FIRESIDE CHAT at the University of Delaware – April 18th, 2025
I was deeply honored and absolutely delighted when I received an invitation from the Business Analytics and Information Management (BAIM) Graduate Student Association (GSA) to speak at one of their Fireside Chat events. It was an incredible opportunity—one that I truly felt blessed to be a part of. Being asked to speak with students who are just beginning their professional journeys, getting ready to enter the job market, and make important career choices, felt both humbling and exciting.
It all began on December 18th, when I received an email from the BAIM GSA. The message was warm and thoughtful. They informed me about an upcoming Fireside Chat series and extended the invitation for me to be a guest speaker. Just being considered for such a platform filled me with gratitude. I immediately knew this was something I wanted to be a part of.
As the weeks passed, I stayed in touch with the association. The communication was seamless and collaborative. Eventually, they proposed a date—Friday, April 18th. That gave me a few months to prepare, and my mind was already brimming with ideas.
One of the best things about being invited was the creative freedom they gave me. After a short introduction to my career and personal journey, I was free to engage with students however I saw fit. The goal was simple: to spark conversation and inspire questions.
But I kept thinking to myself—only words never make a difference. Words can be thought-provoking, yes, but true change only happens through action. That idea stayed with me and echoed in my mind every day leading up to the event. And then it clicked—why not turn this chat into something more interactive? Why not create an experience that would not only help the students prepare for the job market but also expand their thinking?
I didn’t waste a second after I saw the announcement. The moment this thought crossed my mind, I picked up a pen and began outlining my ideas on white paper.
Why WHITE PAPER?
Because for me, it’s a space of complete freedom. A blank canvas that lets me connect thoughts without digital distractions. White paper allows me to think out loud, scribble, cross out, and redraw ideas as they form in a structured way. It brings a sense of raw creativity that no app or doc file can replace. Also, it is the most used way by businesses to outline a project.
So, I started from there. Drawing from my own experiences—especially the challenges and learning moments I encountered in my work environment—I designed a 4-round activity for the students. The goal was to go beyond a one-sided talk. I wanted students to think, reflect, and participate.
As April 18th neared, everything started falling into place. The agenda was fixed, the format was set, and we were working with a limited two-hour window. That’s when I realized: a white paper alone wasn’t going to cut it. I needed something with more structure and visual engagement—something dynamic that could guide the students through each activity while also making room for learning, discussion, and their own insights.
Given that the event was right in the middle of a busy working day and time was tight, I decided to lean on a little help—help from AI.
Why AI?
Because I’ve always believed in staying ahead of the curve. If you don’t embrace technology, experiment with it, and learn how to make it work for you, you’ll slowly fall behind. Technology isn’t just a tool anymore; it’s a partner in creation.
So, I turned to ChatGPT. With the right inputs and context, it helped me generate a presentation outline. To my surprise, it gave me a solid base—one that I could then edit, shape, and refine into a format that matched my vision. I took the structure, added my own examples and personal style, and fixed any errors to make it fully my own.
By the time the event day arrived, I felt ready. Ready not just to speak, but to truly engage with the students.
Now, Coming to the Day of the Event
The day had finally arrived. It was April 18th—Good Friday. Since the event was scheduled right in the middle of the workday, I had to leave the office and make my way to the FINTECH building at the STAR Campus, where the event was being hosted. The commute was long, and traffic was intense. But with a little luck (and a lot of determination), I made it just in time.
As soon as I entered the building, I was welcomed by the executives from the BAIM Graduate Student Association. It was such a warm exchange—we greeted each other, and I took a moment to ask them how school was going. Their excitement was palpable. They told me how happy they were to have me there, and I couldn’t have been more grateful to be part of something so genuine.
The event was scheduled from 12:00 to 2:00 PM, but as expected due to traffic, people were running a bit late. By the time we had everyone gathered, it was around 12:30. I completely understood—it’s not easy navigating traffic on a Friday afternoon, and I had just experienced it myself. Experience teaches you patience, after all.
We eventually gathered a group of 12 to 16 students, and what stood out immediately was their enthusiasm. Despite all the hurdles they faced to make it to the event, their eagerness to learn was clear—and it made me feel incredibly cheerful and inspired.
