2019 Best & Brightest: Adedotun R. Adejare, Wharton School

Adedotun R. Adejare

University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School

“A surprise factor, technology enthusiast, and avid podcaster.”

Fun fact about yourself: I enjoy creating music playlists to capture life moments. It is great looking back and being able to know the feelings, memories, and songs I had at that point in time!

Hometown: Albrightsville, PA

High School: Pocono Mountain West High School

Major: Finance and Business Analytics

Minor: N/A

Favorite Business Course: Strategic Equity Financing with David Erickson and David Musto

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Extracurricular Activities

Black Wharton Undergraduate Association – President

  • Black Wharton Undergraduate Association (BWUA) is a dynamic organization that develops professional, social, and academic opportunities for undergraduate students through internship information, interactive business conferences and community service opportunities.

Wharton International Business Review – Contributing Writer

  • Recent articles include A Fourth Industrial Revolution analyzing the resurgence of global manufacturing innovation driven by artificial intelligence, internet of things, and cost pressures.
  • From East to West analyzes the political and economic challenges faced by the Georgian government as the country liberalized its economy and pushed towards Western integration despite Russian influence.

New College House – ITA Manager

  • Lead a team of ITAs to provide computer and technical support to residents of the New College House.

School Awards & Honors

Schwarzman Scholar (The Schwarzman Scholars Program is a highly selective international scholarship program designed to prepare future leaders for success in a world where China plays a key global role.)

Herbert S. Steur Memorial Prize (Awarded to Wharton students who are among the most outstanding in scholarship, personality and qualities of leadership)

Howard E. Mitchell Memorial Scholarship (Award presented by the Dean of the Wharton School and Black Wharton Undergraduate Association for academic leadership and campus involvement)

Where have you interned during your college career?

Boston Consulting Group, Summer Associate – San Francisco

Harlem Capital Partners, Venture Spring Intern – Philadelphia

Morgan Stanley, Investment Banking Summer Analyst – New York

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be completing my Master’s Degree in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China as a Schwarzman Scholar.

Who is your favorite professor? Professor Gad Allon from my Scaling Operations in Tech Ventures course. His course was the foundational course that got me interested in operations and technology; and he recommended several great books and courses for me to check out. I’ve enjoyed this subject ever since.

What did you enjoy most about your business school? I enjoy the experiential aspect of business school. The course concepts feel more real when I simultaneously test it out in a club setting or meet with business professional who are directly in that industry. I will never forget the formative experiences that I learned from my clubs and from the business talks I attended.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? I encourage all students curious about a major in business to keep an open mind. Before I started studying business, I had the impression that business revolved around only a handful of subjects. However, I soon realized that there were many, many avenues a student can take with their own business education. My friends and I took all kinds of courses including some in healthcare management, fintech, and even on the interaction between public policy and business. It became clearer to me that a business major represents an opportunity to delve deeper into a personal interest from the lens of a business perspective.

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be majoring in or studying…systems engineering. Systems engineering, almost like business, brings together interdisciplinary technologies when solving complex problems. I am a very curious person; so, being able to touch on diverse topics feels rewarding.”

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My sister was a big influence on my decision to pursue business in college. Although she was pre-med at the University of Pennsylvania, she really encouraged me to attend the LEAD Program, a summer business institute for rising high school seniors that was held at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. This program challenged us through applied learning experiences often facilitated by college professors and connected scholars to corporate executives in business fields and peers with similar aspirations and abilities. This became the spark that got me interested in business. When I matriculated to Penn studying business, my sister was still an influential and supportive voice for me.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am proud to have an integral part of my undergraduate career include visiting San Francisco, Israel (2x), Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, mainland China, and Hong Kong. Through the Penn Abroad and Wharton Programs, I have traveled to the West Coast and internationally for my first time. These experiences provided many memories including celebrating my first college birthday abroad, celebrating a New Year abroad, and exploring new cities I would eventually live and work in. Most importantly, these programs provided the avenue to speak with leading business executives, test my academic knowledge against real world experience, and guide my undergraduate and career decisions.

 Which classmate do you most admire? I admire Michael Wong. Michael is an incredibly talented student and a wonderful friend. I have gotten to know Michael very well through our mutual courses, interests, and interactions. He is always a pleasure to be around. Michael is also the CEO and Co-Founder of InstaHub, which is focused on building snap-on automation technologies to eliminating energy waste. His passion for InstaHub is sincere and I have seen him grow the company from ideation to product. Even while balancing his school work and his company, he still makes time for people dear to him, always being an inspiring force, a great leader, and an awesome friend.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I’d thank my mom. She leads by example and is a strong believer that I can achieve what I set my heart towards.

What are the top two items on your bucket list?

  1. Build my own personal library
  2. Learn how to scuba dive

What are your hobbies?I love listening to podcasts. I enjoy episodes on history, international relations, and biographies. I also enjoy visiting historical sites and museums, trying new foods, and writing.

What made Adedotun such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2019?

“Dotun has been quite active both in the classroom – he took it upon himself to write an undergraduate thesis as part of the Wharton Research Scholars (and on campus) – he led the Black Wharton Undergraduate Association among many other involvements. Dotun stands out as a passionate student with Adedotun R. Adejare

Dr. Utsav Schurmans
Director, Research and Scholar Programs
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.