Visitors to the National Museum of African American History and Culture can’t miss the restored Pullman railcar that dominates the Segregation Gallery in Concourse 2. The artifact has historical significance, pointing to an era when African American porters were required to live in separate quarters. Its placement in the museum also has engineering significance for Lisa Anders, a 1995 MBA graduate of the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Some people claw their way into the sports industry. Ted Towne, PTMBA ’08, received an invitation to work in Major League Baseball while studying at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. “My evening classes gave me an edge,” says Towne, assistant general manager and vice president of finance for the Washington Nationals.

StackShare founder Yonas Beshawred ’09 stopped counting the rejections when he went looking for funding in Silicon Valley. “I got a bunch of no’s,” he says. “I stopped counting after like 50. At that point it doesn’t matter. All you need is one yes.” Now, after raising more than $7 million, his startup is thriving. The company, a Yelp-style social media network for engineers and software developers, builds on the entrepreneurial spirit that his immigrant parents brought from Ethiopia to Silver Spring, Md.

Leaders prove their worth during times of adversity, and Donna Blackman, EMBA ’10, got her first big opportunity just 100 days into a new job at BET Networks in 2013. As part of a reorganization, the Viacom subsidiary announced plans to dissolve Blackman’s position and lay off her team.

Ryan D. McCarthy, an executive MBA alumnus at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, never thought he would be the chief executive officer of the U.S. Army. But his passion for the military’s mission and his mix of experience in service and industry prepared him to be a natural choice for the job of Secretary of the Army.

Former journalist Tia Craddock, PTMBA ’13, did more than pack her bags when she attended the 2012 National Black MBA Conference in Indianapolis. Working with a career coach at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Craddock practiced her pitch and interviewing skills. Then she reviewed her performances on video. “She asked me almost impossible questions, just so I could be prepared for anything,” Craddock says. “So when I got to the conference, I was sharp.”

Change has come fast for Jeff Knabe since he stepped away from his career as an alternative rock drummer in 2000 and enrolled in business school. During his post-MBA journey at PepsiCo, Campbell Soup and now spice manufacturer McCormick and Co., Knabe has guided major consumer brands through multiple marketplace disruptions. “The marketplace keeps changing, so it’s always fresh,” says Knabe, a senior marketing manager who oversees the Grill Mates and Lawry’s brands at McCormick. “That’s what’s kept me so engaged in food and beverage, and that’s why I’ve done it for 15 years.”

Conversation mixes with music as the lunch crowd fills Busboys and Poets on a recent weekday. Books by local authors fill store shelves near the entrance. Paintings by local artists cover the walls. On tap is a full lineup of weekend entertainment: A poetry slam on Friday, the DC Funk Parade on Saturday, and a screening of “Served Like a Girl” on Sunday with guests from the documentary about homeless women veterans.