100 Best & Brightest Undergraduate Business Majors Of 2025

EXCELLENCE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

When the Class of 2025 wasn’t launching new clubs or initiatives, they were opening new businesses. Case in point: vipi.education from David Elias Kurzmann at ESCP Business School. Think of it as an interactive version of the Khan Academy. Unhappy with the tutoring available through his school, Kurzmann set out to create what he describes as a “student society organizing free student-to-student tutoring lectures.” Launched in 2022, vipi – “voluntary, independent pioneers of education” – has since expanded to 1,000 students across cities like London, Paris, Madrid, and Berlin. Even more, it now includes 11 topics ranging from Advanced Statistics to Microeconomics to Managerial Accounting. One Financial Accounting session even drew 134 students! Even more, vipi was considered so innovative that it earned Kurzmann the ESCP Dean’s Award in 2023 – making him the first underclassman to achieve this feat.

“It was a concept I first developed during the COVID-19 pandemic for free online tutoring at local high schools,” Kurzmann explains. “The idea is simple: students with a better understanding of a subject help their peers for free in lecture-style tutoring sessions. In this way, the tutors gain a unique edge to their understanding and the students receive vis-à-vis explanations without pressure. This way, the entire community thrives, improving everyone’s learning experience.”

And the Best & Brightest didn’t just launch ventures. They supported them too. Look no further than Alliance Manchester’s Jasper Lee, who was president of Accelerate ME – which he calls the “largest student-led startup accelerator in Northern England. Here, he led a 30-member in selecting startups and developing programming.

“To date, we’ve distributed over £250K, and our alumni have raised over £45m in follow-on funding,” he tells P&Q. “I’m thrilled to be part of a community that helps break down barriers to entrepreneurship and turn ambitious ideas into reality.”

FROM THE UN TO THE WHITE HOUSE

In some cases, the Class of 2025 shouldered responsibilities that mimicked their professors. At the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College, Timothy Held designed a machine learning model used to forecast how top college basketball players would perform in games. For her senior thesis, Wharton’s Daniel Babalola chose a stretch assignment. He has been hatching a computer model for radiologists to quantify lung cancer nodules.

“Though lung cancer image classification is a well explored field, there is potential for novelty in identifying the presence of dissolving tumors post-treatment,” Babalola explains. “As someone with almost zero background in medicine prior to this thesis, it has been a fruitful intellectual exercise. Pushing myself to work in an unfamiliar field has forced me to adapt the frameworks I’ve developed in strategy and product management.”

Some class members were even invited into the proverbial ‘room’ at the highest levels. For Purdue University’s Rachel Labi, that meant speaking to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on human trafficking. By the same token, Villanova University’s Olivia Hansen landed a coveted summer internship with the Joe Biden administration last summer.

“Being in the White House at the intersection of political and business decisions for the betterment of the American people was an honor of a lifetime, and hopefully the beginning of a long career in improving the lives of others through business. Being accepted as one of only two individuals in the entire nation to intern in the Contract and Procurement Office is an accomplishment that I am beyond grateful for. My time serving in the Executive Office of the President was a transformative educational experience that I will never forget.”

A FASHION MODEL, A WORLD TRAVELER, AND A JAZZ CAT

That said, Hillary Simmons’ biggest moment happened outside the spotlight. In 2023, she left the comforts of the University of Michigan’s Ross School to take a summer internship in New York City. For her, the big accomplishment was overcoming her wariness of risk and embracing growth.

“I began my freshman year being afraid to go outside of my dorm after the sun went down,” Simmons admits. “However, I got to a point where I was willingly packing my suitcase to spend a summer by myself in the largest city in the country. From learning how to navigate the subway to immersing myself in diverse cultures and questioning my ways of being, spending the summer in New York City boosted my confidence in so many ways. I had to advocate for myself in ways I’d never had to before, and I learned so many things about myself…It was a lesson in the power of dreaming big.”

Alas, the classroom and the office don’t define who the Class of 2025 is. Glenys Yevi, a University of Houston grad and Wells Fargo hire, is a fashion model who was part of New York Fashion Week in February. When Gregory Hilldrup isn’t preparing for medical school or running student government at the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business, he is playing the conga and djembe drums. Maybe Hilldrup could jam with the University of Georgia’s V’shoi Garfield Emanuel, who is known for his “jazz bass solos and gigs around town with other jazz cats.”

Looking for a world traveler? Indiana University’s Maggie Essmann has stepped foot in all seven continents. Seeking stories of adventure? Georgia Tech’s Logan Roach ran with the bulls in Pamplona between his freshman and sophomore year. Along with majoring in Accounting and Marketing at Georgetown University’s McDonough School, Matthew De Meulder co-hosts The Honky Tonk Show on radio. And let’s just say the University of Houston’s Daniel Kalathoor is getting an early start on his career.

“I will be graduating at 20 years old, and a year early from university!”

THE ONES WHO PAVED THE WAY

Make no mistake: The Class of 2025 has plenty of people to thank along the way to graduation. Levi Grimm, an Information Systems and Entrepreneurship major at Miami University’s Farmer School, credits a high school teacher, Tom O’ Neill, for making him proactive in the face of adversity.

