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ALISSA SPEIGHT
10 Emerson Place, Apt. #8A | Boston, MA 02114
201-321-7789 | Alissa.Speight@sloan.mit.edu
EDUCATION
MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Cambridge, MA
Candidate for MBA, June 2016 2014 – Present
• Elected Director of Marketing for 2015 MIT Sloan Sustainability Conference
• VP of Careers for Marketing Club; active member of Operations and Retail, Luxury and CPG Clubs
• Participant in MIT Sloan DesignWorks: worked with leading design innovation consulting firm, analyzed local
restaurant’s branding and service design, proposed changes to improve customer experience
• Consultant for student startup Love Grain: identified ten new product placement opportunities and developed five new
recipes for core product offering of teff grain-based food products
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY Princeton, NJ
BA in Comparative Literature, summa cum laude 2008 – 2012
• GPA 3.7/4.0
• Certificates in Chinese language & culture, Latin American studies, translation & intercultural communication
• Leigh Buchanan Bienen and Henry Bienen thesis prize for most outstanding thesis on an East Asian topic, "Bread,
Circuses, and Steel: Mega-sporting events, National Image, and Modernization in China and Brazil"
EXPERIENCE
ZEN COOKERY Cambridge, MA
Founder of allergy-friendly food company 2013 – Present
• Identified local market need and established Boston’s first wholesale gluten-free/vegan baking company
• Managed four core product lines and provided 16 combined standard and seasonal offerings; sold products in seven
retail channels, including four weekly farmers markets in Winter 2014
• Successfully raised $6K on Indiegogo in financing for commercial kitchen space and licensing (exceeded funding goal);
donated 25% of proceeds in excess of goal to Food Allergy Research and Education Foundation
• Developed sales partnership contacts in over 50 local markets, cafes, and food businesses in Boston metro area
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL Boston, MA
Research Associate 2012 – 2014
• Developed seven HBS cases and eleven teaching notes on entrepreneurship in China, domestic and overseas expansion
strategy of state-owned and private Chinese companies, and international ventures in China market
• Selected full-time as a Teaching Fellow and student liaison for HBS 2nd-year MBA Elective Curriculum Courses,
"Doing Business in China in the Early-21st Century" and "Planning Your Business in China"
• Established and managed relationships with senior executives in Chinese companies ranging from startup ventures to
companies with annual revenues of $16B in industries including CPG, technology, manufacturing
• Conducted research with three Harvard Business School faculty members and assisted development and publication of
book on China's leadership potential in global business ("Can China Lead?: Reaching the Limits of Power and Growth")
• Generated comprehensive report for and served as a key facilitator for the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative's
Global Conference in Shanghai in June 2013
AMR INTERNATIONAL CONSULTING New York, NY
Intern 2011
• Worked from New York in four multinational teams based in Taiwan, London, and Germany
• Collected and analyzed data to generate forecasts on electronics and textile sector growth for FTSE 250 client,
ultimately advised client against acquisition of $200M NASDAQ-listed products sourcing company in China
• Created models to track performance and competitive positioning of leading Latin American design exhibitions for a
$160M international events organizer, ultimately advised client acquisition of Brazilian trade show with 8,000+ attendees
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• Languages: conversational in Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish
• Writing: gluten-free cookbook targeting individuals with GI conditions, personal blog, MIT Sloan blog
• Performance: a cappella singing (eight years), coordinator of MIT Sloan’s student storytelling event, The Yarn
• Fitness: November Project (free community workout group with rotating locations based in Boston, MA)
• Scores: GMAT: 710, SAT: 2250