Yamicha Stephenson
Columbia Business School
Age: 39
“Empathetic and strategic leader leveraging legal and business experience to drive innovative, risk-mitigating solutions.”
Hometown: New York City, NY
Family Members: Brandon Smith who is my loving and encouraging spouse, is an attorney and does a lot to help our community. My parents instilled in me the importance of education, gave me the confidence to believe in myself, taught me to always give back to my community, and provided continuous love and support. Although not related by blood, my close friends are also my family. This circle includes my friend of over 34 years, my high school friends, who are like sisters, and have known for 25 years, and my past co-workers who have become close friends for over a decade. These friends have provided me with endless love and support.
Fun fact about yourself: I played the piano for 11 years.
Undergraduate School and Degree:
- Boston College, Bachelor of Science in Finance and Marketing
- Brooklyn Law School, Juris Doctorate
- Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business, MBA in Finance
Where are you currently working? I am a Senior Manager at Deloitte where I lead large, complex engagements for Fortune 100 companies, providing solutions to mitigate regulatory risks and guiding senior stakeholders with innovating their compliance programs.
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles:
- Academic Honors: Dean’s List (Summer 2023, Summer 2024)
- Leadership Roles:
- Executive MBA (EMBA) Advisory Board Representative
- Academic Representative for my cluster
- Member of the Following Professional Student Clubs:
- Artificial Intelligence Club
- Black Business Student Association
- Columbia Entrepreneurs Organization
- Columbia Student Investment Management Association
- Columbia Women in Business
- Private Equity Club
- Venture Capital Club
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud (and extremely honored) of winning the Executive MBA Distinguished Service Award during business school because my classmates voted for me to receive this award as a sign of their appreciation. This award recognizes one member of each graduating class for their contribution to the spirit and achievement of the class.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of developing and mentoring junior professionals and seeing them thrive and get promoted. The best part of life is having a positive impact on others.
Who was your favorite MBA professor? I enjoyed all of my professors due to their breadth of experiences and desire for us to learn.
Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? Prior to attending CBS, I received an MBA in Finance from Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business. I completed my first MBA as part of a joint degree program that allowed me to obtain both a law degree (JD) from Brooklyn Law School and MBA from Baruch. My JD/MBA helped me to apply my legal experience with a business lens as a prosecutor at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office and as a consultant at Deloitte.
However, after working for 13 years and holding various leadership roles, I applied to Columbia Business School’s (CBS) Executive MBA program to further enhance my leadership skills, expand my professional network, and broaden my understanding of innovative changes in business.
The CBS Executive MBA program provides experiences that you are unable to find at other schools, such as the EMBA international seminar, exchange program with London Business School, Lang Entrepreneurship Center, Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate, application of AI in business, and exposure to private equity and venture capital funds through student clubs, conferences, and school programs.
What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? During my Napoleon’s Glance class, I learned the importance of leveraging the successful experiences of others as examples to help with developing and executing new ideas. I have applied these principles in personal and professional situations.
Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? For my well-being, I incorporated into my daily routine meditation, exercise and going out with family, friends outside of my CBS network, and my CBS classmates. This helped me to balance work, family, and education. When you prioritize your well-being, you will have the strength to take care of your family, perform better at work and handle the demands of school.
What was your biggest regret in business school? I regret not being able to participate in as many events held by the student clubs.
Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I admire all of my classmates because of their enthusiasm, initiative, and resourcefulness whenever I have questions.
What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? I chose an in-person EMBA program in order to develop meaningful relationships with my classmates. Due to the work experiences of the EMBA students, I learned about different industries and how other companies operate. I was also exposed to the different leadership techniques of my classmates. The breadth of my classmates’ experiences and their business acumen exceeded my expectations.
How did you finance your EMBA and what did you do to make tuition and associated costs more affordable? I consulted a variety of resources and developed a diversified plan.
What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? I want to utilize my legal, business school, and consulting experience and connections to improve people’s quality of life using innovative, technology solutions.
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