Filippa Rodriguez
Purdue University, Daniels School of Business
“A combination of ambition, organized chaos, and a passion for people.”
Fun fact about yourself: I have an 889-day streak on Duolingo
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia / Milan, Italy / Miami, Florida
High School: Colegio Anglo Colombiano
Major: Business Analytics & Information Management
Minor: Real Estate Finance, Accounting
Favorite Business Course: MGMT 43901 – Real Estate Investment & Development
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Brock-Wilson Center, Co-President
Purdue Real Estate Society, Co-President
Larsen Leaders Academy Executive Board, Vice President of Signature Events
Center for Business Communication, Case Competition Facilitator & Marketing Director
Assistive Technology Center, Lab Intern
Teaching Assistant, MGMT 100 Student Lector, MGMT 306, MGMT 401
Daniels School of Business Presidents Council, Board Member
Italian Club, Treasurer
Purdue Student Government, Senator
Office of Undergraduate Research, Data Analyst Intern
Study Abroad in Cape Town, South Africa
Honors and Awards
Girls Who Invest, Bilge Yilmaz Rising Star Award
Dr. Charlene Sullivan Transformative Impact Award
Jane Brock-Wilson Merit Scholarship Recipient
Dr. Sara Stein Koch Scholarship
Center for Business Communication Excellence in Service and Leadership Award
Daniels School of Business Outstanding Sophomore
Dean’s List (All Semesters)
Semester Honors (All Semesters)
1st Place Burton D. Morgan Concept Competition
1st Place NAIOP Case Competition
1st Place Accounting Case Competition
1st Place Panera Bread Real Estate Case Competition
2nd Place UMich REIT Case Competition
2nd Place Kelley Daniels Case Competition
2nd Place Endress + Hauser Group Case Competition
2nd Place Accenture Case Competition
Where have you interned during your college career?
PGIM Real Estate, Summer Investment Analyst – New York, NY
Vista Equity Partners, Business Development Summer Analyst – Austin, TX
Caterpillar, Business Operations Intern – Tucson, AZ
Where will you be working after graduation? PGIM Real Estate, Investment Analyst – Equity
Who is your favorite business professor? It’s hard to choose just one favorite business professor because both Cara Putman and Jeff Stokes have influenced who I am in different ways. When I met Cara as a freshman, I was incredibly unsure of myself. She believed in me before I fully believed in myself and modeled the kind of businesswoman I wanted to become. Her mentorship is a big reason I invested so deeply in supporting other women. She impacted not just my academic path, but my identity. On the other hand, Jeff Stokes cultivated my passion for real estate and constantly challenged me to grow. When I hesitated to take a risk, he told me to “put my big girl boots on.” It was simple, step up and do it, and it remains some of the best advice I’ve ever received. He taught me how to stand up to life’s challenges head-on.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson I gained from studying business is the value of surrounding myself with people who challenge me. In everything I’ve done at Purdue, from case competitions to classes and leadership roles, I’ve been fortunate to work alongside peers who are more experienced and who constantly push me to grow. They’ve taught me new business concepts, ways of thinking, and approaches to problems. Being around people who truly invest in my growth has sharpened my skills and shown me what I am capable of.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? My biggest advice to a student looking to major in business is to invest in people. Every person you meet will teach you something about the industry or about yourself. Put yourself in different environments, meet all kinds of people, and pay attention to who you’re becoming along the way. At the end of the day, behind the numbers, data, and results, business is about people. Understanding them, and yourself, will take you further than anything else ever will.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? At Purdue, a university that is incredibly forward-looking, AI was integrated into nearly every class I took, from coding and training models to data visualization. One of my professors often reminded us that we don’t need to memorize every detail on how to format code; what matters is understanding it, being able to read it, interpret it, and identifying where it might go wrong. That’s the essence of working with AI: it’s a tool. Used correctly, it can dramatically boost productivity. At Purdue, we are taught that AI isn’t about replacing skills, it’s about amplifying what you’re capable of and helping you work smarter.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? It took me almost two years to finally know how to answer this question. I’ve realized my greatest accomplishment isn’t a visible award or milestone, it’s my ability to show up for the people I care about while pursuing my own goals. These moments matter precisely because they go unnoticed, whether it’s rearranging a 3 a.m. flight to New York to receive an award so I could still attend a Building CEO’s session; running on three hours of sleep to celebrate a friend’s birthday before an exam the next day; or rescheduling meetings so my mentee isn’t alone at her first career fair.
