Ph.D. - Meet the Students

Skyler, a 2023 Darden MBA Graduate, is thrilled to pursue his Ph.D. at Darden. He spent 15 years in the music industry as an artist, booking agent, and entrepreneur. Within the Darden MBA program, he has achieved his goal of discovering new opportunities for a gratifying life and career.

Before joining Darden, Ron worked as an Intellectual Property (IP) Lawyer and established a boutique IP law firm in Silicon Valley in 2013. As a Ph.D. candidate, he aims to contribute an interdisciplinary outlook to his research and the academic community. His academic background encompasses degrees in Electrical Engineering and a JD with a specialization in intellectual property and international trade. He earned his MBA from Wharton, concentrating on Strategic Management, in 2022.

Mikaela Krim is joining the Darden Ph.D. program from London, where she previously worked as a financial consultant after completing her studies at the University of Cambridge. She holds a Master's degree in Sociology and a BA in Economics, the latter of which she earned at Villanova University. During the interval between her degrees, she worked for a FinTech company in both New York City and London. Mikaela's research interests revolve around stakeholder theory, feminist economics, and leadership. During her free time, she enjoys soccer, running, reading, art, and video games.

Abhishek Kulkarni is a research associate hailing from the Indian School of Business (ISB) and has previous experience in investment banking, management consulting, and stand-up comedy. His Ph.D. research focuses on investigating ethical concerns associated with the implementation of disruptive technologies such as AI and blockchain, among others. During weekends, he is engaged in a long-term study examining the relationship between happiness and fermented grain while continuing to perform as a stand-up comic.

Maëlle completed her Master's of Science from the Hautes Études Commerciales in Lausanne, Switzerland. Her research interests revolve around business strategy and digital transformation. During her leisure time, she enjoys running and traveling. She is Swiss and Ecuadorian and will be relocating to Charlottesville from Maryland.

Eston is the Founder and Managing Partner of Cognitive G Capital Group, LLC, an affiliate partner of Stonehaven, LLC in NYC. He completed his BA at The College of William and Mary and earned a Master’s of Arts in Religion with a concentration in Social Ethics from Yale University. He also taught theology at Kent School in CT before transitioning to enterprise and institutional sales at Fortune 500 companies like Oracle and IBM. He completed an MBA in Banking with merit at The University of London and is passionate about social ethics, decision analysis, and business strategy.

Stephen obtained his undergraduate and Master's degree in Economics. In addition to casual inference, he is also interested in quantitative methods such as machine learning and data analytics. His research interests are mainly focused on forecasting, optimization, pricing, and revenue management. Specifically, he is enthusiastic about bridging his previous industry experience in the internet and asset management to academic fields, including digital platforms and consumer behavior.