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Embracing Diversity Week

Embracing Diversity Series is UCLA Anderson’s flagship event celebrating the diversity of our community and encouraging discussion about the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) between current students, prospective students, alumni and the greater public.

UCLA Anderson’s Embracing Diversity Conference

What Makes an Employee Resource Group Successful?

Bring Your Whole Self to Work

Latinx and South Asian Perspectives in the Workplace

What Are the Next Big Opportunities in Africa?

Why Cannabis Is a Social Justice Issue

SoFi Stadium as Case Study for Los Angeles

Event Speakers

 
Enrique Sapene
Enrique Sapene

Producer and Co-Host, "The Q Agenda" (LGBTQ Latinx TV show)

Enrique Sapene

Producer and Co-Host, "The Q Agenda" (LGBTQ Latinx TV show)

Enrique Sapene is an award winning actor, host, journalist and producer. He has entertained audiences internationally as a reporter on Univision, NBC, ABC, CBS and Telemundo. His telenovelas "Pecadora", "El Alma Herida", "Eva la Trailera" and  "Tomame o Dejame" have sold worldwide. In 2017 Enrique also became part of the much anticipated docu-series "My Life is a Telenovela" on WEtv. In 2018 Sapene premiered and executive produced the show  “Glitterbomb” on LATV. The show ran successfully on the network for two seasons and turned into the spin off show titled “The Q Agenda”. TQA is a talk show that covers topics such as entertainment, lifestyle, politics, fashion and music from the LGBTQ perspective and is the first show of its kind catering to the Latino community. In 2022, Enrique was honored as part of the OUT100 by OUT Magazine and The Q Agenda premiered its 9th Season. Enrique also created and executive produced the highly acclaimed reality hit show “Secretos de Villanas” for Canela TV. Canela was identified by Forbes Magazine US as the fastest growing spanish spoken platform in 2022. As a result of the success of Villanas, the platform and Sapene's production company River Waves Productions has since produced a new “Secretos Spin-off” titled "Secretos de las Indomables" and the second season of “Secretos de Villanas”. Secretos de Villanas Season 3 is currently in pre production and Sapene just won an honorary Glaad Award for his participation on the REVRY original drag competition "Draglatina" where he was a permanent judge.

Sarah Marie Flores
Sarah Marie Flores

Creative Executive of Anarchists United Studios (working for Lilly Wachowski, one of the directors of the Matrix franchise)

Sarah Marie Flores

Creative Executive of Anarchists United Studios (working for Lilly Wachowski, one of the directors of the Matrix franchise)

Sarah Marie Flores (she/her) holds an MFA degree from UCLA’s Producers Program. Prior to her transition to Hollywood, Sarah worked for over a decade in film exhibition and publicity, and film-based non-profits like The Roxie Theater, and Frameline Film Festival in the Bay Area. Sarah obtained her BA from UC Santa Cruz where she was an Integrated Critical Practice student in the Film and Digital Media department with an emphasis on exploring the importance of underrepresented voices in Science Fiction Film and Television. Sarah now serves as Creative Executive at Anarchists United, a newly found company focused on Artistry, Diversity and Equity in Film and Television. 

Zackery Alexzander Stephens
Zackery Alexzander Stephens

Television Writer

Zackery Alexzander Stephens

Television Writer

Zackery Alexzander Stephens (they/them) is a comedy writer and director. They were most recently a writer on The Amber Ruffin Show and Our Flag Means Death. Zackery is developing an animated sci-fi comedy they sold to Amazon with Will Packer Productions. They're also developing a multicam that is setup at Warner Bros. with Ty Burrell's production company and adapting a book for CBSTVS, the NAACP, and Pursued by a Bear productions.

Before focusing on television, Zackery spent almost a decade performing sketch and improvisational comedy in Chicago and New York. They have come a long way for a kid that grew up on a farm in the rural and inaccurately self-titled, “Palm Springs” of Washington State.

Abdiel "Gloria" Urcullu
Abdiel “Gloria” Urcullu

Head Hairstylist, “We’re Here” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

Abdiel “Gloria” Urcullu

Head Hairstylist, “We’re Here” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

Abdiel Urcullu, a former teacher, is shaping the way the world views drag. Known for his participation in award-winning shows like "RuPaul's Drag Race" and "We're Here," Abdiel started his journey in 2013 offering pre-styled and custom wigs. In 2016, he was given the opportunity to work with Korean American drag performer, Kim Chi on "RuPaul's Drag Race." Since then, he has been heavily involved with the show and crafting wigs for contestants. in 2019, Abdiel was eager to continue on his mission-driven work of giving back to a younger generation and began working as the lead hairstylist for "We're Here." In January2024, Abdiel Urcullu was awarded an Emmy for his work on "We're Here."

Patrick Macias ('24)
Patrick Macias ('24)

Moderator

UCLA Anderson

Oliver Luo
Oliver Luo

Product Designer, VMware

Oliver Luo 

Product Designer, VMware

Oliver is a product, experience, and visual designer based in Boston. He is a graduate of the Master in Design Engineering program at the Harvard GSD/SEAS. Professionally, he has led a variety of projects ranging from design research and ethnography, to UX and graphic design, to interactive physical installations, to motion graphics and 3D renders, to data and system visualization, and to product management and strategic consulting. Right now, he works at Broadcom's Tanzu / Pivotal Labs as a Product Designer, collaborating closely with public sector clients to build user-centered, accessible software products in an agile manner while also coaching client teammates to improve their skills and processes. In his spare time, he makes art, indulges his wanderlust, and dabbles in game design.

