Students at MBA programs across the world are taking action to show their support in response to the tragic deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and to fight against racial injustice. One fundraising initiative, led by Consortium Fellows from MBA Programs in the Class of 2021 and 2022, set out to raise $20,000 in the month of June, and recently upped their goal to $100,000 in response to overwhelming support. We spoke to Lauren Abuouf (Ross, ’21) a Consortium Fellow, and one of the students leading the initiative to learn more.
MBASchooled: How did this idea come about and how did the initiative get started?
This initiative was started as an immediate response to the tragic deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. This is an entirely student-led fundraiser started by current MBA students from Consortium member schools – a network that spans across 20 business school programs. The Consortium student classes of 2021 and 2022 were spurred by the global outrage for injustice and recognized an opportunity to help mobilize and gain support from our peers and colleagues. We know that as future business leaders, we have an incredible power and responsibility to enact change, and we are excited by the momentum we’ve received.
MBASchooled: What are your goals and what do you hope to achieve?
Our goal is to begin conversations among our communities, as well as provide a platform where people can contribute to a meaningful cause. We aimed to demonstrate that as future business leaders, we are aware and that we take a stand around the racial injustice around us.
We are hoping to raise $100,000 by Sunday June 14th for Color of Change, the largest online racial justice organization. Color of Change puts public pressure on governments and corporations by calling out and mobilizing people via petitions, along with advocacy for legislation that affects the lives of Black Americans.
MBASchooled: What Schools are involved?
The initiative was initially shared to students across the Consortium’s network of 20 member schools. We have begun outreach to MBA programs outside of this network to share our initiative as well. The schools currently involved are:
The University of Michigan, Ross School of Business
Cornell University, Johnson School of Management
University of Rochester, Simon Business School
UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business
Yale University, Yale School of Management
UCLA, Anderson School of Management
Emory University, Goizueta School of Business
Carnegie Mellon, Tepper School of Business
New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business
Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business
Dartmouth College, Tuck School of Business
University of Virginia, Darden School of Business
University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business
University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School
Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business
Indiana University – Bloomington, Kelley School of Business
Washington University in St. Louis – Olin Business School
University of Washington, Foster School of Business
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin School of Business
MBASchooled: Where can people donate?
Our MBA Students Care fundraising site can be found here
The student representatives involved in this initiative are listed below:
- Lauren Abuouf (The University of Michigan, Ross School of Business)
- Harshita Pilla (The University of Michigan, Ross School of Business)
- Whitney Pollard (The University of Michigan, Ross School of Business)
- Cagney Spears (University of Rochester, Simon Business School)
- Brittany Floyd (University of Rochester – Simon Business School)
- Ahmyah Smith (University of Rochester – Simon Business School)
- Baron Munoz (Cornell University, Johnson School of Management)
- Imani Finn-Garland (Cornell University, Johnson School of Management)
- Joel Falcon (Cornell University, Johnson School of Management)
- Rachel Rothbarth (Cornell University, Johnson School of Management)
- Juliana Rivera (Berkeley Haas)
- Jose Avellana (Berkeley Haas)
- Janki Patel (Berkeley Haas)
- Aliza Gazek (Berkeley Haas)
- Rosa Huang (Berkeley Haas)
- Crystal Collins (University of North Carolina – Kenan Flagler)
- Casey Dunajick-DeKnight (University of North Carolina – Kenan Flagler)
- Diana Lainez (University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business)
- Jess Kim Schmidt – University of Virginia, Darden School of Business
- Kathleen Llontop – University of Virginia, Darden School of Management
For more details on the Consortium, Click here
Will consider donating our social and civil duty.
Doel Rivera President
E.J.York Inc.