Celebrating Love and Learning with Booth Couples

How do both of you support one another while pursuing an MBA?

Though we pursue our independent interests at Booth, we support each other’s endeavors any way we can. This ranges from more general things (preparing for job interviews, practicing negotiation conversations, shifting home responsibilities) to Booth-specific things (getting involved in each other’s clubs, brainstorming club ideas together, and creating community between clubs). We catch up at the end of each day, try to stay on top of what’s going on in each other’s lives, and build in time to support each other at and outside of Booth. While this takes up more calendar time, it’s incredibly rewarding to show up for your partner and bolster their pursuits.

What’s the most enjoyable part about being in a couple with another Boothie? Is there any specific favorite shared Booth memory that comes to mind?

Shreya: Gautam loved playing the drums growing up, and during his first year at Booth he joined an all-Booth band called Murders & Acquisitions. It was great to see him pursuing his passion for drums again, and through the band’s collective hard work, compete at the annual Battle of the Bands competition against Kellogg!

Gautam: Shreya channeled her entrepreneurial spirit and co-founded an ecommerce fashion startup, called Zaars, with two other Boothies. It was great to see her combine her passion for fashion and culture to make it all the way to the New Venture Challenge Finals!

Shreya & Gautam: Another great experience has been sharing our common interests with other Boothies. We both love to dance, and one of our favorite memories at Booth is helping choreograph some of the 2Y group dances for the South Asian Business Group’s annual Diwali Cruise!One of the great things we love about being a couple at Booth is being able to see each other grow and achieve our goals. Through it all, we’ve loved being able to see each other pursue our passions, grow both personally and professionally, and have fun!

Amy took the pre-med track in undergrad, majoring in Biochemistry and Economics. On the verge of graduation, Amy realized that pursuing a career in medicine wasn’t the right fit for her. She then pivoted to healthcare consulting, first at IBM and later at ZS Associates. Meeting incredible people along the way led Amy to apply for MBA programs, and she eventually landed at Chicago Booth.

Mittul was born in India but grew up in many cities across the U.S., where he helped his parents run their small businesses, sparking his interest in entrepreneurship. Post-college, Mittul started his first business: a media agency in Philadelphia. After a few years of corporate experience in New York, Mittul came to Booth to leverage the amazing entrepreneurship resources at the Polsky Center. Since coming to Booth, he’s launched his startup Zaars with two fellow Boothies, while also making time to learn about new industries from his peers.

About the Couple

Amy and Mittul met at a friend’s wedding in Los Angeles – Mittul was a groomsman and Amy was a friend of the bride! They spent the next four days sightseeing in LA together and the rest was history. Six years later, they are still partners-in-crime but newly engaged! Celebrating their engagement with Boothies has been one of their favorite memories while in school.

How do both of you support one another while pursuing an MBA?

Amy: Mittul was the GOAT while I went through the recruitment process – he meal prepped, drove me to recruiting events, and was even willing to be my study partner while I crammed for technical interviews. When I ran the Chicago Marathon last Fall, my first-ever marathon, he also biked alongside the route, handing me snacks (and much-needed Advil!) while cheering me on the entire way.

Mittul: On the flip side, Amy was my #1 supporter when I put my startup Zaars through the New Venture Challenge. She helped my team refine our NVC pitch, visited Little India to help source customers, and organized our launch party.

Above all else, we just try to be there for each other!

Fun Facts About the Couple

Together, Mittul and Amy took a road trip spanning 15k total miles the summer before starting business school. They’ve also moved ten times across five different cities (Philly, DC, NYC, LA and Chicago x2!) in the last five years. Separately, Amy used to be a late-night radio show host in college, and Mittul used to be a competitive Forza Motorsports player!

Holli’s interests took her from the halls of Indiana University into the world of finance and equity markets. Based in New York, she spent her early career at J.P. Morgan focused on algorithmic trading and principal risk solutions. She decided to come to Booth to advance her financial expertise before taking the leap into strategy consulting. Upon graduation, she will be joining McKinsey & Company.

Cat’s pursuit of a chemical engineering degree at Johns Hopkins opened her eyes to the complexities of healthcare, leading to an early career at Genentech. Joining Booth through the Chicago Booth Scholars Program was a natural step for Cat to enhance high-impact skills for the business facets of the healthcare sector. Upon graduation, she will be joining Oliver Wyman’s Healthcare & Life Sciences practice.

About the Couple

Holli and Cat’s paths crossed on the first day of orientation with assigned seats positioned directly across the room from one another. It was clear from the start that they shared a lot in common. Mutual love for endurance sports and the outdoors quickly sparked into something more. Now, after more than a year together, the two are excited for their next adventure to the Bay Area after graduation. As they look forward to their next chapter, their Booth experiences – rooted in love, support, and ambition – will undoubtedly continue to guide their path forward.

Favorite shared Booth memory?

Climbing Kilimanjaro together has been a major highlight of our shared time at Booth. The week-long summit allowed us to completely immerse ourselves in the experience, leaving cell service behind while tackling major challenges together. Our trip to Kilimanjaro was a lifetime bucket list item that we were able to scratch off together.

Favorite date night spot?

Our go-to date spot is PLANTA Queen, a stronghold in Chicago’s plant-based food scene. Cat has been vegan for several years now and although I have yet to fully convert, this is one of those places that has quickly risen to the top of both of our lists.

Fun Facts About the Couple

Holli and Cat share a passion for endurance sports; running triathlons and ultra-marathons transformed what were once personal challenges into shared journeys. Running races together, from the Brooklyn Mile to the Chicago Marathon continues to provide a connection for the two to get closer to one another through training. They enjoy and appreciate the rush that comes from making it across the finish line together every time.