Gina El Kattan

Daytime MBA Student Gina El Kattan
“I was the only one on my team not recruiting, as I had decided to pursue my own venture. My milestones, challenges, and successes looked very different from theirs. My team still celebrated me and was very supportive when things were challenging. There were ebbs and flows in intensity, so we all learned how to be flexible with each other to allow for that.”

Daytime MBA

Class of 2023
Industry:
Entrepreneurship

Prior Education:

University of Toronto,
BBA, 2014
Hometown:
Alexandria, Egypt
Nationality:
Egypt

Why I Chose Fuqua

I chose Fuqua because I was looking for a program with a strong supportive community. I really loved the Team Fuqua culture and every interaction I had with anyone from Fuqua was so overwhelmingly positive. It’s amazing how genuine, supportive, and smart my classmates really are! Everyone is always willing to jump in and help. Fuqua has a strong reputation in the US and abroad. I was also drawn to all the entrepreneurship resources available, not just at Fuqua but at Duke as well.

 

Five Random Things About Me

  1. I participated in competitive rhythmic gymnastics while growing up, and competed in many international competitions.
  2. I’ve attended the Toronto Film Festival every year since moving to Toronto in 2011, except for one year when I broke my ankle the night before.
  3. I’ve been to over 30 concerts in Toronto
  4. I have a cat named Mr. Mowgli that I found lost in a forest
  5. I love reading 19th century Russian literature

My Life Before Fuqua

I was the ecommerce strategy lead for FedEx Canada. I also co-founded a consumer packaged goods startup called Nuba, which supplies beverages (tisanes) that use ingredients sustainably sourced from Nuba, Egypt.

My Life After Fuqua

Once I graduate, I hope to continue scaling my startup, Nuba. I pursued my MBA to use my experience to take my startup to the next level and expand into the US. I’ve always loved the entrepreneurship experience (it runs in the family), and knew that that’s what I wanted to focus on.

My Fuqua Activities

Student Founders Program

Doug and Melissa Entrepreneur

Society for Early Entrepreneurs

Equity and Venture Capital Club (EVCC)

“Participating in my activities and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has been incredibly beneficial in getting me to think more strategically about my business and challenging pre-conceived notions that I may have had. It was also a great opportunity to improve my leadership skills as I led a group of five MBA students who worked on my startup with me over the spring terms.”
Daytime MBA Student Xiaobao Li
Daytime MBA

Xiaobao Li

Class of 2024
Daytime MBA Student Mitch Atchison
Daytime MBA

Mitchell T. Atchison

Class of 2023
Daytime MBA Student Maggie Wedholm
Daytime MBA

Maggie Wedholm

Class of 2024
Daytime MBA Student Jose Pumarejo
Daytime MBA

Jose Pumarejo (Puma)

Class of 2023