UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

Shannon Chen is a second-year student in the full-time MBA program at Kenan-Flagler concentrating in corporate finance and sustainable enterprise. She is originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but she lived in Virginia Beach before moving to Chapel Hill. Prior to business school, Shannon worked in the education sector as a math teacher and as the assistant director of an education nonprofit organization. After earning her MBA, Shannon hopes to return to the education non-profit world with a role in finance and advancement. At Kenan-Flagler, Shannon is the head tutor and the vice president of corporate sponsorship for the Carolina Women in Business (CWIB). She also participates in the Nonprofit Board Consultants Program at Kenan-Flagler. Fun fact about Shannon—her husband, Conrad, is also KFBS class of 2022.

John was born in a small town in the UK called Milton Keynes, and spent equal portions of his life living in the UK, the US, and the Middle East. Most of his career has focused on business development or strategic positions in the international renewable energy sector, so it’s no real surprise that his enrichments are in Energy and Sustainability, and concentrations are in Corporate Finance and Consulting. This past year, John was a STAR team leader, part of a winning case competition team at UCLA Anderson, and was a Kenan Scholar. This autumn, John will be concluding his Kenan Scholars research, which he is conducting with the Center for Sustainable Enterprise. His research project focuses on the challenges associated with impact investing in India. In his spare time, John enjoys writing, Muay Thai and boxing, and is a self-proclaimed “Titanic nerd”.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Nelson attended Hampton University and graduated in 2019 with his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Economics. Upon graduation, Nelson accepted a position at KPMG, in the San Francisco office, on the Business Valuation team in the tax practice. Once the pandemic began, he took the opportunity to attend UNC Kenan-Flagler where he is concentrating in Capital Markets and Investments as well as Operation Management. In his free time, he enjoys working out and traveling with his Fiancé.