“He left a lasting impact on how I approach opportunities and challenges. Mr. O’Neill instilled the mindset of thinking in terms of possibilities and seeing obstacles as opportunities. He believed that the best way to learn was by doing even if it meant failing forward. He urged me to be relentless in pursuing my goals and to see ‘no’ as a temporary barrier to ‘yes.’ It was the way he pushed and mentored me that ignited a fire to not admire the problems around me but to do something about them.”

Marian University’s Zivan Mynhardt absorbed similar lessons from his father around sacrifice and work ethic. “Growing up in Cape Town, I watched him pour relentless effort into everything he did: long hours, no shortcuts, always pushing forward. That example wasn’t just inspiring; it essentially became my blueprint. He made it possible for me to study abroad, footing the bill for this journey. However, it’s more than that. He instilled a belief that hard work and resilience can overcome any obstacle.”

For Sydney Anne Drysdale Fairbairn, her mother’s support has literally been a life-saver. Diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, tomorrow was never a given for Drysdale Fairbairn growing up. Instead, she was guided by her parents’ axiom about her heart: “Push it to grow, but never to the point of breaking.” While she couldn’t play traditional sports, Drysdale Fairbairn became a Pilates instructor and a game statistician. These successes, she says, stemmed from the support she received at home.

“I cannot fathom the strength it took for my parents to be handed a million-piece LEGO set with no instructions—just the dismaying counsel of “build it.” My mother did more than build, though; she created a life for me where limitations were not roadblocks, rather they were challenges to navigate. She never allowed me to be a victim of my condition. Instead, she instilled in me two principles that guide my life to this day: “For every one thing you can’t do, find the millions of things you can,” and “Always stop and smell the roses.”

WHAT LIES AHEAD?

What lies ahead for Drysdale Fairbairn after earning her degree from the University of Denver’s Daniels College? Well, she is still working that part out. Long-term, she pictures herself paying forward the blessings she has received.

“Given my personal health journey, I am committed to supporting children facing medical challenges. I aspire to serve on the board of a nonprofit dedicated to helping children with health conditions and disabilities, or, if possible, establish my own philanthropic initiative with that mission.”

The Best & Brightest harbor similar ambitions. After walking off the stage at Carnegie Mellon’s commencement, Chloe He hopes to work in two countries (“at least”) before opening her own bakery café. Olivia Hansen’s aspirations reflect a common dream among the Class of 2025: join the faculty and write a book. The same goes for Texas Christian’s University’s Kassidy Allen (Give a TED Talk) and Syracuse University’s Talia St. Angelo (Be featured in Times Square). Then again, Josh Novick just hopes to stay an engaged alum at the University of Virginia.

“I aspire to come back to Grounds and McIntire one day as a guest speaker and try to get involved in all ways. Throughout my time here, I found the alums to be some of the most forward-thinking, kindest, and insightful connections and resources. I would love to give back to the place that has given me the most.”

ADVICE TO FUTURE BUSINESS MAJORS

Looking back on the past four years, the Class of 2025 has some advice for the business majors following in their footsteps. For many students, grades and experience often take priority in business school. Still, USC Marshall’s Wednesday Satterlee observes that students can gain the biggest long-term return by emphasizing relationships.

“You’ll hear this often in business school, but it’s true: your network is your net worth. Making meaningful connections with peers, professors, and co-workers is the best investment you can make in your early career. Do not take anyone for granted, you will always have something to learn from the people you meet, and you never know when your connections can lead to exciting opportunities.”

As a student, Isabelle Layding was involved in everything from leading the student consulting firm to handling logistics for Greek Week. Such experiences enabled her to test her mettle – and hone a wide range of skills. Her advice to prospective students? Say “Yes” to every opportunity at every turn.

“The value of your business degree is directly related to your campus involvement, leadership experience, and work experience. Join clubs, talk to professors about their research – figure out what interests you and do something with it. So, if there’s a chance for you to stretch yourself by taking on a leadership position in a club, starting something new, or moving somewhere you’ve never been for an internship… do it, even if you’re uncomfortable for a little bit. The most pivotal moments of growth for me happened when I said “yes” to opportunities that seemed terrifying!”

The University of Minnesota’s Jillian Buenger, a future health strategist, would tag a corollary onto Layding’s advice: Always ask.  “That’s true whether you want to learn more about a club; interested in a career that a professor of yours used to work in; or want to sit down to coffee with an upperclassman that you admire. You never know where one interaction will lead. For me, ‘just asking’ put me in the position to open so many more doors to chances and opportunities that would have passed me right by if I hadn’t just been brave for that one moment.”

While many graduates are boxing up belongings and lining up apartments for the first ‘real’ jobs, others are still wrestling with what to do next. And that’s no big concern, says NYU Stern’s Alexander Talamonti, who himself is still seeking the right fit in software development. There’s plenty of time to find your way.  

“I would advise students to be open to trying different things and avoid stressing too much about not knowing what they want to do. In my opinion, it is better to have done many things and know what you don’t want to do than to silo yourself because you’re afraid to be late to the game. However, once you find something that you love, dive deep into it. Being passionate about something is a wonderful gift!”

Congratulations, Class of 2025! Buckle up: You’re in for the ride of your life!

Go to Pages 3-4 for 100 in-depth profiles of the 2025 Best & Brightest Business Majors