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Drena Kusari

General Manager, Southwest & Hawaii LYFT


The first Kosovar to graduate from Harvard Business School, now leading corporate strategy at one of the most innovative infrastructure investment companies in the United States. Drena Kusari Berisha was the first Kosovar to graduate from Harvard Business School, with a Master’s in Business Administration. Born and raised in Gjakove, Kosova, Berisha came to the United States in 1999 to finish her final year of high school. After going through the Kosova War, she was awarded a Rotary International Student Scholarship to attend Southwestern Academy, a small boarding school in Pasadena, California. The beautiful California weather and a full academic scholarship made for an easy decision to stay for her college years. She completed her undergraduate studies in Diplomacy and Economics at Occidental College in Los Angeles. She participated in study abroad programs with Charles University in the Czech Republic, Georgetown University in the United States, and Oxford University in the UK, and completed a number of internships, including at the United Nations, Morgan Stanley, and the Carlyle Group.