S. Naval Academy graduate, and Supply Corps Officer whose career has been defined by ...
E68 — Bianca Valladares — Finding Belonging and Leading with Heart
In this heartfelt episode, we sit down with Bianca Valladares, a second-year MBA student at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, to explore her journey of identity, resilience, and belonging. As Co-President of the American Latinx Manage...
E67 — Erica Marshburn — Is there a doctor on board?
Dr. Erica Marshburn is an emergency medicine physician and a second year in the Daytime MBA program at Duke's Fuqua School of Business. In this episode, she shares her journey as a first-generation college graduate who trained to save lives in ...