Male Faculty Silhouette
Tomás Moreno

Design Practice Lead, VMWare

Kevin Grogg
Kevin Grogg

Assistive Technology Product Owner, EY

Kevin Grogg  

Assistive Technology Product Owner, EY

Mr. Grogg is a Product Owner for Assistive Technologies (AT) for Ernst & Young (EY) and has occupied the position for 7 1/2 years. His primary duty is to provide 1-1 AT services “at a distance” via Microsoft Teams. Before EY, he worked fifteen years at Shepherd Center, the last ten in the Assistive Technology department. He provided AT services for patients with spinal cord injuries or brain trauma. Mr. Grogg holds a BS in Management from Georgia Tech and a MS in Exercise Science & Biomechanics from Georgia State.

Malia Mason '23 (MBA)
Malia Mason '23 (MBA)

Moderator

Cybersecurity Leader, Chumash Enterprises

Malia Mason '23 (MBA)

Cybersecurity Leader, Chumash Enterprises

Malia is a cybersecurity leader, a United States Navy veteran, and an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is the CTO and Co-Founder of Nortera as well as Co-Chair of the Tech For Good Committee at AnitaB.org. She serves on the advisory board for 3 local community colleges, and mentors girls in middle school and high school at CyberTech Girls and GenCyber Girls. She frequently mentors veterans and mil-spouses and collaborates with various veterans' nonprofits.

Jude Glenn
Jude Glenn

they, he, she

Co-Founder | Executive Lead | Director of Marketing and Partnerships – Queer Mountaineers

Jude Glenn

Co-Founder | Executive Lead | Director of Marketing and Partnerships – Queer Mountaineers

Jude is an engineer, designer, photographer and community organizer. Extremely passionate about social impact, Jude has been advocating for change since an early age. Even while growing up isolated on a small farm in West Texas, Jude has always had a passion for LGBTQIA+ rights and has been actively pushing back on societal barriers to create safe spaces at all costs, having helped organize some of West Texas’ earliest protests/Pride events in the early 2000s and later assisting in starting a GSA at their local community college. Now living in Seattle, and as a mountaineer themselves, Jude observed a lack of representation and community in the outdoor industry and took the Alpine Mountaineering & Technical Leadership course with American Alpine Institute with the dream to someday create a group like Queer Mountaineers. Jude partnered with some of their closest friends to help make the organization a reality.

Sarina Pizzala
Sarina Pizzala

she, they

Co-Founder | Director of Programming and Outreach – Queer Mountaineers  

Sarina Pizzala

Co-Founder | Director of Programming and Outreach – Queer Mountaineers

Sarina is a social worker; professional commercial, elopement and adventure photographer; and passionate community organizer. Sarina first found their love for the outdoors through their camera, capturing Washington's natural beauty. They loved to challenge themselves and push to more challenging and farther peaks. Sarina’s accomplishments include climbing four out of Washington's five volcanoes, completing the Ptarmigan Traverse (a six-day technical mountaineering climb) and leading an all-women's group to Everest Base Camp. In these endeavors, Sarina found very few people like them: queer, femme and non-binary. Because of this, Sarina is passionate about showing representation in the outdoors, breaking down barriers for others and creating opportunities for the LGBTQIA+ community.  

Christian La Mont
Christian La Mont

she, they

Head of National Storytelling and Communications | Advocacy Program, Yo Cuento – Latino Outdoors
 

Christian La Mont

Head of National Storytelling and Communications | Advocacy Program, Yo Cuento – Latino Outdoors

Christian is a storyteller, scribbler, community organizer, volunteer and outdoors advocate. He was born in Mexico City and is proud to call Los Angeles his home. Christian's education and background in documentary film production, including co-directing the first-ever U.S. Paralympic Team processing video and doing a stint in the Bering Strait region of Alaska working behind the scenes of a reality show, eventually led him to a career as a digital and social media strategist, which allowed him to combine his passions of storytelling, community organizing, advocacy and communication to amplify and support underrepresented voices through digital media formats. Since joining the Latino Outdoors movement as a volunteer program coordinator for Los Angeles, national social media coordinator and then staff member, Christian has collaborated on and led initiatives and campaigns, including Latino Conservation Week, Semillitas Outdoors and Orgullosamente Outdoors. 

Above all, Christian believes in the power of storytelling, caring, fighting for access to the outdoors, celebrating culture, building trust, organizing and striving to make a difference in the world — one conversation, one reel, one email, one hike at a time. 

Jorge Vallecillos
Jorge Vallecillos

he/him

Southern California Lead – Escalemos 

Jorge Vallecillos 

Jorge is a designer, illustrator, producer and social practitioner born and raised in Los Angeles. 

Straying from society's inherent desire to move as fast as possible, Jorge has instead opted to move at the speed of trust. His practice places an emphasis on empowering underrepresented communities by engaging in acts of service through sustainable place-based design and cultural stewardship. Jorge is currently a Southern California lead for the rock climbing collective Escalemos, where he helps build, strengthen and celebrate Latinx/Hispanic climbing representation by furthering accessibility for his community. Prior to this, Jorge spent the past decade working as a creative producer at various organizations, including Apple, Deem Journal and Sonos. 

