Before he came to Vanderbilt, Brandon Kieffer worked in his family’s stone and masonry business in southeast Texas. He credits the experience with helping him develop an entrepreneurial mindset and giving him a holistic view of how business units converge in pursuit of common goals.

But he also knew that his long-term path would take him elsewhere. “I wanted to start a journey of my own and pursue a career driven by my passions,” Brandon says. “I knew that an MBA would close the skill gaps I had and open up doors to more prestigious opportunities.”

He came to Owen aiming to build a career in brand management, an area in which the school offers a specialization. While Vanderbilt’s ranking and prestige were important, he says, “I wanted a smaller program where you could develop meaningful relationships and not just be a number filling a seat.”

While Brandon’s career goal didn’t change, he found that the Owen experience changed him after he got involved with the Turner Family Center for Social Ventures (TFC). He became a student board member, worked with other graduate students across the Vanderbilt campus in Guatemala as part of the student-driven Project Pyramid, and consulted with a social enterprise in Nashville to create a marketing strategy. (Perhaps not surprisingly, one of his favorite Nashville restaurants, Slim & Husky’s, combines entrepreneurship with an element of social enterprise.)

In fact, he says, “My involvement with the TFC has been the most influential aspect of my Owen career. Not only did the experience help me land my dream job, but it helped me realize how I can still make a social impact in a corporate environment.”

Fun Fact: Brandon, who enjoys weightlifting, yoga, and soccer, once helped start a protein powder company.

“Not only did the experience help me land my dream job, but it helped me realize how I can still make a social impact in a corporate environment.”