Deepak Kejariwal

Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania)

“An avid conversationalist looking for his next adventure.”

Fun fact about yourself: Since 5th grade, I’ve collected hotel key cards from every new place I visit

Hometown: Collegeville, PA

High School: Spring-Ford Senior High School

Major: Finance and Entrepreneurship/Innovation

Minor: Hispanic Studies

Favorite Business Course: MGMT 265: Culture and Institutions of the Tech Sector: Bridging Research and Practice, with Lori Rosenkopf

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

• Penn International Impact Consulting, President
• WH-2010 (Business Communications) Teaching Assistant, Leadership Board
• Kite and Key, Tour Guide and Shift Captain
• Wharton Cohorts, Executive Cohort Director (Rupee)
• Penn Abroad, Ambassador and Global Correspondent
• 180 Degrees Consulting
• Penn Undergraduate Capital Partners
• Wharton Ambassadors
• Junior-Senior Advisory Board
• PENNacle Preorientation Program Leader
• Venture Lab Advisory Board
• Friars Senior Society
• Lantern Senior Society
• Oracle Senior Honors Society

Where have you interned during your college career?

• Guggenheim Securities, Investment Banking Summer Analyst | New York, NY
• Bullish, Summer Venture Capital Investment Analyst | New York, NY
• HOLT Ventures, Summer Venture Capital Investment Analyst | San Antonio, TX
• Range, Business Development Intern | New York, NY

Where will you be working after graduation? Guggenheim Securities, Investment Banking Analyst | New York, NY

Who is your favorite business professor? My favorite professor was my WH-2010 (Business Communication for Impact) instructor, Sara Mangat, who later became my supervisor as I joined the TA leadership team. Sara Mangat is an incredible mentor who cares about your personal growth. She is invested in the student learning experience and her genuine intention and care makes a mandatory class feel like something you chose to take, with every class being enjoyable and valuable. I can confidently say that I am a better business communicator because of her class, which is a soft skill I think is important for every graduating business student to hone.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? My favorite part about getting a business degree has not been the coursework itself, but rather the incredible relationships I have made along the way. From these interactions, the biggest lesson I have learned is that everyone has something to offer. If you are willing to listen, you can learn something from them.

College has been my largest period of growth, largely in part due to my perspective continuously being refined by engaging with peers who bring varied thought processes and unique life experiences to the table. Every person I’ve met has been a lesson in itself, contributing to the depth of my education far beyond the traditional classroom setting.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Stay true to your values – take stock of what your goals are and what you believe in and constantly ask yourself whether the decisions you make align with this belief system, or if they are a product of your environment. Lean into work—whether it be academic, professional, or extracurricular—that challenges you to think differently, and embrace experiences that take you outside your comfort zone. It’s easy to feel lost in a field as broad as business but follow your inner compass and you will make it through!

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? At business school, it is often easy to become fixated on translating on-campus experiences to a professional path. Because of this, sometimes I forget that there is incredible research and academic innovation occurring within Wharton. If I were to relive my four years, I would spend more time exploring an academic interest of mine through research with a professor. In general, I wish I had spent more time picking my professors’ brains and engaging with their academia, because college is one of the only times in life where you are constantly surrounded by the creation and sharing of new knowledge.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? To me, the mark of a successful business education is using business principles to create impact for others. I am most proud of leading a team of six students to consult for ASSIST, a Philippines-based NGO, through Penn International Impact Consulting. The intersection between business and international impact presents an opportunity to learn across global perspectives while driving grassroots change in communities abroad. Through this project with ASSIST, we provided tangible growth strategies to support the expansion of the local agricultural infrastructure while also equipping farmers with the business acumen to elevate themselves into higher paying roles, giving them more power and advocacy in their career growth. Furthermore, meeting with stakeholders around the world who were impassioned to drive change within their communities reminded me that business can be a springboard and mouthpiece for good, where impact is the primary driver. Ultimately, as I look back on my four years at Penn, PIIC stands out as an organization I am grateful for. I look forward to seeing the work they continue to accomplish for years to come.

Which classmate do you most admire? At Penn, I am lucky to have met many amazing people, and one classmate that stands out in my life is Nicholas Kuo. Besides being my roommate and closest friend, anyone who knows Nick knows he upholds some truly admirable qualities: an unwavering positive attitude, an ability to make everyone feel seen, a work ethic second-to-none, and a natural knack for leadership. Nick juggles his responsibilities (and there are many of them) effortlessly, and never loses sight of the importance of genuine relationships, all while making everyone around him laugh and feel supported. Sharing my college experience with him has been nothing short of a privilege.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? Raising me took an army, so to boil down this gratitude to a singular person would feel disingenuous. First and foremost, I’d like to thank my parents for investing so much time and energy into molding me into the person I am today. I know that their love is unmatched. Because of them, I know the true meaning of sacrifice and hard work. They both continue to inspire me every day to be the best version of myself and never give up on my dreams.

However, the person who has had the biggest impact on my life has without a doubt been my little sister, Anjali. She is my number one cheerleader and best friend, and without her, I wouldn’t have a significant part of my identity. There is no one else who can make me laugh the way she does, and her focused drive and work ethic is a real inspiration to me.

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

• Build something of my own I am proud of (yes, this is vague)
• Operate my own food truck (cuisine undetermined)

What made Deepak such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Deepak was a phenomenal member of my class, and over the past two years, he has grown into a truly exceptional leader. He recently led a team of five in an internal consulting project, and I have never seen a student communicate so positively and effectively. The more I get to know him, the more I realize how much he does for others. Whether advocating for others in class or a club, he leans into hard conversations and invests himself in finding solutions. Each time I speak with Deepak, I am struck by how his creativity and positivity enhances everything he touches.”

Sara Mangat
Lecturer
Associate Director, Undergraduate
Wharton Communication Program

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