Breanne W.
5.0
Studied at The Wharton School (UPenn)
Works at Mintaka
Available tomorrow at 5:30 PM UTC
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About Breanne
I took the scenic route to business school—complete with a stint in consulting, nearly a decade working across government and international development, and a whole lot of experience building cross-sector partnerships in complex global environments. I wasn’t your typical MBA applicant, but that turned out to be my biggest strength. I earned my MBA from Wharton in December 2022, where I launched a startup focused on nature-based corporate retreats (because some of the best ideas really do happen outside the office). In my free time, you can usually find me rock climbing, mountain biking, or planning my next weekend in the mountains. As a coach, I love helping applicants with non-traditional backgrounds turn their stories into stand-out applications. Whether you’re coming from public service, pivoting industries, or just wondering if you’re “MBA material,” I’m here to help you own your narrative—and get where you want to go.
Why do I coach?
I’ve always loved helping people tell their stories. For years, I've coached high school students on their college applications—helping them turn messy Google Docs and half-formed ideas into something that felt real, personal, and powerful. Now, I get to do the same for MBA applicants. I seriously would not have made it through the MBA application process without the support of friends, mentors, and generous strangers who reviewed my essays, practiced mock interviews, and reminded me I was actually qualified (even when imposter syndrome said otherwise). Coaching is my way of paying that forward. Whether you're just starting your GMAT journey, knee-deep in essay drafts, or panicking at the eleventh hour—I’m here for it. I know how hard this process can be, and I know how good it feels when you finally hit submit and realize, “Hey… that is a great story.”
Work Experience
Founder & Managing Partner
Mintaka
April 2021 - Present
Mintaka facilitates nature-based corporate retreats and offsites. I directed strategy and business development, including business development and the client success journey, GTM growth strategy, and marketing engagement strategy. Accomplishments: • Led comprehensive client engagement from onboarding to post-engagement reviews, ensuring seamless delivery of Mintaka’s nature-based retreat services. • Facilitated event timeline reviews and created success plans to align on outcomes, discussed progress to date, and negotiated vendor rates and contracts to ensure budget adherence. • Expanded strategic partnerships by 50% over two years, resulting in a 40% increase in partnership-driven revenue. • Hired and trained 11 interns/contractors, streamlining event execution, logistics, and project management, increasing efficiency and work quality by 20%. • Developed and executed a strategic co-branding initiative for Mintaka, partnering with 10 Bay Area startups to triple social media engagement and increase brand recognition 5x. • Implemented a closed-loop system for collecting and organizing post-event customer feedback, achieving a 93% CSAT score across all accounts. Strategic Partnerships, Business Strategy and +3 skills
Global Program Manager
U.S. Trade and Development Agency
June 2018 - September 2019
Hiring Manager
USTDA facilitates infrastructure projects in emerging economies. I managed business development and strategic relationships with government executives and private sector partners in 15 countries. Achievements: • Managed client success for government executives and senior leaders across 15 countries, ensuring smooth onboarding, training, and engagement, which increased the adoption of US-promoted solutions by 30%. • Managed project risks and streamlined communication, collaborating with SMEs, vendors, and partners to accelerate milestones, resulting in a 20% improvement in CSAT and 10% reduction in time to completion. • Collaborated with cross-functional teams and key stakeholders in four countries, increasing stakeholder engagement by 20% and aligning partner strategies with market needs to drive growth for US businesses. • Facilitated business reviews with stakeholders to align on outcomes, discuss progress to date per engagement, and adjust success plans as needed. • Developed a comprehensive onboarding playbook for USTDA employees, resulting in a 20% reduction in training and onboarding time and a 25% increase in team productivity. • Spearheaded development of comprehensive economic, political, and policy risk matrix for potential program expansion in 15 countries, reducing program-related risk by 30%. • Coordinated cross-functional efforts across legal, finance, contracting, and program management to ensure quality execution of international procurement contracts. Strategic Partnerships, Cross-functional Team Leadership and +2 skills
ESG Analyst
U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
April 2017 - May 2018
The DFC partners with the private sector to finance energy, technology, healthcare, and infrastructure projects in emerging economies. I evaluated the economic and social impacts of $10-50M investment projects in 15 countries. Achievements: • Analyzed industry, sector, market, and country economic data to assess the impacts of proposed investments, distilling large amounts of data into clear and actionable reports for senior leaders. • Attained a 20% reduction in project-related risks by collaborating with diverse stakeholders including governments, local partners, and international organizations to assess project feasibility, regulatory compliance, and impact. • Provided strategic guidance for investment decisions based on comprehensive due diligence and market analysis. International Finance, International Business Development and +2 skills
Senior Strategy Consultant
U.S. Small Business Administration
September 2015 - September 2017
SBA helps small businesses start, build, and grow their businesses. I led strategic projects in the international trade, investing, and veterans' affairs departments and in a local field office. Achievements: • Developed and executed strategies to manage relationships with senior government executives from 15 countries, driving a 60% increase in diplomatic partnerships and a 15% rise in government/private sector collaboration. • Improved client tracking efficiency by 30% and reduced acquisition costs by 50% by managing the procurement and implementation of a Salesforce CRM. • Increased inter-departmental collaboration by 15% by facilitating communication and collaboration between diverse departments and teams, fostering a culture of transparency and alignment. • Conducted in-depth market research to identify emerging trends and opportunities, informing policy development and resource allocation. Strategic Partnerships, Business Strategy and +3 skills
Strategy Consultant
Grant Thornton
December 2014 - September 2015
Grant Thornton is one of the world’s leading independent audit & assurance, tax, and advisory firms. I managed training development strategy for the Financial Management/Audit and Human Capital federal consulting practice. Achievements: • Led transformation initiative for multi-year company training program, saving company millions in external training fees and increasing employee efficiency by 20%. Based on the success of the first transformation initiative, senior leadership asked me to expand the program to an additional department. • Led communications plan for two change management projects supporting organizational technology upgrades, ensuring minimal disruption and resulting in a 25% decrease in employee resistance to change. Management Consulting, Business Process Improvement and +3 skills
Education
The Wharton School (UPenn)
Master of Business Administration - MBA
2020 - 2022
University of Pennsylvania
Master of Arts - MA
2020 - 2022
The Ohio State University
MA
2012 - 2013
Brigham Young University
BA
2005 - 2011
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