Embracing Diversity Week Speakers & Guests

 
Abuoma Nwadike

she, her, hers
Tech & Entertainment Specialist; MBA Candidate at USC Marshall, Class of ‘24

Andy Kwan graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2008 with a B.A. in Business Economics with an Emphasis if Accounting. Currently, he is an Audit Managing Director in the Los Angeles office of KPMG, where he has spent over 14-years providing financial statement audit services to public and private companies. Andy focuses on serving clients in the building, construction, and real estate industry, and also serves as the co-lead of the Los Angeles chapter of KPMG’s Asian Pacific Islander Network business resource group

Andy Kwan

he, him, his

Managing Director, KPMG LLP; Co-Lead of APIN (Asian Pacific Islander Network) KPMG SoCal Chapter

Andy Kwan graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2008 with a B.A. in Business Economics with an Emphasis if Accounting. Currently, he is an Audit Managing Director in the Los Angeles office of KPMG, where he has spent over 14-years providing financial statement audit services to public and private companies. Andy focuses on serving clients in the building, construction, and real estate industry, and also serves as the co-lead of the Los Angeles chapter of KPMG’s Asian Pacific Islander Network business resource group

Antonio Bernardo, Ph.D.

Dean and John E. Anderson Chair in Management, UCLA Anderson School of Management

Antonio Bernardo, Dean and John E. Anderson Chair in Management, began his academic career at UCLA Anderson and has been a member of the finance faculty since 1994. He has a long history as an active and engaged member of Anderson’s faculty and its administration, having served as department chair and senior associate dean for academic affairs from 2006 to 2009, and finance area chair from 2013 to 2015 and again in 2019. He previously held the Joel Fried Chair in Applied Finance and Robert D. Beyer Term Chair in Management.

In 2019, Bernardo was appointed UCLA Anderson’s ninth dean, effective July 1.

Apoorva Tyagi (FTMBA ‘22)

she, her, hers
Technical Product Manager, Amazon

Apoorva is an Anderson FTMBA alum from the Class of 2022. Before business school, she was heading product and growth for a B2B SaaS startup in Bangalore, India, and wanted to continue in product and tech after Anderson. She now works as a Senior Product Manager at Amazon Music, and is based in LA.

Brad Rowe

Lecturer of Public Policy, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

Brad Rowe is a cannabis policy, equity, public health and safety researcher and educator who has committed the last decade to understanding and sharing all he has learned on cannabis policy, consumption, production, and regulation. He is the first person to teach cannabis policy at the university level and is authoring the first college level curriculum on the topic. This journey has taken to him developing video, webinar and written checklist curriculum for social equity cannabis business licensees for the City of Los Angeles including standard operating procedures, cybersecurity, testing lab tech and cultivation tech. Brad is newly appointed Associate Editor for Cannabis Policy at the Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Journal. Brad has designed, implemented, and delivered a dozen public policy research projects over the last decade through a myriad of roles. He is Lecturer of Public Policy at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and started teaching Cannabis Policy and Society in 2020, the first of its kind in the country. Course topics include regulation and taxation, mass incarceration, social equity licensing and job creation. He serves as Faculty Member to the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, coordinating the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Research team and the California Cannabis Data Collection Project.

Brian Dubow (FTMBA ‘23)

he, him, his
Founder & CEO, Hit of Happiness

Brian is a second year full-time MBA student at UCLA Anderson School of Management with a focus on Marketing, Entertainment, and Innovation. He is the Founder & CEO of Hit of Happiness. As a certified happiness trainer, he is particularly interested in the health and wellbeing space as it relates to optimizing human performance and overall happiness.

Chongo Bwalya (FTMBA ‘23)

she, her, hers
 

Christine Medrano

she, her, hers
Comedian

Christine Medrano is a writer and stand up comic from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Her short film, “I Think She Likes You”, was at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. She has done stand up on Epix’s Unprotected Set and voiced a character on Bob’s Burgers. She was a crew member of Good Mythical Morning, as well as a featured cast member and writer for College Humor and DROPOUT. She currently resides in Los Angeles where she cohosts a monthly show at the Elysian Theater called Iconswith Jared Goldstein and Maddie Connors and also co hosts a weekly show with Dana Donnelly and Addie Weyreich called Big Rox.

Dalbir Singh

Co-Founder, Sukhi’s Gourmet Indian Foods; Board Member, Hodo Food

The self-proclaimed “official taste tester” at Sukhi’s Gourmet Indian Foods has had quite the career in the food and brand-building industries. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in mathematics, Dalbir and his siblings returned to the family business, Sukhi’s. Banding together they brought their collective expertise to grow every aspect of the business. As a result, Sukhi’s Gourmet products have flourished, and the family’s dedication is steadfast but remains true to Sukhi’s original vision of bringing authentic, flavorful and regional Indian cuisine into the homes of people who love good food. In addition to running Sukhi’s, Dalbir founded RepBetter and sits on the board of two other food-based startups.

Desiree Rollins

she, her, hers

Vice President Digital Marketing, Starz

Eric Tian (FTMBA ‘23)

he, him, his
UCLA Anderson AMSA Co-President

Eric Rocha

he, him, his

Comedian

Originally from Colorado, Eric Rocha is an openly gay latino stand-up comedian, actor and writer. Based in California, Rocha has featured for popular comics such as Joey Diaz, Josh Potter and Jeff Dye. He has performed at numerous clubs across the country (The Comedy Store, Improv, Laugh Factory).

