Emma Rose Dahleen

University of Washington, Foster School of Business

“Lover of Nespresso pods, goldendoodles, case competitions, and incessantly checking my email.”

Fun fact about yourself: I am a triplet with one identical and one fraternal sister, each an aspiring lawyer and doctor respectively.

Hometown: West Seattle, Washington

High School: Kennedy Catholic High School

Major: Supply Chain Operations and Marketing

Minor: Sales

Favorite Business Course: Principles of Selling (MKTG 335) with Professor Karen Bailey

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

* Leadership Roles and Activities:

• Co-President of the Undergraduate Business Council
• Co-President of the UW American Marketing Association
• Lead TA for Marketing and Selling Essentials (MKTG 305)
• TA for Special Topics in Business Communications (BCMU 490)
• Member of the Jack Ann Rhoades Professional Sales Program
• Previous UW AMA Agency Project Manager & Consultant
• Previous UW AMA Case Competition Director
• Previous Marketing Manager, UW Global Business Case Competition
• Previous Global Case Competition Club (GC3) member
• Active Case Competition competitor

* Awards:

• First Place Team: Apple Intern Case Competition (2021)
• First Place Team: National Women’s Case Competition (2021)
• First Place Team: SDSU International Case Competition (2020)
• First Place Team: Foster Undergraduate Case Competition (2020)
• First Place Team: Russell Investments International Case Competition Freshman Direct Track (2019)
• Second Place Team: Pacific Cup International Case Competition (2021)
• Second Place Team: RSM Star International Case Competition (2022)
• Second Place Team: Unite Foster Accenture Case Competition (2021)
• Third Place Team: AMA National Case Competition (2020)
• Third Place Team: UW Global Business Case Competition (2020)

Where have you interned during your college career?

• Raymond James Financial (HK Branch), Bellevue WA, Marketing Intern
• Apple, Austin TX, Supply Demand Management Intern
• Apple, Cupertino CA, Worldwide Supply Demand Management Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be joining Apple on the Supply Demand Management team in Cupertino, California

Who is your favorite business professor? My first case competition coach when I was a freshman was Professor Leta Beard. She saw my passion for casing early on, and multiple national and international cases later, she has been my number one supporter throughout my case competition journey. Although I have never had the privilege of being her student, I have learned more from her wisdom on case competitions than I have in many of my classes. She was the first person I called when I received the message that I had been selected for my first Apple internship and the first person I called one year later when my recruiter asked me to join the SDM team full-time. Professor Beard is sunshine in a bottle, and having seen first-hand how much effort she puts into making her classes, teams, and clubs at UW a success inspires me every day to work even a fraction as hard as she does. One day, I hope to be a case competition coach just like her.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Your hard work, dedication, and effort directly correlates with your success as a business major. When you put yourself in the position to consistently solve problems, answer hard questions, and create opportunities not only for yourself but for others, you will always find success even if you are not the smartest person in the room.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I underestimated the importance of learning how to work well with others and the role collaboration plays in success at business school and beyond. Case competitions allowed me to constantly put myself in a position to work effectively on a team under pressure, which was the keystone to my future success as a business major. Classroom learning is important, but putting that knowledge to action when solving real-world problems on a team proved more impactful and often solidified my understanding of course topics.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? Looking back, I would like to have taken more classes on sustainability and its impact on business. I always hoped to add an Environmental Studies minor to my degree but ended up not having the time.

What business leader do you admire most? The business leader I admire most is Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. His decision to donate the company on behalf of the environment and make earth their only shareholder is an inspiring move that I hope sets a precedent for other future business leaders.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? The achievement I am most proud of in college is winning the National Women’s Case Competition in Austin, Texas in 2021. I worked with a team of three of the smartest women I have met in college, and we spent many early mornings and late nights crafting our go-to-market strategy and slide deck for the competition. It was a difficult case, and winning this competition opened doors for me I never thought possible, ultimately changing my life. I will never forget the moment we won; I couldn’t find coverage for a shift at one of the jobs I was working at the time and was unable to attend the announcement ceremony. All three of my teammates sent a picture of our team’s name, The Golden Girls, flashing on the Zoom screen with the first-place sign to me at the same time. I cried.

Which classmate do you most admire? I manage over 30 students directly on various executive boards and teams, and every single one of my peers impress and inspire me with their work daily. The classmate I admire most, however, would have to be one of my first ever case competition teammates, Josephine Beaudoin. Her creative mind and calm demeanor in the face of pressure keeps me steady when we compete together, and she always makes sure we have fun along the way. Earning second place at the RSM STAR Case Competition in the Netherlands in the spring of 2022 is an unforgettable memory, and our team couldn’t have done it without her poise, tenacity, and charisma. Accenture Strategy is incredibly lucky to have her joining their team in New York after our graduation.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? There are so many people who deserve my gratitude, but the first name that came to mind was my 2021 intern manager at Apple, Kate Moran. Starting my first Apple internship as a sophomore in college was a nerve-wracking experience, and I initially struggled to believe that I could accomplish the project scope in just 12 weeks. Kate’s unwavering confidence in me changed everything. She valued what I brought to the table in terms of results and productivity, and always made sure to prioritize my interests as a young learner and woman in a male-dominated field. She encompasses everything I hope to be as a professional in the future. Without her, I would not be where I am today.

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

1. Become a team lead or manager at Apple by the time I’m 25 years old
2. Return to school for a master’s to learn more about supply chain sustainability

What are your hobbies? My hobbies include cooking, reading, the occasional yoga class, trying new coffee shops, hanging with my friends, and mentoring younger Foster students.

What made Emma such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2023?

“Compassionate, bright, proven leader, team player, humble, mentor, strong work ethic, unflappable, empathetic, and anxious to learn, are just a few words that describe Emma Dahleen. Superlatives aside, Emma is a very special person who reflects the very best of the Foster School’s students. As the UW American Marketing Association (AMA) faculty advisor, I first met Emma when she was a freshman, participating in the AMA’s national case competition. As the team practiced, I immediately could tell Emma was outstanding as I watched the upper classmen look to her for advice. The team took 3rd place that year. The following year, Emma chaired the case team and then became president of the   AMA chapter which is ranked in the top 20 globally.

As a sophomore, Emma was a student in my case competition course and participated in the New Zealand Pacific Cup (2nd place) and the U.T. Austin National Women’s Case Competition team (1st place). Apple, who sponsored the event, reached out to her after the competition to apply for an internship. When anyone meets Emma, they know she is special. She is unassuming but commands respect and admiration. After two Apple internships, she will work for them after graduation. As a junior, Emma also led a team to a second-place finish at the Rotterdam School of Management Global Case Competition.

Finally, Emma is president of the Foster School Undergraduate Business Council and a TA for my classes. As my TA, I have witnessed leadership skills with the other TAs as well as the ability to easily connect with the students. Emma is so strong that I invited her to be a guest speaker in my case class.  For the past twenty-seven years, I have taught almost 10,000 students and I can unequivocally say that Emma is one of my top three students. She deserves this prestigious honor.”

Leta Beard
Associate Teaching Professor, Marketing and International Business
Faculty Advisor, American Marketing Association
Faculty Advisor, Undergraduate Women in Business

DON’T MISS: 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2023