Ananya Mahansaria
Northeastern University, D’Amore McKim School of Business
“Relentlessly curious, ambitious problem solver, mentor, and global explorer chasing knowledge and impact!”
Fun fact about yourself: Despite not growing up watching sports at all, I’m now obsessed with hockey! I’ve seen 19 out of 32 NHL teams play live and hope to check off even more before I graduate.
Hometown: Mumbai, India
High School: The Cathedral and John Connon School
Major: Business Administration (with concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurial Startups, and Brand Management)
Minor: Psychology
Favorite Business Course: Design Thinking for Startups – This class forced me to go out of my comfort zone and taught me a lot about the entrepreneurship process. It helped me become more comfortable with the idea of uncertainty and taught me the importance of pivoting and never giving up.
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Awards:
- Huntington 100
- Dean’s List
Activities:
- CRLA Level 2 certified Peer Tutor for Financial Accounting, Business Statistics (and a few other business courses)
- Teaching Assistant for Design Thinking for Startups
- Active member of Beta Alpha Psi (finance honor society)
- Tier 1 mentor, Tier 1 and Tier 2 mentee through the Women’s Interdisciplinary Society of Entrepreneurship’s WeSupport program
- Professional and peer mentee through Women in Finance’s mentorship programs
- Mentor through Women in Business’ mentorship program
- Former Director of Marketing for Origin (Science and tech incubator on campus)
Where have you interned during your college career?
- Mersana Therapeutics – Accounting and Payables Co-op (Cambridge, MA)
- Ace Lansdowne – Research Analyst Intern (Mumbai, India)
- Wellington Management Company – Wellington Trust Company Co-op (Boston, MA)
Where will you be working after graduation? I’m currently exploring different career paths within the broader finance industry and looking for opportunities that align with my skills and interests.
Who is your favorite business professor? My favorite business professor is Professor Stephen Golden, who taught my Design Thinking class. He was incredibly supportive and guided us through our project by encouraging us to find solutions as a team rather than giving us the answers. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to TA for the class, during which I got to take on additional responsibilities and gain an even deeper understanding into what really goes on behind-the-scenes.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? Collaboration and communication. Particularly for my concentrations in entrepreneurial startups and brand management, I’ve worked on several group projects. None of those projects would have been successful if we did not communicate effectively, both internally within the group and externally. I’ve gotten a lot better at giving constructive feedback, and being able to have open dialogue within the team has been critical to improvement.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Definitely explore all the different concentrations within business, you may end up loving something you didn’t ever think of! After taking the introductory required classes, I realized what aspects I enjoyed most, and ended up with a triple concentration, despite never thinking I’d be studying finance or anything with numbers.
Even if you don’t like certain introductory classes, try to find the connections with those you do like, as business is extremely interconnected. Having a basic understanding of other aspects of business can help a lot.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? Looking back, I wish I had challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone sooner. As an introverted freshman, I was often hesitant to attend events where I didn’t know anyone. Over the years, I’ve realized how valuable those experiences are. Networking is a huge part of business, and I’ve met incredible people through the events I eventually pushed myself to attend. Similarly, I never saw myself in leadership roles. When I took on roles such as being project manager or mentoring younger students, I found them incredibly rewarding. That said, I recognize that every choice I made shaped my journey. While I might wish I had taken on these challenges earlier, I wouldn’t change anything. Instead, I plan to carry these lessons forward and continue to grow.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? Several of my professors have integrated the use of AI into the coursework. I’m currently taking an Advertising and Brand Promotion course, in which we conducted consumer research. From there, we plugged in all the data into ChatGPT and asked it to generate key insights that we could then use to decide how we wanted to proceed on our client project. For my Management Information Systems course, I used AI to supplement my classroom learning.
One insight I’ve gained from using AI is that while it’s getting more accurate, the human component is still required – AI can’t do all the work for you. It’s very helpful to consolidate large amounts of data into condensed action items, but the data still has to be fact-checked and collected manually.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I’m most proud of myself for thriving through college. Starting out, I was extremely introverted, nervous, and scared – having never lived away from home before and yet flying halfway across the world alone. Over the years, I’ve grown into a more extroverted and confident person, stepping out of my comfort zone, taking on leadership roles, and embracing new opportunities. As I graduate, I know that I can overcome any challenge and achieve anything I set my mind to doing.
Which classmate do you most admire? Madeline Schanen – my sophomore year roommate, and one of my closest friends through college. Maddie is one of the most caring people I know, who never hesitates to go above and beyond to help out. She is a biology and math major, and I admire her ability to balance her tough coursework, lab, and clubs, in addition to always making time to hang out with her friends.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my entire family, without whom I would not be where I am today. I owe all my success to them, and their support (especially from halfway across the world). Growing up, I watched all the hard work my parents put in to give me and my siblings all the opportunities we could ever ask for. For that, I’m so grateful. I would especially like to thank my mother, for always believing in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself, and instilling in me the value of perseverance and hard work to get to where I want to be.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
- Complete my Level 3 certification through CRLA.
- Grow my network by connecting with more people and learning about their career paths as I explore and refine my own.
What made Ananya such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?
“I first met Ananya when she enrolled in my Design Thinking for Startups course. She quickly distinguished herself as one of the top students, consistently demonstrating academic excellence, leadership, and a strong commitment to learning. Her ability to not only manage but thrive in such a challenging academic environment is a testament to her dedication, work ethic, and intellectual resilience. She has pursued interdisciplinary classes, which have equipped her with both the technical and strategic skills needed for success. This diversity of knowledge has allowed her to think critically and approach problems from multiple angles, enhancing her capacity for innovation. Following her success as a student, I invited Ananya to serve as my Teaching Assistant for the same course, where she continued to impress me with her leadership and mentoring abilities. Her ability to lead by example and to foster a positive, collaborative learning environment was instrumental in the success of many of her peers.”
Stephen L. Golden
Associate Teaching Professor, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
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