Erika Roberts

she, her, hers
Director of Programs, National Black MBA Association - Los Angeles Chapter

Erika Roberts is an Event Planner and Certified Concierge, specializing in personal assistance, lifestyle management, travel and vacation planning and also provides personal services to high-net-worth clients. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Business Management and Information Systems from the University of Phoenix. In addition to running a flourishing company, she is a Brand Ambassador for the Boisset Collection, a luxury lifestyle company.

Striving to make a difference, she currently serves as the Director of Programs for the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Black MBA Association, donor and stylist for Dress For Success and a long time member of the AT&T Pioneers, who helps communities through education, life enrichment, health and human services. Erika is a foodie, who loves to travel and spending time with her family, especially her son Devyn, who is graduating with his Masters Degree in Sports Administration, from Grambling State University this December.

Eugene Caruso

Associate Professor of Management and Organizations and Behavioral Decision Making, UCLA Anderson School of Management

Eugene Caruso is an associate professor in UCLA Anderson’s Management and Organizations and Behavioral Decision Making areas. His interest in the psychology of judgment and decision making developed as an undergraduate at Princeton University, primarily in the course of studying with Eldar Shafir and Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman.

Caruso began his career in customer research with the Boston-based marketing firm Digitas, analyzing the decision making habits of consumers. Seeking more control over the research questions he pursued, Caruso returned to academia and earned a Ph.D. in social psychology from Harvard University, where he studied with Max Bazerman, Nick Epley, and Dan Gilbert. His dissertation explored some differences in how people perceive events that have already happened in the past compared to those that will happen in the future, with an emphasis on understanding the implications of these differences for moral and ethical decision making.

“The theme that persists in my research is a fascination with how two or more people who are looking at the same information, or the same seemingly objective facts, can come to very different conclusions,” Caruso says.

Caruso regularly brings his findings into the classroom. His hope is that his students come to understand that while we all have many experiences that enable us to develop reasonable intuitions for behavior in certain situations, we often don’t get the feedback necessary to learn efficiently from our mistakes.

“One great thing about this kind of systematic research is that we can test quite precisely the strategies or the processes that tend to work well, and understand the conditions under which they are and are not effective,” Caruso says. “So, a broad theme in my classes is that managers need to test their intuitions.”

Prior to joining the UCLA Anderson faculty, Caruso was an associate professor in the Behavioral Science program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Farzana Nayani

she, her, hers,

Founder, Farzana Consulting & Training; Author of “The Power of Employee Resource Groups: How People Create Authentic Change”

Farzana Nayani (she/her/hers) is a recognized Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion specialist, business and strategy coach, and international keynote speaker. She has worked with Fortune 500 corporations, public agencies, higher education institutions, school districts, and non-profit organizations as a consultant and trainer on diversity and inclusion, intercultural communication, supplier diversity, and employee engagement. Farzana’s advisory work with Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), small business advocacy, and entrepreneurship, and racial equity & inclusion has taken her to engagements across North America, from the White House to Silicon Valley. Farzana’s expertise has been featured in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, DiversityInc, Parents magazine, NPR, the Washington Post, Marie Claire, and the LA Times. Her book Raising Multiracial Children: Tools for Nurturing Identity in a Racialized World with North Atlantic Books was released in 2020 and distributed by Penguin Random House. Her latest book The Power of Employee Resource Groups: How People Create Authentic Change was released in June 2022. For more information visit: www.farzananayani.com

Gerard McCallum

he, him, his

Senior Project Manager, Wilson Meany

At Wilson Meany, Gerard is responsible for the entitlements and the overall development of the 298-acre Hollywood Park project whose first phase includes the 75,000 seat NFL specification stadium, 500,000 sq. ft. of retail, 800,000 sq. ft. commercial retail and 300 residential apartment units. Further entitlements for the project, will result in over 15 million square of development overall.

Additionally, Gerard has completed the entitlement work for the new Clippers Arena, Intuit Dome in Inglewood that will be located adjacent to Hollywood Park/Sofi Stadium. Gerard’s other responsibilities include government & public affairs, as well as property/project acquisition for other Wilson Meany projects.

In addition to his work at Wilson Meany, Gerard currently serves on the Board of Commissioners for both the California Association of Local Agency Formation Commission (CALAFCO) and the Local Agency Formation Commission of Los Angeles County, (LAFCO). He also serves on the board of Center Theater Group, Centinela Hospital Board, and the Martin Luther King CDC.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Biola University, Summa Cum Laude, Biblical Studies at Oxford University, Oxford, England.

Greta Talia Fuentes

Vice President, Macro Film Studios

Greta Talia Fuentes is Vice President of Film Production and Development at MACRO Film Studios, a division of MACRO, the multi-platform media company representing the voice and perspectives of Black people, indigenous people and people of color launched in 2015 by Founder & CEO Charles D. King. The first-generation Nicaraguan-American from Los Angeles was most recently co-producer of Justin Chon’s Blue Bayou. The feature film premiered at Cannes 2021’s ‘Un Certain Regard’ to a standing ovation and was released theatrically in the U.S. by Focus Features. She was also an executive producer on Esteban Arango’s Blast Beat that was released via Sony and Vertical Entertainment after its 2020 Sundance Film Festival premiere. She was also an associate producer on Alan Yang’s feature debut, Netflix’s Tigertail. Fuentes is also set as executive producer of upcoming MACRO Film Studios films—Netflix’s I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter novel adaptation which America Ferrera will direct as her feature debut and sci-fi thriller Void penned by Chris Borelli; Warner Bros.’ feature adaptation of Neil Paik’s Sci-fi short story Rainbowfish and the untitled Ryan Coogler, Shaka King, Charles D. King and Lil Rel Howery produced feature film about an American political insurrection. Additionally, she will oversee HBO’s hip hop vampire drama series Thirst; and the action-adventure period epic Cordoba along with MACRO Television Studios. A champion of LatinX voices, Fuentes is also a Co-Founder and Board Member of The Latin Tracking Board which was launched in 2017 and has amassed over 200 members. The UCLA grad joined MACRO from William Morris Endeavor in 2015. She holds a bachelor’s degree in World Arts and Cultures with a minor in Visual and Performing Arts Education

