While enrolled at Acton, our students are run through the trenches, stepping into the shoes of real entrepreneurs as they dissect, decide, and debate hundreds of real-life business cases. But no matter how many great lessons you can take from a good case discussion, it’s always most exciting to check in with our alumni and learn about the real businesses, jobs, and value that they’ve created since graduating from Acton.

We recently caught up with Scott Donnell (’09) who founded Apex Fun Run about eighteen months after graduating from Acton. He related his company’s successes, some surprises, and talked about how the firm is the realization of both market needs and his pursuit of his own passion and calling.

Para quienes buscamos llevar nuestras habilidades y conocimientos al siguiente nivel, Acton MBA en Guatemala ofrece una oportunidad única. Hugo resaltó cómo el programa está adaptado a las necesidades y desafíos específicos de los emprendedores en nuestra región. Con un enfoque práctico y una comunidad de apoyo, Acton MBA nos brinda las herramientas y el entorno necesarios para transformar nuestras ideas en realidades exitosas.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

Over the last decade, Acton has proven to hold a strong appeal to engineers who are looking to expand their business skills, understand markets, and launch their own enterprises.

Recently, we connected with three Acton alums with engineering backgrounds, representing several different engineering disciplines ranging from Environmental to Mechanical Engineering. Each of them shared some of their own experiences about coming to Acton as an engineer, some of their unique advantages and challenges, and what they’d recommend to other engineers considering or beginning an Acton MBA.

While they’re enrolled at Acton, students practice making tough decisions and analyzing complex and confusing data day in and day out. They step into the shoes of entrepreneurs in hundreds of real-life business cases, including many focused on growing companies and financing that growth.

With our “Acton in Action” series, we check in every so often with our alumni. We find out how lessons learned at Acton come into play after they’ve left the classroom and see what results they produce in the real world.

The article highlights the experiences of three female alumni from the Acton MBA program: Helen Mitchell, Angela Griffiths, and Shibani Limaye. Each alumna shares insights into why they chose Acton, the challenges and advantages they faced as women in a predominantly male classroom, and how the program has shaped their careers. They emphasize the importance of speaking up, leveraging personal strengths, and staying resilient. The alumni also offer advice to prospective and current students on making the most of the Acton experience.

In 2012, Acton MBA graduates Kyle Davis and Tom Hull launched Charger Services, LLC, a construction company supporting the oil and gas industry. By 2013, they expanded the company significantly, doubling their workforce and increasing their line of credit to US$1 million to support the growth. Kyle credits Acton’s emphasis on cash flow management and practical business skills for their success. Despite operational challenges, including the need to delegate tasks, Kyle highlights the critical lessons learned at Acton, particularly in managing cash flow, attracting talent, and finding meaningful work-life balance.

Acton MBA alumni share their experiences transitioning into finance careers postgraduation. Michael Hanson, Coy Morgan, and Mitch Johnson credit Acton’s rigorous curriculum and unique teaching methods for their deep understanding of finance. Their stories highlight how Acton’s focus on practical skills, entrepreneurial mindset, and life lessons equipped them for success in investment banking, property tax financing, and private investment. The alumni emphasize the importance of understanding the real-world implications behind financial numbers and stress the value of Acton’s accelerated, hands-on approach to business education.

Joe Shiraz and Evan Spaulding, Acton MBA alumni, founded Idea Labs Consulting in 2012 to provide specialized online marketing services for home service providers. Leveraging their Acton education and prior business experiences, they identified a niche market need and quickly established their company in Austin, Texas. By focusing on personal customer service and a deep understanding of their clients’ businesses, they distinguished themselves from larger, less specialized firms. Their success led to rapid growth, expanding their team and client base while planning further geographic expansion.