Ellie Hwang

University of California-Berkeley, Haas School of Business

“Berkeley alum, matcha addict, consultant #007, scuba diver, and mildly unstoppable.”

Fun fact about yourself: I lived at sea for 11 days to earn my advanced scuba certification.

Hometown: Torrance, Calif.

High School: South Torrance High School

Major: Business Administration

Minor: Concentration in Global Management

Favorite Business Course: UGBA 192MC: Management Consulting Skills for Social Impact

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Extracurriculars:

Student Body President: Haas Business Student Association (HBSA)
Team Student Coach: Haas External International Case Competition (2025-2026)
Team Competitor: Haas External International Case Competition (Australia in Fall 2024 & Montreal in Spring 2025)
Undergraduate Course Instructor: “Breaking into Case Competitions” DeCal)
Vice President of Projects: Berkeley ABA Consulting

Awards:

1st Place: L.E.K Consulting Case Competition:E.K. Consulting
1st Place: Y Combinator Case Competition: Y Combinator
1st Place: UC Berkeley SCET Case Competition: UC Berkeley
1st Place: Lucid Motors Case Competition: Lucid Motors
2nd Place: Australian Undergraduate Business Case Competition: University of New South Wales, Sydney Business School
3rd Place: Capital One National Case Competition: Consult For America
UC Berkeley Leadership Award: UC Berkeley
J&B Riley Huhn Haas Scholarship: Berkeley Haas
Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship: Zonta Foundation for Women
Orange County Chinese American Chamber of Commerce Foundation Scholarship: OCCACCF

Where have you interned during your college career?

Summer Associate: Alvarez & Marsal, Consumer Retail Group (2025)
Franchise Management Intern: The Coca-Cola Company (2024)

Where will you be working after graduation? I will join McKinsey & Company in San Francisco as a business analyst.

Who is your favorite business professor? Professor Nadeem immediately comes to mind. A member of the Haas Marketing Group, he teaches both undergraduate and MBA courses ranging from International Marketing to Marketing Management. What stands out most is not just that his classes are grounded in current business topics, but his genuine commitment to students long after they leave his classroom. He regularly invites current and former students to speak during class about professional and club opportunities, creating a platform for connection and mentorship. His office hours are among the most utilized I’ve seen and he is often in Café Think meeting one-on-one with students, offering guidance that extends beyond academics. Professor Nadeem truly embodies the four Defining Leadership Principles, Questioning the Status Quo by going above and beyond as an educator; Confidence Without Attitude through his humility despite an impressive academic and entrepreneurial background; Students Always in his unwavering commitment to mentorship; and Beyond Yourself in the lasting impact he makes outside the classroom.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? I learned to bet on myself and trust my own journey. Studying business is hard—not because of the content of course, but because there isn’t a singular path to success. The context is always changing. Certain jobs trend. The market dips. Everyone becomes obsessed with data science. Your friends launch B2B SaaS startups. Every headline makes you question whether what you’re passionate about is the “right” thing. To that, I say, ask yourself what is right for you.

When I first came to Haas, Dan—a mentor and faculty director of the Global Management Program—shared a simple piece of advice: “Do what you’re good at.” As trends came and went, I took my fair share of data science classes and memorized how to build a discounted cash flow model (Didn’t we all). Eventually I realized those paths were not for me. And that’s okay. Some of you might think, “You’re going into consulting—that’s not exactly unique.” And to that I say: that’s okay, too. There will always be a better trend, a hotter industry, a safer option. But the only path that matters is the one that actually feels like yours.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? Growing up, my mother always told me, “Just do your best.” That mindset has shaped how I approached business school. I said yes to as many opportunities as I could — clubs, competitions, and leadership roles. I took rigorous courses and stretched myself thin at times, but always with the intention of giving my full effort. Simply put, I wouldn’t do anything differently. If you truly give your best and leave everything on the table, there’s little room for regret. You can’t obsess over what you could have done differently when you know you showed up fully. Maybe that’s just my personal philosophy. But when you’ve done all you can do, you make peace with the outcome. And I’ve learned to trust that everything unfolds the way it’s meant to.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? At Haas, AI usage isn’t just accepted—it is encouraged and interrogated. In fact, Haas has even developed classes around understanding its implications. I recently took The Ethics Of Responsible AI taught by Professor Genevieve Smith. We examined the origins of training data, including what models ingest, how that data is sourced, and how bias can become structurally embedded long before output is ever generated. It was eye-opening to see that algorithms are not neutral; they reflect the assumptions, incentives, and histories embedded within their datasets. From there, we zoomed out to a macro lens, criticizing and debating the AI guiding principles adopted by companies like Google and Microsoft.

