Staff Spotlight: Meet the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology’s Carlos Bortoni
At UVA’s Darden School of Business, Carlos Bortoni is helping shape the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and education. As the leader of the Batten Institute’s Tech Hub Initiative, he creates strategic programs and partnerships that connect students, faculty, alumni, and industry leaders. We sat down with Carlos to hear about his work, his favorite projects, and what makes his role so rewarding.
Q: Can you tell us a little about your background??
A: I was born and raised in Mexico and came to the States for undergrad, where I studied Government at Harvard. There, I focused my academic work on Latin American studies and pursued summer internships with the United Nations in Chile, as well as thinktanks in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Washington, D.C. Post-grad, I realized I wanted to gain more private sector experience and joined a boutique consulting firm in D.C., where I focused on numerous industries including aerospace, defense, and chemicals. I then joined Hanover Research, where I launched their private K-12 business from the ground up. As I transitioned into a more senior strategy role, I realized it was time to go back to graduate school to sharpen my technical and leadership skills, and Darden quickly became my top choice. In particular, I was attracted to Darden’s dual MBA and Master’s in Education program as it would allow me to pursue a career in consulting after graduation while staying true to my lifelong passion for addressing systemic challenges in education. Inside and outside the classroom, I was also deeply involved with the startup, innovation, and tech ecosystem at Darden.
Following Darden, I worked at PwC’s Consumer Markets & Digital Transformation practice and was later recruited by Qualtrics, where I led their global education business. Around that time, Darden’s Batten Institute launched a new Tech Hub Initiative, and it was a perfect fit to combine my MBA/M.Ed. and strategic tech background at the school I love. I’m really happy to be here, working on what I’m passionate about in education for the Batten Institute, Darden, and UVA.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you in your role??
A: My day-to-day has evolved significantly since joining in 2023, when Darden’s Tech Hub was brand new. It has since grown into a cross-functional effort led by the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Technology to provide a cohesive space for students, faculty, alumni, industry partners, and the broader UVA community to connect around all things tech. This includes telling our story more effectively to prospective MBA students, working with faculty on thought leadership and curriculum integration, identifying partners in Big Tech and startups, running case competitions, and more. The world was our oyster, and as part of that, my role was twofold: 1) on the student-facing side, structuring programs in service of our students; and 2) externally, building an ecosystem that puts UVA and Darden on the map and attracts others to engage with us.
As the initiative has matured from execution to strategy, my work now spans a wide range of conversations and collaborations. One moment I might be talking to a prospective student considering Darden for an MBA and interested in tech and consulting. The next, I could be on the phone with a Big Tech company discussing artificial intelligence, trends in higher education, and their talent pipeline. Then I might switch gears to collaborate with other colleagues at the Batten Institute on the startup space at the intersection of tech and AI, designing programs that give founders not just financial resources to launch and scale but also access to potential partners and customers.
More recently, I’ve started working with colleagues at local economic development agencies and foreign embassies in D.C., discussing developments in U.S. higher education and exploring potential partnerships around research, recruiting, and talent development. The constant variety and entrepreneurial flexibility make this role especially exciting, and I believe that ability to move quickly and follow market signals is rare in higher education, and has been key to the Tech Hub’s early success in such a short time.
Q: What has been a favorite memory or top accomplishment in your role so far??
A: The Batten Institute first launched the flagship DC Tech Connect event at UVA Darden DC Metro at Sands Family Grounds near Arlington in 2023. The full-day event brought almost 100 full-time MBA students from Charlottesville to the DMV to visit tech headquarters (Google, Amazon, and Microsoft) and participate in programming with practitioners in AI, tech, and marketing. Since then, we’ve grown the event substantially, welcoming more alumni, more Part-Time and Executive MBA students, and a broader range of industry partners—from Big Tech to startups, venture capital, private equity, and government. It’s become an entry point for other partnerships in the DMV, including our recent participation in the Northern Virginia Tech Council’s Impact AI Summit and the Special Competitive Studies Project’s AI Expo. These opportunities create space for the UVA community to convene around tech and for other players in the space to collaborate with us on a wide range of initiatives. ?
Exciting news: DC Tech Connect is returning for its third year on October 24! This annual event uniquely allows Darden students to experience the full range of opportunities that tech has to offer. The sheer breadth of companies (Intel, Google, Microsoft, and more) and 25+ speakers joining us for the 2025 event, plus the range of experiences represented by our students and alumni, make this Darden’s largest and most successful DC Tech Connect yet.
Q: What do you find most rewarding about your work at UVA??
A: First, with tech being an industry that changes weekly, providing extracurricular and programmatic opportunities for students to learn, stay sharp, engage with alumni, and connect with industry in a dynamic setting is incredibly gratifying. Second, building an external ecosystem outside Darden’s walls in Charlottesville and Arlington is incredibly energizing. . People want to partner with UVA because we’re a top university doing groundbreaking work, and when alumni and industry partners see what we’re doing, they want to get involved. It keeps the momentum going and strengthens both our internal and external networks in new and exciting ways!?
Q: Where do you see yourself or the school in five years??
A: As an alum, I’m proud of the growth Darden has achieved within a very competitive MBA landscape. Darden is a special place—one that prioritizes developing ethical, highly competent, and innovative business leaders. Those are hard skills to teach, yet Darden fosters an environment that encourages meaningful connections among students, faculty, and others, helping them grow academically, intellectually, and professionally. Darden graduates stand out in the job market, and this network of highly engaged professionals is one that alumni can always count on, no matter where their careers take them. I’m excited to see how Darden will continue to deliver on its mission in the future. ?
Q: Have you had a favorite project or experience at UVA, or any upcoming projects you’re excited about? How does your work support students and faculty??
A: In addition to Darden’s DC Tech Connect event, I’m also proud of our Tech Learning Series, which brings Darden faculty and industry experts together to provide both theoretical frameworks and hands-on experience for students about what’s happening in tech.
Finally, I’m excited that our partnerships continue to grow, including case competitions and hackathons led by industry partners such as SZNS Solutions and Google Public Sector. Through programs like these, we connect students with industry experts and allow them to gain practical experience with the tools they’ll use in the workforce, whether in tech or another field. Last year, more than 30 Darden students engaged in a two-week sprint using Google’s AI suite to create solutions in areas ranging from pharmaceutical development to online retail fraud detection and disaster relief. These hands-on opportunities are incredibly rewarding and complement what students learn in the classroom.
Q: What’s a fun fact your colleagues might not know about you??
A: I’m a published artist! I started during the pandemic as a mindfulness exercise and have been doing it for five years now. My work has been published in magazines and shown in galleries in the DMV, San Francisco, and even an off-Broadway show in New York. This artistic hobby helps my professional side too—it forces me to use a different part of my brain that can get neglected when focusing on data, event planning, or relationship building. I always encourage people to find something outside their day-to-day that challenges them creatively; it really helps you be a sharper professional.?
Q: Do you have a favorite spot in Northern Virginia or the DMV??
A: So many to choose from! In D.C., I’m a big fan of the Smithsonian museums, the Wharf, and Georgetown. I also have a soft spot for Old Town Alexandria’s restaurant scene, waterfront, and art galleries.