Student Spotlight: Finding Growth in Community
Sahaana Das (MSSM ‘25) found and built a strong community in Silicon Valley
By Hannah Brelsford
Growing up in India, Sahaana Das (MSSM ‘25) was always a curious kid who wanted to bridge the gap between people and progress. The tech boom in India during her childhood was highly influential in shaping her future aspirations.
The tech boom inspired her to pursue computer science in her undergraduate studies at Bennett University. The university's culture was future-focused, pushing students to think about technology innovation and how to utilize that technology to create solutions that matter. This is where her love for innovation was cultivated.
As she worked across various domains over time, she realized that she was missing the crucial 'why' aspect of problem-solving. This realization led her to pursue an MBA degree from MICA, the School of Ideas, where she focused on understanding consumer behavior. However, she still felt a gap in her technical problem-solving skills. To address this, she decided to pursue a Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) at the Integrated Innovation Institute (iii) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Silicon Valley.
“I did not want to pick between being technical, creative, or business-minded. MSSM was the only program that said ‘Why not be all three?’”
The Fast Facts: A Summary of Sahaana’s Time in the MSSM Program
Interdisciplinary Learning at CMU Silicon Valley 📚
- Customer eXperience Engineer Analyst at Dell Technologies
- Finding the MSSM program
- Interdisciplinary learning in Silicon Valley
- The Large Scale Problems Course
Working at the Intersection of AI and Education 💻
- AI Product Manager Intern at 7EDU
- Leveraging innovations in AI to improve workflows
A Love for Stories 📖
- Belonging Fellow at the CMU iii
- Students sharing cultural backgrounds at the iii
What’s Next 🎓
- Hopes to connect technology, creativity, and business
- Has an entrepreneurial spirit to build a better world
“The entire Bay Area is your campus. There are such great ideas and wonderful minds here, which is my favorite part of the program.”
Interdisciplinary Learning at CMU Silicon Valley
Before joining CMU, Sahaana gained professional experience as a Customer Experience Engineer Analyst at Dell Technologies. During her time there, she embraced the startup spirit, even while working for a large corporation. This role provided her with valuable opportunities for career development and learning.
CMU had always been Sahaana’s dream school, and when she was looking to gain more technical and interdisciplinary experience, she knew it would be the perfect place to go. When Sahaana was initially searching for a way to enhance her skills, she wasn't interested in pursuing another master's degree. However, the MSSM program provided her with a unique opportunity to grow in a way she hadn't considered before. She was looking for a program that would allow her to explore both technical and business aspects without having to choose between the two. The MSSM curriculum felt like a limitless playground to her, enabling her to develop into the professional she aspired to become.
Her drive to create platforms for student collaboration and growth was sparked after representing CMU-SV at the IEEE Rising Stars Conference in Las Vegas. Following that experience, Sahaana founded the IEEE CMU-SV Student Chapter.
One of those courses, Integrated Innovation for Large Scale Problems, will be a favorite memory that she reflects on for years to come. The course presents students with a problem statement and has them contemplate it within the context of the future. Sahaana loved this course because it challenged her to think outside the box. The problem statement that her cohort was challenged with related to balancing anonymity with freedom within online spaces. Another aspect of the MSSM program that Sahaana has particularly enjoyed is its location in Silicon Valley. The region is known for its strong focus on innovation and a constant flow of new ideas, which enhances the experience for students and community members alike.
“Innovation is not just something you learn here; you just breathe it in like air.”
Working at the Intersection between AI and Education
This summer, Sahaana has been pursuing an internship as an AI Product Manager Intern at 7EDU. As Sahaana describes it, 7EDU is an “end-to-end platform that works to empower counselors, students, and parents to navigate the college journey.”
Through this experience, she learned that not all our assumptions about customers are accurate. By interviewing clients as part of her work assignments, she gained valuable insights into their needs, allowing her to pinpoint the core issues they face. During her internship, she has been involved in building a program from scratch that considers student profiles, helping them better understand what their college journey may look like.
In her workflows at 7EDU, Sahaana has been using AI to enhance the end products. She believes, “Instead of viewing AI as an enemy, you should see it as a tool that can augment your capabilities and help you achieve better results.”
Sahaana integrates AI into both the products she develops and her workflows to deliver tailored outcomes for clients while ensuring high-quality work. The AI component of their products enables customers to receive personalized insights on a larger scale, creating a significant impact on individuals' college journeys.
This learning experience has been incredibly valuable for her. It has provided her with the opportunity to witness product development from start to finish and incorporate emerging technologies into the products and services she is creating. Additionally, this internship has enabled her to connect her MSSM learning with practical applications in a real business that addresses genuine problems and impacts real people.
A Love for Stories
Outside of the classroom, Sahaana is a passionate storyteller. She enjoys writing stories and poetry, as well as reading. She finds value in the learning process that occurs when people engage with stories. More than a hobby, she sees storytelling as a product skill, using it to build empathy, simplify complex technology, and connect with diverse stakeholders.
Through her experiences in the MSSM program, she has developed a deeper understanding of life and people. This insight is beneficial for her career, enabling her to comprehend the needs of various stakeholders and address their challenges effectively, while also allowing her to collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Sahaana's passion for storytelling and learning has significantly impacted the CMU iii community through her role as a Belonging Fellow. As a Belonging Fellow, she organized a Culture Bazaar that showcased various foods from different cultures. The event allowed Sahaana to appreciate the diverse cultural backgrounds of her classmates, reinforcing her understanding that “the world is one big village,” as she observed many commonalities across cultures. Ultimately, the experience highlighted not only the differences but also the similarities between her and people around the world.
Sahaana's dedication to fostering connections and collaboration is evident in her selection as the AY 2025-2026 Community Bridge Fellow. As a Community Bridge Fellow, she'll work alongside one other student (one continuing and one incoming) to significantly impact the MSSM program by building a stronger sense of community across the student cohorts. Her role aims to strengthen the vital connection between MSSM students, faculty, and staff, reinforcing the program's collaborative spirit. Ultimately, the experience will allow Sahaana to bridge the gaps between different groups, highlighting the shared goals and collective spirit necessary for a thriving academic environment.
What’s Next
Throughout her time as a student, Sahaana has consistently demonstrated a passion for learning and expanding her knowledge. Her ultimate goal is to leverage her experiences in the MSSM program to secure a job that allows her to integrate technology, creativity, and business without compromise. Instead of viewing her education as a set of checked boxes, she views it as a process of life that helps you grow.
After completing her studies, Sahaana aspires to work as a product manager to develop the skills necessary for starting her own venture one day. She has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion that has already translated into impactful initiatives. These include founding AdAPT, an AI-driven ad fatigue prediction system, and leading inclusive tech projects that were globally recognized at Babson College. This rich history underlines that she is not only aspiring toward entrepreneurship but already practicing it.
Now, she aims to leverage this passion to make a meaningful impact. She hopes to create something that “makes the world a better place—more inclusive and where people can exist without labels.”
