Marko presenting at the 27th annual Kravis de Roulet Conference
It has been nearly two years since Marko Liu first came to KLI with hopes of changing the Chinese view on leadership. Frustrated with his findings that the Chinese often focused their efforts on leadership development too late in the process, Liu was drawn to the progression of leadership development, changing the scope of his career and leading him to a two-year stint in Claremont.
As Liu’s time at KLI draws to a close, he is quite pleased with what he has accomplished. As a full-time researcher at KLI, he took part in several leadership development programs and worked with Professor David Day on a chapter in Professor Ron Riggio’s newly released edited book—What is Wrong with Leadership Development and What can be Done about it?
Much of his research will be published soon as well. Liu wrote an article regarding the harm that over parenting can inflict on an adolescent’s leadership development in the Applied Psychology Journal that will be out later this month. The study surveys 1200 families in China and examines the impact that over parenting has on leadership emergence and self-efficacy in adolescents, which remains relevant today given helicopter parenting in the United States and China.
Another of his publications, titled “Across the Life Span: Dynamic Experiences-Grounded Approach,” uncovers his conclusions on lifespan leadership which will be published in Leadership Quarterly, coming in August 2019. From his research, Liu notes that “leadership currently focuses on adults in the workplace but it should focus on other stages in life such as preschool, childhood, adolescence, emerging adulthood, and late adulthood. There are important benchmarks and experiences to develop and have at each stage.”
Before returning to China, Liu presented his research on leader development across a lifespan at the 27th annual Kravis de Roulet Conference. In Beijing, he will be taking a professorship position with the Beijing University of International Business and Economics with plans on integrating his KLI experience to his teaching career.
“KLI has a very warm, productive, interpersonal culture which really impressed me. When I first arrived, I felt pressure because of the well-known professors here, but when I settled in, I realized that everyone was really close. Anytime I had a new idea that I wanted to discuss, professors David Day and Ron Riggio always welcomed me in. I think that this encouragement, especially toward undergraduate researchers, is something that I really appreciated. I hope to bring this attitude to my future students. I want to encourage students to think more and view me as an equal to promote discourse,” Liu said.
When reminiscing about his time here, Liu is very grateful for his experience: “I was very happy to work with professors and meet the students. KLI and CMC is a wonderful place, everyone is positive, friendly, and warm. KLI is my family because everyone treats me as a family member here and always includes me in events. I benefited a lot from this institute and I would like to give something back to KLI. I will miss the people here.”
With research experience from KLI as part of his Ph.D. program in his repertoire, Liu is slated to graduate from Beijing Normal University in May 2019.
Professor David Day (left) with attendees of the first Leadership Dialogue Series
There is no doubt that CMC places a heavy emphasis on leadership, but does it actually inform or educate students on the qualifiers of good leadership? In previous years, leaders faced different challenges than leaders today. Therefore, leadership has evolved over time. It is important to address the ways in which these changes have impacted our current perception of good leadership so that we can successfully modify our leadership practices.
On September 24, the Kravis Leadership Institute hosted its first discussion in the Leadership Dialogue Series facilitated by David Day, Ph.D, Professor of Psychology and Steven L. Eggert ’82 P’15 Professor of Leadership, and KLI Academic Director. These intimate gatherings occur once a month with the goal of establishing a group of students and faculty who are deeply passionate about topics pertaining to leadership. For this discussion, the conversation evolved from two questions: what is the nature of good leadership, and how do we develop leaders for the 21st century?
According to Professor Day, having exposure to leadership studies or formal leadership roles is by no means a requirement to attend the dialogue series because “at the end of the day, we all hold an implicit leadership theory, regardless of our experience in formal leadership roles.” One student expressed how she felt unsure about attending due to her limited leadership experience, but this response quelled her concerns.
Interestingly, it was everyone’s different leadership background that informed the conversation because it encouraged diverse responses and perspectives. For example, when Professor Day asked the group about what they felt qualified as good leadership, each responder held a slightly different opinion than the next. To some attendees, good leaders have empathy, impact lives, and take responsibility for themselves and others. To others, good leaders listen, empower their communities, and respect the beliefs of others. Clearly, there is no one-size-fits-all definition for good leadership.
