Alexandra Hornick          

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

“Budding entrepreneur, slide deck enthusiast, loyal friend, die-hard New Yorker, and everything bagel fanatic.”

Fun fact about yourself: I watch Queen’s 1986 Live Aid Concert the night before every final exam. Freddie Mercury’s charisma and energy are motivational.

Hometown: New York City, NY

High School: Convent of the Sacred Heart

Major: Management, Leadership, and Innovation

Minor: Center for Jewish Civilization

Favorite Business Course: It’s a tie between “Imagination and Creativity” and “Who Are You? Individual Differences & Workplace Performance.”

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

• Senior Honors Thesis Candidate
• Founder, McDonough School of Business Writing & Communications Center
• Coordinator and Mentor, Building Undergraduates Invested in Leadership Development
• Writing Fellow, Business & Global Affairs Program
• Teaching Assistant, First Year Seminar Class
• Technology Consultant, McDonough Technology Center
• First Honors
• Dean’s List
• First Place, Georgetown First Year Seminar Case Competition

Where have you interned during your college career?

• Investor Relations & Marketing Intern, ExodusPoint Capital Management (NY, NY)
• Markets Intern, Barclays Investment Bank (NY, NY)

Where will you be working after graduation? HiredScore, a talent intelligence firm in New York City, as Chief of Staff to the CEO. I’m excited to be working for a fellow Georgetown grad and female-founded technology company that is helping to shape the future of work!

What company do you admire most? I love Bombas! For every Bombas sock purchased, the company donates a pair of socks to community organizations, shelters and nonprofits dedicated to helping homeless, in-need, and at-risk communities. I am inspired by this Georgetown alumni founded company because it proves that a social impact business model can be both charitable and profitable.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? It is the ability to humanize the problem-solving process. Data can only get you so far; you learn so much more from interacting with individuals as colleagues, stakeholders, or competitors about their incentives, motivations, and concerns to help craft a winning solution to an issue.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Don’t be afraid to swim upstream!

Business goes way beyond finance, accounting, or consulting. Find something you are excited about rather than what your classmates tell you that they are excited about doing.  When your work gives you energy, you will find your experience will be way more fulfilling and success will follow.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I had a preconceived notion that business classes would be devoid of creativity. I found that to be far from the truth. Through community-based projects and classroom work, I discovered that innovation is fueled through focus and creativity to identify the essence of a business case and the process to create value.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the power of globalization and I wish I took the time to learn more about and experience international business.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? During my time at Georgetown, I founded the McDonough Writing & Communications Center. An offshoot of the broader University Writing Center, we provide free, peer-to-peer tutoring services for McDonough students. Starting the business-centric writing center forced me to learn how to persuade key stakeholders to commit funding, get buy-in from fellow students, integrate into a broader institutional framework, and, most importantly, help McDonough students communicate their many great ideas. The process of growing the Center catalyzed my love for entrepreneurship as I began to understand the rewards of building something tangible to meet a need in my Georgetown community.

Which classmate do you most admire? Regan Donecker has had an indelible impact on my life and my business school experience. Beyond her intellectual curiosity, insightfulness, and work ethic, she has a unique passion for education. Through research and professional experience, she has found ways to forge her own path and merge her interest and business and education through her Education, Inquiry, and Justice minor. She has been my inspiration for my “swim upstream” mantra to find what you love and run with it.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would not be where I am today without my mother. She has supported me through every challenge I’ve faced – from multiple severe concussions to rowing accidents. She has an unshakable belief in me and confidence that things will work out. My mother is a force to be reckoned with in her own career as an entrepreneur and investor, a champion for underrepresented founders, and an incredible mentor to all. When I grow up, I want to be like her. Thank you, Mom.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1) I hope to start my own company or sit at the C-Suite level of an early-stage venture-backed company. As a February 2021 Fortune Magazine article highlights, despite venture capital booming in 2020, women’s slice of the funding pie shrank to 2.2%. It’s time for change!

2) Inspired by the Jesuit Value of “men and women for others,” I hope to find a way to leverage my business background to support female entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

What are your hobbies? Pre-COVID-19, I enjoyed going to concerts and trying different cuisines with friends. The pandemic has allowed me to develop a new appreciation for long walks and hikes during which I can explore podcasts and music

What made Alexandra such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2021?

“I got a glimpse at how special a student and person Alex was when she was in my First Year Seminar on workplace psychology. That semester, she and her teammates overcame new-student jitters, collaborated amazingly well, and won the school-wide competition with their analysis and advice for an international nonprofit. It was pretty clear then that she was going to go on to do great things, and she really has – excelling in her leadership class, putting what she learned into practice by co-founding and leading the peer writing coaches program, and then doing two honors theses including one on women entrepreneurs in the Levant. The theses allowed her to integrate everything she has learned over the last four years and explore her passions for the region, religion, and entrepreneurship. Along the way, she’s found time to work in our Tech Center, make powerful lasting friendships, and juggle 10 other things with aplomb!”

Michael O’Leary
Senior Associate Dean for Custom Executive Education and Teaching Professor of Management

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