When Isha Paul, MBA 20, first considered an MBA, she wasn’t looking for a simple career change. “I wanted to be at the intersection of strategy and education, but I needed a space to experiment, refine my toolkit, and explore what authentic leadership meant for me,” she said.
Isha deliberately stepped away from her position as a senior manager of Financial Planning and Analysis at KIPP Schools in Austin, Texas, where she was on track for a senior leadership role. Instead, she enrolled in the Berkeley Haas full-time MBA program. “My goal wasn’t just to add polish; it was to reflect and become more intentional about my impact,” she said. “Indeed, I wanted to redefine what impact meant for my career.”
To Isha’s delight, that self-reflection started with her application interview on campus. “I arrived early and had time to walk through the courtyard, where I paid attention—you might call it eavesdropping—to the meaningful conversations going on around me. People were really seeing each other. That innate kindness as a way of building community appealed to me,” she recalled. “My interviewer embodied the same kindness. He saw me as a human with intrinsic value, not just another name on a list. We had a meaningful conversation built on a foundation of mutual respect.” It was clear to Isha that, should she be admitted to Berkeley Haas, her decision would be easy.
In the spirit of experimentation, early in her first year Isha began positioning herself to interview for a consulting internship. Her first consulting experience came in Social Sector Solutions, an Applied Innovation class in which students take on a strategy consultation project for a nonprofit, public organization, or social enterprise. Her team’s client was Oakland’s Bishop O’Dowd High School, which needed assistance evaluating its prospects for enrollment growth and sustainability. “Our market, competitive, and financial analyses demonstrated that the school could both expand enrollment and sustain its culture. My team members—students in the Berkeley Haas evening & weekend MBA program and the undergraduate program, and students in Cal’s schools of education and public policy—brought really diverse perspectives to our thinking. It was such a great learning experience that I returned in my second year as a GSI (graduate student instructor) for the class.”
My MBA helped me gain clarity, but my journey is just beginning.”
When Isha received a summer internship offer from the Boston Consulting Group, followed by a full-time offer after graduation, accepting was a “no-regret move. It was a great opportunity to work and learn in a structured environment, leading high-stakes projects.” She relished “being invited to the table to bring expertise and analysis to the most important topics for an executive.” Isha’s tenure at BCG also helped clarify her priorities. “I missed the satisfaction of seeing our strategies implemented in real-time. Consulting gave me tools, but I felt drawn back to work where I could commit to longer-term outcomes; really build something.”
Earlier this year, Isha joined Vertex Education as chief of staff to the CEO. At Vertex, which provides a wide range of solutions and services to schools in 14 states, Isha leads initiatives that leverage her strategic toolkit in service of “changing lives through education. From developing elements of our long-term strategy to solving hot-potato issues, this role allows me to partner with our entire executive team to position Vertex for even greater impact,” she said. “Having seen the transformative power of thoughtful leadership, I want to create an environment where our teams feel supported and inspired.”
Other Berkeley Haas experiences continue to influence Isha. She rattles off Power and Politics, taught by Cameron Anderson, and Negotiations & Conflict, taught by Drew Jacoby-Senghor, People Development with Mike Katz, and Erica Peng’s class, Interpersonal Skills and Embodied Leadership—“We just called it ‘Touchy-Feely.’”—for their ongoing influence on how she works and leads. “I used to think leading meant having all the answers, but now I believe it’s about creating space for others to share theirs,” she said. “Active listening is the most underrated skill for leaders, no question.”
Isha does a lot of listening as an interviewer for Berkeley Haas applicants. She has come full circle: making sure others have the same positive, affirming interview experience she had. “When I ask what they want to get out of their MBA, I reflect on the ROI of my own MBA. It goes beyond the career benefits; it’s the resilience and the lifelong network I developed. When I was considering leaving BCG, I reached out to 30 Haas alumni. Every single one made time for me.”
Isha’s focus remains on the intersection of strategy and education. “The last four years have redefined my approach to impact and deepened my commitment to building organizations that serve communities effectively and equitably. My MBA helped me gain clarity, but my journey is just beginning.”