As for the second question about developing 21st century leaders, attendees agreed that the conditions for leaders have changed significantly. Lee Skinner, Professor of Spanish and Associate Dean of the Faculty, noted how 21st century leaders must know how to leverage and interact with technology. Moreover, “access to information has transformed the nature of leadership. Now, it’s more about what to do with information rather than simply knowing it. People, leaders included, must collaborate in order to succeed in the 21st century,” according to Fernanda Lozano ’20.
At the end of the session, I chatted with Jen Petrova ’19 who shared her thoughts on why it’s important to have these discussions on CMC’s campus.
How did you like today’s Leadership Dialogue Series?
I really liked how it was a combination of not only students but also staff and professors. Hearing everyone’s different opinions is extremely valuable especially when discussing the topic of leadership.
What did you learn today and how do you plan to apply what you learned to on-campus jobs and your future career?
I learned that leadership is ambiguous because good leadership can be subjective, but at the end of the day, leaders have a responsibility to the company, the people, and the planet. Also, I learned the value of not leading with an egocentric lens but rather thinking about how my leadership can improve the lives of others.
Do you think there are flaws in how CMC students view leadership? Is there room for improvement?
In general, I think there is always room for improvement in regards to leadership. One thing I love is how KLI not only offers classes in leadership but also hosts leadership dialogue series. This allows us to understand what we value in good leaders and then try to apply these traits in our professional lives. I definitely recommend more students attend these dialogue series as a way to enhance their leadership capabilities.
It’s true: good leadership can be ambiguous. However, KLI seeks to clarify this uncertainty by starting a dialogue around what it means to be a good leader, both on campus and in the workforce.
Join us for our next session on Monday, October 29 in Kravis 103 from 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Student Team Members (Left to Right): Edgar Warnholtz ’19, Alina Rainsford ’20, Vanessa Romo ’19, Leya Aronoff ’19, Christian Tchamitchian ’19
Our team had an amazing few days at the 20th Annual ILA conference in West Palm Beach, Florida. We were tasked with analyzing a contemporary socio-political-economic problem on a notional or global level. Our topic of research was applying transformational leadership to address the lack of adequate public education to refugee students resettled in the USA. We chose to focus on urban refugees as 60 percent of refugees are now living in cities and dispersed among host communities rather than in camps.[1] Whereas refugees in traditional camps were offered educational services within the camps, urban refugees must be more self-reliant in meeting their basic needs and finding educational opportunities. Hence, urban refugees face the challenge of integrating themselves into formal and informal economies and existing structures, namely local education systems.
More than half of all refugees are school-aged, thus it is alarming that refugees are five times more likely to be out of school than the global average.[2] Millions of refugee children and adolescents do not enroll in schools in their host country: only 50 percent of refugee children have access to primary school; only 22 percent of refugee youth have access to secondary school; and only 1 percent of refugees have access to higher education.[3] Past research has supported the need to ensure the educational needs of refugees are met, as past research indicates education is important in social and emotional healing of refugee students.[4] As the average length of displacement for refugees is up to 20 years, now is a critical time to address the lack of educational access for refugees.[5]
We researched five systemic causes that have contributed to the lack of access to education for refugee students in the USA: Individual, Social, Cultural, Political, and Economic. In terms of individual systemic causes, refugee students often cope with post-traumatic stress disorder, homesickness and stress over family separation. Social systemic causes include overcrowded and underfunded public schools and teachers lacking adequate training and resources to properly support refugee students. Cultural barriers include xenophobia in host communities, and varying levels of English proficiency in the refugee students. Economic factors include the fact that refugee students are often expected to work to provide for their families. Additionally, resource allocation is left up to each individual school district, and thus reflects the socio-economic condition of the area, and varies significantly from area to area. Furthermore, there is no one unified system to place students in different schools. Politically, support for refugees fluctuates.
