Our backstory

MBA Pathfinders is the culmination of our founders’ shared passion for business education and a longstanding commitment to helping candidates achieve their MBA dreams. Our founders have more than 30 years of combined MBA admissions consulting experience and significant industry experience in consulting, marketing, and tech.

Laura and Pamela frequently attend in-person conferences and webinars, fostering relationships with the Directors of Admissions and Career Officers at most top U.S. and European MBA programs. Every consultant on the MBA Pathfinders team has post-MBA business experience, previously worked for a top MBA admissions consulting firm and has been trained in the proprietary MBA Pathfinders methodology. Collectively, our team members have guided thousands of candidates through the complex MBA admissions process to achieve successful outcomes.

Our philosophy

Our mission is core to who we are, how our company operates, and how our consultants collaborate with clients.

We are:

  • Dreamers – We will encourage you to think big and take the leap to realize your MBA dreams – professionally, personally, and otherwise.

  • Connectors – We are committed to connecting our clients with the best programs and will provide you with opportunities to meet your development goals.

  • Admissions insiders – Our founders have insider knowledge of and relationships with Admissions Directors at the most competitive MBA programs.

  • Doers – We will provide strategic and tactical advice on your application materials; we won’t write anything for you, but we’ll help you shape your applications to highlight your fullest potential.

  • Businesspeople – We’ve been in your shoes, having worked in business roles post-MBA, and we will leverage our knowledge and experience to guide you to success.

  • Globally-minded – We’ve traveled extensively, worked abroad, built global teams, and consulted to MBA candidates from across the world. We know how to help international candidates make this important career and life transition.

  • Long-term thinkers – We’re not just focused on the MBA course, but its potential to change the trajectory of your life in multi-faceted ways.

    We’re with you at every step in your journey!

Our founders

Pamela Jaffe has helped hundreds of applicants achieve entry into the top U.S. and European business schools. Pamela began her MBA consulting career in 2010 as a part-time consultant at mbaMission while concurrently working full-time as an internal strategist for companies including IBM, MetLife, Weight Watchers, Pfizer, and Dow Jones. She found her passion as a coach and an advisor; in 2019, she left corporate America to launch The Jaffe Advantage. Pamela leverages her MBA admissions consulting experience with her global business knowledge to advise her clients in the pursuit of their ideal MBA educational experience. She has lived and worked in both Paris and Singapore, focusing on the Asian, Middle Eastern and European markets. Pamela currently resides in New York City, but continues to travel extensively for work and fun. She holds a BA from Smith College and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Laura Nelson has served as a Senior Consultant with mbaMission, Stacy Blackman Consulting, and as the founder of LE Nelson Consulting to help hundreds of candidates earn admissions to top MBA programs. Laura’s industry experience includes entertainment, media & publishing, and tech, with established companies and startup organizations. Most recently, she served as VP of Marketing with a SaaS startup. Laura’s non-traditional career path and MBA admissions consulting experience enables her to help clients from less traditional backgrounds gain credibility with top programs, while helping those with traditional career paths stand out. Laura lived and worked in California for a decade prior to relocating to Colorado. She holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and earned an MBA from University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.