The London Business School One-Year MBA Class of 2026 brings together a truly global cohort of experienced professionals united by a desire to accelerate their careers while broadening their perspectives. In this Real Humans: MBA Students, we meet six new members of the One-Year MBA Class of 2026.
From Mumbai, Eshan Desai arrives with a strong foundation in equity research at J.P. Morgan, looking to deepen his international exposure and continue in finance, while San Francisco native Karl Henrik Smith leverages a cross-continental upbringing and experience at firms like Okta, New Relic, and Cloudflare to pivot toward venture capital and AI-driven business models. Gabriela Olivera, originally from Peru, brings extensive experience across innovation consulting, venture building, and global investment ecosystems, aiming to connect emerging markets with international capital, while Rishabh Poddar contributes a unique blend of marketing, media, and political campaign experience spanning the U.S. and Asia, including work tied to major organizations like the Gates Foundation and the National Football League.
The class is further enriched by leaders like Yaqing (Vicky) Wei, whose career spans consulting at Accenture, operations at Uber Eats, venture capital, and founding an AI startup, as well as Adrien Dalais, a Mauritius native and venture capital investor at Republic with ambitions in growth-stage investing and M&A. Across industries—from finance and tech to entrepreneurship and public affairs—these students share a common thread: intentionality in pursuing LBS’s accelerated format, a commitment to global collaboration, and a desire to translate prior experience into broader strategic impact.
Read on for their stories.
