10-06-2026
The Mitch Daniels School of Business' 2026 Master of Business and Technology (MBT) cohort has torn a page out of the tech world handbook and executed it in real time. In less than six weeks, these graduate students designed and launched a startup while developing and deploying an app that tracks job applications.
“This is a platform built by MBT students for students to stop bookmarking and start applying,” said Deandra Rodricks, the company’s CEO. “We have all been there. Tabs open everywhere, deadlines missed, spreadsheets falling apart. So, we built something to fix that.”
The business and app, both named shortlist, help users organize job applications and track related information such as submission dates, job descriptions and company responses. It’s also designed to give the Mitch Daniels School of Business insight into the job market, the types of companies hiring its graduates and the most requested qualifications. That information will be used to strengthen the Daniels School’s academic and student support programs.
One of the things that struck me was how seriously the students took this because they saw the immediate value of it to their own lives. — Rob Elliott
The app is being beta tested during the 2026 fall semester by MBT students. Once the testing phase is over, it will be rolled out to all Daniels School students. It will be upgraded by future MBT cohorts and monitored by the MBT team.
“They created a product they could envision themselves actually using,” said Rob Elliott, assistant clinical professor of management who teaches the MBT’s Industry Experience course.
“It was very intentional because we need this software, but it was also a very crystallizing moment for me about how important authenticity is when you're doing this kind of work.”
"Previously, when I was given a problem, I would try to solve it with the best possible solution, but with less attention to the return on investment. I would just focus on the research aspect of it. Going through this program, I understand when a company invests money in research, they expect a return eventually." — Dhruba Pujary
The project solved a variety of challenges. It helped graduating students organize their applications. It fulfilled the need for a departmental database. And it offered students a chance to gain expertise during a period when internship opportunities were low.
When Elliott introduced the idea of creating the business for class credit and job experience, 15 of the course’s 28 students opted for the startup.
“One of the things that struck me was how seriously the students took this because they saw the immediate value of it to their own lives,” Elliott said.
For many of the participating students, the project was transformational.
A former senior product lead for the Digital Transformation and New Portfolio Integration Unit of the B2B division of a telecom company in Bangladesh, Md Tausif Uddin went from collaborating with developers in building products to developing one.
“This was a very enlightening experience for me,” said Uddin, who used AI as a coding companion to help design the app. “It equipped me with the skills needed to communicate and lead effectively in today’s exponentially evolving tech market.”
Before shortlist, Uddin said he underestimated the intricacies of the challenges faced by technical teams. “Now, I definitely think I'll be more empathetic.”
As shortlist’s CEO, Rodricks also gained insight, which she documented in a weekly blog called “Being SheEO.” After years of working in cybersecurity, she enrolled in the MBT program because she wanted a business background. In all her previous professional roles, it was her responsibility to analyze problems and find solutions. As the CEO, her mission was to guide and support her team.
“That was the huge learning curve and the huge challenge,” said Rodricks, who wants to have her own cybersecurity consulting firm one day. “I wanted to jump in. I needed to get it done. But in this space, I needed to stay in my CEO bubble and rely heavily on other people.”
Dhruba Pujary was part of Rodricks’ leadership team. He came to Purdue to gain business acumen. In Thailand, he was the lead artificial intelligence researcher as part of the AI and data analytics department for a 2,000+ store retail chain. But working as shortlist’s chief technical officer gave him insight into future leadership roles he hopes to land.
Keisha Johan (middle) and her team had a successful pilot launch of their new startup, Habita.
“It's way of looking at things more holistically,” Pujary said. “Previously, when I was given a problem, I would try to solve it with the best possible solution, but with less attention to the return on investment. I would just focus on the research aspect of it. Going through this program, I understand when a company invests money in research, they expect a return eventually.”
For shortlist Chief Product Officer Keisha Johan, the return on her MBT investment has been immediate; she said "shortlist has become my SOP (standard operating procedue)."
As a cofounder of her own startup, Johan and her team completed their first round of funding and had a successful pilot launch of Habita. All the lessons she learned with shortlist are being implemented in this new company.
If you would like to receive more information about pursuing a business master’s at the Mitch Daniels School of Business, please connect with us and a program specialist will be in touch!
