Student Spotlight: Martin Gonzalez
Meet Martin Gonzalez, an incoming PhD student in MS&E.
HOMETOWN
The Philippines
WHERE I LIVED BEFORE STANFORD
New York
Jakarta
Singapore
Taipei
SF Bay Area
ALMA MATERS
University of Asia & the Pacific
Columbia University
London School of Economics and Political Science
MAJORS & DEGREES
AB, Liberal Arts
MA, Adult Learning & Leadership
MS, Behavioral Science
RESEARCH THEMES MY WORK REPRESENTS
AI & Data Science
The Future of Organizing
Academic and work experience
I bring an atypical background to the PhD. I spent much of my career at the Boston Consulting Group and Google's AI organizations, where I was drawn to understanding what makes teams and companies succeed and sharing those insights with leaders around the world. Along the way, I published original industry research, wrote my first book, collaborated with academics, and taught as an adjunct lecturer at Stanford, Wharton, and INSEAD—all of which reinforced my desire to return to academia. There is no better moment than now to be at MS&E, studying the impact of AI on work and society.
Impact I hope to have in my field and the world
I want my research to help leaders and organizations move beyond the symbolic adoption of AI we see today, toward using the technology to augment human organizations in ways that spark true innovation, expand collective intelligence, and support a humane transition for the workforce. I see myself sharing this work through teaching, writing, and building communities that bridge academia, industry, and society, so the research has impact both in scholarly circles and in the wild.
Interests and hobbies
I enjoy woodworking, a hobby I picked up during the pandemic, building tables and toys for my three kids. As a family, we're exploring US national parks together, and I'm also trying to learn both skiing and the cello (with more enthusiasm than progress so far).
Published September 22, 2025.