Kiriti Rambhatla: “Digitalization has completely revolutionised education; We have to constantly learn and unlearn on a daily basis- the journey never ends; Stay motivated and stay eager”

Kiriti Rambhatla

I don’t believe you ever truly ‘complete your studies’. In this day and age, digitalisation and online courses at many universities across the globe has made access to education more obtainable, and easier for everyone to be a part of. One has to now constantly learn and unlearn on a daily basis- the journey never ends. Stay motivated and stay eager.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Kiriti Rambhatla, MBA student, innovator and graphic novelist, who has a passion for integrating technology, economics, media & entertainment. Kiriti believes that in order to be successful, you must never stop learning — education is power.

Thank you for speaking with us! You’ve had an inspiring career so far- can you tell us about your background and your career up until now?

I was born India and I have travelled across the globe for my education. I have a baccalaureate in Electrical Engineering from University of Ottawa (Canada), MBA from Politecnico Di Milano (Italy) and attended LBS & MIT for professional courses. I have also had the privilege of working across the globe in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia — this has given me a vast global perspective when it comes to business.

I have maintained a dual focus in my career — one which dealt with mainstream technology/ business economics while the other in media & entertainment. This has included hosting talk shows, writing graphic novels, producing live action feature films, and appearing in ad commercials. Although this has been a challenge at times, so far, I have been able to strike a balance between the both. Currently, I am working at LinkedIn in the exciting area of Operations Intelligence, as I want to continue my journey exploring futurist technologies.

What empowers and motivates you?

The drive to constantly learn and educate myself motivates me. The education and the exposure that I have received throughout my career across all the countries and continents continue to empower me. I am motivated by the desire to create and innovate. Learning should be about the journey, and about sharing your knowledge with others — the ability to empower others with my own insights is one of the ultimate motivations. Continual learning is so important — we should all strive to learn more every day.

Can you tell us about your proudest moments?

I have a few moments I am particularly proud of, but being in the presence of others who have inspired me over the years definitely stays in my mind when considering my proudest moments. For example, my participation at the World Business Forum in Milan was one of the most special moments of my life. I was an executive assistant to Dr. Renee Mauborgne (founder of Blue Ocean Strategy, and one of Forbes list ‘Most Influential Management Gurus’), and I found the whole experience incredibly exciting.

As a graduate student — it was an honour to be in the same room with Dr. Paul Krugman (Nobel Prize Winner) and Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Author of Black Swan). It is so important to have role models, and to have people to look up to so that we can constantly strive to better ourselves. To be in the presence of such incredible people has always filled me with pride and motivation in my own work.

What has been the most challenging time in your career so far?

My career is incredibly varied, and although I love it that way, maintaining the balance between the things I do (technology, media, entertainment) across various verticals is always a challenge. It has taken almost 10 years to build sufficient experience, but I am still constantly learning and building on my current skills — technology is constantly changing and its important to keep up with the rapid pace of development.

You have studied all over the world — from London to Canada, and the United States- what took you to MIP Politecnico di Milano in Italy?

MIP had probably one of the finest course curriculum's of all the grad schools I was researching in Europe at the time. It offered a great mix of technical, managerial and economics related courses, which I was keen on pursuing. As I had a technical background, Politecnico Di Milano was a school that I had heard of prior to applying to the program. So, I decided to pursue the course at MIP and specialized in International Economics during my MBA.

What single piece of advice would you offer undergraduate and post-graduate students after completing their studies?

I don’t believe you ever truly ‘complete your studies’. In this day and age, digitalisation and online courses at many universities across the globe has made access to education more obtainable, and easier for everyone to be a part of. One has to now constantly learn and unlearn on a daily basis- the journey never ends. Stay motivated and stay eager.

As you have mentioned, you have previously written and hosted an Indian talk show- how did this come about?

Yes — before applying to MIP, I had a brief stint of hosting shows on television in India. The show had a socio-economic theme; it involved a mix of economics, policy and technology. Guests on the show included a diverse set of people ranging from movie stars to politicians. Although most would think economics and the media do not mix; I think its important to combine topics that don’t typically ‘mix’, and that we try to learn and digest information in non-conventional ways — it enhances the learning process and keeps things interesting!