Hank Chen

Comedian

Hank Chen is an actor/comic who has appeared on television since 2011 with credits including Blue Bloods, Lopez and Transparent. He made his film debut in The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, followed up by roles in Reese Witherspoon-starrer Home Again, and Janicza Bravo’s first full length feature, Lemon. He also performs in clubs across the country and is a Laugh Factory regular. Born in Maryland to Taiwanese immigrants, Chen spoke Mandarin Chinese at home before learning English and he was raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Heather M. Caruso, Ph.D.

she, her, hers
Assistant Dean, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, UCLA Anderson School of Management

Heather Maiirhe Caruso (HEH-thur MY-ee-ray kah-ROO-soh) joined UCLA Anderson in 2018 as assistant dean for equity, diversity and inclusion. A scholar and researcher of organizational behavior, she teaches in the Management and Organizations and Behavioral Decision Making areas.

Caruso’s passion for facilitating collaborative success runs deep in her life and work. “My formal interests in organizational and social psychology developed when I was an undergraduate at Stanford doing cross-cultural negotiation research with Jared Curhan and Lee Ross,” she says. These interests deepened during her years as an engineer and executive in a multinational Silicon Valley startup. “I was fascinated with the real-world experiences stemming from differences in cultural identity. Interpersonal problems could derail even the most talented individual performers, and effective collaboration skills could not only prevent such problems, but raise individual contributions to new heights.”

Layering rigorous academic training on top of practical experience, Caruso grounds her interests in the areas of: effective collaboration (especially for cross-functional and multicultural teams); skilled improvisation in leadership; management of identity, power and influence; and strategies for optimal choice, judgment and decision making. She focused on these topics in over a decade of teaching, research administration and scholarship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and has moved to UCLA Anderson to enrich and expand her work.

“Propelled by our outstanding research in these areas, we are connecting to pioneers and pathbreakers, building bridges between research and practice to best accelerate innovation in the digital age.”

Caruso stays connected to the everyday priorities and challenges of the workplace by consulting for private- and public-sector organization leaders across the globe, as well as by teaching classes in leadership, team dynamics and power and influence. In addition, Caruso partnered with Chicago’s Second City to co-found the Second Science Project, which offers skill-building leadership workshops at the intersection of robust behavioral research and professional improvisational practice.

Caruso is a strong proponent of lifelong learning for management excellence, and encourages students to make the most of their professors’ knowledge, not only while they are pursuing their degrees, but also throughout their careers. “As a preeminent public university, UCLA has a a distinctive opportunity to advance equity, diversity and inclusion,” she says. “It is an honor to help UCLA Anderson seize that opportunity by creating the kind of challenging and rewarding educational climate that can benefit leaders from every walk of life.”

Henrique Pereira (FTMBA ‘19)

he, him, his
Senior Manager, Riot Games

Originally from Brazil, Henrique worked for IBM as a Finance and Planning Team Leader. While getting his MBA from UCLA Anderson he interned at Riot Games as an Insights intern. He returned after graduation as an Insights Analyst. Since then, he has held different roles in the company, currently working as a Strategic Advisory Senior Manager.

Holly Sy (EMBA ‘23)

she, her, hers

Research, Insights & Analytics Manager, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution; Co-Chairman of IMPACT – Disney’s AAPI Employee Resource Group

Holly is the “intern who never left” Disney, recently celebrating her 10th year at the company. She currently works in DMED Research, Insights & Analytics, data storytelling in the world of kids content on YouTube/Social Media. She started her journey with Disney’s College Program, proceeded to Disney’s Corporate CRM Department in Marketing Analytics & Finance, then Disney Channels in Marketing Strategy & Analytics, before moving into the (newer) Digital/Social Media space. In 2021, Holly became Co-Chairman of IMPACT – Disney’s largest AAPI Employee Resource Group – and co-led a team through a time of crisis during the #StopAsianHate movement. She was featured in Disney’s global Reimagine Tomorrow Panel on Anti-Asian Bias, moderated by ABC News reporter CeFaan Kim, spearheaded the release of “A Message from Our Asian American Colleagues” during heritage month, created the REV framework on internal AAPI needs (Representation – Education – Visibility), opened the Shang Chi event in September ft. Simu Liu & Destin Daniel Cretton, and most recently served on a new “Catalyst Conversation” panel on Asian American Allyship, moderated by ABC 7 News reporter David Ono. She stepped down from her Co-Chairman position when she started grad school, and currently serves as an Executive Advisor to IMPACT. Holly is currently in the Executive MBA Program at UCLA Anderson, and serves as class Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Representative. She completed her undergrad at UC Irvine, double majoring in Business Administration and Public Health Policy, graduating Magna Cum Laude. On the side, Holly is a yoga/sculpt instructor, and has been for the past 6 years. High intensity movement, music, and breathing, have been her best methods of channeling stress and anxiety, enabling her to accomplish her personal and professional goals. Holly is passionate about connection, energy, and empowering people to be their most authentic, strongest selves... which nearly always involves getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. She encourages people to BYOB – be your own badass – in order to shatter stereotypes, inspire positive change and action, and ultimately, open doors for others, especially in underrepresented communities.

