"Reaching Out" For More Diversity
GSB Hosts 4th Annual Lesbian and Gay MBA Conference
Christian Doll and Michaela Murphy
Issue date: 4/11/02 Section: GSB Business
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On Friday and Saturday, April 5 and 6, the GSB's Gays and Lesbians in Business co-hosted "Reaching Out", the 4th Annual Lesbian and Gay MBA Conference at the Renaissance hotel in downtown Chicago. With more than 400 registered participants from all across the country, the conference brought together MBA students, alumni, and corporate sponsors to discuss issues of interest to the GLBT community, but also to provide networking opportunities for students and alumni.
Much like the first conference at Harvard Business School in 1999, "Reaching Out" was organized entirely by students from the three host schools, Chicago GSB, Kellogg School of Management, and the Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University (see interview with Phillips Hinch, one of the co-organizers.) The program included key note speeches by prominent members of the lesbian and gay business community, panel discussions, and a company expo. The panels were organized around three themes, "State of Gay Work" – discussing progress made towards truly equal opportunities for lesbians and gays in the workplace and challenges yet to be overcome; "Leading Change" – presenting ways to implement change towards greater diversity in different organizations; and "Stepping Out" – focusing mostly on coverage of lesbian and gay issues in the media.
During the opening reception a representative of Mayor Daley's office observed in his welcome address: "You are here to represent us… you are our future… you have proven we [gays and lesbians in business] have a place at the table." Bolstered by his observations, conference attendees broke out to attend the first set of panel sessions. (For detailed coverage of the "University Change" panel, see the article "Still Room for Improvement" on this page.)
For example, the "Out and About on Wall Street" panel discussed the challenges lesbians and gays face in the financial services industry. Panelists shared their perspective on how much easier "being out" has gotten over time. They encouraged students looking into a career in this industry to find a company that will allow them to be true to themselves as "being comfortable is necessary to network effectively, and that's what finally makes you successful on Wall Street."
Much like the first conference at Harvard Business School in 1999, "Reaching Out" was organized entirely by students from the three host schools, Chicago GSB, Kellogg School of Management, and the Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University (see interview with Phillips Hinch, one of the co-organizers.) The program included key note speeches by prominent members of the lesbian and gay business community, panel discussions, and a company expo. The panels were organized around three themes, "State of Gay Work" – discussing progress made towards truly equal opportunities for lesbians and gays in the workplace and challenges yet to be overcome; "Leading Change" – presenting ways to implement change towards greater diversity in different organizations; and "Stepping Out" – focusing mostly on coverage of lesbian and gay issues in the media.
During the opening reception a representative of Mayor Daley's office observed in his welcome address: "You are here to represent us… you are our future… you have proven we [gays and lesbians in business] have a place at the table." Bolstered by his observations, conference attendees broke out to attend the first set of panel sessions. (For detailed coverage of the "University Change" panel, see the article "Still Room for Improvement" on this page.)
For example, the "Out and About on Wall Street" panel discussed the challenges lesbians and gays face in the financial services industry. Panelists shared their perspective on how much easier "being out" has gotten over time. They encouraged students looking into a career in this industry to find a company that will allow them to be true to themselves as "being comfortable is necessary to network effectively, and that's what finally makes you successful on Wall Street."