Nurturing Leaders & Building Businesses at Cambridge Judge

Studying for an MBA at Cambridge Judge Business School leads to much more than acquiring new skills and knowledge. For instance, Meghana Prakash, a 2024 Cambridge MBA graduate from India, gained a deeper understanding of the interplay between technology and business. The program’s focus on leadership and entrepreneurship, as well as opportunities for networking and self-discovery, strengthened her goal to drive change using technology. 

The MBA at Cambridge Judge in the UK is known for its entrepreneurial focus. The area around Cambridge – the university city in England – is referred to as Silicon Fen,  Europe’s own Silicon Valley, also known as the Cambridge Cluster. This vibrant ecosystem of over 5,000 companies lends weight to the entrepreneurship focus and generates opportunities for students and graduates. 

“Coming from a tech background, and as a person interested in startups, I really enjoyed and valued the experience I got talking with founders and investors in Silicon Fen, as well as students who are starting to build their own things,” Meghana says. (02:00)  

She says that the relationship between the university and this unique ecosystem enriches the Cambridge MBA program. “Entrepreneurship is very big at Cambridge. Having access to Silicon Fen gives us the opportunity to realize how easy or how difficult it is to become a founder.” (02:32)

She found that direct insight very valuable as she prepared for an entrepreneurial career in social impact and technology.

Adding Skills to Enhance the Entrepreneurial Spirit

With her tech background, Meghana found she was constantly delving into new areas of business that would be useful in startups. Finance skills are one example, and strategy is another, she says.

“Working in startups, we always used the word “strategy” very loosely. Learning about strategy from the Cambridge MBA gave me a lot of frameworks which I can adapt and use in my daily [work] life,” she enthused. (01:17) 

One of Meghana’s favorite courses was the elective titled Managing Innovation Strategically. She also thoroughly enjoyed a course on leadership. A skill she finds particularly useful now is the ability to balance innovation and revenue generation. That’s a crucial balance for a startup to succeed. In terms of soft skills, networking and nurturing relationships are essential for success in business, she says.

Gaining Strength Through the Forté Foundation Fellowship

Meghana received the prestigious Forté Foundation Fellowship, awarded as part of the foundation’s work to advance women’s careers through business education. The fellowship not only provides financial support but also gives female MBA students lifetime access to events, resources, and a vast network of like-minded and successful peers. It’s one of several scholarship opportunities at Cambridge Judge.

As a woman in the technology and business spheres, Meghana had already experienced many challenges. That made the fellowship even more meaningful. 

“Being a Forté fellow and having the opportunity to represent women in business meant much more than I can explain,” she says. (03:15) The support of the fellowship and its network enabled her to define herself in an authentic way. “It’s a community where you can share without being judged,” she says. (03:41) The fellows learn from and encourage each other.

That allyship supported her throughout the MBA, adding value on an academic and personal level.

Inspiring Students to Become Leaders & Entrepreneurs

The Cambridge MBA program places such a strong focus on leadership and entrepreneurship that it inspires students to pursue both, Meghana says. 

“It opened the minds of people who weren’t initially interested in entrepreneurship. Something the Cambridge MBA really pushes us to do is to think outside our boxes.” (05:12)

Meghana says she has always had an entrepreneurial mindset and a desire to inspire change. Her technology background prompted her to ask how social impact can be measured. During the program, she learned tangible frameworks and used systems thinking to develop ways to measure impact. 

In a broader sense, she says that she is wiser thanks to her MBA experience. She has changed within herself to be ready to change the world.

A Diverse Cohort to Learn From and Connect With

Furthermore, Meghana believes every MBA program should ensure diversity, as it enables a better understanding of global challenges and potential solutions. The Cambridge MBA really delivered that exchange of experiences and opinions through the diversity of the cohort, she says. The 2025 class is made up of 47% women, and 43 nationalities are represented among the 217 students. 

Sharing perspectives provided ways of thinking that students can use across countries, cultures, and business environments, Meghana says. She participated in student clubs from entrepreneurship to theater in order to engage with students in different ways, discovering things about herself along the way.

Not only was the cohort diverse, but the program encouraged students to “bring out their authentic selves… The MBA gave us the space to talk, share our opinions, share feedback, celebrate wins, but also criticize and learn from each other… That is when we improve ourselves.” (06:21) That authenticity enabled the students to develop friendships beyond the classroom.

As a result, the student and alumni network at Cambridge is very strong. Students can access not only the Cambridge Judge Business School community but also each of the colleges. That provides insights into a variety of disciplines, beyond business.

Clarifying Career Goals at Cambridge Judge

Some Cambridge Judge students shift their career focus during the program. But for Meghana, the program only further confirmed her interest in technology and business. It reinforced her desire to work with founders to understand their goals and match them with technological solutions in order to create meaningful social impact.

The Cambridge MBA helped Meghana and her classmates recognize the value of technology and how it can complement business skills. In the Cambridge University Technology & Enterprise Club, where Meghana headed the digital section, students met with and learned from founders and investors. 

“The Cambridge MBA gives us a new dimension, a new hope that we can survive in a world where technology is accelerating. So when everyone is racing toward a particular technology, MBAs can have the patience to see, evaluate, and seek out how they can be part of the system and utilize technology to move ahead and to help other people.”  (13:55) 

For Meghana, the Cambridge MBA delivered the value and insight she sought. The MBA program energized Meghana, giving her the toolkit, network, and knowledge to pair technology with business in order to make a positive impact on the world.

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