Our solution is to apply transformational leadership in 3 ways: building a coalition of existing organizations dedicated to the cause to streamline resources and efficiently work together; creating an interdisciplinary task force at the city level comprising of local legislators, economists, psychologists, educators, and representatives from organizations that work directly with refugees; and lastly, partnering with education technology startups to set up personalized curricula online to get the students up to speed, whether that be learning English, or catching up on core subjects. In each solution, transformational leadership is used to combine separate and disjoint initiatives to achieve a shared common goal. Additionally, in the task force, team transformational leadership is used, and the members of the task forces are influencing each other to achieve their common goal.
During this conference, our team changed from a group of acquaintances to a high-functioning team that collaborated very effectively. We rehearsed our presentation really effectively, ensuring we had smooth transitions and an engaging narrative, reminding our audience why they should care about this issue. We attended many sessions at the conference, from leadership in times of crisis, which was very applicable to our presentation, to women in leadership. The experience helped us all develop our collaboration and presentation skills, and was a rewarding experience, as we got to apply something we had learned about in school to a real world issue that we all deeply care about. We are thankful to KLI for making this experience possible!
*Student Team Members: Leya Aronoff ’19, Alina Rainsford ’20, Vanessa Romo ’19, Christian Tchamitchian ’19, Edgar Warnholtz ’19
[4] McBrien, J. (2005). Educational needs and barriers for refugee students in the United States: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 75(3), 329-364. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3515985
Tracy Gray (left) during the keynote lunch panel at the 26th Kravis-de Roulet conference.
Linnea Uyeno ’20
KLI launched the third of the four Non-Profit Success series conferences on March 1, 2018 incorporating it with the Kravis-de Roulet conference (KDR). How We Rise: Strategies for Social Innovation was a day and a half focused on developing skillsets required to accelerate transformative and lasting impact.
The program kicked off with an Athenaeum dinner where Cheryl Dorsey, President of Echoing Green, gave her keynote address on executing responsible leadership in the 21 century. The official launch the following morning, began with two speeches—one from Tina Rosenberg, Co-Founder NYT Fixes Column, on Building a Culture of Solutions Thinking and another from Kathleen Kelly on social startup success, on How Do the Best Startups, Scale Up, and Make a Difference.
The momentum continued throughout the morning and all breakout session participants came together for lunch for an impressive panel of female serial entrepreneurs, venture capital (VC) founders, and social innovators. These female leaders talked about their diverse career paths and shared their respective journey towards social innovation. The women encouraged students to take advantage of the growing momentum the social innovation trend has gained in the corporate sector.
It was amazing to hear the diversity of options surrounding a career in social innovation. Tracy Gray, founder and managing partner of The 22 Fund, and Executive in Residence at Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) talked about founding her own VC that targets funding for women and people of color and her experience at LACI. She spoke about gender disparities in venture capital industry. Over the last twenty years, there has been a decline of women in VCs. Gray thought there was something wrong with this equation, so she started her own VC to democratize startup investment.
Gray explained, “I wanted women to know that they were empowered to change the world. If women had the same access to capital during the recession, we would have created double the jobs. It is an economic empowerment to invest in women.” The 22 Fund VC is currently raising their fund and is looking towards investing in the future.
“All of this is very opportunistic no trade-off because women and people of color’s companies are more successful at almost every measurement of financial return. I am not trading off anything. I just have to invest in things that have a mission and be intentional about the returns I want to get.”
Gray left the audience with an inspiring endnote that resonated with many CMC students, especially given our preprofessional inclinations.
“I wanted to make a ton of money, and I wanted to do a ton of good, and I was constantly being told that I couldn’t do both. My goal was to find ways to do good and not trade off market rate returns. Now the world is understanding that this is possible,” said Tracy.
This lunch proved to students that they do not have to decide to make that trade-off. It showed students the multitude of options that are available to them in social innovation.
The Kravis Leadership Institute welcomes two new Advisory Board Members, Arjun Dutt ’07 and Gregory Hinckley ’68. Please join us in welcoming our newest members who will be joining our current Advisory Board. To learn more about their background and work, you can view their biographies below.
