Relentless Perseverance: Michelle Carrera’s Path to IBJ Forty Under 40

Michelle Carrera (EMBA ’27) has been named to the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 2026 Forty Under 40 class, an annual recognition honoring rising leaders who are making a significant impact in their industries before the age of 40.

For Carrera, the honor is meaningful not simply because of the recognition itself but because of everything it took to get there.

What it Means to Keep Going.

Originally from Guatemala, Carrera moved to the United States in 2010 and later built her life and career in Indiana. Along the way, she carried a deep sense of ambition, faith, and determination, but there were moments when the path forward felt uncertain. A mentor’s encouragement helped change that. He challenged her to think bigger about her future and to consider graduate school as the next step in her leadership journey.

For Carrera, Notre Dame quickly became the place where that dream took shape. She had long admired the University’s reputation, but after visiting campus with her family, Notre Dame became something more personal. She was drawn not only to the beauty of campus but to its values. As her Catholic faith deepened, so did her connection to Notre Dame’s mission and the Mendoza College of Business vision that business can be a force for good.

“I do believe that commerce serves as a force for good in the world,” she said. “Yes, we want to make money for shareholders, but it’s truly ingrained in me that when you have a mission, and you stick to it, that can be even more profitable for the company and you can make a real difference in the world.”

That alignment made the Notre Dame Executive MBA her first and ultimately only choice.

But getting there was not easy.

Carrera faced real obstacles while pursuing the program, including a lack of support in a previous role as she sought professional development opportunities. Even beginning the application process required immense patience, persistence, and courage. She explored the Talent Development Initiative Lab (TDIL) as a pathway into the program and kept pushing forward, even after difficult setbacks.

That perseverance paid off. Today, while pursuing her Notre Dame Executive MBA, Carrera also serves in a C-suite role at Generations Community Bank, a startup bank created to serve underserved and underbanked communities. As chief compliance officer, she is helping build the institution from the ground up while balancing the demands of leadership, motherhood and graduate school.

Transforming the Way She Leads

Carrera said the program has strengthened her strategic thinking and helped her make the transition from middle management to executive leadership. In her role, she now thinks not only about execution, but also about the long-term feasibility, growth, and mission of the organization. The program has also given her confidence in areas that once felt intimidating, especially the quantitative side of business.

“For me, that was a big insecurity,” she said. “This year has been all quantitative. And I’ve been doing good, and I completely understand it.”

That confidence has opened new doors. She now feels equipped to speak the language of finance, understand profitability and ratios, and engage more fully in enterprise-level decision-making. Just as importantly, she says the experience has expanded her resilience.

“It’s one of the best decisions I made in my life,” she said.

Driven by Faith and Family

Michelle’s daughter has been a central part of her story, too. Living in Indianapolis, Carrera makes the early-morning drive to South Bend for residencies instead of leaving the night before so she can preserve as much time at home as possible. Her daughter, a high-achieving student herself, has watched her mother pursue this goal with discipline and sacrifice. That example has mattered.

“I love that my daughter can see me going to school and working hard,” Carrera said.

For Carrera, the Notre Dame Executive MBA is about more than career advancement. It is about showing her daughter what perseverance looks like. It is about honoring the mentors who believed in her. And it is about pursuing excellence with faith at the center.

When the demands of work, school and life feel overwhelming, she returns to that foundation.

“If this is your will, it’s for your glory,” she said, describing the prayer that has grounded her throughout the journey.

Now, as a Forty Under 40 honoree and a leader in the Notre Dame Executive MBA, Carrera’s story stands as a powerful example of what can happen when talent meets purpose, and when perseverance is matched by faith.

Her advice to others is simple and hard-won: “Origin does not determine destination.”

And her story proves it.

All recipients of the annual Michiana Forty under 40 program are awarded a $30,000 scholarship to the Executive MBA.

Are you ready for your next step?
Learn more about Notre Dame’s Executive MBA program.