The Global Business Association (GBA) is a student-led organization under the MBA Association at the Michael G. Foster School of Business. As the only MBA club focused exclusively on global business, GBA enhances Foster MBA students’ understanding of cross-border and cross-cultural issues that define today’s business landscape.
Through engaging cultural celebrations, interactive events, and guest speaker sessions, GBA provides students the opportunity to connect with international business leaders and expand their networks, both locally in Seattle and around the world.
Our vision is to build a globally connected and culturally aware Foster community. Our mission is to empower students by deepening their knowledge of global business, supporting international students navigating the U.S. job market, and celebrating the cultural diversity that enriches our MBA program.
We are committed to creating inclusive, globally minded experiences that broaden perspectives, support international engagement, and prepare Foster students to lead in an interconnected world.
PHANI SIDDHARTH SUVARNA
Co-President
Full-time Class of 2027
Sid brings 6+ years of experience at Salesforce, where he worked across CRM, B2B SaaS, and Martech products, leading cross-functional teams and delivering enterprise solutions for clients across industries. His background includes product strategy, stakeholder management, customer engagement, and people leadership, with a strong focus on AI-driven enterprise technology and scalable customer-centric solutions.
JUSTIN WANG
Vice President, Operations
Full-time Class of 2027
Justin brings 4+ years of experience in B2B EdTech, where he led new client acquisition, managed enterprise relationships, and built marketing campaigns to drive sustainable pipeline growth. Most recently, he built the outbound business development function from scratch at a boutique consulting firm specializing in leadership development and coaching.
This summer, he's joining Xemelgo as a Product Marketing Intern. His background spans GTM strategy, account management, business development, and product marketing, with a strong focus on B2B SaaS and customer-focused enterprise solutions.
Josh Gonzalez
Vice President, Community
Full-time Class of 2027
Josh Gonzalez is an active-duty Army Major and MBA candidate with over 12 years of leadership experience in the U.S. Army. Josh has held key leadership roles in a variety of operational units and has led soldiers across Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and the United States. He brings a global perspective to the team with global travels to 38 countries across 4 continents. Outside of both uniform and the university, he co-founded Camp Husky LLC, a premium outdoor dog lifestyle brand with 215K followers across five social media platforms and partnerships with leading brands.
AKANSHA DAS
Vice President, Marketing
Full-time Class of 2027
Born in India and raised in the UAE, Akansha has a background in Computer Science, with 4 years of experience as a Software Engineer in Amazon Web Services. She has worked on end-to-end product development, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to build scalable solutions for services and the supply chain planning for data centers. Outside of work, she loves making music and art, and exploring restaurants around the city.
SOURAV KUMAR
Vice President, Professional Development
Full-time Class of 2027
Sourav Kumar hails from India, and spent 7 years working as an engineer and Tech Lead at The D. E. Shaw Group, a quantitative hedge fund. Having led global cross-functional teams in previous roles, he’s keen to contribute towards professional development within the Global Business Association. Outside of school, he enjoys sports, fitness and board games.
Gunjan Pandey
Vice President, Operations
Full-time Class of 2027
Gunjan worked on B2B client platforms supporting the settlement of over-the-counter trades, serving a large global client base. He later moved into a Tech Product Manager role, leading cross-functional agile teams to deliver eight post-trade applications. His work focused on modernizing legacy systems, reducing technical debt, and strengthening platform security. Outside the classroom, Gunjan enjoys playing badminton and swimming.
We collaborate with key partners across the university to bring you globally enriching experiences throughout the year.
Our partners include:
Career Management Office
Global Business Center at the Foster School of Business
Upcoming & Recurring Events:
Cultural Celebrations - Join us for vibrant events like Friendsgiving, Diwali, Lunar New Year, and the Latin American Carnival to experience traditions from around the world.
Study Abroad Insights - Gain valuable first-hand perspectives from students who have participated in global study tours, exchange programs, or international internships.
Global Leadership Panel - Hear from U.S.-based industry experts as they share insights from leading international projects and working with global teams.
International Language Evenings - Explore the basics of languages like Spanish and French in fun, interactive sessions designed for beginners.