Why 5%?
5% Conversations began during my Executive MBA at UCLA Anderson from a simple curiosity: I was surrounded by accomplished people, but some of the most valuable things I was learning from them weren’t happening in the classroom.
They came from conversations about choices, mistakes, unexpected turns, relationships and the experiences that shaped how people think. I wanted to capture more of those conversations.
That became 5% Conversations — 36 published conversations in its first chapter.
From 5% to UCLA Drive Time
The experience later extended into UCLA Anderson’s Drive Time: Celebrate 2026 initiative. Working with Dylan Stafford and the UCLA Anderson community, I helped expand Executive MBA participation, recruit additional guest hosts and deliver 13 EMBA interviews.
I’m now back in Singapore. The MBA is finished, but the curiosity isn’t. 5% Conversations is continuing.
Praveen Gangaraju
I’m a commercial leader with experience across mission-critical infrastructure, data centres and complex projects in Asia and the United States, and a UCLA Anderson Executive MBA ’26 graduate. 5% Conversations is a way to keep learning from people whose experiences and perspectives are worth spending time with.