Corbitt Huseth
Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management
Age: 37
“Veteran, operator, and builder connecting people, scaling businesses, and trying to keep up with my kids.”
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Family Members: My wife, Brie, and our two daughters, Holli (10) and Pate (9).
Fun fact about yourself:
I’ve been shot, had a parachute failure mid-air, and disarmed a bomb—so most business problems feel pretty manageable by comparison.
Undergraduate School and Degree:
Middle Tennessee State University — B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Physiology (Health & Human Performance), with research focused on veteran mental health and suicide prevention.
Where are you currently working?
COO, Veritas Ratings — Scaling a high-growth, AI-enabled company that has grown 15x+ in two years while helping thousands of veterans navigate and access their earned benefits.
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles: Mentor and develop emerging leaders at Veritas Ratings, building a high-performing team with limited prior corporate experience. Provide ongoing guidance to transitioning veterans on navigating the civilian workforce. Previously supported the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans Center by helping veterans access resources and benefits. Honors include Nashville Business Journal 40 Under 40 (2024), Summa Cum Laude at Middle Tennessee State University, and the Marine Corps “Gung Ho” award, recognizing a leader peers would follow into combat.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? During the Launching New Ventures course taught by Dr. Burcham, my team won first place for a company I developed to extend Veritas Ratings’ model to civilians navigating the SSDI system. I led the team and was voted MVP, and the concept generated early interest from potential investors—validating that our approach can scale beyond veterans to serve a much larger population.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I’m most proud of helping build Veritas Ratings into a company that cuts through one of the most complex and frustrating systems veterans face. We’ve helped thousands of veterans access benefits they’ve earned, many of whom had no idea where to start. What began as an idea has become a rapidly scaling platform, but the real impact is in restoring clarity and dignity to people navigating a broken process. Just as important has been building and mentoring a team of leaders who are now driving that mission forward. For me, it’s not just about growth—it’s about creating something that truly changes lives.
Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? Vanderbilt was always a top choice for me due to its strong connection to healthcare, exceptional network, and reputation for developing high-impact leaders. However, what ultimately made it the clear choice was being told I wasn’t ready for an executive MBA when I first applied. That kind of challenge has been a recurring theme in my life—from initially being turned away from the military due to injury, to being told by Middle Tennessee State University that my academic background wasn’t strong enough. After starting at a community college, I reapplied, was accepted, and ultimately went on to earn my Ph.D. there. I’ve learned to use those moments as fuel. Coming back to Vanderbilt, succeeding in the program, leading a first-place team in “Launching New Ventures,” and now being selected for this recognition has made the journey especially meaningful. Vanderbilt didn’t just represent an opportunity; it became a benchmark I was determined to earn.
Who was your favorite MBA professor? Dr. Burcham stood out for his no-nonsense, direct teaching style that felt very aligned with my military background. He didn’t sugarcoat feedback—he was focused on making sure you understood what you were doing wrong and how to fix it so you could succeed. Beyond that, he brought real-world credibility, having founded and funded multiple successful businesses. Seeing the tangible impact of his work, including ventures he helped launch that are thriving today, made his insights immediately applicable and incredibly valuable.
What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? One of the biggest lessons I gained during my MBA was developing the confidence to think and operate more strategically. Being surrounded by an exceptional cohort of leaders and operators pushed me to elevate how I approached problems—not just solving them tactically but building systems that could scale. That shift has directly impacted my work at Veritas Ratings, where I’ve focused on translating ideas into structured, repeatable processes and AI-driven workflows that enable growth. More than any single class, it was the collective experience—courses, residencies, and peer interactions—that expanded how I think and lead.
Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education?The experience felt less like a single moment and more like a sustained rhythm. From the first week, Vanderbilt’s Executive MBA was a constant grind that only intensified over time—very similar to my experience in the Marines. I built a structure to manage it. I would start most days at 5 a.m. working on coursework before my workday began, then shifting fully into Veritas, and protecting whatever time remained for my family. There were no real “off” periods—just continuous prioritization. Some weeks demanded more from work, others from school, but I had to constantly recalibrate because none of those roles—leader, student, husband, or father—could be put on hold. That experience didn’t just test endurance; it sharpened my ability to manage time, energy, and focus across competing priorities without losing sight of what mattered most.
What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Go in with the understanding that it’s not just your commitment—your family and friends are committing alongside you. For two years, they are effectively donating your time, and that’s something you need to recognize and respect. It’s similar to the military in that sense—the individual serves, but the family carries part of that burden as well. Beyond that, don’t approach an executive MBA as a way to get your next promotion. Approach it as an opportunity to become a better leader—someone capable of building organizations, shaping industries, and driving meaningful impact. If you go in with that mindset, the sacrifice has purpose, and the return is far greater than the degree itself.
What was your biggest regret in business school? If there’s one area I would have liked to invest more in, it would be networking. I made a conscious decision to prioritize building my company and being present with my family, which meant I didn’t participate in as many social and cohort activities as others. I fully recognize that the network is one of the most valuable aspects of the Vanderbilt experience, but given the stage of my career and life, it was a trade-off I chose intentionally. While I would have appreciated more time to build those relationships, I wouldn’t change the decision—it was the right one for me at that moment.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Vanderbilt fully embraced AI as a tool to enhance, not replace, critical thinking. In several courses, we were encouraged—if not expected—to use AI to develop projects, presentations, and analyses. The mindset wasn’t that AI reduces your workload, but that it multiplies your output within the same amount of time. That perspective directly aligned with how I approach AI in my professional work—using it to scale systems and increase impact. We also had hands-on exposure to building AI agents for business applications, which reinforced how practical and accessible these tools have become. At the same time, the program maintained academic rigor through methods like written assessments to ensure foundational understanding. The biggest insight I gained is that leaders who learn to leverage AI effectively won’t just be more efficient—they’ll fundamentally operate at a different scale than those who don’t.
What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? The executive MBA allowed me to maintain momentum in my career while immediately applying what I was learning in real time. Instead of stepping away from work, I was able to take concepts from class and implement them directly into my role at Veritas Ratings—often within days. That immediate feedback loop made the learning far more impactful than a traditional full-time program. At the same time, the EMBA structure preserved a strong cohort experience that can be lost in part-time or online formats. Building relationships with peers who were also operating at a high level in their careers added a layer of insight and accountability that was just as valuable as the curriculum itself.
How did you finance your EMBA and what did you do to make tuition and associated costs more affordable? I partially utilized veteran education benefits, with the majority of the program being self-funded. I viewed the EMBA as an investment that I could directly apply to growing Veritas Ratings, and that approach has already begun to pay off. As the company continues to scale, I expect to fully cover the remaining cost through the value created from applying what I learned during the program.
What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? My long-term goal is to identify complex, high-impact problems and build scalable solutions that make those systems simpler, more effective, and more human-centered. Whether in healthcare, disability systems, or other industries, I’m driven to take broken or overly complex processes and redesign them in a way that meaningfully improves outcomes for the people who depend on them. Ultimately, success for me is leaving systems better than I found them—creating lasting impact at scale while setting an example for my children and others to do the same.
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