Alumni: Alumni Impact Award

  Rachael Classi, Daytime MBA '14

    Founder and CEO, Tiny Earth Toys

A passionate environmentalist and mother of two, Rachael Classi is the founder and CEO of Tiny Earth Toys, an educational toy rental startup on a mission to declutter playrooms and eliminate plastic toy waste. Since founding in 2020, Tiny Earth Toys has grown to include rental subscribers in almost every state (here’s looking at you South Dakota) as families seek reduce their environmental impact. Prior to founding Tiny Earth Toys, Rachael spent over a decade building the women’s bicycle product line for Specialized Bicycle Co. and leading strategy for Teamworks sports operations software.

Rachael received her MBA from Duke University, The Fuqua School of Business with concentrations in social entrepreneurship and corporate finance. She and her husband Peter live in Durham, NC with their two daughters, Donna and Lucia, and can usually be found hiking in Duke Forest, riding bikes with their girls, or having a 90s-themed dance party in their living room.

What impact has your Fuqua experience had on your career/life?

Fuqua has been a truly transformational experience in my life. Personally, I met my husband and some of my closest friends at Fuqua! They have been supporters, sounding boards, and champions for me in my professional and personal life. And as a human, Fuqua empowered me with knowledge and perspective. I feel incredibly capable as an entrepreneur in part because of the foundational knowledge and confidence I built while at Fuqua.

Professionally or personally, what are you excited about right now?

Personally, I am most excited about being a mom to two incredible young girls. My daughters are funny, smart, bold and energetic and I feel inspired every day to set an example for them. Professionally, I am SO excited about the growth of Tiny Earth Toys. We're in the middle of incredible growth driven by parents' desire to shape a more sustainable world for their children and that gets me so fired up!

What does Team Fuqua mean to you?

Team Fuqua has always meant "Supportive Ambition" to me. At every turn, Fuqua and Fuquans have been present to support the ambitions I have for my life. There are professors like Jamie Jones and Jon Fjeld who serve as important connectors and advisors to my business supporting my entrepreneurial journey. There are friends and classmates who texted and called to give me emotional support when I made the decision a few years back to stay home with my daughters. And there is a broader community who make introductions and connections to help my growing business succeed. I knew the day I came to Blue Devil Weekend back in 2012 that there was something unique about Fuqua, and I am reminded often of how impactful Team Fuqua has been on my life.

  Cesar Del Castillo De Pando, Global Executive MBA '16

    Executive Director, Co-Head of Institutional Distribution, Credicorp Capital Asset Management

César started at Credicorp Capital Asset Management (CCAM) in 2013 as Head of Institutional Distribution in Peru. He is responsible for CCAM Mexico and co-leads the Regional Institutional Distribution team. Previously, he worked for Compass Group from 2007 to 2012, leading the Institutional Clients team in Peru and the Global Distribution and Product Management for offshore funds. In the past, he worked for the Grain and Oilseed Supply Chain Platform of Cargill Peru as Commodity Trader and Sales Representative.

César holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Universidad del Pacifico (Peru) and an MBA from Duke University, The Fuqua School of Business. He is currently the President of Fuqua School of Business alumni group in Peru.

What impact has your Fuqua experience had on your career/life?

Fuqua gave me some of the most important things in my life: friends, a great professional network with a lot of human touch, and it became my second home.

It gave me a valuable academic content and taught me critical and positive ways to do business with integrity and transparency. My first months as a student were a big challenge, but they were a great lesson how to adapt and develop skills.

Professionally or personally, what are you excited about right now?

I am very excited about the commencement of Credicorp Capital Asset Management in Mexico. I am responsible for the Business Development and entirety of operations there, which I consider an exciting professional opportunity. I am truly happy to start this journey with such a fantastic team of professionals in one of the most important financial markets in Latin America.

What does Team Fuqua mean to you?

Team Fuqua is a way of living. It means passion, cooperation, achieving goals, growth, committing errors and learning from them together with a group of people with integrity and responsibility.