During her keynote address before a group of women business students, Sophia Fischer shared her personal experience with how people from similar backgrounds do not experience the workplace in the same way. This created a dialogue among those present about equality versus equity, the importance of women of color in the workplace, and steps to take this forward.
Fischer, the marketing manager at Johnson & Johnson, was part of a March 11 celebration of International Women’s Day, which is centered around empowering and uniting women to advocate for one another, inspiring progress, and striving toward a more equitable world.
The day’s events—including a mixer, luncheon, and panel discussion—were a collaboration between the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management (AGSM) Women in Business (WiB) graduate student organization and the Women in Business organizations from the University of California, Irvine (UCI), which hosted the group on its campus, and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to celebrate the spirit of women in leadership.
“Working with a group of driven and determined women to put together a visionary event celebrating International Women’s Day was an extraordinary opportunity,” says UCR AGSM WIB, Director of Partnerships, Riya Yadav ’24 MBA. “Organizing the event from the ground up, including every step of the process from the first RSVP to post-marketing, was also a learning opportunity for me. The great sense of accomplishment that resulted from this event becoming a reality was incomparable.”
The AGSM WiB organization was founded to empower young leaders to navigate the corporate world and provide opportunities to build essential leadership skills, and participants appreciated the chance to learn and socialize at the luncheon, says attendee and UCR student Raina Williams ’22, ’24 MBA of the gathering: “The opportunity to converse with the panelists was eye-opening and valuable to me. And, I had the opportunity to meet women who are also pursuing their MBA degrees in other schools. I came away feeling more inspired and motivated than ever before.”
The afternoon’s speakers included:
- Jessica N. Grounds, CEO of Corporate Directors Forum, shared insights on maneuvering the workplace as a woman, how changing times have transformed the world for the better and the work that remains to promote true inclusivity.
- Natalie Barron, co-founder of Momentum Partners and PPC Executive Coach, stressed the importance of negotiating salary and benefit packages, asking for help when needed, and aligning work with personal goals.
- Caitlyn Lubas, the product manager at Inkitt and a successful publisher of her book, You Are Where You Go (Palmetto Publishing, 2021), brought a unique perspective, having traveled to more than countries and seven continents during her education at NYU. She emphasized the importance of storytelling and building a personal brand to showcase one’s skills and suitability for the job.
- Sabrina Tinajero, vice president, middle market business, at Wells Fargo, has continuously challenged herself time after time by going back to college and taking a courageous step toward learning in a traditional sense. She highlighted the importance of allies, taking on challenges that make one uncomfortable, doing the necessary homework when discussing compensation, and knowing what to ask for according to the market valuations.
The universities’ Women in Business collaboration is expected to be a recurring event so that students may come together and interact with each other to create and inspire change in the corporate and professional realm, build awareness about various topics that affect women, and empower and inspire each other to create an inclusive and compassionate world where everyone feels heard, seen, and a sense of belonging.
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Header image: UCR Women in Business members at the UC International Women’s Day collaboration event at UC Irvine.