Ibraheem Basir

Founder & CEO, A Dozen Cousins

After graduating from Wharton School of Business and managing the marketing around Annie’s Homegrown, Basir founded A Dozen Cousins in 2019. His parents made Caribbean, Creole, and Latin American bean-based dishes that not only fed a lot of mouths, but made them water just at the smell of them simmering on the stove. As CEO of A Dozen Cousins, it became Basir's mission to share some of his favorite family dishes in a way that was accessible and easy-to-prepare.

Jay Tucker (FTMBA ‘09)

Executive Director, Center for Media, Entertainment & Sports

Jay Tucker (’09) is a marketer, educator and technology leader with more than 20 years of experience in the technology, academic and entertainment sectors. At UCLA’s Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment and Sports (MEMES), Tucker is responsible for the center’s vision, thought leadership, educational offerings and major events, including the annual PULSE conference and the MEMES Media, Entertainment and Sports Summer Institute. “MEMES has been at the center of a number of important shifts in the industry landscape,” says Tucker. “We continue to see the rise of digital and internet-based content; the shift to mobile phones and tablets as primary devices for viewing, listening and playing; and new platforms and services that are changing the way people think about entertainment and its value. Our goal is to remain at the center of the conversation as the industry embraces new technologies and business models and finds new ways to monetize entertainment content.” Previously, Tucker handled marketing and programs at the Institute for Communication Technology Management (CTM) at USC’s Marshall School of Business. He founded Silicon Beach @USC, a two-day event featuring a venture competition and a conference focused on innovation, investment and new ventures related to technology and digital content. He also partnered with executives at OgilvyRED to relaunch their Verge Summit, and with Variety magazine to launch the first-ever big data conference in partnership with PwC. Tucker also managed the Advanced Management Program, CTM’s executive education course focused on leadership for the digital age. “I am passionate about helping executives and entrepreneurs embrace disruption, drive innovation and build powerful solutions,” says Tucker. A seasoned technology leader, he has taught courses on technology management, technology convergence, digital media and media literacy to professionals at corporations and nonprofit organizations. He also serves on the board of the Southern California chapter of the Society for Information Management (SCSIM) and speaks at academic and industry events, covering digital technologies and media, technology startups and other topics. Tucker holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, an M.A. in instructional and learning technologies from Columbia University, and a dual bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in political science and African and Afro-American studies. He resides in Santa Monica, California.

Jesce Horton

he, him, his

Co-Founder and CEO, LOWD (Love Our Weed Daily)

Visionary leader Jesce Horton is Chief Executive Officer at LOWD, an award-winning cannabis company that embodies the art of urban craft cultivation. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, LOWD exists effortlessly at the intersection of urban culture and epic nature unique to the city and the Pacific Northwest. An engineer by education, energy management and automation expert through certification, and horticulturist by passion (plus plenty of time in Amsterdam), Jesce founded LOWD after experiencing successes in medical cannabis cultivation, where he began growing medical cannabis in his home for two elderly patients who were suffering with cancer, pain and insomnia. Jesce then co-founded the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), the first and largest non-profit organization developed to create equal access and economic empowerment for cannabis businesses, their patients, and the communities most affected by the war on drugs. In 2016, Jesce was appointed by Oregon Governor Kate Brown to the Task Force for Cannabis Environmental Best Practice and continued this work through the Resource Innovation Institute (RII), an organization building the central platform for creating energy efficiency solutions and standards for the global cannabis industry — Jesce served on the board of directors and as chairman at RII. Jesce’s on the board of directors for the Oregon Cannabis Association and served a 2-year advisory board term at Marijuana Business Daily. Jesce is a board advisor at Ben’s Best, the new venture by Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's fame aimed at funding Black-owned cannabis companies and further supporting the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition and Last Prisoner Project. Jesce's also served on numerous federal, state and local cannabis regulatory advisory committees to help shape the legal cannabis markets in both Oregon and California. Jesce co-founded the non-profit organization NuProject, a historic initiative financially seeded in-part by the City of Portland since 2019. NuProject delivers grants, loans, educational resources, job matching assistance and entrepreneurial services to cannabis business owners and career hopefuls. Currently, Jesce’s developing curriculum and instructing at the first college in New York to have a cannabis major, LIM College, as well as doing similar work at HBCU Medgar Evers College. Portland's adult-use cannabis program is spotlighted by an interview with Jesce in the Netflix Documentary Grass is Greener, directed and narrated by Fab 5 Freddy, a/k/a Fred Brathwaite. To keep up with Jesce and LOWD, please visit: https://www.lowd.com]

Jevonne Shepherd, MBA, CMA, CIA, PMP

Manager, Deloitte; President, National Black MBA Association - Los Angeles Chapter

Jevonne Shepherd MBA CMA CIA PMP, current President of the National Black MBA Association – Los Angeles Chapter, has served the Chapter in various capacities. First, Jevonne served as a Corporate Partner when the Black Employee Network that she helped pilot at Blue Shield of California brought in the LA Chapter to provide professional development to frontline staff. In short order, Jevonne then became a Member, a Scholarship Recipient at the Chapter and National levels, a volunteer, the VP Operations, and now President.

