Divinity Matovu, MBA mom: Many mothers “feel like getting an MBA might be impossible for them. They don’t see a lot of examples of other women who have done it. As a mom thinking about higher education, you can start to feel very alone, isolated and doubtful.” Courtesy photo
For all the progress business schools have made with gender diversity working towards parity in many programs, there’s still limited visibility for mothers in the MBA world.
When Divinity Matovu arrived at Wharton to pursue her MBA, mother to her three-year-old daughter, she had been searching for stories of moms who had walked the same path. “Why are there no examples of women who have done this?” she remembers asking herself.
Looking to pave the way for other moms who may be wondering if an MBA is the right path for them is what inspired MBA Mama, which she launched in April 2015 in the form of a blog.
MBA MAMA’S NEW ITERATION
Flash forward to today, Matovu is a proud Wharton alumni with an MBA, and MBA Mama is now relaunching after a brief hiatus while Matovu was working a corporate consulting role. Her attention is now fully on the website, and she’s proud to announce some major changes.
MBA Mama is expanding into full-service MBA admissions consulting, specifically for women who are mothers or planning motherhood during their MBA.
“A lot of those moms feel like getting an MBA might be impossible for them,” shares Matovu. “They don’t see a lot of examples of other women who have done it. As a mom thinking about higher education, you can start to feel very alone, isolated and doubtful.” This site is designed to support them.
Mimi West, MBA mom. Courtesy photo
Other graduated MBA mothers began reaching out to Matovu on the website from all over the world, saying they wanted to also share their stories on her site and help other moms find their place in the world of business higher education.
HELPING MOTHERS RECOGNIZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL
MBA Mama is on a mission to help mothers around the world recognize their potential and pursue higher education. Currently, in full-time MBA programs, mothers are still rare. Numbers are typically in the low single-digit percentages, with Tuck reporting just 4% of MBA mothers in their classes.
“What I’ve been able to determine just through analyzing the data – for full-time two-year MBA programs, the average program length, it’s in the low 3–10% – women who have children in an MBA. At Wharton we were about 3%,” Matovu shares.
She and some of the mothers in her cohort ultimately created their own group. Their overarching group was Wharton Women in Business, and the subgroup she took part in was called Mothers at Wharton. “We would meet and connect and exchange babysitting services and other things,” says Matovu.
‘AN MBA & MOTHERHOOD GO HAND-IN-HAND’
Despite what some might initially believe, having a child and pursuing your MBA is actually a great combination, says Matovu. “Ages 25-30 is the prime time to have children and prime time to get your MBA,” says Matovu.
There are several reasons for this.“You have much more flexibility than you have in a full-time job, much more support from the campus than you would typically get from an employer,” she says. “You have healthcare from the school, typically there’s a childcare facility on or near campus, and you can get your budget amended for a dependent. A lot of people don’t know that, and that’s why we are trying to get the word out,” she continues.
Her advocacy has made a difference far and wide. At Wharton, she and a few peers successfully lobbied for lactation rooms.
“At Wharton, there was no lactation room and she and a few women advocated for this. Wharton responded very well and went above and beyond with a suite of 4 private lactation rooms.”
MBA MAMA RETREAT
Alongside their new admissions consulting offering, MBA Mama’s relaunch the is rolling out fresh content, merchandise like hoodies and mugs, and its signature “MBA Mama of the Month” feature.
Hafou Toure, MBA mom. Courtesy photo
Alumni moms are joining Matovu to consult, offering affordable rates and free 15-minute sessions. “They want to give back,” she says.
One thing that makes MBA Mama different from other admissions consulting businesses is the extras they offer, like childcare. “We are going to be helping to research and identify childcare options for the MBA moms on the campuses of the schools that they are considering. This can be a really overwhelming task,” Matovu says. “Nobody else is doing that.”
The community is also reviving in-person meetups and planning something bigger: the MBA Mama Spring Break Retreat in Jamaica in 2026.
“This isn’t going to be too heavy on career stuff – this is really about unplugging, connecting and building community,” Matovu explains.
Families are welcome, with upscale accommodations, beach time, spa days, and onsite childcare provided by local women. The retreat will also include a personal and professional goal-setting session where moms pair with accountability partners to discuss topics like “what do I want to see for the rest of 2026?” and “what are my short-term goals?” Matovu adds, “We hope to make this an annual retreat.”
For Matovu, this mission is deeply personal. “You can start to feel like maybe the MBA isn’t in the cards for me since I have kids, or maybe I should wait until I get older,” she says. “But I want moms to know: this is possible. You are not alone.”
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