Luciana envisions “helping and inspiring marginalized minorities in the business world … by uncovering what makes us unique.”

Luciana Otarola is a mother and business professional currently pursuing an MBA with a STEM designation from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Prior to U-M, Luciana earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from a top-ranked school in Chile, where she graduated in the top 7% in her class. Luciana served as a teaching assistant in quantitative courses at her college and taught English to adults who had dropped out of school, experiences that ignited her interest in knowledge-sharing. After graduation, Luciana worked in finance for over four years, and in that time, she developed analytical skills and learned how to improve a company’s financial wellness. Luciana faced significant obstacles as a woman, immigrant, and mother in the male-dominated finance world, but she overcame these challenges and discovered her talent for understanding clients’ needs.

Luciana decided to pursue an MBA to pivot to business-to-business marketing. Since entering the program in 2022, Luciana has excelled as a student. She has worked on a consulting project for Amazon, developed a value proposition for a business-to-business client, and interned in marketing at Ecolab in Minnesota. She has been involved in professional clubs such as the Marketing Club, the Latin American Club, an Enterprise Resource Group promoting gender equity, and was a founding member of MoMBA, establishing a support network among MBA moms. 

After graduation, Luciana hopes to find a place in a company that shares her passion for diversity and inclusion. In her words, Luciana envisions “helping and inspiring marginalized minorities in the business world … by uncovering what makes us unique.” Her unique traits have allowed her to create genuine and natural connections with stakeholders. Luciana is also proud to set a personal example for her son, aiming to raise him to value diversity, distinctiveness, and equality.

CEW+ celebrates Luciana’s distinctiveness and names her the Helen Huff Shell Scholar.