Discovering a passion for serving others

For many business professionals, pursuing an MBA through UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School is a strategic move to accelerate career advancement, transition into a new field or gain specialized industry knowledge.

For Raj Merchant (MBA ’20), the motivation was different.

As a successful IT consultant focused on data analytics and digital transformation, Merchant didn’t need an MBA to continue his career trajectory. After all, he had already climbed the ranks in his industry, earning respect and recognition for his technical expertise and leadership.

Instead, Merchant saw enrolling in an MBA program as a chance to challenge himself, broaden his network and develop new relationships.

“I wasn’t looking to pivot my career – I love what I do – and I certainly wasn’t interested in taking time off from work to pursue an MBA full time,” Merchant says. “I wanted to push myself intellectually and explore what else I could do with my skills. UNC Kenan-Flagler seemed like the perfect opportunity to do that.”

It was a decision that not only opened the door to meet new people and enhance his business knowledge. It also introduced him to opportunities to help others in his community.

The Evening Executive MBA Program inspired Merchant to pursue social entrepreneurship opportunities. 

Deciding to pursue an MBA

After moving to Charlotte in 2015 to be closer to family, Merchant wanted to be intentional about finding new ways to meet people and engage with the local community. He tried hands-on volunteering, including bottle-feeding kittens and reading with elementary school students. He also started toying with the idea of going back to school.

“I hadn’t stepped foot in a classroom in well over a decade at that point, but I knew doing an MBA program online wasn’t going to work for me,” Merchant says. “I need to be there in person; that’s how I learn. When I sat in on a class as a prospective student at UNC Kenan-Flagler in Chapel Hill, I knew immediately: This is where I belong.”

Merchant enrolled in the Evening Executive MBA Program in fall 2018, making the trek from Charlotte to Chapel Hill every Monday for nearly a year and a half before COVID-19 forced the program to go virtual for the final six months.

“I wanted to push myself intellectually and explore what else I could do with my skills. UNC Kenan-Flagler seemed like the perfect opportunity to do that.”

Having just missed out on the opportunity to pursue his master’s degree at UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Charlotte Executive MBA Program on its new Charlotte campus, which welcomed its first cohort in fall 2022, he admits he’s rather jealous of those who now can attend classes in the Queen City.

“There’s so much energy with the new Charlotte campus,” Merchant says. “UNC Kenan-Flagler is finding exciting ways to build the community by hosting events like meet and greets, where you see and feel the inclusiveness of our alumni network.”

That aha moment

As Merchant immersed himself in the evening program in Chapel Hill, he was drawn to courses on business innovation, startup management and social impact.

It was during a course on social entrepreneurship that Merchant had an epiphany. He realized that the skills he had honed over his career – effectively harnessing data to help transform business operations – could be applied in the nonprofit sector.

“Through a course, we worked with a Luxembourg-based startup focused on preventing food waste,” Merchant says. “They had created a dynamic pricing model that discounts grocery items as they near their expiration dates. And we helped them with a go-to-market strategy for entering the U.S., where 40% of food waste ends up in landfills.”

While his background in technology and software development gave him a strong foundation in problem-solving and stakeholder management, these new subjects exposed Merchant to the broader possibilities of business, particularly the potential to drive positive change in the community.

“I started to see how business principles could be used to solve pressing social issues,” he says. “The idea of using my skills and experience to help others really resonated with me.”

Merchant joined the board of Feeding Charlotte after completing the Evening Executive MBA Program. He’s now board chair. 

Embracing a new calling

Inspired by this newfound passion, Merchant looked into helping early-stage nonprofit organizations address issues affecting Charlotte communities. He found the perfect way to apply both what he learned through the MBA program and his career experience with an organization called Social Venture Partners (SVP).

“SVP is a global network of strategic philanthropists helping to strengthen high-impact organizations that are attacking social and economic inequality,” says Merchant. “The MBA program opened my eyes to the vast opportunity that exists to help early-stage nonprofits as they actively look for solutions to remove barriers to upward mobility.”

One group supported by SVP caught his attention: Feeding Charlotte, an early-stage nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing and distributing freshly prepared food to those in need across the Charlotte area.

Feeding Charlotte’s mission aligns perfectly with Merchant’s values, and he became deeply involved in their work. His contributions were invaluable: He helped the organization optimize its operations, streamline its technology infrastructure and develop strategies for sustainable growth.

Before long, Merchant was invited to join the board of Feeding Charlotte. He now plays a key role as board chair, guiding its strategic direction and ensuring its long-term impact on the community.

The uniqueness of the MBA journey

Merchant’s story is a testament to the unique and sometimes unexpected paths people experience through UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Executive MBA Programs.

While he’s achieved his initial goals of meeting new people and building his professional network through the Business School, Merchant found something even more meaningful: a passion for serving others and a way to use his business skills to make a tangible difference in the world.

And his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. In 2023, The Charlotte Ledger named Merchant one of the city’s 40 over 40, recognizing his positive impact on the Charlotte community. He also completed Leadership Charlotte, whose mission is to develop and enhance volunteer community leadership, as a member of Class 44 (2022-2023).

“The decision to get my MBA was the launching point of my transformation over the past six years,” Merchant says. “Being named to the 40 over 40 list and becoming part of Leadership Charlotte are directly correlated to my experience at UNC Kenan-Flagler and being a part of the UNC alumni family.

“The Evening Executive MBA Program empowered me to think bigger. It helped me discover a deeper purpose and showed me how I can contribute to something much larger than myself.”