Arjun Dutt ’07
VP of Product Strategy, Semantify
Arjun Dutt ’07, is currently the VP of Product Strategy at Semantify, a startup based in Chicago. Semantify is the world’s first AI powered cognitive search and analytics engine for enterprise data. He oversees the long-term corporate strategy and funding efforts, as well as the product marketing function.
Prior to this role, Arjun worked for Fieldglass, a Chicago based tech startup. Fieldglass was acquired in 2015 by SAP for $1.1B, making it the first unicorn exit in Chicago history. During his 9 year tenure, Arjun held various entrepreneurial roles, including innovating the very first customer success management team, as well as establishing and leading operations in Europe for Fieldglass’ EMEA expansion, based in London. He also oversaw the creation of the in-house strategy group, which used big data analytics to drive the delivery of innovative new products and services. As a seasoned public speaker, he was one of the lead spokespersons for Fieldglass at conferences, webinars, analysts, and more. His final role at Fieldglass was to lead the year long merger integration between Fieldglass and SAP.
Arjun is deeply involved in the Chicago startup scene, investing in and advising entrepreneurs and startups in various stages of growth. Arjun uses his experience to regularly consult with startups on their product marketing and growth strategies. He is active in Chicago philanthropy, and is currently co-sponsoring a 3 year long exhibit of Underwater Beauty at the Shedd Aquarium.
Arjun graduated from CMC in 2007 with a BA in Psychology. During his time on campus, he was actively involved with ASCMC all four years, including serving as the ASCMC CTO from 2005-2007, and was a founding member of the Information Technology Advisory Board (ITAB) and the co-founder of the annual Silicon Valley Networking Trip. Arjun serves on the Boards of the Kravis Leadership Institute and the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE), is one of the leads for President Chodosh’s Chicago Leadership Group and co-head of the Chicago Alumni Chapter.
Gregory K. Hinckley ’68
President, Mentor Graphics Corporation (Retired)
Gregory Hinckley retired in 2017 as President of Mentor Graphics Corporation, a publicly traded provider of electronic design automation solutions that was acquired by Siemens AG in 2017. Previously, he served as Chief Financial Officer for two other publicly traded companies—VLSI Technology, Inc. and Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Mr. Hinckley is a director of SI-Bone, Inc., a privately held orthopedic device company, and Bio-Rad Laboratories, a publicly traded supplier of products and systems for clinical diagnostics and life science research. He previously served as a director of Intermec, Inc., a publicly traded provider of automated identification and data collection(AIDC) solutions; a director of Super Micro, Inc., a publicly traded provider of advanced computer server systems and subsystems; and a director of Amkor Technology, Inc., a publicly traded supplier of outsourced semiconductor packaging and test services. In 2011, Mr. Hinckley was named Oregon Technology Executive of the Year and in 2013 was named Honorary Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at The University of Nottingham in Ningbo, China.
Mr. Hinckley is a Trustee of Claremont McKenna College, a Trustee of Portland State University and a board director of Portland Opera Association and Portland Playhouse. He earned a B.A. in Mathematics and Physics from Claremont Men’s College; studied Applied Mathematics at the University of Nottingham in England as a Fulbright Fellow; earned an M.S. in Applied Physics from the University of California, San Diego; and earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Student judges and MoringaConnect Co-founder cast judgment on the fruit bars made by Moonshoters in the Moringa Powder Cooking Competition.
Robert Cain ’21
While sitting in the living room listening to my fellow peers share their personal anecdotes, I struggled not to weep. The room and its occupants united over similar passions and championed the “vulnerageous” volunteers so willing to reveal significant pieces of their past, but not before we bused to the Moonshot House.
On Sunday, May 13, thirty-one other CMCers and I traveled to Lake Elsinore, CA for the second annual Moonshot Retreat hosted by the Kravis Leadership Institute. The one-week program armed student participants with the tools necessary to create and execute world-changing ideas. This was accomplished by having eight successful social entrepreneurs (SocEnts) accompany us for the entire week while also serving as mentors, granting us unfettered access to their knowledge, wisdom, and advice. According to Scott Sherman, KLI Senior Director of Social Innovation and Co-Curricular Programming, the backstory behind “Moonshot” stemmed from how putting a man on the moon was once considered an impossible task, one requiring a radical solution. Therefore, “moonshot thinking” symbolizes the innovative ideation required to solve tough problems, render lasting impact, and change the world with projects that could improve at least a billion lives.
The end goal of the Moonshot Retreat was to inspire Moonshoters to take action on their ideas by turning them into a social venture. Judging by the participation among the eager Moonshoters who engaged with the SocEnts and asked relevant questions, it successfully achieved its goal. However, the program accomplished so much more.
After arriving to the magnificent beachfront abode, we quickly began to introduce ourselves through two icebreaker activities. The two exercises eased our transition into the house, shattered barriers, and allowed us to share parts of our stories, which prepared us for Tuesday’s activity.
Icebreakers were followed by a panel where the eight award-winning social entrepreneurs discussed their moment of obligation and most memorable failure. The panelists included Echoing Green Fellows, Gemma Bulos, KLI Director of Social Innovation and Impact, and Scott Sherman—in addition to the six other SocEnts. Echoing Green identifies and invests in the best emerging social entrepreneurs who are bringing innovative solutions to solve the most pressing issues of our generation. EGs unparalleled community of talent consists of more than 700 innovators who launched programs globally.
● Lauren Burke, founder of Atlas: DIY, a cooperative empowerment center for immigrant youth and their allies that offers college and legal resources.
● Kwami Williams, co-founder of MoringaConnect, a vertically integrated supply chain improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by turning the leaves from their moringa trees into superfoods.
● Donnie Smith, executive director of Donda’s House, a nonprofit organization that provides free access to the arts for youth.
● Kohl Gill, founder of LaborVoices, an organization that promotes transparency among supply chains and labor markets.
● Sara Leedom, co-founder of African Entrepreneur Collective (AEC), a collection of business accelerators that support local entrepreneurs to drive job growth.
● Rebecca Hui, founder of Roots Studio, an organization that digitalizes the work and stories of traditional artists from India, Indonesia, and Jordan, and licenses them onto stationery, apparel, and home decor.
Listening to the SocEnts speak about their experiences comforted me because their stories contextualized their success with relatable obstacles. According to Burke, “these stories may sound linear, but please know that we all experienced failure along the way.” Moreover, I reveled in the fact that their career journeys were informed by passion rather than driven by greed or majors. Often times, we let salary sizes dictate our career paths when we really should worry about the size of our impact.
The following days revealed to Moonshoters what it meant to be a social entrepreneur.
Monday challenged us to devise a solution that would help people overcome failure, which also introduced the lead-design model whereby an idea transforms into a tangible product.
Tuesday required us to tell our personal stories publicly because according to Bulos, by identifying past challenges, you are able to understand and realize your current passions. In the words of Shanil Verjee ‘21, “this activity made me realize how much people have been through and how strong everyone is. The people around us are fighting everyday, even though it’s not always visible. It’s amazing how little you actually know about someone until you find the courage to ask and listen.”
Wednesday directed us to imagine a solution for our assigned problem. My group was assigned the task of transforming education—a casual request. We all worked through the lead-design model, ending the day with each group presenting their tentative pitch—not knowing that a surprise awaited us on Thursday.
Rising at 5:30am was not easy especially after finals week, but compensation for the inconvenience came in the form of a surprise Disneyland field trip. We spent our day exploring, bonding, and completing challenges that dared us to step outside of our comfort zone by talking to strangers, pushing boundaries, and daring greatly. The moral being to get comfortable with failing: fail hard, fail fast, fail often.
Friday tested the skills and knowledge we learned throughout the week with one final pitch. The way in which Moonshoters delivered the information exceeded creative expectations. Groups wowed us with the uniqueness of their ideas, which ranged from utilizing aquaponics in the farming of almonds to implementing a software program that would monitor terrorist activity on social media. The solutions offered by my peers embodied the tenets of “moonshot thinking,” with one group receiving an award for the most investable idea.
By the end of the program, I was not ready to leave, especially after the last activity: back gratitude. Attached to everyone’s back was a blank sheet of paper where your peers and mentors would write thoughtful messages about you.
On Sunday, the motto stated that “we are the heroes we’ve been waiting for.” Together, with our collective knowledge and skill set, we have the potential to positively impact the lives around us. It’s our duty to accept this responsibility because if we don’t, then who will?
I challenge you to survey your passions so that you are not blindly wandering down a path destined for dissatisfaction when you could be intentionally marching down a more fulfilling path filled with opportunities to make a difference, change the world, and assemble a career built on your passions.
Mandy and Cliff Einstein graciously hosted the Kravis Leadership Institute faculty, staff, and students to lunch at their home to view their remarkable collection of contemporary art and to learn about leadership in the field of the arts. Kravis Fellow, Maria Paredes ’09, shares her experience visiting Cliff and Mandy Einstein’s Art Collection. Maria has long been passionate and involved in the art sphere. As a professional fundraiser she helps organizations create a positive impact in their respective area of interest. She is currently the Assistant Director Development at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts and has worked with numerous art organizations to further their impact on the community. Not only an art enthusiast in her professional life, Maria also pursues drawing on her own time which has been published, exhibited, and collected by private art collectors around Los Angeles. Along with students, faculty, and staff, Maria describes her experience attending the Einstein’s famous Art Collection below.
It has taken Mandy and Cliff Einstein more than 30 years to bring together an art collection that landed them on Art and Antiques Magazine’s, “America’s Top 100 Collectors” list. Their collection includes some of the greatest pieces of contemporary art in the world, in many thanks to the Einstein’s high standards. Mandy expressed, that “[They] work to collect works that are museum-level quality – the piece and the artist should provoke interest and hopefully, have longevity.” Their private collection lives with them in their stunning 1970 Ron Goldman Brentwood home, which has been subject of numerous programs covering contemporary art and reflects the history the couple has collected in their lives.
The CMC students and Kravis Fellows that gathered on a Sunday afternoon to tour the Einstein home were asked, “What do art and leadership have in common?” at the beginning of the tour. Certainly, there is overlap between the properties of art and the influence of the artists on how we experience a social movement or a new concept – analogous to the traits and skills a leader possesses to create change within an ecosystem. These thoughts spurred conversation among the group as they toured the extensive collection.
Their collection includes paintings from Kerry James Marshall, Raymond Pettibon, Mark Grotjahn, Ed Ruscha, John Baldessari, and Mary Weatherford; and sculptures from Chris Burden, Yayoi Kusama, Mike Kelley, John Chamberlain, Welead Beshy, Nancy Rubins, and Kiki Smith — to name just a few from the more than 120-works on display..
Some pieces carry an authentic and poignant criticism on social, historical, and political topics, standing the test of time. Juxtaposed to Chris Burden’s otherworldly rotating planet, is Kenyan born multimedia artist Wangechi Mutu’s I put a spell on you (2005) that explores themes of the African diaspora and the politics of colonial history. Oil Barrel No. 6 (2009), is a rare piece from Tehran born artist Shiva Ahmadi. She recycles oil barrels from war zones and bejewels them with designs from Persian miniature paintings, Islamic art, and images of contemporary social and political strife. Another piece that is striking for its criticism on racism is Nancy and Ed Kienholz seminal work, Holdin’ the Dog (1986). The challenging information offered by these artists through their pieces stimulated a dynamic conversation.
As the group gathered inside James Turrell’s SkySpace Second Meeting (1989), the lively conversation focused on the Einsteins’ respective careers and their role as supporters of Los Angeles art institutions such as Otis College of Art and Design, MOCA, and LACMA. Cliff, who has spent more than 50 years in the advertising business and is Chairman of Dailey and Associates, encouraged students to, “First develop a unique set of skills within the private sector and then find a cause to which they can apply their skills to create change.” He used his own example of how his expertise in marketing in the private sector has allowed him to effect change within the non-profit sector. As Chairman Emeritus of MOCA he used his relationship as Chairman of VRTVentures, a virtual reality company, to make the acclaimed exhibition of Kerry James Marshall Mastry accessible to audiences across the world. This was the first time a major museum exhibition had been preserved completely so that it could be seen in a real life manner after it would otherwise have disappeared.
