For this Costello senior, good business is a win-win

Senior Khaled Alkurd is ending his undergraduate career on a high note.

In the past few months, the Costello College of Business student won the Future Founders track at the 2026 Patriot Pitch for his company DealFax, an operational readiness assessment platform that helps business owners prepare for sale through their trusted advisors; got first place in the AGA's National Datathon; and landed second place in the Management Consulted's Case Competition World Cup out of 1,100 applicants. It's a testament to his drive and track record in business, speeding up instead of slowing down as he approaches graduation.

As Alkurd prepares to cross the stage and dive fully into an MS in accounting with a focus on analytics and forensic accounting through the Bachelor's to Accelerated Master's (BAM) pathway, he spoke about his undergraduate journey at George Mason and the importance of business as a force for good.

Choosing the Patriot path

George Mason is ranked highly for its internship availability and outcomes, and that was key for me. The connections that George Mason can afford students are very strong, with so many major companies: Amazon, Capital One, Deloitte, etc. Folks can sample from a few of them or build really deep relationships with one. The opportunity is unmatched.

As for why I chose accounting: a decade of operating my family's home inspection business NextDay Inspect taught me that financials drive every meaningful decision in a business. I wanted to understand that language at depth, especially the analytical and forensic side. Beyond the technical work, I gravitate toward business as a force for good. Done well, business is win-win. People walk away better off than before they engaged.

A great place for internships

I've had the opportunity to work with Ryan and Wetmore, Baker Tilly, and will be with PwC's Deals practice this summer in Financial Due Diligence as I bridge into the MS program through BAM. The Office of Career Services in Costello has been amazing in their support. They reviewed my resume and cordoned off a private room for me to conduct Zoom interviews.

Overall, the support at George Mason is tremendous. It's a big university, but it feels like a family. And Costello College of Business is really well equipped to deliver results, so there's no expectations that are set that are not met. I'm very thankful for all the support.

From classroom to community

I am particularly proud of the work we've done through Beta Alpha Psi Theta Alpha, the accounting honors organization, for which I served as president this past year. We've been able to engage with the community through volunteering with the Junior Achievement Finance Park, where we've reached 960 eighth-grade students through teaching early financial literacy. Not only have I seen our volunteers grow as leaders and take ownership of those trainings, but I think learning how to educate and craft the message of finance in a way that is tailored for the audience is an incredibly important skill we improve through this work.

Fighting fires while forging skills

I joined Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company in 2008 when I was 16 and served for three and a half years. Now, I'm in the final stages of joining Sterling Volunteer Fire Company.

The job rewires how you think. Each scenario drops you into a chaotic situation and teaches you to stop reacting and start reading the room to figure out what is a priority and what can wait. On a call, you learn to gather information fast, communicate clearly, and trust the people next to you. Both those skills carry into how I approach client work.

Advice for the next generation of George Mason Patriots

Start early. There are experiences you can only get as freshmen and sophomores, like early pathway programs or externships. There's so much you'll miss by not engaging in student organizations; it's an entirely different conversation than in the classroom, and it's one you don't want to miss out on because it's helping with that connection to additional opportunity.

See why Costello Means Business

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