They define the kind of person I strive to be. This is both my proudest achievement and my ongoing goal: to keep showing up for others, no matter what I accomplish.
Which classmate do you most admire? The classmate I most admire is Alyssa Alvarez. She fundamentally changed the way I approach life and the people around me. While working three part-time jobs, leading a center of over 200 women, and pursing her degree, she always showed up for everyone, no matter what was going on in her own life. Coming from a difficult background, she worked tirelessly to succeed in college while lifting others. Seeing how she navigated challenges with empathy taught me not only how to lead, but also the kind of person I aspire to become.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my family for my success, especially my sister. I am incredibly grateful to have such a strong support system and to know they are always in my corner. My sister has been there for every call, every essay review, and every moment I needed advice. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring many women and being someone they can turn to for guidance. In many ways, I’ve simply tried to model what my sister has always done for me. I was fortunate to step into that role for others in the way she would have if she had been studying at Purdue. I hope that one day I can become a tenth of who she is now. My entire family (MJ, Mamma, Papà, Oli, Balta, Tia Kiki, Tio Julio, Los Pinzon, Nonnos y Papitovicentes), have consistently shown up for me, believed in me even when I doubted myself, and supported me unconditionally. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
- Join an investment team abroad, anywhere in Europe, Asia, or Africa.
- Launch and grow my own venture, a startup, fund, or something completely unexpected.
What made Filippa such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?
“I am writing to offer my strongest support for Filippa Rodriguez’s nomination for the Poets & Quants Undergraduate Best & Brightest Majors honor. Filippa is an extraordinary student whose academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to meaningful community engagement distinguish her as one of the most exceptional undergraduate students in the Mitch Daniels School of Business.
One of the core pillars of the Daniels School of Business is transformational student experience. Filippa herself embodies what a transformational student experience is meant to produce: a leader who elevates those around her. Her leadership roles in both the Brock‑Wilson Center and the Purdue Real Estate Society have helped expand programming, improve communication infrastructure, and increase participation. She has redesigned engagement channels, directed signature events, and represented Daniels at high‑visibility functions, including as the student emcee at a recent Daniels School Legacies and Leaders event.
Beyond her outstanding academic record, her resume and accomplishments reflect an impressive breadth of professional experience that demonstrates uncommon analytical strength, intellectual flexibility, and a maturity well beyond her years. She is also one of the most decorated student competitors in Daniels, earning awards in multiple university‑level and national case competitions. These competitions help students develop professional communication skills necessary for future business careers, and these achievements underscore Filippa’s capacity for strategic thinking, innovation, and collaborative leadership.
Filippa’s legacy at Daniels extends far beyond accolades. She has meaningfully shaped the student experience within the Daniels School. One of her most significant contributions has been her work to improve student support and connection within her major and across Daniels. Filippa recognized a critical need: students lacked a structured pathway for mentorship, community‑building, and academic support across class years. Rather than waiting for someone else to address it, she took initiative and developed the impetus, vision, and preliminary design framework for a Daniels‑wide student mentoring program. Her model thoughtfully integrates academic guidance, professional development, and peer‑supported well‑being, and her early work has laid the foundation for an initiative that will benefit students for years to come.
Students like Filippa do more than excel—they elevate every community they touch. Filippa invests deeply in the success of her peers, and her record demonstrates not only achievement, but impact. For these reasons, I give Filippa my highest recommendation for the Poets & Quants honor. She represents the very best of Purdue academically, professionally, and personally.”
Kelly Blanchard
Associate Dean of Student Experience and Undergraduate Programs
Clinical Professor of Economics
Mitch Daniels School of Business
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