Leland+ Content Library

Breaking into Social Impact Consulting: Ask Me Anything

Curious about careers in social impact consulting? In this AMA-style session, expert Leland coach and experienced consultant Matthew M. will answer your questions about breaking into the field, building relevant skills, and navigating the recruiting process. You’ll learn what firms look for, how to position your background, and strategies to stand out in applications and interviews. Bring your questions and leave with actionable insights to jumpstart your path in social impact consulting.

How I Founded, Scaled and Exited my Brand Last Year

Cashmere is the Founder and CEO of Beauty Bakerie, a cosmetics company she built into a globally distributed brand before being acquired by West Lane Capital Partners. Sold in nearly 2000 locations worldwide and backed by more than $15M in venture capital, Beauty Bakerie grew into San Diego’s fastest-growing private company from 2015 to 2017 and developed a strong, multi-platform social media presence with over 1M followers. The brand earned recognition from publications including Allure, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Good Morning America, Teen Vogue, Essence, Elle, Oprah, and BuzzFeed. As a founder who led vision, branding, product development, and overall strategy, Cashmere has firsthand experience navigating fundraising, hyper-growth, market expansion, and the acquisition process. In this session, she will share key lessons from scaling a consumer brand, building a team, developing products, working with retailers, and preparing for exit. Attendees will gain insight into what drives brand value, how to manage rapid growth, and the strategic decisions that shaped Beauty Bakerie’s trajectory from inception to acquisition.

The Top 10 Things That Matter in a Deferred Application

Applying to deferred MBA programs requires a unique strategy—strong academics and internships aren’t enough unless you know how to package them into a compelling story. In this session, Tim F., a Chicago Booth MBA graduate with high distinction and former admissions fellow who interviewed and evaluated nearly 100 applicants, will break down the ten elements that most influence AdCom decisions. Drawing on his experience helping candidates gain admission to top U.S. and European MBA programs, along with his professional background at Goldman Sachs and as a project leader at Boston Consulting Group, Tim will share how to communicate impact, craft a standout narrative, and position yourself competitively as an early-career applicant.

Build Your Master’s Application Narrative

Many strong applicants struggle to clearly explain why their experiences, goals, and chosen program fit together into a compelling master’s application. This session is designed for candidates preparing graduate school applications who want to turn scattered achievements into a focused, persuasive narrative. You’ll learn how to connect your academic background to future goals, identify the experiences that matter most to admissions committees, and structure essays that present a clear story about who you are and where you’re headed.

HBS/Kellogg/Stern Resume - Ops, Mfg, and CPG

A results-driven MBA resume. This applicant was admitted to HBS, Kellogg, and NYU Stern.

Competency Questions

Leadership, failure, teamwork, ethics

Investment Banking Recruiting - 5 Top Tips to Stand Out

Are you looking to break into investment banking as your next career move? Join Alejandro A., a seasoned investment banking and private equity professional, for an exclusive session where he will share essential strategies to help you stand out in the highly competitive recruiting process. ​​With over 10 years of experience, Alejandro has worked at prestigious firms like Goldman Sachs, where he served as an Investment Banking Associate, and at Fanatics, as Director of M&A. He also co-founded Harbor Street Capital, a private equity fund, and has mentored over 200 students who have gone on to secure positions at top firms such as Goldman Sachs, Evercore, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley. ​​In this event, Alejandro will provide insider insights into how to successfully navigate the investment banking recruitment process and stand out as a top candidate.

Final Strategy Review for the GRE

This lesson reviews high-level test-taking strategies for the GRE. It focuses on decision-making, pacing, and strategic problem selection to help maximize performance on exam day.

r/AMA: Building products people love from Slack to Discord to Reddit

What does it take to build products that millions of people use every day—and genuinely love? In this AMA, Sri V., a product manager at Reddit who has also worked on community and communication products at Discord, Slack, and Microsoft, will share candid insights from years spent shaping how people connect online. With a background in computer science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a career built on solving meaningful problems rather than just writing code, Sri brings a uniquely human-centered perspective to product development. Come with questions about breaking into PM, building social and community products, navigating big tech careers, or even national parks—Sri has nomaded through nearly all of them.

