Isabella Fantini, Berkeley Haas MBA Class of 2025
Isabella Fantini, Berkeley Haas MBA Class of 2025Age: 30
Hometown: Laguna Beach, CA and Amagansett, NY
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of St Andrews, BSc Financial Economics
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): 8 years in finance (Berenberg, SOSV/Food-X, REMUS Capital
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I thought about applying to business school five years ago when I was making a career pivot from finance to startups, but decided to put my applications on hold after I got my dream job at a food-tech accelerator. Fast-forward 5 years, and I decided to make the jump to business school after recognizing how important network was for building relationships in venture capital.
Why did you choose Berkeley Haas? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I only applied to two MBA programs, or I was going to stay in venture capital. I was focused on Berkeley because I wanted to stay connected to venture by being close to Silicon Valley, wanted exposure to the amazing food & ag resources on the Berkeley campus, and was looking to move back to the West Coast (I grew up in Southern California). Haas offered everything I was looking for in my business school experience, and I knew that I didn’t want to go to business school if it didn’t offer everything I was looking for.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Berkeley Haas School of Business Class of 2025?
I think my most valuable contribution is my infectious passion for everything related to food & ag. It has been so wonderful finding so many other classmates who are interested in food, and I have been working on bringing everyone together to share resources, knowledge, and career options in the food & ag space.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I have been practicing yoga for over a decade and taught myself how to do a headstand during COVID. My new outdoors goal is to do a headstand at the summit (or cool spot) of every hike I do.
Post-MBA career interests:
I am committed to continuing my career in the food & ag industry, either working at a climate tech or food & agtech VC fund or moving to the operations side at a foodtech or agtech startup.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
The application process requires a lot of introspection in order to figure out what exactly you want to get out of your MBA experience, so I would recommend giving yourself enough time to explore different programs and different career paths. I knew that I was looking for a specific experience, so I was very narrow in my application process, which I think enabled me to be honest and show my true motivations for business school in my application.
What is one thing you would change or do differently?
Although I had been thinking about business school for a while, I didn’t end up applying until Round 3, which put me in a tight timeline to make the final decision to attend Haas. It worked out, but if I were to do it again, I would have started the application process earlier in order to alleviate some of the stress I had while working and completing my applications.
What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
If I could have waived classes without having to take the core class waiver exams the summer before 1Y fall, I would have put more time into waiving some of the core classes. I did financial economics for my undergrad degree, so some of the core classes are repetitive of my undergrad classes, and I would have liked to have more time to take more interesting electives, but I also feel like the waiver exams created a lot of added stress to my summer that interfered with my ability to take a meaningful break before school.
What is your initial impression of the Berkeley Haas students/culture/community?
My first impression of Haas was that it felt like home. I had been on campus a few years ago and I immediately felt a sense of peace and community walking through the courtyard. I knew that Haas could be somewhere that could be part of my community before I even officially stepped foot on campus.
What is one thing you have learned about Berkeley Haas that has surprised you?
I was genuinely surprised at how friendly and welcoming everyone was when I arrived at Haas. I had connected with a few alumni before applying to Haas who I really liked, but I didn’t expect to walk into an entire community of people who were so open and willing to get to know your story.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
I wasn’t able to attend any of the Days at Haas visit days, so I didn’t know anyone when I showed up for the first day of school. It was nerve-wracking walking into this new experience without knowing anyone, but I soon realized that everyone was going through the same first-day of school jitters, and people were so friendly I immediately felt a part of the community.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I was most excited to move to the Bay Area and explore everything Northern California had to offer. Having grown up in Southern California and then spent the last decade on the East Coast, I was eager to get back to the West Coast where I could build a life that was closer to the outdoors.
