About Tara

I’m Tara, originally from Indonesia, and a deferred admit to the Stanford GSB. I hold a degree in Political Economy from UC Berkeley, with concentrations in Law, Institutions, and Development. My career has been global in scope, beginning at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., and Brussels, where I spent over three years working with senior leaders in government, the private sector, and multilateral organizations across Africa, Asia, Europe, and more. My work ranged from shaping investor engagement strategies for the Bank’s $54+ billion bond issuance program to contributing to climate and education policy research, and leading a World Bank–funded legal empowerment initiative in Tanzania that now provides legal education to 1,000 girls. I was later selected for a competitive Princeton University fellowship in Rwanda, where I joined a consulting firm focused on private-sector development in fragile and post-conflict African countries and worked directly with one of Rwanda’s key economic advisors, who led the nation’s post-genocide reconstruction and development program. I am now based in East Africa, working in venture capital and investing in early-stage companies delivering tech-enabled need-to-haves across frontier and emerging markets. A constant thread through all my experiences has been storytelling. Whether connecting global investors to the World Bank’s mission, presenting the outcomes of development projects, or using creative arts to deliver legal education to girls in Tanzania, I’ve seen how powerful narratives can resonate with people, build connection, and inspire action. As a coach, my goal is to help you achieve the same: crafting and refining the most compelling version of your story so it becomes the cornerstone of your MBA application. I may be a good fit for you if you are an international student; interested in the intersection of development, finance, and public policy or political economy (including impact investing, venture capital, development finance, geopolitics, diplomacy, and academic research); pursuing or considering a global career; or drawn to the intersection of business and policy. I’m excited to help you navigate your MBA or university applications and advance your career ambitions.