Reviews


Here’s what some of the participants in our 2019 MBArk2Boulder Food Leadership Conference had to say about the experience:

 

“I owe you an even bigger thank you for producing such an amazing event with the MBArk conference.  I had high expectations but even those were exceeded!  I did give feedback in the survey that you sent out, but I wanted to note that I was so impressed with the opportunities we had to network and talk with industry professionals on such a personal level.  You organized a fantastic conference, one which I will highly recommend to anyone interested.”
– Lesley Watson, UC Davis GSM ’20


“The conference was absolutely incredible—the speakers and sessions were fascinating, and it was wonderful getting the chance to meet other students with similar interests. I’m so happy I was able to attend, and so happy you started such a gathering! …Boulder was a really great chance to meet others who are interested in less traditional professional paths and hear from people who have been successful in the food industry, and it provided reassurance that not only is it okay to have different interests (and be on a different timeline), but also that there is an incredible variety of opportunities available in this space, and a really exciting future ahead.”
– Julia Marsh, Yale SOM ’20


“I just wanted to drop you a quick thank you for an incredible conference last week. I left Boulder feeling inspired and am swimming in awesome follow-ups right now all thanks to you and the team. I really felt like the conference covered a great breadth of material with fantastic speakers for each topic.”
– Doug Parizeau, Dartmouth Tuck ’20


“Wow – I am speechless after such a fantastic experience in Boulder last week. I’m sorry that I couldn’t attend the last day of the conference, but absolutely loved the speakers, panels, meals, career fair, and informal networking on Wednesday and Thursday. The highlight for me was the tour of Aurora Organic Dairy and accompanying insights from Mark Retzloff on the way there. I’m very excited about a potential future working in the natural and organic food industry and am so grateful for the chance to get things started at MBArk2Boulder.”
– Beth LaBossiere, Harvard Business School ’20


“As a relative newcomer to the natural foods space, I found the conference extremely helpful in providing context and background. But even more than that, it was truly wonderful to connect with peers across the US, your team, as well as the other giants in the sustainable and organic food scene.”
– Carolyn Shaw, Yale SOM ’20


“Our session went well and I think we gave the students something to think about – I chatted with many of them over the lunch and later that afternoon and the general consensus what that the entire event was simply amazing.”
– Bill Capsalis, investor and former Board Chairman of Naturally Boulder


I just wanted to thank you and Julie so much for another life-changing experience at the conference (I had to leave before I had the chance to say goodbye)! My brain is still marinating in all of the amazing knowledge from the speakers and I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to be a part of it. The conference was inspiring and I almost had to pinch myself multiple times during the presentations.”
– Jennifer Scheideler, John Hopkins Carey MPG/MBA ’19


“After an easy trip back to Evanston last night, I was just reflecting on what an incredible event MBArk was over the past couple of days. A lot of conferences like that can feel packed and overwhelming – while the schedule was busy, you all planned it in a way that we were able to build authentic relationships with each other and with the speakers. Rather than overwhelming, the two and a half days felt energizing. The room was full of passion and intention and I am grateful I was able to be part of it.”
– Bo Swindell, Northwestern Kellogg ’19