How did you two first meet?
Brooke: I honestly don't remember the moment when we met. But I do remember speaking with Analisa in a hallway and telling her, "Hey, I want to hold this tech conference." She told me she had been thinking of doing something very similar.
Analisa: I have no idea! But I've learned that you never know if the people around you are thinking the same way you are. As we built the TechForward Conference, Brooke and I would often have conversations where we were on the exact same page without realizing it.
What mindset did you enter the MBA program with, and how did that enable you to make an impact?
Brooke: Prior to the MBA, I was in positions where there was a seat at the table, but I wasn't invited to it. I've learned to ask myself, "How can I build a community around me, so that I can thrive in this space?" So many other people are looking for community. If you have an idea, it's ultimately your responsibility to act on it, and you never know how many others it will help.
Analisa: As a child, I loved this quote from Toni Morrison, "If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." Going into anything, I always try to make sure I leave it better than I found it. At Georgia Tech, I tried to give back in natural, authentic ways.
What have you learned about yourself as a leader?
Brooke: I am very passionate about mentoring young girls, because I did not have great mentors in my early career. Leadership is active. It's saying yes to opportunities to coach or help someone in their career.
For there to be more women excelling in business at different levels, we have to stop making each other jump through hoops to get to the next milestone. I've learned that, ultimately, I have what I already need to be a great leader.
Analisa: I have learned how to lead from behind. Even though I can take charge and lead and give direction, it's important to make space for other people to lead. With that, I have worked to cultivate more spaces for women. Right now, I have several female mentees that I regularly connect with. Personally, I have also been learning how to balance assertive directness with a more passive approach when necessary.
What advice would you give to women at the beginning of their MBA journey?
Brooke: I would tell them to focus on the experiences they want to have. The MBA is only two years. So, it's really figuring out what they want the next five to 10 years to look like and leverage the two years of the MBA to make that happen. Also, don't forget to network with your faculty. So many of our faculty members have experiences and backgrounds that we can learn from and leverage.
Analisa: I tell overwhelmed first year MBAs to prioritize what is most important. I encourage them to think about their brand and work backwards. Write down answers to questions about the skills they want to develop, where they want to be professionally, the road map to get there, and how they want to be remembered at Georgia Tech.
Once they think through these questions, they can decide what clubs and activities make sense for them to get involved in and can more authentically engage in areas they are passionate about.
Partnering to Create: TechForward MBA Conference
In October 2024, Brooke, Analisa, and Rose Espiritu held the inaugural TechForward MBA Conference. They built the conference to connect Georgia Tech MBA students with leading tech companies in Atlanta.
The highly rated conference sold 150 tickets in one week. Leading tech companies including Cisco, Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Salesforce, and TechSquare Ventures gathered with students and professionals from around Atlanta to discuss the conference theme, "Innovation at the Intersection of AI.”
Read More: TechForward MBA Conference
Learn More: Full-time MBA
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia 
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina