Recent innovations in the pharmaceutical and bioscience universes have created modern marvels that will dramatically affect the length and quality of our lives. With medical nano-devices and more targeted genomic therapies on the horizon, academics around the world have started to predict a human life expectancy of 100 years by 2030. Tempering the excitement surrounding the prospect of longer life is a growing concern regarding the financial resources that will be required to sustain basic living standards. The fact that there will have to be a change in retirement benefits means that an increasing number of workers will become more responsible for determining how much money they need to set aside for retirement if they expect to sustain their quality of living. Unfortunately, most individuals do not have the education or financial literacy required to either enhance their wealth or manage it more effectively.

The 14th Annual UCLA Anderson African American Students in Management Conference intends to offer a forum to discuss this impending situation. Through a series of panels, we will explore the efforts that are being made on two fronts: enhancing individuals’ wealth and helping individuals to effectively manage their finances. In an “ownership society,” the clearest path to individual wealth is through the ownership of ones’ own business.

The 2005 UCLA Anderson AASM Conference will be the culminating event in a week celebrating Black History and Achievement. This two-day event is planned to host over 300 students, executives, business leaders, and alumni from all over the country. After an all-Anderson event commemorating Black History Month on February 17th, we will be hosting our annual alumni mixer during a conference kick-off reception on the evening of February 18th. Our panels, keynote speech, and main conference events will take place on February 19th at the UCLA Faculty Center located on campus.

Business casual attire preferred.