You can go to www.vrtventures.art to download the Kerry James Marshall’s retrospective exhibition.
On March 3rd, the Kravis Leadership Institute, the Berger Institute, and the CMC Care Center hosted the first annual Women of Color Power and Purpose Forum—a day-long symposium highlighting a powerful, unprecedented moment in history where women of color are gaining increased access to opportunity in innovation, technology, and social change movements. This heightened exposure has redefined what it means to be a women of color as more and more enter male-dominated industries. This forum sought to help attendees understand their purpose by inviting successful women to speak on their respective areas of expertise and lead workshops geared towards unlocking inner potential.
The program consisted of three morning workshops and three afternoon workshops. The morning workshops included Find Your Purpose – Aligning Your Values with Professional and Personal Goals, Redefining and Defining Your Purpose, and Deeper Forward Stance Practice. The afternoon workshops included Cultivating Your Power, Collective Power Cultivated Through Personal Pedagogy, and Unlocking Possibility and Action on Your Goals.
CMC alumni were also invited to speak on the Alumni of Color Lunch Panel: A Real World Perspective. Speaking on the panel were San San Lee ’85 of the Law Offices of San San Lee, Quality and Risk Management Associate Manager for Accenture, Nazneen Nathani ’01, and Assistant Director of the Younes and Soraya for the Performing Arts, Maria Paredes ’09.
The panelists mainly focused on unpacking the meaning of failure. Nathani stressed the importance of establishing a high self awareness. She claimed that “you must accept that what you are doing, who you are, and the choices you make are the right thing for your situation.” In other words, we shouldn’t let fear of failure define our actions because according to Lee, “we are going to experience failure at some point.” Therefore, embracing failure and learning from your mistakes is more productive than sulking about how and why you made them in the first place. True success requires a bit of failure.
Paredes also added that most mistakes are not made out of foolishness; you make the choice with the belief that it is right at the given moment. While it might be right or wrong, you must remain confident in your ability to make right choices, despite the possibility of making wrong choices.
The day concluded with an inspiring performance from the keynote speaker, Amikaeyla Gaston, who serves as the Cultural Ambassador for the US State Department and heals communities with music. During her speech, she united the room with her eloquent vocals and passionate lyrics, occasionally chanting—while also asking us to repeat—“may we be one with the infinite sun. Forever! Forever! May we be in tune with the healing of the moon. Forever! Forever!”
This was no ordinary speech. Gaston gave us a glimpse at how she channels her musical talent as a medium for fulfilling her purpose of healing communities and developing a world where all voices are heard. For me, just sitting in the room with such a vibrant, confident, and powerful woman gave me the motivation to surrender fear and live shamelessly. A woman with purpose and power was in our midst, and she gracefully shared hers with all of us…
CMC student Shanil Verjee ‘21, who served on the planning committee, shared her thoughts on the overall impact of the event:
“It was truly special to be able to create a space where WOC could discuss their specific personal and professional circumstances, surrounded by people who have experienced or are experiencing the same thing. We, along with the incredible workshop facilitators, were able to turn what are often conversations about what makes WOC different, into conversations about similarities and shared experiences. Thus, I feel that we were able to empower those who attended, and inspire WOC to use their differences to change the world, rather than acting in spite of their differences.”
Archana Sahgal ’99 speaking at the 9th Women and Leadership Conference
Sitting at the Athenaeum amongst powerful, determined, and ambitious women from around the country, it was hard to not to feel empowered. The 9th annual Women and Leadership Conference aimed to inspire and embrace female worth in the workplace. This year the event featured Archana Sahgal ’99, a former Obama White House official and CMC alumna. A lawyer by training and social justice entrepreneur at heart, Sahgal worked as the Senior Associate Director at the Office of Public Engagement for the Obama Administration. After her motivating talk, I had the opportunity to sit down with Archana and further discuss her ideas on women in leadership today.
Q: What does leadership look like to you?
