Mackenzie Curnutt, PMBA 54 and Buddy Foster, MBA 2024
Get to know Mackenzie !
I am an experienced Business Operations Specialist at the Foreign Service Institute, where I have held various roles over the past seven years. I am an integral part of the Transition Center, overseeing the unit’s financial management and budgetary requirements.
I graduated from Texas A&M University in 2016 with a major in Business Management and a minor in Economics. At A&M, I earned an International Business Certificate through summer internships with the Department of State in London and as a global health intern in Maseru, Lesotho.
Originally from Abilene, TX, I spent six years after graduating in Washington, D.C., where I met my husband, Buddy Foster. We ended up in St. Louis for Buddy to pursue his MBA, and after one year, I also decided to start the PMBA program at Olin. I enjoy traveling, exploring different cultures, strength training, and taking our dog, Leo, for walks in my free time.
Let’s hear from Buddy!
Before doing my MBA, I had a varied career. I’ve held positions in business development at early-stage digital health companies and marketing technology firms. I’ve done product and market development at large construction companies. I’ve done sales and operations at coffee roasteries and founded, operated, and sold a company while completing my entrepreneurial management and marketing degree at Auburn University. I even had a stint as a competitive barista. So, when someone asks me what I did before coming to WashU, it’s not the most straightforward question. However, after meeting my wife in Washington, DC, and moving to St. Louis for my MBA, I have found the most joy in helping founders succeed through my work at Muditā Venture Partners, an early-stage VC firm based in Detroit.
Outside of work and school, I enjoy running (I recently ran my first marathon in Baltimore!), climbing, camping, and finding new places to explore with my wife and rescue pit bull, Leo.