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MBA 1982’s Section B had already formed a close-knit group that gathered often in the decades following their time at the School, when the pandemic appeared in the spring of 2020. Unable to enjoy one another’s company in person, the group didn’t miss a beat and chose to migrate online. Their first Zoom meeting—in which the 20 or so attendees shared life updates—was so fun, they decided to make it a monthly series. In September 2023, the gathering reached 42 consecutive months, with no plans to stop.

“We always have different agendas for the Zooms,” says Allison Hale (MBA 1982), who serves on a committee of six that organizes the virtual meetups. “The formats and topics vary. Sometimes we will have a main conversation with some smaller breakout groups. Sometimes we have specific topics with guest speakers. Sometimes we might just meet to catch up. And we vary the days and times to accommodate people in several time zones.”

MBA 1982 Section B

MBA 1982 Section B

Melissa Weiksnar (MBA 1982), also on the committee, says the content of the virtual meetings ranges widely, with ideas for discussion topics generated primarily within the section. Participants have talked about life after HBS, the burden of a Harvard MBA, the biggest mistakes they’ve made with their careers, and the lessons they’ve applied to their lives and work.

“We’ve also had several guest speakers, including professor emeritus André Perold, who taught Managerial Economics when we were at HBS,” says Weiksnar. “We had studied the ‘Freemark Abbey Winery’ case with him, so we all looked at it again and one of our classmates presented it. Another time, former assistant professor Mark Fuller joined us, and we had a sectionmate who had worked for GM present a ‘faux’ opening of the Ford case. Those were a lot of fun. Then we had a fireside chat with professor emeritus George Lodge—who is 95 years old—and people shared stories about the ways he impacted their lives and careers. It was an incredibly moving session.”

Sometimes the group explores something specific, as in May, when the discussion focused on AI and ChatGPT. The session featured sectionmate Philippe Goetschel (MBA 1982), who volunteered to share practical ways to use ChatGPT for everyday tasks like meal planning, making travel itineraries, or even practicing for a job interview. He was followed by Holden Karnofsky, an AI expert and the son of another sectionmate, Rabbi Keith Karnofsky (MBA 1982), who gave his perspective on the real risks of AI and what needs to happen to minimize the hazards.

That session held a special significance for the group as well as the Karnofskys, as Holden was born during Keith’s two years at HBS and his sectionmates considered him to be the class baby. “He would come with me to class in a Snugli, and I carried him up to the platform at graduation,” Keith recalls.

The monthly Zoom meetings have had “tremendous value” for Karnofsky, who led a separate session about his work as a prison chaplain. “I’m cut from a different cloth from most HBS grads, so it was good to share that. It’s been interesting to see classmates from a different perspective. I wouldn’t be a regular if it was just about business.”

Indeed, many of the virtual meetings have featured classmates leading talks about everything from astronomy and cooking to retirement and travel.

Goetschel says he’s no expert on ChatGPT but has taken an interest in mastering the tool and simply offered to share what he learned. He’s also led slideshow presentations about his passion for adventure. In one session, he talked about the time he and a friend piloted a Beechcraft A36 single-engine plane from Berlin to Seattle. “That was fun!” says Goetschel. “Seven stops, 42 hours of flight time, and a week to complete.” He also spoke of his attempt to complete the Seven Summits before an injury ended his quest; other sectionmates have similarly shared their travel stories.

Goetschel, who is active on the Zoom committee—along with Diogo Teixeira (MBA 1982), Deborah Pearce (MBA 1982), and Ivan Arrieta (MBA 1982)—says the monthly sessions have not only served to deepen some existing relationships but also enabled him to make new friends. “At HBS, even in a section, there are some people you might not talk to because they don’t sit near you, or you have nothing in common,” he observes. “So these virtual section gatherings have expanded my acquaintances and friendships by a large degree, and it’s wonderful.”

Hale says for those joining the Zoom meetings regularly, these richer section friendships made a huge difference in their experience of their 40^th Reunion in 2022.

“We were so relaxed and enjoyed each other because it wasn’t a frantic catch-up of ‘what have you been doing the last five years?’ For the most part, we all knew each other and were up to date on all the background news. I think that’s a key thing; we all felt it made the reunion that much more fun.”

Looking ahead, no one sees the end of the Zoom gatherings anytime soon, even if the classmates sometimes do get together in person—as they will in 2024, when they take a section trip to Italy.

“These section Zooms have been the silver lining of the pandemic,” says Weiksnar. “I think we all have a much deeper appreciation for the people we sat with for a year in Aldrich 108.”

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