
Benjamin Pettigrew
5.0
(2)
Harvard, MIT, Wharton, Stanford Alum | Strategy, Essays, Selection
Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business
Hiring Manager at Hola Salud
Available tomorrow at 5:00 PM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Benjamin's Coaching Offerings
Custom hourly · $275/hr
Get help with Letters of Recommendation, Essays, and .
Benjamin’s Master’s Programs Qualifications
10+ people coached for Master’s Programs
I've earned five degrees from four of the world's top universities — an MSM from Stanford GSB (MSx Sloan Fellows), an MBA from Wharton, an MA in International Studies from the Lauder Institute at Penn, an MS in Real Estate Development from MIT, and a BA from Harvard — spanning business, finance, real estate, international affairs, and the liberal arts. I was also admitted to London Business School's Sloan Fellows programme and attended INSEAD on exchange. Very few coaches can speak from personal experience across this range of programs, disciplines, and institutions. My graduate work has touched nearly every corner of the master's degree landscape: executive and mid-career programs (Stanford MSx, MIT Sloan Fellows), joint and dual degrees (Wharton/Lauder MBA/MA), industry-specific programs (MIT's MS in Real Estate Development), and internationally oriented degrees with language and regional immersion. I also guest lecture at Stanford School of Medicine on digital health and AI, giving me current insight into programs at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and policy. Outside academia, I've built a career across real estate private equity, venture capital, investment banking, international M&A, family office management, and digital health — experience that helps me advise applicants pursuing master's programs in fields ranging from finance and leadership to public policy, healthcare administration, and beyond. I work with applicants targeting a wide variety of master's programs in the U.S. and Europe, with particular expertise advising international candidates (I'm fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and have lived in five countries). My philosophy is the same across every program type: the right degree isn't necessarily the most prestigious one — it's the one that aligns with where you actually want to go. I help clients identify the programs that fit, craft applications that stand out, and make confident decisions when the acceptances come in.
Benjamin can help with:
Letters of Recommendation
Essays
Secondary Review
Application Strategy
Resume
General Exploration
Interviews
Editing
Waitlist Strategy
School Selection
Benjamin also coaches for MBA, Executive Coaching, Career Coaching, and College. View all.
About Benjamin
My path to Harvard, MIT, Wharton/Lauder, and Stanford wasn’t linear—and it certainly wasn’t perfect. A native Texan, I arrived at Harvard planning to play football—until a serious knee injury ended that path almost immediately. Overnight, the identity I had built for years disappeared, and I had to reinvent myself—academically, professionally, and personally. What changed my trajectory wasn’t raw intelligence. It was learning how to think critically, research rigorously, and communicate ideas in ways that command attention. I learned how to compete in rooms filled with extraordinary people—not by trying to be the smartest, but by being clear, disciplined, and intentional. Over the past 25+ years, I’ve built and led companies across private equity, venture capital, family offices, and digital health. I’ve raised and deployed capital, executed cross-border acquisitions across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and served as both a C-suite executive and board member. I’ve lived and worked in Brazil, Mexico, Israel, France, and the UK, and now call Oregon home. I understand what it means to navigate elite institutions, global markets, and high-stakes environments—and to do so without following a conventional script.
Why do I coach?
I coach because I genuinely enjoy helping talented, ambitious people achieve goals that can change the trajectory of their lives—and the communities they influence. I’ve been fortunate to gain access to some of the world’s great institutions. Those opportunities opened doors professionally and globally. But I have also seen many exceptionally talented individuals fall short—not because they lacked merit, but because they didn’t know how to position themselves effectively. Admissions and career advancement are not just about credentials. They are about articulation, clarity, and strategy. Having lived and worked across multiple countries, I understand how opaque U.S. admissions and elite hiring processes can feel—especially to international and nontraditional candidates. Talent is global. Opportunity is not. Helping someone translate their background, ambition, and leadership into a compelling case—one that resonates with decision-makers—is work I take seriously and genuinely enjoy.
Work Experience

Founding Partner
b20 ventures
January 2024 - Present
Hiring Manager
b20 ventures is an early stage venture firm investing in the most disruptive startups emerging from the world’s best universities. Venture Capital, Fundraising and +5 skills

Guest Lecturer
Stanford University School of Medicine
November 2023 - Present
Since 2023, I have been invited to return to Stanford as a Guest Lecturer on digital health and AI in Latin America.

COO, Co-Founder, Board Member
Hola Salud
October 2022 - Present
Hiring Manager
Digital Health, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and +7 skills

Co-Founder, CEO & Board Member
Crown Legacy Capital
January 2019 - Present
Hiring Manager

COO & Board Member
Clearview Investments
August 2010 - Present
Interviewer

Head of Corporate Develoment & Observing Board Member
Ennis-Flint
November 2006 - June 2010
Interviewer
Associate
Harris Williams
July 2005 - November 2006
Interviewer
Education

Stanford Graduate School of Business
Master of Science - MS, Management: MSx Sloan Fellow
The MSx Sloan Fellows Program at Stanford GSB is a one-year Master of Science program for experienced entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders. Each year, Stanford selects a group of accomplished leaders from around the world as Sloan Fellows for advanced study and preparation as entrepreneurs and for senior roles in business, government, and society. Areas of Expertise: • Startups • Entrepreneurship in Developing Economies • CFO Leadership • Sales & Sales Management • Family Offices • Search Funds & Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Artificial Intelligence (AI), Entrepreneurship in Developing Economies and +5 skills

The Wharton School (UPenn)
Master of Business Administration - MBA, Private Equity & Buyouts
Areas of Expertise: • Advanced Corporate Finance • Securities Analysis & Credit Risk • Financial & Managerial Accounting • Venture Capital & Private Equity • Negotiations • Operations Management – Quality, Production & Supply Chain • Leadership Advanced Finance, Strategic Leadership and +3 skills

The Lauder Institute of Management & International Studies (UPenn)
Master of Arts, International Studies (Latin America & Portuguese)
2003 - 2005

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Master of Science, Real Estate Development
1999 - 2000

Harvard University
Bachelor of Arts, History
1993 - 1999
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