PM Analytical Take-Home: Regal (B2B SaaS Startup)

This project is a take-home project that will help us evaluate your skill set for the Product Manager Role. You should not spend more than 5 hours on this over the course of a couple days and should package your responses into a Google doc or presentation.

3 AI Skills to Land your Job in ... The Automotive Industry

Some people want to work with code, data, or financial models. I understand that. For me, it was always the physical object: the part you can hold, the vehicle you can drive, the product that exists in the real world. I spent 30 years in the automotive industry, in roles from product engineering to divisional CEO at a Tier 1 supplier. I know what OEMs and Tier suppliers look for; I also know which skills are shifting fast right now because of AI. This Tuesday series focuses on industries with tangible products. The first session covers automotive: one of the largest, most technically complex, and most globally connected industries on the planet. We will discuss three specific AI skills that are changing what hiring managers expect in 2025, and how you can demonstrate them before you walk into an interview. If you want a career building, selling, or improving things you can see and touch, this session is for you.

Review Hard Data Analysis & Arithmetic

In this review we will cover counting, probability, and statistics as well as additional examples for data analysis and arithmetic.

Mastering the Hedge Fund Interview

Breaking into hedge funds requires sharp investing instincts, a compelling stock pitch, and the ability to think clearly under pressure. In this session, Diyang Y.—a former investment banker turned Long/Short equity analyst at Point72—will break down what top funds really look for in candidates. Drawing on years of evaluating investments, mentoring aspiring analysts, and preparing candidates for competitive buy-side interviews, Diyang will walk you through how to build a strong investment framework, articulate conviction, defend your ideas, and avoid common pitfalls. Whether you're crafting your first stock pitch or preparing for final-round interviews, you’ll gain practical, results-focused strategies to stand out in the hedge fund recruiting process.

MBA Goals Worksheet

A concise worksheet to clarify your MBA career goals and articulate the “why MBA, why now, and why this school” with precision.

Telling Your Story - Your Guide to Making a Career Pivot

Exercise Self Paced Guide: This guide helps you do the inner work behind a career pivot; understanding your experiences, identifying what you want next, and building clarity around your direction so you can move forward with confidence.

How to Answer the GRE Quant Questions in Half the Time

GRE quant questions are designed to reward efficiency, but many test takers get stuck using slow or overly complex approaches. This session is for candidates who want practical ways to solve problems faster without sacrificing accuracy. You’ll learn how to recognize common question patterns, apply time-saving shortcuts, and avoid the traps that tend to eat up valuable minutes on test day.

Review Medium Reading Comprehension & Critical Reasoning

In this review I will walk through several medium-difficulty example questions for reading comprehension and critical reasoning as well as teach some new vocabulary.

What Really Happens After You Submit: How MBA Applications Are Read, Sorted, and Remembered

What actually happens once you hit submit on your MBA application? In this session, Bianca Keys, CEO of Admit.me Access, pulls back the curtain on how applications are reviewed, evaluated, and discussed behind closed doors. You’ll learn how files are read, what admissions committees prioritize, how candidates are compared, and what makes certain applicants memorable. This conversation will give you a clearer understanding of how to position your materials so they stand out long after the first read.

GRE Analytical Writing Assessment Breakdown

In this lesson you will get an overview of the Analytical Writing Assessment as well as a high-level view of the issue essay, essay structure, and other strategies and tips.

Breaking Into Top Hedge Funds - Top 5 Tips

Breaking into top hedge funds isn’t just about technical skill—it’s about strategy, relationships, and a resume that gets noticed. In this session, Fiona T., former Director of Career Development for UC Berkeley’s MFE program who has coached 200+ people into roles in hedge funds and other quantitative finance firms, will share her top five insider tips. You’ll learn how to position your quantitative experience, stand out during networking, and tailor your story for hedge fund recruiters.