Hometown: Seattle, WA
Title: Marketing and Business Development Manager
Company: NeuroVista Corporation
Cori Johnson
My Story About Me
I was really impressed with Wharton’s level of support for students who are starting a business.
With a bachelor’s and master’s in mechanical engineering, Cori Johnson had gained marketing experience “by the seat of my pants” on the job, moving up the ladder because of her aptitude. In transitioning from a technical to a business-oriented field, she knew she had to bolster her academic credentials. Johnson decided to do that through the Wharton Executive MBA program — a decision that proved extremely wise when she found herself back out on the job market thanks to the current economic crisis. Cori says being in the program definitely gave her the edge in a competitive market and she credits it with helping her land her current position. Johnson continues to look forward in her career thanks to Wharton, and discusses the school’s support of entrepreneurs, her vision for a future business endeavor, and making a positive impact on the world.
Good colleagues, study partners, and friends
One of the biggest values of the program has been the ability to network with people in my field and with people in other career fields. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our industry that we don’t take time to explore other industries. And the people I have met in the program have not only become good colleagues and study partners, but also good friends who I will continue to reach out to if I have a problem to solve at work or need a new job.
Investing in an idea
One of my favorite classes was Foundation and Implementation of Entrepreneurial Ventures. I worked on a business idea with a fellow classmate, something we were passionate about. Thanks to the class, we came out with a well-vetted idea. One of the things that I truly respected about the professor who taught the class was how much he invested in us, helping us advance our idea. He supported us through the Wharton Business Plan Competition (we made the semi-finals) and helped us network with people. He even supported us through an independent study the next semester. I was really impressed with Wharton’s level of support for students who are starting a business.
Figuring out the next step
Our idea, an educational non-profit to defray the out-of-pocket expenses for teachers, is in the slow simmer stage. We’re evaluating where our present jobs are and the opportunities available with this venture. We’re kind of on the fence about what to do next. We’re well-positioned so that if we want to use it as a launching pad we could. We’re taking some time to do a little soul-searching on whether we want to make the plunge together.
Many roads to follow
One of the things I got out of the program was the realization that there are a lot more things I could be doing with my career than I initially thought. Since I work in medical devices and in marketing, I used to think I would just move through the company chain in the marketing department. But what I realized is it doesn’t have to be that way. My main priorities are high levels of contact with the customer and a need to feel like there’s a higher purpose to what I do. There’s a reason why I gravitated towards healthcare rather than the latest consumer product. I need an altruistic aspect to my work, and it has to be something that I’m passionate about.