Jevonne holds a BA from UCLA and professional certificates from UCLA Extension in Accounting, Business, and Project Management. In addition, Jevonne holds an MBA from California State University, Northridge and is currently pursuing a Law Degree part-time at the University of West Los Angeles School of Law. Jevonne is a Manager at Deloitte and has varied industry experience in Finance Transformation, Financial Analysis, Compliance Consulting, Process Improvement, Regulatory Implementation, and Project Management. She has passed the CPA Exam, satisfied the educational requirements, and expects to complete the experience requirement at Deloitte for CPA licensure.

Jim Hu

he, him, his

Executive Vice President, Campaigns & Engagement, Participant

Joanne (Hull) Tolbert-Wells

she, her, hers

Chief of Human Resources & Equity, Hammer Museum

Joanne Tolbert-Wells is the Chief of Human Resources & Equity at the Hammer Museum.  She holds a Bachelors and Master of Social Work degree from the University of Illinois Chicago and Masters of Industrial Relations from Loyola University Chicago and has been in the field of Human Resources for over twenty five years. Joanne has focused her career in government, nonprofit, and higher education institutions such as Loyola University Chicago, University of Illinois Chicago, and University of California San Diego and has served in a variety of HR leadership roles e.g. Director and Manager of Employee Relations, Director of Human Resources, Senior Director of HR Organizational Effectiveness and Deputy Executive Director of Administration.  Self-described as a transformational servant leader, Joanne’s continuous focus on HR process improvement and weaving diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and access into the fabric of the organization has resulted in many DEIJA-driven HR processes and initiatives that have served to facilitate her organizations becoming an employer of choice.

Julia Sweitzer

she, her, hers 

Founder, Unphased Foods; President, UCLA Anderson Food & Agriculture Business Association

Julia’s background includes co-founding a nonprofit, working with two better-for-you food CPG startups in operations and marketing, leading product development at one of the world’s largest apparel companies, and analysis as a research analyst at two firms. She is currently completing her MBA at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where she is using the experience to launch Unphased Foods, a freeze-dried convenient foods brand helping people with a period to take bite-sized steps towards a hormone healthy lifestyle.

Kevin White (FTMBA ‘23)

he, him, his
Founder & CEO, Spottyr

Kevin is a second year full-time MBA student pursuing entrepreneurship at Anderson and is the founder of Spottyr with extensive experience working with Fortune 500 companies and tech startups. His passion lies in helping people live a healthy and happy life without missing out on life. He is focused on creating the next generation of products, services, and experiences designed to help people achieve their health and wellness goals.

Kika Keith

she, her, hers
Founder, Gorilla Rx

Kika Keith is a nationally-recognized momtrepreneur and activist with twenty five years of experience building high-growth businesses and community organizations that operate at the intersection of social justice and cannabis. Kika currently serves as the Co-Founder and President of the Social Equity Owners and Workers Association (www.SEOWA.org) and the Founder and CEO of the Life DevelopmentGroup (www.lifedevelopmentgroup.org), a constellation of cannabis brands, retail spaces, and community organizations that leverage the power of cannabis to transform lives, shape culture and empower underserved communities. Kika’s celebrated career at the intersection of entrepreneurship and activism has made her uniquely positioned to capitalize on the modern consumer’s desire for companies that prioritize both product quality and social impact. August 2021, Kika launched the highly anticipated Gorilla Rx Wellness Co., the first Black woman-owned Social Equity dispensary in Los Angeles. Kika’s advocacy has proven instrumental to securing groundbreaking, widely-celebrated cannabis policies and programs — most notably, a settlement with the City of Los Angeles for an additional 100 of the city’s cannabis licenses designated for entrepreneurs from communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. Her leadership has been nationally-recognized in a variety of local, national, and international news media, including Forbes, Esquire, The Los Angeles Times, New York Times, CNN, BBC, MTV, HBO, People Magazine, the Guardian and POLITICO.

Kingsley Ansong

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Founder & Managing Partner, Quantum Ventures International; Founder & President, Elefante Farms

Kingsley Emmanuel Ansong is a Canadian-Ghanian entrepreneur and a recent winner of the "Top 40 under 40" in agriculture in Ghana. Using his education from the Queens School of Business in Canada and Vienna University of Economics in Austria he's hoping to be a small part of Ghana's transformation over the next decade. Kingsley founded Quantum Ventures International, an investment fund with an initial focus on agricultural projects. The first project is Elefante Farms, a pineapple cultivation farm with over 1.8 million kgs under management on company-owned land and through the administration of an out-grower program that consolidated the micro farmers in the surrounding region. The fruits will be sold across Europe, the Middle East, and eventually North America.

Elefante farms is well on the way to becoming the most socially, economically, and technically innovative farm in the country. First in the industry initiatives such as share ownership for all employees and laborers. Elefante also presently pays the highest wages in farming. Disrupting the industry and creating a new standard is one of the organization’s founding goals. His long-term goal is to create a venture capital fund that will raise money from international investment in various sectors in Ghana – with the success of Elefante farms will serve as proof of concept.


