Meet the 2026-2027 class of Fritzky Leadership Fellows

Originally from Bend, Oregon, John earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of California, San Diego, where he also competed as a member of the university’s NCAA men’s swim team. Following graduation, he remained in the San Diego area and worked as a research scientist focused on designing and commercializing biological processes for the production of sustainable chemicals. In this role, John spent several months abroad collaborating with partner companies to support the commercialization and scale-up of these technologies. The experience piqued his interest in combining scientific innovation with business leadership and ultimately inspired him to pursue an MBA. This summer, John will serve as a program manager at Insmed, a pharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for rare diseases.

At Foster, John serves as Vice President of Student Affairs for the MBA Association and is actively involved in several student organizations. Inspired by the mentorship he received from his Fritzky Fellow during his first year, he became a mentor for the incoming MBA class and is excited for the opportunity to continue supporting future students as a second-year fellow. Outside of the classroom, John enjoys surfing, backpacking, science fiction novels, and live music.

Joanell grew up outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and pursued a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. Prior to joining the Foster School of Business, she spent five years working in human resources across multiple industries. Her experience includes talent acquisition and strategic HR initiatives, partnering with business leaders on performance management, employee engagement, and organizational planning initiatives. Joanell is passionate about building inclusive workplaces where people can thrive and advocating for underrepresented voices.

Joanell believes strongly in the power of mentorship, shaped by both her undergraduate experience and professional career, and it was a key factor in her decision to pursue an MBA. As a Fritzky Fellow, she is excited to continue developing her coaching and leadership skills while building meaningful relationships with first-year MBA students and supporting them throughout their transformative experience at Foster. This summer, Joanell will intern at Boeing as an HR Business Partner in Everett, Washington. In addition to being a Fritzky Fellow, she serves as the VP of Community Engagement & Alumni Relations for DiBs and VP of Operations for Black @ Foster. She is also a Consortium and Forté Fellow. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new food and coffee spots, reading, attending concerts and live theatre, and spending time with her family and two cats.

Cooper McCubbin grew up across the United States and Middle East, graduating high school in Qatar before returning to the U.S. to earn his undergraduate degree in business from Northeastern University. Following graduation, Cooper commissioned into the U.S. Army as an Armor Officer, where he spent the next seven years in a variety of operational leadership, logistics, and training and development roles.

After the Army, Cooper came to Foster to transition into the tech industry and broaden his experience beyond the military. Having benefited from strong mentors throughout his career, Cooper is excited to give back as a leadership fellow by helping incoming students navigate the transition into the MBA program and build confidence in a new environment.

This summer, Cooper will intern at Amazon as a Senior Program Manager Intern.

Ian comes to Seattle from San Francisco and brings nearly a decade of experience in B2B tech marketing, with a focus on strategy, planning, and operations, alongside hands-on work across content, creative, and digital marketing. He studied English at UC Berkeley and chose to attend Foster to build a more formal foundation in his chosen field and continue growing as a marketing leader. This summer, Ian will join Microsoft as a Product Marketing Management intern, working on initiatives at the intersection of partnerships, customer experience, and go-to-market strategy.

At Foster, Ian is passionate about shaping the student experience and building community through student leadership. In addition to being a Fritzky Fellow, he serves as President of the Foster Marketing Association (FMA), VP of Career Development for the MBAA, and VP of Auction & Procurement for the 2027 Challenge for Charity (C4C) auction gala. Outside of school and work, he enjoys going on runs, watching scary movies, and spending time with friends at bars and concerts.

Soham comes from a North Indian city called Lucknow and pursued his bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from the National Institute of Technology Durgapur in India. He worked at JPMorgan as a software engineer and then as a product manager for five years. His work involved aiding the maintenance of the technological infrastructure of the firm, where he developed expertise in infrastructure automation applications and AI-driven workflows. Impressed by the scale and scope of work around him, he was inspired to pursue his MBA, through which he aimed to re-enter the financial technology industry and help in its digital transformation. This summer, he will be interning as a commercialization fellow and helping researchers from the WRF in their commercialization journey.

Soham is actively involved in the Foster community through various channels. He is the VP of International Affairs and also serves as the chair of the Boys & Girls Club for C4C. He is excited to pay forward the help and mentorship that he received from his Fritzky Fellows and ensure that incoming students have a wonderful time at Foster. He is passionate about playing sports like basketball, enjoys dance and music, and had a brief stint in dramatics during his undergraduate studies.

Mehak holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT Roorkee and brings five years of strong technology experience to her MBA at Foster. She began her career as a Software Analyst at JP Morgan, where she architected a private cloud marketplace, before joining a retail technology startup where she led end-to-end development of self-checkout solutions for global clients. These experiences ignited her passion for bridging technology and business, steering her toward a career in product strategy.

At Foster, Mehak has been an active contributor to the entrepreneurship ecosystem through the Buerk Center and advanced to the investment round of the Dempsey Startup Competition, pitching her venture to over 200 investors. As Co-President of Diversity in Business, she is dedicated to building an inclusive and equitable community on campus. This summer, she will intern as a Commercialization Fellow, supporting WRF researchers in bringing their innovations to market.

Having leaned on the Fritzky network to navigate her MBA journey, Mehak is passionate about giving back as a Fritzky Fellow. Outside the classroom, she enjoys badminton, dancing, and mentoring young women to pursue careers in business and technology.

Born in Arizona, and having lived across the country and the world, Andrew has spent the last six years calling Washington home. His curiosity about how things work led him to study Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, where he built a foundation that carried him through impactful roles at Holder Construction, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing, culminating as Fuels Team Lead for the 737 Program. Along the way, Andrew mentored several colleagues beginning their careers in aerospace, a reflection of his belief that inclusion and community are among his highest priorities.

