Kovida Koneru
FTMBA '24
Hometown: Dallas
Home State: Texas
Home Country: USA
Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at Dallas
Undergraduate Degree and Major (and minor, if applicable): Biology and Healthcare Management
Pre-MBA Industry: Healthcare and Real Estate
Pre-MBA Company: Alight Solutions and DFW Land
Pre-MBA Title: Health Consultant and Real Estate Agent
Desired industry post-MBA: Technology and CPG
Desired job function post-MBA: Product Marketing Management
Degree Concentrations:
- Marketing
- Operations & Supply Chain Management
Student Organization Membership:
- Women in Leadership Conference
- The Adam Smith Society
- Operations & Supply Chain Association
- Rice Business Women's Organization
- Technology Association
- Forte
What has been the most surprising part of your Rice MBA experience?
The most surprising part of my MBA experience is how close faculty are to each other and how comfortable the professors are with students. I will miss Patricia as my accounting professor. She really is the best!
What has been your favorite thing about your MBA experience so far?
My favorite part has to be the people. My group has been an amazing support system. I did not expect us to be as close as we are. We do group projects, explore Houston, and eat out a lot. We always hear from other teams how lucky we are to have each other, and I would have to agree with them. I am very thankful for the group of people that chose my team. Moreover, the faculty members are always so welcoming. Every day I come to campus, I see Adam, Joe, and so many others working to make sure everyone feels comfortable being here, and I truly appreciate that.
What do you love most about Houston?
I love the food here! There are so many restaurants and cuisines that one can never visit all of them, but I am trying to get as close as I can. Moreover, there are so many cultures that are combined to make unique dishes that I never thought that I would ever be able to try, but I am glad that I get to.
What is one piece of advice you would share with a prospective student – one sentence?
It is important to approach this phase of your life with the mindset of "work hard, play hard."