A: “Being a leader requires setting culture and setting tone. It’s important to cultivate the kind of work environment where everyone is able to flourish in support of a common mission. Ultimately, that is the kind of leadership I am drawn to and want to support. Traditionally, when we think about leadership, we look to the individual at the very top of the hierarchy Instead, there are different leadership models including the kind of leadership of supporting people to reach their full potential working together in service of a larger goal.”
Q: What is one piece of advice you have for young women entering the work place?
A: “The world can be harsh, and we have a long way to go in establishing equality and justice. I’d advise young women to find their inner resiliency. It is incredibly important to cultivate and nurture the ability to get back up after encountering a road block.
Q: In your athenaeum speech you talked about the discomfort many women associate with negotiating salary – can you explain this a little more?
A: There are plenty of barriers in this world to closing the gender pay gap so it’s particularly important to recognize that negotiating a salary is an art and a skill you can develop. In order to have a successful salary negotiation, it’s important to research industry standards as well as practice negotiating by conducting a role play and even develop talking points. Discussing money is often perceived as taboo which is why I’m grateful for the Women’s Leadership Workshop for providing hard skills like salary negotiation to CMC students and alum.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: “I’m committed to working in social justice realm. Right now, I am working as a consultant for a global foundation to deepen the #MeToo movement. It’s been incredibly fulfilling and exciting to be working during this “movement moment” to unlock resources that directly support feminist organizing and culture change. I’ve also been craving to build and create something; perhaps that is starting a fund or creating a new nonprofit or going deeper on an issue. One thing I know for sure is that I want to continue to try and have an impact and make a difference on the world.”
Sitting and talking with Archana really prompted me to think about my future and potential career path. As a woman, Archana’s messages about embracing self-worth and uplifting other members of the community really spoke to me. Indeed, thinking about women in the workplace more broadly in turn helped me think about my personal professional future. Perhaps what struck me most, however, were the numerous individuals who approached Archana amid our chat, eager to thank her for the earlier speech. Women at the conference were incredibly grateful to have someone advocate for women in the workplace – especially in male dominated fields like politics, government, and law. It became obvious, then, that Archana’s talk resonated with so many because it truly captured pivotal themes of self-worth and gender equality.
Linnea Uyneo ’20 conversing with a fellow conference partipant during a leadership oriented excercise.
This February, the Kravis Leadership Institute sent a select group of KLI students to participate in the 2018 Hatton Sumners Leadership Conference. Hayley Giffin ’20, Rowan Mulligan ‘18, Linnea Uyeno ’20 and Michaiah Young ’18 trekked down to Austin, Texas for three days to be inspired to lead, increase their awareness about leadership and network with emerging leaders. This conference brought together more than 180 participants who were identified as a high potential leader by their respective schools from colleges all around the U.S. and Mexico.
Taking place on the UT Austin campus, the conference was hosted in partnership with the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Upon arrival, all participants were split into small groups of 15 individuals. This small group structure enabled students to go unpack leadership topics in depth and grow a strong group of close friends. On the first day, we all grew closer to our small group and had the opportunity to listen to Julian Castro, former Secretary of House and Urban Development and San Antonio mayor, talk about his journey as a minority politician.
The next two days consisted of a combination of personalized leadership workshops, small group team building exercises and inspirational talks.
“In the mere 2.5 day conference, they were able to facilitate genuine and collaborative connections between the students,” said Rowan Mulligan ‘18. Michaiah Young ’18 remembers, “One of the most unique things we did that I believe was one of the most valuable was express our appreciation and gratitude to fellow students. This was a rich and fulfilling mindfulness experience. It fostered deeper conversations and greater authenticity among us all.”
For Linnea Uyeno ‘20, “The cool part about the conference was that students had the option to attend personalized leadership workshop sessions that fit their own leadership interests. I had the opportunity to attend sessions such as, The Power of Introverts, Team Leadership, and Virtual Leadership. My favorite activity was debriefing the Strength Based Leadership assessment. It helped me to understand how unique my leadership strengths were compared to others, and how I can leverage these strengths to effectively influence and lead people. I felt that the assessment can increased my own leadership self-awareness, and taught me that leadership is a reflective process that can be developed through self-observation.”
