Luna Rao

MBA 2019
  • Hometown: Beijing
  • Pre-MBA: Management Consulting at Bain

Luna Rao

Post Graduation Goals:

Pursue entrepreneurial opportunities in China or the broader Asia Pacific region

Favorite GSB Memory So Far:

My Global Seminar to London and Berlin and Global Study Trip to Sri Lanka were both amazing. It was such a great way to build deeper connections with my classmates.

Tuesday
07:30am
I get up around an hour before class and make a quick breakfast. This is when I usually catch up on emails and news. Since I live in the residences across the street, I only need to leave my room a few minutes before my first class.
08:30am
I have Corporate Finance Tuesday mornings, which is a very practical financial modeling class.
10:00am
I come back to my room to get some reading and homework done between classes.
11:00am
I love going to the F45 high intensity training class at the Stanford gym. The gym is only a 5 min walk away from the GSB!
12:00pm
A friend organized a hot pot lunch for a group of us at a restaurant in Mountain View. Everyone had class at 1:30pm so we wolfed down our food super quickly, but it was so fun to catch up with a large group of friends and leave the bubble for a short break!
01:30pm
I have base Operations first thing after lunch break on Tuesdays. It’s a great class to take if you have never dealt with operations before.
03:00pm
I bike from the GSB to the d.school because I only have ten minutes between my classes (definitely consider getting a bike if you take classes “across the street”!). My d.school class is about designing for healthy behaviors, which has been a fascinating experience.
05:00pm
My d.school class partner and I have a “patient” with chronic conditions. Throughout the quarter, we use design thinking to help them build healthy habits in the hope of improving their overall health. We drive to our patient’s office to meet with him once a week.
06:30pm
Time to meet with my Operations project team to finish up the homework due in a few days.
08:00pm
My boyfriend and I are both students at the GSB, and with our busy schedules it can be tough to find time for ourselves. We made time today to drive down to Los Gatos for a nice dinner.
Wednesday
08:00am
We meet bright and early to prepare for our Thailand Global Study Trip (GST) proposal presentation. After weeks of work, we were finally about to present to the Global Experiences office the fruit of our work.
09:00am
As the external chair of the Student Association (SA) International Committee, I’m part of the executive team that forms the SA Senate. With MBA2 students having formally transitioned all responsibilities to us, we decided to have a kick-off meeting to outline our vision, priorities, and plans for each committee.
11:00am
I had to duck out the Senate kick-off meeting for an hour to present to the Global Experiences office. Good news is that we killed the presentation and got our GST approved!
01:00pm
The I-LEAD program has offered free leadership coaching for Senate members, so I decided to take advantage of it. A coach and I discussed my leadership style and how to work on improving my weaknesses.
02:00pm
Finally got to catch up on some emails and work.
03:30pm
Outdoor Voices hosted a pop-up shop at one of the MBA2 houses with lots of giveaways. I went with a couple of friends and ran into so many more classmates there. Now you can’t go anywhere at the GSB without seeing someone rocking Outdoor Voices pants.
05:00pm
Women in Management Club organizes a ladies golf clinic for every Wednesday afternoon of spring quarter. It’s been such a fun time to enjoy some sun, learn a little about golf, and hang out with some girls who I otherwise don’t see often. Unfortunately, I had to leave the clinic early to attend my next meeting.
06:30pm
I’m part of the GSB Impact Fund, a student-run impact investment organization. We meet every other week as a fund to discuss our latest progress and plans. A few of those meetings are formal investment committee meetings where we present and vote on deals that we want to invest in.
08:30pm
Quick break to catch up on emails and work.
09:00pm
Two more amazing classmates gave their TALKs. I always feel blown away by the vulnerability and honesty of every TALK, and overwhelmed by the incredible stories that people share. TALK is truly an unique GSB experience that you can’t miss.
10:30pm
After TALK, I came back to my room to do some homework and prep for my classes the next day before heading to bed.
Friday
07:15am
Got up to make breakfast and get ready for the day.
08:00am
On Fridays I have an HR class about managing people in a global context, which is very relevant for a lot of us who are intending to work internationally or at companies with global scale.
10:00am
Next is my Product Launch class - my favorite class this quarter taught by one very talented and engaging professor and one lecturer with extensive VC/angel investing experience in new products.
12:00pm
Attended the Israel Trek brown bag lunch meeting to hear about the details of this exciting Thanksgiving trip that has become a tradition at the GSB.
01:00pm
Time to meet with the rest of the International Committee members for our weekly check-in. We have planned a lot of events and new initiatives this year so time to execute!
02:00pm
Spend some time catching up on emails and work.
03:30pm
Took a walk to the meditation center for the first time with a friend to catch up and explore campus.
04:30pm
I organized an early dinner with a group of friends before the GSB show. We have some great sushi and drinks at a Japanese restaurant in Redwood City near the theater.
06:30pm
GSB show! Definitely one of my highlights this quarter. With more than 200 GSB students involved, the GSB show blew us away with the professional production quality and the incredible talent among our classmates. Their months and months of hard work really paid off and everyone in the audience had a blast!
11:00pm
GSB show after party - don’t need much more description than that. You cannot miss the biggest party of the year!