Anoli Mehta, London Business School’s MBA Class of 2026
Age: 31
Hometown: London, United Kingdom
Undergraduate Institution and Major: London School of Economics and Political Sciences; BSc Geography with Economics
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Manager (Advisory), EY, 6 years; Founder, Circular Threads, 2 years
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
After two years of running Circular Threads, the UKs first marketplace for preloved South Asian fashion, I realised it was the right time to invest in myself to enhance my role as a founder and CEO. I wanted to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who can challenge my thinking and provide me with fresh perspectives on how to run and scale the business. As Circular Threads continues to grow, having access to a support network of London’s best and brightest talent when fundraising and expanding my team will be invaluable.
Why did you choose LBS? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
My business currently operates in the UK, and my family and friends are based here, so I knew I wanted to be UK-based long term. Over and above the location, I attended some entrepreneurship lectures led by LBS’ Associate Professor of Management Practice in Marketing and Entrepreneurship John Mullins, and met with Jane Khedair (Director of Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital) – and this really reinforced the quality of the teaching at LBS. Receiving teaching by world renowned faculty, who really care about you, swayed my decision to attend.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2026?
Given that LBS is a very international school, there are a limited number of students who have been born, brought up, studied and worked primarily in London. As a result, I have a very strong London-based network, from corporate through to entrepreneurship (founders, VCs, angels, funds, etc.) I hope to share my network with the cohort – as well as the top spots for food, drink and partying in London!
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I love hiking! My favourite hikes have been the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand (Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings), The Grand Canyon, and Mount Carrauntoohil (Ireland). I plan to organise the Three Peaks Challenge for the MBA cohort; I can’t wait!
Post-MBA career interests:
Become a serial entrepreneur in the climate / impact space.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Talk to alumni (both recent graduates and those who had graduated a while ago ) – this helped me understand career prospects, but fundamentally the culture / personality fit. I would also visit the school and meet some of the faculty. They really helped with my decision.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
Start earlier! I was a Round 3 admit, so I didn’t have as much time to prepare for the GMAT, so it was a quick and stressful turnaround!
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
GMAT for sure. Signing up for online tutoring helped me blitz through the revision in one month, as they taught me tricks and strategies on how to respond to questions vs. wasting time in attempting to learn how to approach the questions alone to begin with. If I were to do it again, I would do a crash course to learn the strategies and then practice, practice, practice.
What is your initial impression of the LBS students/culture/community?
I have been blown away by how impressive every single person is, and more so by how humble they are! The cohort is extremely diverse, and it is so amazing to see how open minded, inclusive and genuine the peer group is. It’s incredible.
What is one thing you have learned about LBS that has surprised you?
In all honestly, I was slightly nervous about the cohort being overly corporate and competitive – but I was completely wrong. By week 2, it already felt like a family!
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
There is SO much on offer at LBS, I worry about being overwhelmed by trying to take on too much whilst running my business. I’m keen to strike the right balance so I can take advantage of all the incredible opportunities LBS has to offer.
What is one thing you are most excited about in the first year of your London Business School experience?
In addition to learning from my peers and getting to know more about different cultures, I am super excited about the snow trek!
