The program also made clear that while you form lifelong friendships, doctoral work is deeply individual. Success comes from staying focused on your own goals, seeking the information you need, and contributing to others where possible. I also became acutely aware of the DBA\u2019s \u201ccultural misfi<\/span>t\u201d status in academia. It is often misunderstood compared to the PhD. The challenge for graduates is to establish the DBA\u2019s value through rigorous, consistent research that bridges academia and practice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The research I began post-graduation brought acute awareness of the dimensionality of academic inquiry to my work. I have always been a data-driven strategy and management consultant, but academic rigor now informs everything I do. Since December 2024, I have developed new conceptual models at the intersection of sustainable strategy, AI, and decision-making in VUCA environments. I have also presented across global conferences, from Sydney to Michigan to Palermo and Porto, sharing frameworks that integrate complexity science, effectuation, and AI.<\/p>\n Perhaps most important, I now collaborate with former professors as peers. Writing with scholars such as Mark Esposito, Yusaf Akbar, Kate Abraham, and Patrick Kincaid has taught me how to lead co-authored work, move projects forward, and meet submission deadlines with publishable quality.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn consulting, I was praised for solving problems and delivering answers. The DBA taught me that real research is about inquiry, not certainty, and that disproving a hypothesis can be as important as proving one.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Steph Sharma, Hult DBA Class of 2024<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n It taught me humility in knowledge creation. Research is rarely about discovering something entirely new. Instead, it is about integrating, reframing, or extending what exists from a new perspective. The DBA instilled rigor to remain impartial and not become attached to concepts or data. This is counter to business practice, where we are trained to identify problems, fi<\/span>nd solutions, and implement them. In research, disproving a hypothesis can be just as valuable as confi<\/span>rming one. That mindset has changed how I approach strategy questions. I now sit more comfortably in uncertainty, inquiry, and iterative testing, rather than racing to solutions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The DBA enabled me to step into the academic world with credibility, confi<\/span>dence, and skill. I can now design and deliver research at a level that contributes to both scholarship and practice. I have built conceptual frameworks that I am advancing through publications and teaching, while also consulting with organizations. The degree provided the foundation to contribute as both a researcher and practitioner, which was not possible before.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat surprised me most was that defending my thesis did not feel like an ending. It was the beginning of an entirely new dimension of my professional life.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/media\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Steph-300-WEB-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOne year on, what\u2019s changed since graduation?<\/h3>\n
How has the DBA infl<\/span>uenced the way you think or make decisions?<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/media\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Steph-grad-speech-276-WEB-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhat has the DBA helped you achieve that you couldn\u2019t before?<\/h3>\n