Gundeep Kaur, WG’15
Senior Corporate Development Manager at Tableau Software
and recipient of the Kamal and Amrit Puri Family Fellowship
Jamie Dinan, W’81
Founder, Chairman, and CEO of York Capital Management
and Co-Chair of the More Than Ever Campaign
Jamison “JJ” Vulopas, W’19
Author, The Land of Not
and recipient of the James G. Dinan Endowed Scholarship II
Mandy Puri, WG’86
Former Head of Private Equity at BlackRock and Merrill Lynch
and creator of the Kamal and Amrit Puri Family Fellowship
Eric Linn, W’92
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Oak Point Partners
Katherine Sizov, C’19
Founder, Strella Biotechnology
and winner of Penn’s 2019 President’s Innovation Prize
Sharing stories of Wharton’s impact with the world
Some moments just stand out. You may know it at once, or upon reflection, but you know when life has changed indelibly—personally and professionally.
At Wharton, everyone has a moment. Maybe you carry an insight from a class that forever changed how you think or you reached a new level of confidence from being validated by peers. What was your moment?
Because your story is our story, please share your More Than Ever moment with us. Whatever the moment, simple and singular or rich in complexity, its impact on you is part of who you are in the world. And your world is Wharton’s world.
Your story is our story.
What’s YOUR More Than Ever moment?
Sharing stories of Wharton’s impact with the world
Everyone has a moment. Whether the realization strikes that second or it comes in hindsight years later, some moments just stand out.
Maybe it was the day you met your learning team, or an insight from a Wharton professor that you still carry with you. Perhaps it was starting a business with a fellow Wharton alum or reconnecting with a classmate years later.
Participating in the More Than Ever campaign can be as simple as sharing your moment, and the powerful impact of Wharton, with the world.
Your story is our story.
What’s YOUR More Than Ever moment?
“…realizing part of success is giving back…”
— Kenny Osakwe, WG’20
“…gaining confidence to overcome the toughest obstacles…”
— Stas Gorbovitsky, WG’19
“…helping me better connect with people in the business world…”
— Kirsten Mueller, WG’79
“…giving me the direction and sense of purpose that I needed…”
— Dana Behar, WG’89
“…most rewarding experiences of my life—career, academic, social…”
— Brendan Crowley, WG’20, G’20
Unexpected Moments Lead to Unexpected Journeys
Wharton people are storytellers; our stories can be as different as a student sharing about a life-changing mentorship or an alumnus guiding the future success of a startup. These stories are the moments that define the Wharton experience.
Journeys that inspire action have a profound impact. Your More Than Ever story has the power to amaze, to motivate, and to create a sense of wonder that helps others to rethink their focus and commitment. More Than Ever Moments invoke meaning beyond the moment; these are stories that move us all to change, reflect, and embark on quests to find answers and solutions—for ourselves and others.
Whatever outstanding experience crystalizes your Wharton story, share your #morethanever moment—because your story is our story.
Your story is our story. Share your #morethanever moment with us.
Advancing business and science — together
As a Penn undergraduate, Katherine Sizov, C’19, founded Strella Biotechnology, which uses emergent technology to fight food waste at the source—in the supply chain. Having participated in numerous programs through Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship, Katherine was seeking additional advice and perspective on how, as a scientist, to manage business challenges as Strella grew in scale.
Katherine met Eric Linn, W’92, through Wharton’s Female Founders Mentorship Program. Eric was happy to offer her a framework for enhancing her decision-making and to serve as a sounding board for Katherine as she built Strella’s customer base. Learn how their partnership is advancing business and science, while changing the world.
Your story is our story. Share your #morethanever moment with us.
Wharton Fellowship Brings Together Two Generations of MBAs
When Mandy Puri, WG’86, arrived to Wharton, she wasn’t the only student from her home country. “But I was the only Indian woman in my class,” she said. The classes ahead of and below her each had only one Indian woman. “I said, ‘Wait a minute. India has hundreds of smart women. Why do we always have this one token woman?’”
Today, Puri is retired from her Wall Street career, which propelled her to the highest levels at Merrill Lynch and BlackRock. Now she invests time and resources supporting young women from India who are walking the same path she blazed 35 years ago. That’s how she and Gundeep Kaur, WG’15, came to build a lifelong friendship based on mutual support and personal growth.
Kaur is one of a dozen female MBA students from India who Puri has supported through an MBA fellowship she established in 2006. Together, they explore the importance of women’s representation, life as an international student, and the transformative effect of the Wharton experience.
Your story is our story. Share your #morethanever moment with us.
An Uplifting More Than Ever Moment
Sam Lundquist, Wharton’s Vice Dean for External Affairs, has a More Than Ever moment each time his business travels take him outside of Philadelphia. The warm welcomes that Wharton receives around the world remind him of how relevant the School’s brand is — internationally and domestically.
It is this recurring experience of welcome that provides Lundquist with fulfillment, professionally and personally. His More Than Ever moment is an indication of the power of Wharton’s global influence and impact. “It all comes down to the people,” he said.
Your story is our story. Share your #morethanever moment with us.
A More Than Ever Moment In Real Time
Born into a family of teachers, Jamison “JJ” Vulopas had high ambitions for his own education. His dream of getting into Penn and Wharton came to fruition in 2015, but his worries about being able to afford his education lingered — until he received generous scholarship support, in part from Jamie Dinan, W’81.
Since arriving at Penn, he nurtured his confidence, launching his own brand and website encouraging children with severe food allergies. “More than ever,” JJ says, “Wharton is enabling students like me to be thoughtful, to be bold, and to seek opportunity everywhere.”
Dinan, who serves as co-chair of the More Than Ever campaign, sat down with JJ to share his own #morethanever moments gleaned from his years as a student and over a lifetime as a successful investor and dedicated Wharton supporter.
Your story is our story. Share your #morethanever moment with us.
The world and its complex challenges require innovative solutions. More than ever, Wharton is positioned to meet these challenges head on.
This campaign will bolster the people, the research, the partnerships, the education, and the spaces that spark great ideas and bring them to global scale.