Having an eclectic background, including the performing arts and public relations, was part of what led Anne Bowers to pursue her PhD at Michigan Ross.

Shortly after the company I cofounded, Essmart, launched in southern India, my colleagues and I saw the huge effect even simple technology can have on a community. A barber who had recently bought one...

I grew up in Calcutta, India -- lively, warm, argumentative people whose passionate debates leave nothing untouched.