“When applying for my MBA, I sometimes felt nervous about bringing my passion for racial and economic justice into an elite business school environment. So joining this case competition with like-minded individuals has been a dream come true. I’ve learned a lot through the process, but my biggest takeaway has been that in order to spearhead true systemic change, racial justice shouldn’t just fit with your company’s strategy — it needs to be the strategy.”
— Cynthia Andrianjatovo (’22)
Member of a 6-student UCLA Anderson MBA team that advanced to the semifinals of the inaugural John R. Lewis Racial Justice Case Competition on January 21, 2021, and received Honorable Mention as a Top 12 team out of 105
The award-winning sports and entertainment powerhouse is UCLA Anderson’s 2020 Game Changer
In his first year at UCLA Anderson, music industry hopeful Gaelen LeMelle-Brown (’21) learns by example how to share success
A commitment to affordable housing and wealth-building in minority communities led Natalie Hunter (’20) to earn an MBA
With a head for business, Patricia Mathelier (MBA/M.D. ’20) imagines mobile medical services for people of limited means
UCLA Anderson’s Center for MEMES partners with Howard University to address a persistent challenge for the industry
Juggling business school and weekends in the California Army National Guard, Rhian Rogan (’20) considers a career in academe
Alumna Patrice Greenwood-Eitner (’04) helps first-generation college students reach the top rung
The Riordan Programs’ 32nd anniversary gala was the “Ride of a Lifetime”
Constance Knight ('98), talks about how not being afraid to make big changes in your career and trusting your gut can lead to life changing outcomes. Also, why it’s so important to have specific career goals and predictions for the future.
Featuring: Constance Knight, Global Head of Video Curation at Instagram
Many Black FEMBA students choose UCLA Anderson for its supportive community, where they enjoy the same close camaraderie as their full-time classmates. With unfiltered honesty, they share why the program is right for them as working professionals who come from a range of backgrounds and experiences.
UCLA Anderson faculty, staff and alumni collaborate on research and industry initiatives that address and help to resolve inequities in the workplace and the wider world.
UCLA Ziman Center-supported research may help struggling home owners
Jay Tucker (’09) makes the case for true organizational commitment
VP of content partnerships Malik Ducard (’00) invests with intentionality
Professor Miguel Unzueta explains workplace discrimination and microaggressions
UCLA Anderson’s annual Embracing Diversity Week celebrates the strength of our diverse campus community and the power of our connections to reshape our future. Amid the tumult of 2020, Anderson student leaders adopted the theme of Connect for Real Change to focus on the importance of building strong relationships across differences, despite the year’s tensions.
For Oke Bamgbose (’22), an outwardly “diverse” workplace becomes inclusive only once a diversity of voices is truly influencing the organization.
What’s your one-sentence definition of success?
“Getting up every day to do something that I’m passionate about, that inspires me, and I can see where my efforts have contributed to changing the world in some way. Fortunately, I get to do that every day at YouTube.”
— Connie Knight (’98)
Connie Knight (’98)
Head of Multicultural Content Partnerships, YouTube
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
“After establishing a career in law, I knew that I would need a broader understanding of business to achieve my goal of running a media company someday. Entertainment has always been a fascination of mine. It is a platform that allows communities throughout the world to visualize possibilities.”
— Segun Aluko ('19)
Segun Aluko ('19)
Business Affairs Executive, William Morris Endeavor
Gene Alston (MBA/J.D. ’97)
VP of Marketing Partnerships, Facebook
Who do you admire most in the business world today and why?
“Well, if I had to choose, it would be Colin Powell because he’s an independent thinker and authentic leader. That said, I admire several leaders I’ve worked with over the years for the different superpowers they possessed.”
— Gene Alston (MBA/J.D. ’97)
Tazia Middleton ('18)
Certified Financial Planner
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever gotten?
“The best piece of career advice I’ve received was actually from my parents. They taught me that it’s important not to count yourself out. Show up and take a chance. You might actually surprise yourself!”
— Tazia Middleton ('18)
What lessons have you learned from being a person of color in the business world today?
Be yourself unapologetically; people respect authenticity. Someone before you created an opportunity for you; therefore, you are indebted to help provide a ladder that creates an opportunity for another.
— Jason Cole ('19)
What is the most important skill we should be teaching our students today?
“Empathy. It becomes much easier to make purpose-driven decisions when you empathize with the people supporting and driving your business. As a Black male, I know what it feels like to be marginalized. As a result, I recognize situations were groups are not given a voice, and I am intentional about making sure they are heard. When you get in someone’s corner, you earn an ally. And it was all possible because you were empathetic.”
— Landon Medlock ('18)
Landon Medlock ('18)
Senior Product Manager
Career-wise, where would you like to be in five years?
My answer now is probably completely different than when I came to Anderson. Now my answer is, to be a successful entrepreneur. In an ideal world, I would have had some success in entrepreneurship in the past and I think that I would like to use that as a platform to really focus professionally on companies that are in social impact and the education space.
— Jason Cole ('19)
Assistant Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Heather Caruso is a scholar and researcher of organizational behavior. She guides the UCLA Anderson community in the small personal actions and large structural changes that lead to and preserve social justice.
Heather Caruso discusses how listening to understand is the key to averting conflicts, particularly among people of different backgrounds and cultures.
Featuring: Heather Caruso, Assistant Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations and Behavioral Decision Making
Heather Caruso envisions what the solution could look like
The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management is committed to increasing the representation of African-Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in American business schools and corporate management. A member since 2010, UCLA Anderson is a proud supporter of this mission.