Meet Team Hidden JEMMs
Meet Jaume Boneta Seco, Eric Hopfenbeck, Megha Savla, and Mallory Leibowitz, who make up team Hidden JEMMs! As four recently graduated MBAs, we are eager to bring the new skills and knowledge from Ross to make an impact on small businesses and social enterprises on the Open Road. With backgrounds ranging from healthcare consulting and banking to product management and nonprofits, we bring diverse career and personal experiences to the journey. We are headed to the Pacific Northwest to partner with community-focused organizations with a strong social mission in the food and beverage space. Along the way, we hope to find a few hidden gems that make these communities so special!
Jaume Boneta Seco
As an international student, Jaume is excited to explore the country and get to know entrepreneurs trying to make an impact in their communities. He grew up in Andorra and graduated in economics from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. Before pursuing his MBA, he worked in corporate strategy at a commercial bank, where he helped revitalize the bank’s service model to overcome a challenging environment. He decided to come to Ross looking for new challenges and industries where he could help customers push beyond the limits of traditional analogical services. After business school, Jaume will start a career in the tech industry. Outside class, Jaume enjoys watching live sports, discovering a new remote place, or hanging out with friends. Jaume is excited to use his different perspective and past experience to help small businesses grow and help their communities.
Eric Hopfenbeck
A Coloradan from the nonprofit sector, Eric has always been interested in positive impact. Before his time at Ross, Eric led a civic leadership development nonprofit, CiviCO, to connect, educate, and train community leaders from across the state. Prior to this role, he helped start the National Cybersecurity Center, a cybersecurity education and training nonprofit, and got his career started in a two-year leadership development program at El Pomar Foundation in Colorado Springs. After Ross, he is going into strategy consulting. Eric is deeply interested in businesses and organizations that bring community together, such as recreation centers, cafes, diners, breweries, and coffee shops. Eric has witnessed first-hand the challenges and excitement of start-ups through his brother’s construction business. He is looking forward to bringing his endless enthusiasm, impact-mindset, and new skills from his Ross MBA to help resilient and passionate entrepreneurs and small business owners. Outside of class, Eric enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, running, and golf, watching sports, and meeting up with friends around town.
Megha Savla
Megha is driven by helping people and communities. She is passionate about innovation, technology, improving healthcare, and community service. Megha graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Society. She then worked as a healthcare consultant in San Francisco for four years prior to Ross. She helped hospitals and health systems add revenue to their bottom line so they could invest money into the patient experience. While living in San Francisco, Megha served as a pro-bono consultant and project manager for a non-profit consulting organization that focused on organizations tackling problems related to the environment and sustainability. Post-MBA, Megha will be working in Strategic Growth at a healthcare start-up focused on improving patient engagement and the patient experience. Through Open Road, Megha is excited to put her business school education to use serving organizations that are focused on serving their communities. Outside of class, Megha loves traveling, cooking new recipes, and rewatching episodes of The Office.
Mallory Leibowitz
Mallory is excited to immerse herself in local, diverse communities and see firsthand the challenges that small businesses face every day. Prior to Ross, Mallory worked as a product manager for a digital publisher where she led a team of developers and built-out an e-commerce revenue stream. While creating and launching products, she realized that she wanted to bring her user-focused perspective to more strategic, higher-level problem solving. She chose to get her MBA so she could pursue her passion for business, design, and innovation. Mallory graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelors of science in Marketing and minor in Web Design. In her free time, Mallory enjoys going to concerts, exploring art galleries, and listening to podcasts about human-centered design.
Team Hidden JEMMs is so excited to get on the road this May with The Sports Bra and Catalyst Kitchens. Stay tuned to learn more about the impact these organizations are making in their communities!