Through offering courses like this, Haas has opened the conversation around ethical AI development and usage, a critical discussion for future business leaders on campus. My own AI usage has evolved because of this, changing the way I approach problems. Before starting a task, I now pause and ask: Is there a more efficient way to do this? Is there a blind spot in my process? AI has trained me to think more structurally about time, leverage, and opportunity cost. Of course, not everything in life can or should be a shortcut. But learning to discern when efficiency enhances impact, and when depth matters more than speed, has been one of the most valuable lessons AI has taught me at Haas.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? Consulting for the nonprofit CorpsAfrica is one of the achievements I’m most proud of. Above all, it showed me that meaningful impact is not constrained by geography. CorpsAfrica, a nonprofit based in Africa, empowers young Africans to serve in rural communities, advancing high-impact, locally driven development across the continent. Over a six-month engagement, I was tasked with re-envisioning its incubation program for young African entrepreneurs. Navigating language differences while interviewing entrepreneurs to understand their pain points and local economic realities was challenging at times, but it was also incredibly rewarding. Those conversations pushed me to listen more carefully and design with context in mind. The entrepreneurs did not need theory; they needed tools that reflected the realities of their markets.

In the end, we developed a roadmap for a stronger incubation program, supported by a Mastercard Foundation grant and aimed at driving long-term entrepreneurial success and economic growth. What makes this experience especially meaningful is that, to this day, I still receive newsletters updating us on their progress. The program has tripled the number of entrepreneurs served and expanded from four countries to 10. Knowing I played even a small part in that growth from my room in Berkeley reinforces my belief that thoughtful work can create impact anywhere in the world.

Which classmate do you most admire? Anncine Lin, BS 25, is a force to be reckoned with. She served as our chief of staff on the Haas Business Student Association executive board for two years. In my career so far, I have not worked with anyone as sharp, intellectually rigorous, or thoughtful as she is. She is one of the strongest women leaders I have ever witnessed, and her drive not only to succeed but to do things the right way continues to inspire me every day. Anncine’s heart is in the right place and I have no doubt she will drive positive impact in all that she does. If you need someone you can count on not just to deliver, but to deliver with integrity, Anncine will always be my first pick.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My family. I truly would not be where I am today without their unwavering support and encouragement. They’ve stood by me through every phase —from my dream of becoming a professional violinist (until a broken pinky suggested otherwise), to wanting to be a doctor (until I fainted at the sight of blood), to even considering the military (despite my mom not wanting to let me go). Through every career pivot and identity crisis, they never wavered. They simply told me they believed in me. They gave me the confidence to pursue anything…maybe a little too much confidence. And knowing that my parents came to this country as immigrants from Vietnam and Malaysia makes their support even heavier with meaning. I am still trying to understand how to honor the sacrifices my parents have made for me to be where I am today. To my mom, dad, and little sister: Thank you for being my constant cheerleaders. I owe so much of who I am to you.

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

1. Start a company with my best friends.

2. Develop the resources and platform to sustainably fund scholarships that increase educational opportunity for immigrant students across the U.S.

What made Ellie such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“Simply put, Ellie is a superstar! I have had the good fortune of being the faculty director of the Haas School of Business program Ellie is enrolled in, the Global Management Program (GMP), and as her instructor in four classes during her time at Haas. In the classroom, Ellie proved to be an articulate and assertive participant, and her coursework was consistently professional, realistic, and of the highest quality. She was also able to establish herself as one of the leaders in all the classes because of her ability to lead her colleagues towards new and interesting lines of discourse, and she demonstrated a strong ability to work in group environments. As the GMP faculty director, Ellie and I have also had the opportunity to engage in a number of in-depth conversations about her superb leadership as the Haas student body president and her plans for her career (McKinsey will be an excellent launch point). I also have no doubt that Ellie will be an engaged GMP alum and an important resource for the GMP students that follow her. Ellie is a motivated and talented person who possesses a tremendous amount of maturity, potential, and character. She will continue to be a great asset to any program she participates in or any organization she joins.”

Dan Himelstein
Faculty Director, Haas Undergraduate Global Management Program
Professor of Global Business, Entrepreneurship, and Communications
Haas School of Business | University of California, Berkeley

“I first came to know Ellie as a sophomore and from then onward she has demonstrated a powerful combination of brilliance, resilience, and transformative leadership. Ellie’s invaluable contribution to the Class of 2026 stems from her remarkable growth as a student leader combined with her genuine commitment to community and excellence. Over the years, I have watched her grow from a member of the HBSA executive board to vice president and now president over the entire student body, stepping confidently into each role with purpose and vision. Her leadership trajectory through HBSA, reflects her dedication and capability.

During her time at Haas, Ellie also dedicated herself to our external case competition team. Through her participation in international case competitions, she grew from a two-time competitor into a student coach, an evolution that reflects not only her excellence, but her deep commitment to uplifting others alongside her own success. She has distinguished herself on the global stage, first as a competitor and now as a mentor, intentionally lifting others as she continues to rise and be a leader in her field. What truly sets Ellie apart is her reliability and transformative impact: she consistently delivers exceptional work, fosters inclusive communities where everyone belongs, and approaches challenges with resilience and joy. Her engaging personality, coupled with an unwavering commitment to giving back, makes her not just a powerhouse leader but someone who genuinely inspires and uplifts those around her, embodying the very best of what a student leader can be.”

Dr. Lauren Simon
Associate Director of Student Life & Leadership Development
Haas School of Business | University of California, Berkeley

DON’T MISS: 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2026

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.