Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) Fellow
After completing an undergraduate degree in women’s studies, Luca Procaccianti, MBA'24, took a job at a local Starbucks cafe. Though they hadn’t planned on a career in the hospitality industry, Luca moved through the ranks and eventually landed in management.
Procaccianti, who uses they/them pronouns, was struck by the economic and social forces at play in the service industry. “I fell into working at Starbucks,” they said, “but while I was there I learned a lot about how the world actually works, as opposed to what I had learned in school. Folks who work in cafes and in the service industry are generally overlooked, underappreciated, and underpaid.”
From their vantage point in cafe management, Procaccianti could see how corporations can be a powerful tool to shape society, yet at the same time they felt underprepared for a career in business. “As a trans person, I’ve gone through a lot of things in the service industry that have informed my thinking about business. I found myself in the business world feeling like, wow, I have no idea what is happening, but I know that things aren’t the way I want them to be.”
“Inequities abound, folks are struggling, and I was struggling. Employees on the ground have no say over the work that they do, but they’re the folks doing the work. It’s so alarming to me that so many people don’t have a safe workplace, don’t have adequate pay, money to feed their families or take care of themselves.”
Procaccianti enrolled in Heller’s Social Impact MBA program in fall 2022, where they’re focusing on labor and workforce issues. “I never thought I would have ended up in a business program, ever, and as someone who’s anti-capitalist it was really hard for me to grapple with that. But for me, business school was the answer.”
Fortunately, Heller’s unique MBA community has made all the difference. Procaccianti says, “The people that I’m learning with have made this program so much more than I could ever have imagined. To have people in my day-to-day life who share the same values as me is really empowering and uplifting. The Heller community has really been the highlight for me so far.”
In addition to their coursework, Procaccianti serves as president of Brandeis’ LGBTQ Professional Students’ Association and is a recipient of the Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) Fellowship. “It’s really important for me to give back to my community,” they said. “I feel that part of the reason I’m here is for us, not for me. Trans people aren’t represented in business at the level that they should be. The people doing the groundwork should be represented at every level of business leadership, which definitely includes trans people.”
When they first applied to the MBA program, Procaccianti was sure they’d eventually pursue a career in consulting. They still like the idea of finding solutions to systemic problems, but their scope has broadened to other career paths, too. “Now that I’m in the program, I feel like my eyes are really opening to the opportunities that an MBA provides. There are so many opportunities, I’m not holding myself to one goal.”
More than anything, Procaccianti wants future students to know that a business degree can absolutely be the right choice for many people who might otherwise not seriously consider it. “As somebody who did not feel that they were meant for business school or the business world: I am. Just because the world might not be ready for that, doesn’t mean that I’m not going to make it happen. Just because you might not fit the mold for what a business student is, doesn’t mean you shouldn't come. In fact it’s probably the reason why you should.”