Driven by a desire to create broader impact, Andrew is now pursuing his MBA at the UW Foster School of Business, where he has hit the ground running, earning a spot on the Dean’s List and winning the First Year Case Competition. At Foster, he has immersed himself in the community through clubs ranging from the Aerospace Club and Net Impact to the Outdoor Sports Industry Club and a weekly Run Club, with a consistent focus on making sure everyone feels welcome. Andrew regularly hosts game nights open to all his classmates, bringing together students from across the program who might not otherwise cross paths.

Andrew is passionate about the intersection of engineering, finance, and sustainability, and is actively pursuing opportunities in renewable energy and clean energy development. He is excited to bring his experiences in complex project management and his belief in the power of ownership and trust to the Fritzky Fellow program, where he hopes to be a grounding, relatable resource for incoming students navigating their first year.

Outside of Foster, Andrew can be found playing soccer in Seattle adult leagues, exploring the outdoors, and planning his next travel adventure.

Jordyn grew up in Vancouver, WA before moving across the river to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Leadership, Marketing from Portland State University. Prior to Foster, Jordyn spent 10+ years in supply chain and operations management within the retail and athletic industries. Most recently she held leadership roles at Nordstrom and Nike, specializing in global e-commerce operations, driving network-wide process improvements, and leading diverse, cross-functional teams. At Foster, Jordyn is focusing on applied strategy and socially conscious business to further explore the intersection of operational excellence and community impact.

Outside of the classroom, Jordyn enjoys spending time outdoors with her wife, Fiona, and two dogs, Nitro and Cosmo. She is very excited for the opportunity to be a Fritzky Fellow and support first-year students through the MBA journey as well as contribute to her peers and her own leadership growth.

Stephanie is a recently returned Seattle native, having spent most of her childhood in the Broadview area and the intervening years in Pittsburgh, Albuquerque, southern California, and Portland. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Studies from Pomona College and an MFA in Applied Craft and Design from the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Over a 7+ year career in the art world, she has led a contemporary artist studio and production team, taught art critique courses for graduate students, and managed projects and exhibitions for a contemporary art museum. That experience, combined with her years as a collegiate volleyball player and a lifelong athlete and coach, shapes her approach to leadership: empowering, empathetic, and service-oriented.

Stephanie came to Foster to pivot into healthcare, inspired by her parents’ lifelong careers and her own long-simmering interest in the industry, and to build her business acumen. Her passions for social impact, community involvement, and communications show up in her leadership roles at Foster, where she is co-President of Challenge for Charity (C4C) and serves as a Board member of the Foster Marketing Association. This summer, she will intern at Seattle Children’s Hospital on their Brand & Creative Services team. Outside of school, Stephanie leads an AAPI book club and enjoys time with her family, friends, and dog, Min. As a Fritzky Fellow, she is eager to help incoming students build a community and foundation to make the most of their MBA journey, paying forward the support that has shaped her own.

Naman Tyagi is from Bengaluru, India, and brings over five years of experience in large-scale cloud and technology platform transformation at BlackRock. During his time there he grew into leadership roles that allowed him to work closely with engineers, product managers, and business stakeholders, helping bridge the gap between technical complexity and real business impact. What excited him most was not just solving technical problems, but understanding how technology could improve experiences, simplify processes, and enable better decision-making for people at scale. Those experiences sparked his interest in Product Management and strengthened his passion for building user-centered technology solutions.

Coming to the United States for his MBA marked a major new chapter in Naman’s journey, one that pushed him outside his comfort zone and broadened his perspective on leadership, collaboration, and community. As a Fritzky Fellow, he is excited to contribute to a close-knit community of students while continuing to learn from the diverse experiences and stories around him.

Outside of academics and work, Naman is a fitness enthusiast who enjoys traveling, exploring new cities, and finding the best local food spots wherever he goes.

Mallory was born in St. Francisville, Louisiana and grew up in Texas. She studied Finance at Texas State University before starting her career in Houston as a Financial Analyst for three years.

Looking to expand her horizons, Mallory made the move to Seattle in 2022 where she spent three years at Russell Investments as a Trading Operations Analyst before joining Verus Investments as a Senior Analyst. Her years working across investment operations sparked a passion for the intersection of finance and technology, ultimately inspiring her to pursue her MBA with a focus on Finance and make the leap into the tech industry.

This summer, Mallory will intern with Microsoft on their Treasury team. At Foster, she serves as VP of Auction for Challenge for Charity (C4C) and as a VP in the Finance Society.

Outside of school, Mallory and her partner, a fellow Husky, have adventured through nearly 20 countries together and love exploring the trails and campgrounds of the Pacific Northwest whenever they get the chance.

Originally from New Delhi, India, Shruti comes from a software engineering background, spending four years at a tech consulting firm where she built digital products for large financial services clients. At Foster, she is focused on transitioning into consulting, bringing her technical foundation and client-facing experience to complex business problems.

Shruti knows firsthand what it feels like to start over—new country, new career, new everything. The MBA first year can be a lot, and she genuinely wants to be that person you can talk to, someone who gets it, who has been through the same doubts and transitions, and who shows up with real empathy and zero judgment. As a Fritzky Fellow, she is passionate about helping incoming students feel seen, supported, and a little less alone in figuring it all out. Outside the classroom, Shruti is always chasing the next adventure, whether that’s exploring a new city, getting lost in a K-drama, powering through an Emily Henry book, or hunting down Seattle’s best hidden food spots.