Unnati Narang never planned to pursue a doctorate, although it seemed like the natural thing to do. Her mom had a PhD, and her father was a physician. But Unnati started out as an entrepreneur, with a seemingly endless amount of energy to dedicate to her pursuits.

During her masters’ studies at the Delhi School of Economics in 2011, she co-founded a retail store for musical instruments – a business she started with two friends. Between managing the store, attending classes, and doing some teaching to pay off her business loans, she routinely put in 10-hour days or longer. It was exhausting work, but she loved it.

It wasn’t until her second startup venture — helping a marketing professor at Columbia Business School set up his online education business — that she began seriously considering a PhD. That’s when the seed was planted. From there, it was on to Texas A&M where she completed a PhD in marketing in 2020.