Helen Li

MBA 2019
  • Hometown: Atlanta, GA
  • Pre-MBA: Global Strategy Group at the NBA

Helen Li

Post Graduation Goals:

Partnerships or business development within the media & entertainment industry

Highlight of my Week:

Seeing everyone have a blast at the GSB Prom made all the work I, as part of the Social Committee, put into planning it so worthwhile!

Tuesday
09:30am
Woke up early to head to a SoulCycle class. A few of us auctioned off a SoulCycle class plus a smoothie at our annual Winter Charity Gala and our highest bidder enjoyed a good morning workout!
12:30pm
As Social Committee’s internal chair, I led our weekly meeting as we discussed upcoming events (it’s GSB Prom week!) and ways to bring more community to the GSB through fun social events.
01:30pm
My first class on Tuesday and Thursday is Finance 207: Corporations, Finance and Governance in the Global Economy. Today our guest speaker was Jeff Epstein, a Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners and former CFO at Oracle.
03:00pm
Second class of the day: Growth and Stabilization in the Global Economy. We learned about inflation in the long run.
04:30pm
Last class of the day! Strategy Beyond Markets - it’s a super interesting class about beyond market influence (e.g. political interests).
07:00pm
Got all dressed up to attend the 2nd Annual Luxe Dinner, organized by our GSB Retail Club.
10:00pm
Joined some friends for a Stanford tradition called the “Nomad Party” where students dress up and roam around campus in costumes with friends. You can’t really tell, but some of us are dressed up as minions.
11:45pm
Phew, I’m tired! Time for bed!
Wednesday
12:00pm
No class on Wednesday means it's time for Ladies Golf Clinic, sponsored by the Women in Management (WIM) club. Today we had a putting challenge, and my partner and I won!
04:00pm
Time to get in a workout at Core Studio, just in Palo Alto. This class is super intense! Pilates on megaformer machines - I’m gonna be super sore tomorrow!
06:00pm
Attend the annual WIM Banquet, organized by lovely #GSBossladies and our WIM leadership team. The banquet featured dinner, drinks, and a keynote address and Q&A with Kara Swisher, the co-founder of Recode and a fantastic role model in building a compelling brand and enabling critical journalism in Silicon Valley.
09:00pm
Normally on Wednesday nights, we have MBA1 TALKs, a cornerstone of GSB culture where classmates share their stories in a safe and open setting. Due to midterms this week, we didn’t have TALK but a few ladies decided to host a get together over wine and cheese.
11:00pm
What a #GSBosslady-filled day! Now time for bed!
Friday
08:30am
On Monday and Friday I start class at 8:30am - Global Operations. We learn about the processes by which products are manufactured and eventually distributed globally.
10:00am
Advanced microeconomics class: Incentives and Productivity with Professor Lazear. He was Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors from 2006 to 2009, replacing Ben Bernanke and was the chief economic advisor to President George W. Bush - pretty cool!
12:00pm
We have lunch break (aka no classes) everyday from 12:00 - 1:30pm. We typically grab lunch at Arbuckle Dining Pavilion, right on GSB campus and then eat outside in the beautiful California weather.
01:30pm
My last class of the week! Advanced managerial accounting: Performance Measurement, Compensation, and Governance taught by two professors who serve on boards of large public companies and share their insights on the duties of board governance.
07:00pm
I head to Prom with a couple of volunteers to make sure the venue is all set up and ready to welcome guests at 8:30pm. Then it’s time to mingle and dance the night away!
02:00am
Time to sleep! 6am wake up call to head off to Lake Shasta for an epic GSBoats weekend with over 50 MBA1s and MBA2s!