Emily Lloyd
Denver MBA student Emily Lloyd is always looking to help others
An intercollegiate athlete. A passion for helping others. A desire to broaden her network and her business acumen. All those personal and professional qualities led Emily Lloyd to pursue an MBA, and the first-year student in DU’s full-time Denver MBA program has been thrilled with her decision.
Lloyd came to the Daniels College of Business after more than five years at the One Love Foundation, a national nonprofit focused on ending relationship abuse. She spent seven years in nonprofit work since graduating from the University of Virginia, where she was a four-year member of the swim team. She enrolled at Daniels in part to expand her business knowledge related to working in the nonprofit sector.
After her first quarter on campus, she feels her choice has been validated.
“It’s been really fun so far!” Lloyd said. “I want to continue to work in nonprofit after I graduate, so I’ve been actively trying to apply everything we’re learning to the nonprofit sector. Classes like the Entrepreneurship Challenge and Strategic Leadership have given us great tools and frameworks that I think can be applied across any sector, and I’ve learned a lot from them.”
Lloyd’s hopes for an MBA program were not just about the knowledge gained, however. Coming from New York City to Denver and entering a program with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and work experiences also has broadened her personal perspectives.
“I’ve learned to be more open-minded, which was one of my goals coming into business school,” Lloyd said. “I come from a nonprofit background, which generally recruits similar people. I was really eager to meet people from so many different backgrounds. I hope to continue to be excited to hear everyone else’s stories and ideas because I think that’s what’s made the program really special.”
Part of what makes the Denver MBA program unique is the series of challenges woven throughout the two-year curriculum. Lloyd and her colleagues have completed the Entrepreneurship Challenge, which pushes students through the early stages of launching a start-up company. Lloyd enjoyed the process of creating a business idea and immediately getting it tested in the marketplace. Given her work background and personal interests, she’s also looking forward to the Social Good Challenge, where students partner with local entities to make measurable progress on a social responsibility initiative.
Simply put, Lloyd likes to help others, both through her work and hobbies, and full-time graduate school has not tempered that passion—even for swimming. Lloyd has coached high school swimmers since finishing her intercollegiate career in 2014, and in her not-so-spare time, she’s also been a volunteer coach for the DU swim team this season.
“When I moved [to Denver], I had a friend from college who was friendly with the DU coaches. I asked if they were looking for extra help, and it’s worked out well! I’ve always liked having a part-time gig, and it is a fun way to spend a few hours each week. It’s nice to volunteer, because then I can fit coaching around my school schedule instead of the other way around.”
While schoolwork and volunteering keep her busy, Lloyd is still eager to get out and enjoy what DU and Denver have to offer. Coming from the East Coast has been a cultural adjustment of sorts, but in a good way. She may be away from her established roots, but the chance to build new relationships and experience the benefits of Denver and its surroundings has had an instant appeal for her.
“People are generally more relaxed, I think, and open-minded than my experiences in NYC, which is nice,” Lloyd said. “I also am loving the weather so far and really excited to ski this winter. It’s sometimes hard being away from my family, but the community we have at DU is really amazing and I feel so lucky to have made some great friends here already.”
