Ana Gomez Garces
Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business
“Only 5’0 above the ground but limitless in energy and curiosity. Impact-driven, community-oriented, 100% Colombian-made.”
Fun fact about yourself: When I was 11, I participated in the TV game show, “Minute to Win It Kids”
Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia
High School: Colegio Anglo Colombiano
Major: Business Operations and Analytics
Minor: Global Business Fellows Certificate
Favorite Business Course: BADAM 4090 – Global Business Experience (Spain section)
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Extracurricular Activities and Part-Time Jobs:
Latin American Leadership Program – Student Fellow (Fall 2022 – Spring 2025)
McDonough Undergraduate Career Center – Peer Career Advisor and Recruiting Workshops Lead (Fall 2024 – Spring 2025)
iFinca, through the Baratta Center for Global Business – Consumer Research Intern (Spring 2025)
McDonough Peer Tutor – Business Financial Modeling Tutor (Spring 2024 – Spring 2025)
MSB Dean’s Office HOME and LEAD Overnight Programs – Program Coordinator and Small-Group Leader (Spring 2024 – Fall 2024)
Zeeba Investment Group – Chief Operations Officer, Human Resources Director, Social Engagement Director (Spring 2023 – Fall 2024)
PorColombia, Co-President (Spring 2022 – Spring 2025)
Awards and Honors
PIMCO Future Leaders in Finance Scholarship, Recipient (Spring 2023)
First-Year Seminar Social Impact Consulting Competition, Winner (Fall 2021)
Ventures and Values Pitch Competition, Runner-Up (Fall 2022)
Alpha Sigma Nu, Member
Omega Rho, Member
Where have you interned during your college career?
- McKinsey & Company – First-Year Summer Business Analyst (New Jersey)
- McKinsey & Company – Sophomore Summer Business Analyst (New Jersey)
- Citi, Latin America Investment Banking Group – Summer Analyst (New York)
Where will you be working after graduation? McKinsey & Company – Business Analyst
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? “Your time starts now,” I heard as I nervously stood with my group in front of the leaders of So Others May Eat (SOME), a local NGO dedicated to combating poverty and homelessness. Just three months into my time at Georgetown, I was already applying classroom knowledge to create real-world impact. Participating in the First Year Seminar Social Impact Consulting Project and Case Competition was both transformational and empowering, revealing the immense potential of a business education. In that moment, everything clicked – I realized the privilege and responsibility of a business education and the potential to use it to create meaningful impact, shape communities, and transform the world.
Later, as a Student Fellow for the Latin American Leadership Program, I saw firsthand how business frameworks like innovation and design thinking were being implemented by regional changemakers into their projects. These included Lemnec, who installed 3 solar-powered water pumps generating 20 million liters of water for La Guajira region; Sebastian who uses sports to keep vulnerable kids from 106 neighborhoods in Ecuador away from drugs and violence while promoting values; and Samir who is transforming the green investment landscape in Latin America and the Caribbean. Working as a Consumer Engagement Intern for iFinca this semester, I have witnessed how purpose-driven business can revolutionize supply chains and sustainability. iFinca’s technology is the first to include farmers in product traceability, reshaping transparency, sustainability, and fairness in the industry. The biggest lesson I have gained from studying business is understanding how it equips us with tools that have the potential of generating impact and helping shape our communities and world to become a better place.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? I would encourage students looking to pursue a business-related major to see their studies in context rather than in isolation. Business provides frameworks and knowledge that can be applied to virtually any field: whether it’s a passion, a curiosity, or something tied to your background. It serves as a vehicle for exploring the topics that matter most to each individual.
Trust me, you won’t regret studying business, as it expands your horizon rather than limiting it, allowing for interdisciplinary applications that connect across various fields. To truly make the most of your business education, take your learning beyond the classroom. Whether through clubs, a part-time job, team sports, volunteering, or independent exploration, the moments when you apply business knowledge in real-world settings are when you will learn the most. Business is not just about numbers and theory, it is about team-work, leadership, effective planning and successful execution.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? My journey at the McDonough School of Business has been incredible, allowing me to grow not only as a professional but also as a person. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities and experiences I have gained and taken advantage of through the MSB. If there is one thing I would have done differently, it would have been participating more actively in class and getting more involved outside the classroom during my first semester. As I spent more time at business school, I realized how supportive the community is and how much you can learn from your peers—not just through class discussions but also through their experiences and extracurricular involvements. Looking back, active engagement has been key to my time at MSB, and I wish I had felt more confident and empowered to do so earlier.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? The MSB has been actively exploring how to balance the integration of AI into the classroom and other aspects of student life while still encouraging creativity and preventing over-reliance on these tools. One way the business school has incorporated AI into our programming is by allowing and encouraging its use in certain classes for brainstorming, finding citations, and organizing ideas. Some professors have even demonstrated AI live in class, showing how the quality of an output depends on the prompts and information provided, as well as highlighting its shortcomings. One key insight I have gained is that AI serves as a tool for feedback and efficiency. For example, as a Peer Career Advisor, we attended a training session on how to properly use AI during appointments with students. We did this to refine their resumes, identify areas for improvement, and generate ideas on how best to frame their messages within resumes and cover letters. Of course, AI-generated information is not always highly specific or particularly creative, but it has proven to be a great starting point for increasing efficiency in studying, career exploration, and even teaching.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? Towards the end of my sophomore year, I was recognized as one of the 50 PIMCO Future Leaders Scholars, selected from a pool of over 1,000 applicants. This prestigious scholarship is awarded to individuals who embody PIMCO’s CORE values and demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, leadership potential in the financial industry, and a commitment to excellence.