 
Lauren Browning (FTMBA ‘23)

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Co-Founder & CEO, Ricki Rum

Lauren is a second year full-time MBA student pursuing entrepreneurship at Anderson. Lauren serves as the VP for Anderson Venture Impact Partners (AVIP) and an entrepreneurship ACT coach. Last year, Lauren was awarded the Wolfen Fellowship to focus solely on her sustainable swimwear company, Ricki Rum, full-time over the summer. Lauren received her Bachelors in Business Administration from Emory University and worked in marketing at American Express while launching her business.

LeeAundra Keany

Founder, Keany Communications; Faculty, UCLA Anderson School of Management

LeeAundra Keany is the Founder of Keany Communications. She is an executive communications coach specializing in public speaking, media training, high-level presentation training and executive presence. In her twenty-five years as a coach, she has worked with former heads of state, Nobel Laureates, best-selling authors, award-winning producers, directors and actors, Olympians, high ranking officials in the U.S. Government and the CEOs of public, private, and not-for-profit organizations.

LeeAundra is a national award-winning public speaker and speech writer honored by the National Forensics Association. She was a speech writer and aide to former Under Secretary of State G. Mennen Williams and served in the Speakers Bureau in former Michigan Governor James Blanchard’s administration.

LeeAundra has published numerous articles in on-line journals and provides regular expert commentary and analysis on public speaking and debate for TV and radio such as CNN, BBC World Service, NPR, ABC Radio, and WOR (New York). She has been quoted in The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The Times (of London), The New York Times, The Boston Globe, New York Newsday, Chicago Sun-Times, The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, and has been featured in Smart Money Magazine and Los Angeles Magazine’s “The Best of LA” issue.

LeeAundra graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Rhetoric, Communications and Journalism from the Honors College at Oakland University. She earned her Master of Arts in Politics from New York University. LeeAundra is currently on the faculty of the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Liza Katsman

she, her, hers

Consultant, Converge Firm

Liza Katsman is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultant and educator, focused on helping leaders embed DEI-centered practices into their organizational culture and business operations foundationally. Her 10+ year career moved from education, into technical change and business operations at Sony Pictures, and organizational change management consulting; this has given her a unique perspective from multiple institutional levels on the DEI landscape and implementation.

For me, the topic of intersectionality is so vital to overall social and organizational progress because it pushes us to think in more complex and nuanced terms than binaries and generalities. When thinking about creating change, and how much cooperation and intentionality this ultimately requires, there's an imperative to understand the lived experiences and perspectives of people across different combinations of privilege, marginalization, and institutional power. Only then can we create systems and communities that truly recognize and benefit all of the people within them.


 

Margaux Nielsen (FTMBA ‘23)

they, them, theirs

Co-President, Out@Anderson

Margaux is a second-year full-time MBA student at UCLA Anderson pursuing a career in brand marketing. Prior to Anderson, they worked in project management at non-profit organizations supporting education for under-served students. Margaux is building their personal brand at Anderson by continuing to support social justice with Out@Anderson and the Anti-Racism Committee while exploring their passion for creativity with the Entrepreneurship Association and Marketing Association.


 

Mariana Hernandez de Vicenzo (FTMBA ‘23)

she, her, hers


 

Mitchell Lamar

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Comedian

Mitchell Lamar is a military veteran from South Carolina who now living in LA performing comedy.

Mitchella Gilbert (FTMBA ‘21)

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CEO, OYA Apparel

Nicholyn Chen

she, her, hers

Consultant, Bain & Company; Co-Founder of Asians@Bain LA Chapter

Nicholyn is a Consultant at Bain & Company Los Angeles and is the current Events Lead for Asians at Bain (AAB). She started at Bain in 2016 as an Associate Consultant and helped start the Los Angeles’ office AAB chapter in 2017. She has helped plan and facilitate mentorship programs, social events, and discussions on the Asian American experience in the workplace.
Nina Grace Shelby

she, her, hers

Program Manager, Microsoft

In her spare time, Nina is passionate about giving back to the community and volunteering. As a board member, she holds the position of Vice President of Operations for the National Black MBA Association- LA Chapter, an organization dedicated to enhancing and developing educational and economic empowerment for African Americans. Nina is also passionate about education and prides herself on being a lifelong learner. She is currently a doctoral candidate at Pepperdine University where she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Change.

Pallavi Bhandari (FTMBA ‘21)

she, her, hers
Associate Marketing Manager, Mattel

With a 4-year experience in Business Development and Digital Marketing, Pallavi decided to do her MBA at UCLA Anderson to pivot to brand/product marketing with a passion for wanting to build and grow global brands. She has been working at Mattel on the Barbie US Marketing team in July 2021, making this passion come to life.

Paulina Barrientos Mendoza (FTMBA ‘20)

she, her, hers
Finance, Amazon Music

With over 7 years of experience in the airline industry in Latin America, Paulina decided to get her MBA from UCLA Anderson. After graduation she joined Amazon, where she has held different Finance positions in different departments.

Rufus Johnson

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Senior Business Strategy Analyst, Microsoft; Co-VP of Operations, National Black MBA Association - Los Angeles Chapter

Rufus Johnson serves as the Co-VP of Operations for the LA Black MBA Association (LABMBAA). Professionally, he works with Microsoft as a Senior Business Strategy Analyst in the Customer Success Organization. Over the past 5 years with Microsoft, he's led multiple strategic initiatives across the Customer Success and Finance organizations, resulting in enterprise wide efficiency and cost savings via process and technical solutions. Building strong partnerships and collaborating to untangle hairy challenges have been two of the things he's enjoyed most to date. