As he enters his final year of the Harvard Kennedy School/Harvard Business School joint degree program, Dimitri Henry MPP/MBA (HBS) 2027 reflects on how the program has shaped him. Before coming to Harvard, Henry worked in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and impact investing across several sectors and asset classes, helping enable sustainable finance opportunities across public and private markets. Today, his interests span business, government, philanthropy, and the future of AI. During a recent joint degree program webinar, Henry discussed why the three-year experience matters and what he’s learned from living at the intersection of two schools—here’s what he shared.
How have you balanced opportunities at both HKS and HBS?
I’ve been fortunate to get involved in a number of different communities across both campuses. At HKS, I served in leadership in the Business & Government Policy Interest Caucus. I also served as section president during my first year at HBS, president of the Joint Degree Leadership Council in the joint degree program, and this year I’m serving as co-president of the HBS Student Association and as chief financial officer of the HBS Impact Investing Club.
I couldn’t do any of this if it weren’t for the resources that both institutions and the wonderful people provide. Trying to navigate what I want to pursue and understanding the passions I want to follow was possible because of the administrators, faculty, classmates, and mentors who helped me understand how to leverage everything both schools have to offer.
Many prospective students wonder whether the three-year commitment is worth it. How do you think about that investment?
I think people look at the three years and immediately see a time investment. It certainly is. I’d encourage anyone considering the program to be pragmatic and intentional about how they want to spend that time. The biggest factor for me is the continuity that the HBS/HKS joint degree program provides. Just because you’re at HKS doesn’t mean you can’t walk across the bridge and meet with HBS professors—and vice versa—to build lasting connections professionally and personally. For example, I’ve had the opportunity to work as a graduate research assistant with the Chairman of the Board of the Atlanta Federal Reserve, and that work has continued over two and a half years. I wouldn’t have been able to build something like that if I were only in one program or only at one school. It’s not just about thinking semester by semester—it’s about how you create a lasting experience over the course of three years.
You’ve intentionally immersed yourself in both communities since your first year. Why was that important?
One of the really unique parts of the joint degree is how it’s designed to integrate you into both schools. When you’re at HKS, your joint degree seminar is taught by an HBS professor. When you’re at HBS, it’s taught by an HKS professor. You’re always running across the bridge, staying connected to both communities, which helps to ground the experience at the nexus of business and policy. It’s so important to me that I’ve even made it a priority to live on the HBS campus while taking classes at HKS. Structurally, the program makes it possible to become part of both schools instead of feeling like you’re choosing one over the other. It’s been a real treat, and it’s something I think the program does exceptionally well.
Was there anything that surprised you once you arrived?
I didn’t realize how important the joint degree perspective would become inside the classroom. At HBS, whenever conversations turned toward policy, regulation, or government, everyone immediately looked in my direction. When I was at HKS and conversations shifted toward investing, innovation, or business, everyone looked my way there too. I didn’t realize that would become a badge of honor to hold. It really helped cultivate my own theory of change because I realized I wasn’t simply learning two different disciplines: I was learning how to translate between them.
“Trying to navigate what I want to pursue and understanding the passions I want to follow was possible because of the administrators, faculty, classmates, and mentors who helped me understand how to leverage everything both schools have to offer.”
What has made your time in the joint degree so special?
Without question, it’s the cohort. I really can’t underscore just how important the cohort is. They become the people you meet with regularly and people you can always go to for help, support, encouragement, or perspective. We like to joke that there’s always a joint degree student somewhere nearby or running across the bridge to the other campus. And honestly, it’s true. Whether you’re looking for advice, exploring an internship, thinking through a career decision, or just trying to navigate graduate school, there’s always someone who understands exactly what you’re experiencing. That support system has been one of the greatest gifts of the program.
You’ve spoken about wanting to work across business, government, and society. Has your thinking evolved during the program?
Absolutely. One of the things I’m most interested in now is ensuring economic mobility in a world that’s rapidly changing because of AI. I think a lot about the emergence of the phrase “permanent underclass,” which people sometimes use when discussing technological displacement. That idea really stayed with me. I want to understand how we can make sure technological innovation creates opportunity instead of leaving people behind. My background in investing, economics, and economic mobility research has pushed me toward exploring policy solutions that help create a just transition as technology continues to reshape society. That’s one of the things I hope to explore through my Policy Analysis Exercise, which is the MPP capstone project. The joint degree program has given me the opportunity to think about those questions from both a business and a policy perspective.
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Looking back, what do you wish you had known before you started?
I wish I had known just how valuable the joint degree perspective would become. Both schools are filled with people who are incredibly intellectually curious. As a joint degree student, you’re constantly helping connect ideas across disciplines. I didn’t fully appreciate how valuable that would become—not only for my classmates, but for my own learning. It helped me develop my own theory of change and challenged me to think more intentionally about the role I want to play and the impact I hope to have.
What advice would you give someone considering the HKS/HBS joint degree program?
Be intentional. The three years give you an incredible amount of flexibility, but it’s up to you to decide how you’ll use it. The people, the professors, the opportunities—they’re all here and are rooting for you. The continuity between both schools is something that’s incredibly unique. Take advantage of it. Immerse yourself in both communities from the beginning. Build relationships. Ask questions. Follow your curiosity. Because by the time you graduate, you won’t simply have earned two degrees. You’ll have built an experience that’s uniquely your own. And that’s something you’ll carry with you for the rest of your career.