I began the session with a simple introduction—who I am, what I currently do for a living, and what I enjoy doing in my free time. Then, I flipped the spotlight onto the students. I asked each of them to introduce themselves in the same way: name, current role or focus, and what they liked doing outside of academics or work.
It was a wonderful moment. Listening to students from such diverse backgrounds with a wide range of interests helped me get a better understanding of the audience in front of me. It wasn’t just a room of students—it was a room full of stories, aspirations, and creativity.
From there, I transitioned into sharing my own journey—what life looked like after graduation, how I kept myself motivated to continue learning, and what keeps me going today. I touched on my personal projects, like my #FridayFun series on LinkedIn, and the book I wrote that captured my thoughts and insights around navigating a tech-driven world especially from a business perspective.
Once the introductions and storytelling were done, we moved into the Q&A session. This part really brought the room to life. Every question reminded me that no two stories are the same. Each student came from a different place, with different goals and unique challenges. And that made every exchange richer and more meaningful.
We then dove into a conversation about skills, tools, and what’s happening in the job market right now. We explored how rapidly everything is evolving, especially with the rise of AI. I shared how my book speaks to these exact themes—the intersection of skills, technology, and human adaptability in a changing professional world.
It felt less like a lecture and more like a conversation—a shared moment of reflection and learning. I wasn’t just there to talk at them. I was there to learn with them.
Then Came the Time to Start the Activity
Once the Q&A session wrapped up, it was time to bring in the surprise I had planned—the analytics activity. I didn’t waste a moment and jumped right in. I told the students how I had designed this hands-on experience not just to answer their questions about what skills to learn or how to navigate the job market, but to show them what it could feel like working in the real world—with a touch of creativity and teamwork.
I explained that we would be doing four rounds of activities. After the second round, we’d take a short 10-minute break, and then continue with the rest. I reminded them to save their findings from the first and second rounds because they’d be using them again.
Here’s a brief look at each round of the activity:
Round 1: Hunt the Job (Find 5 recent analytics jobs from official websites)
Round 2: Decode the Skills (Identify 4 skills per job and suggest alternatives)
Break
Round 3: Analyst Decision-Maker (Solve a business problem based on one company)
Round 4: Dashboard Delivery (Create a simple, clear dashboard for a non-technical stakeholder)
While the students were completing the first two rounds, I took the 10-minute break after the second round as my cue to turn their inputs into something more dynamic. Using their chosen companies and insights, I asked ChatGPT to help me generate business scenarios that required strategic analysis—something they could truly dig into. With these in hand, I split the students into three teams and emailed each of them their respective scenarios.
From there, I set the stage: “I’m your executive stakeholder. I don’t use complex tech terms, and I may not understand the backend tools you use—but I need to know how your analysis helps my business. Your job is to explain it in the clearest way possible.”
They could use any tool they preferred—Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or even hand-drawn visuals—the only goal was to communicate insights effectively.
And let me tell you—this is when the energy in the room shifted. The students came alive. Every team got fully immersed in solving the challenge and working on their dashboards. It made me feel incredibly proud to see them so engaged, curious, and collaborative.
In just 10 minutes, each team shared their findings, proudly presenting their creative dashboards they have on mind. They highlighted the metrics that mattered, the methods they used, and the impact it would have on the company’s performance.
The team that stood out the most was the one that used Power BI. Their ability to weave together clear visuals, business impact, and analytics techniques was simply outstanding. And even though I never intended to judge the activity, witnessing their brilliance reminded me just how much I had learned through my own education at the University of Delaware.
To show my appreciation, I surprised all the students with little boxes of chocolates I had preplanned to gift them. It was a small gesture, but the excitement in their eyes made it feel huge.
As the event wrapped up, many students came up to me with heartfelt feedback. They told me how unexpected and refreshing the entire session was. That they loved the structure, the activity, and how it felt like a real-life challenge. Their appreciation, along with the kind words from the association members, truly touched me. I felt not only satisfied but fulfilled.
On the way back home, I spent over an hour on the road again. But this time, it didn’t feel long. I was replaying all the moments from the day, the connections made, the learning exchanged, and the joy shared. It was a day I’ll always cherish.
Thankful to the University of Delaware, for giving me this experience. For helping me grow, and for allowing me to give back to a community that means so much to me.