From managing different facets of a family business at a young age to pursuing a finance career after college, Mallory Stack fiercely works to become more versatile in her life perspective and career. A 2018 entrepreneurial management alumna from the BYU Marriott School of Business, Stack continues to gather as many insights from the corporate world as possible.
As a seven-year-old in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Stack helped launch a small family fiber arts and textile business called Millennial Way Farm and Celestial Studios. “My responsibilities involving the business increased as I got older until I ended up managing nearly every area of the business,” Stack explains.
“I was able to touch everything from marketing, sales, and consumer behavior, to logistics like supply chain, web design, and even sourcing contracts internationally,” Stack says. “It was an amazing learning experience and made me want to start my own business someday.”
Stack began her education at Brigham Young University to pursue these dreams, pausing to serve a Spanish-speaking mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Viña del Mar, Chile. Shortly after her mission, Stack completed an internship with professional soccer club Real Oviedo in Spain. Her Spanish fluency enriched her college experience and led her to double-major in Spanish and entrepreneurial management.
Stack always made time for networking with her BYU Marriott teachers and peers, and she attended campus networking events. “If I could give any advice to students, it would be to connect with those around you and keep your connections close,” she says.
Her double major and countless connections provided her with the ability to pursue competitive opportunities upon graduating. “I still wanted to start my own business, but I wanted to gain insights about the corporate world first, specifically in finance and tech,” Stack says.
Stack considered finance to be the most challenging area of business as well as an important component for any future entrepreneurial venture. “I felt like finance was my greatest area for growth potential,” Stack explains. She landed a job at Goldman Sachs and took advantage of on-the-job classes and training. “Entrepreneurship taught me how to solve real problems through business,” Stack says, “and that skill set has helped me succeed in finance.”
Working in finance for the past five years, Stack has gained exposure to everything from private equity and venture capital to investment banking and startups. “I am able to connect the dots of how crucial finance is for the health and growth of any company,” Stack says.
During this time, though, her eyes were opened to the challenges women face in the corporate environment. “One of the biggest insights I’ve gained is the high discrepancy in pay and treatment of women opposed to men in business,” Stack notes.
Stack realized that she wants to support women in business through her personal business ventures. “My long-term plan is to open a private equity firm that backs companies founded by women,” Stack says. “I want to advocate for spaces for women to have their voices heard. I want to empower them to make meaningful differences in the world through business.”
Stack is grateful for the versatility she developed during her early years with her family business, at BYU Marriott, and in the workplace. Looking forward, she plans to return to her entrepreneurial roots and build her own business—one that she hopes will contribute to a more inviting and empowering workplace for women.
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Written by Alice Gubler and Shannon Keeley