This achievement reminded me of my pursuit of academic excellence and my commitment to upholding my values every day in everything I do. It also reinforced my dedication to working daily to improve the communities where I am part. I was honored and speechless to receive a recognition that highlighted my commitment to community service and ambition to contribute to the greater good. This scholarship also allowed me to attend the PIMCO Future Leaders ceremony, where I was able to meet passionate students from universities across the U.S. who, just like me, uphold themselves to the highest standards, are willing to collaborate, and work together to make an impact. This achievement and experience reminded me that I have big shoes to fill, an obligation to continue striving for excellence and giving back to the communities that have shaped me.
Which classmate do you most admire? Every single peer I have encountered at the MSB and Georgetown is brilliant, passionate, and unique. If I had to choose one classmate I admire most, it would be Omer Kervanci, whom I met in Fall 2021 when we both joined Zeeba Investment Group as new analysts. Since then, we have shared multiple classes, group projects, and even served together on the Zeeba Board. Omer is one of the most driven, perseverant, and empathetic and committed people I know. As Chief Training Officer on the Zeeba Board, he went above-and-beyond to ensure that all 17 sophomores in our New Analyst training class and over 140 freshmen in our Open Access program, felt that Zeeba was a safe space. Even more, he made it a place where they could be curious, ask questions, learn about finance, and find a community.
Omer’s dedication extended far beyond delivering financial concepts and lectures. He implemented a mentorship system and regularly met with students to provide feedback, answer questions, and offer support throughout the process. Some weeks, Omer spent more than 20 hours leading lectures, hosting drop-in sessions, and meeting one-on-one with Zeeba members. I wish I had found a mentor like Omer during my freshman year, someone who actively works to make the financial field more accessible to underclassmen and fosters a welcoming environment for learning and community building. After recruiting for investment banking and getting a full-time return offer, Omer has continued to mentor underclassmen by openly sharing his recruiting journey and providing as much support as possible. Omer is a positive, driven, and determined team-player.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would most want to thank my family (my father, mother, and brother) because we have always been a team. Together, we complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, motivate one another to dream big, and support each other in achieving those dreams. They have been my greatest support system and driving force, celebrating my successes and helping me push even through the hardest days when hope feels lost. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.
“Following your dreams is not easy.” “Remember, we are always here for you.” “Vamos, que eres una berraca.” These are just a few of the countless phrases my family uses to lift me up when I feel frustrated, tired or homesick. Being far from home has been challenging, but they always feel close by. I could not be prouder to be part of such a loving and caring team. I am incredibly grateful for all the sacrifices, plan shifts, and late nights they have endured to help me achieve dreams I once thought impossible—starting with graduating from a top U.S. university. More than MY success, it is OUR success.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
1. Serve as a Minister or Senator in Colombia: Once I’ve gained further professional experience, apply my education and knowledge to drive policies that foster economic growth, social equity, and sustainable development. I am proud to be Colombian and want to be able to give back.
2. Teach at the Undergraduate Level: I truly believe that education is the greatest equalizer and want to return to the classroom to share my professional experience. My goal is to mentor and inspire students to use business as a force for good, empowering them to create meaningful impact.
What made Ana such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?
“Ana’s recognition by Poets&Quants as one of the Best & Brightest Business Majors for the Class of 2025 is a testament to her exceptional intellect, leadership, and dedication to making a meaningful impact. As a student in my First Year Seminar, Competing in a Flat World, Ana consistently impressed me with her intellectual curiosity, high-quality work, and active class participation. Her winning contributions to the First Year Seminar Social Impact Consulting Project competition, where her team developed impactful strategies for the nonprofit So Others May Eat, showcased her ability to apply business principles to address real-world challenges. Ana’s commitment to academic excellence and her deep sense of purpose embodies the values of Georgetown, especially through her involvement in the Global Business Fellows program, which further strengthens her global perspective and leadership potential.
Beyond academics, Ana’s contributions to campus life have been truly inspiring. From her role in the Latin American Leadership Program, where she supports impactful initiatives across the region, to her leadership as president of Georgetown’s chapter of PorColombia and chief operating officer of Zeeba Investment Group, Ana has consistently demonstrated a passion for building inclusive and supportive communities. Her efforts to empower others – particularly through initiatives like Women in Zeeba and her mentorship roles as a McDonough Peer Tutor and program coordinator for the LEAD program – highlight her drive to foster excellence and belonging. Ana’s dedication, vision, and compassion make her a deserving recipient of this recognition, and I am confident she will continue to make a lasting impact wherever her journey takes her.”
Ricardo Ernst,
Baratta Chair in Global Business
Professor of Operations and Global Supply Chains
Managing Director of the Latin American Leadership Program
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