Onye Onuoha
Hometown: Montbello, Colorado
Academics: Graduate student in the MBA program with a concentration in finance
Why did you pick Butler?
Great culture, great football team, a very great place to earn a degree, and an even better place to be a part of a community with amazing people.
Favorite thing about Butler Football?
My teammates and the competitive nature of everything we do. The sense of urgency and directness in our program is wonderful as we all are within the same mindset of winning a championship.
Favorite thing about Butler?
My favorite thing about Butler University has to be the Lacy School of Business (LSB)—especially the environment and culture in Dugan Hall. I am in there majority of the time and even outside of class I get to have wonderful conversations with very inspiring and amazing people; it is a very positive atmosphere.
What are your career/post-Butler graduation plans?
I plan to work in finance, more specifically in banking/wealth management, and move to New York, Chicago, or California in one of those financial markets.
What type of real world experience are you getting within your MBA program?
I am applying concepts that we learn in class and connecting to them to experiences I had in former internships. Working initially in capital markets as an analyst, I was very new to a lot of concepts and did not see the bigger picture of what was being done as a company at the time. I previously relied heavily on theoretical concepts to help me focus on the more mundane tasks at hand, which is still very important, but since being in the MBA program, I am now observing the holistic perspective of how companies run and how they react or respond to the changes in their respective markets. I use theory, real world scenarios, and real time changes in the economy to help me understand and infer how companies would typically respond and evaluate the responses both internally at the micro and externally as a whole at the macro. With the help of my MBA coursework, I can now go into a role understanding multiple perspectives and being well-versed in different areas of business. Before, my mind was filled with mostly questions, but now I am capable of answering those questions and tackling things from a different perspective with a future-facing outlook.
Wade Markley ’13
Butler was smaller than many of the schools I was considering, and that tight-knit community really stood out. But what sealed the deal was Butler’s deep connection with the Indianapolis business community. I saw the opportunity to build real relationships, get hands-on experience, and launch my career in a city full of opportunity—all while still a student.
Favorite thing about Butler Football?
My favorite thing about Butler Football was the intangible life lessons I gained from being part of the team. I was never an All-World athlete, and at one point, I even considered hanging up the cleats early. But I pushed through the tough times, and looking back, I’m incredibly grateful that I did. The experience taught me resilience, grit, and what it truly means to be a team player. Those lessons continue to shape who I am today—and the lifelong friendships I made along the way are the ultimate bonus.
Tell us about your career.
Co-founder & Director of Sales at First Rule, an AI-powered Contract Lifecycle Management solution built for the construction industry.
What did you learn at Butler that has helped you most in your career?
Grit. At Butler, I learned how to push through challenges—on the football field, in the classroom, and during internships. Balancing it all wasn’t easy, but it taught me how to stay focused, keep working, and adapt when things got tough. That mindset has been a real edge in my career, especially when navigating uncertainty or building something from the ground up.
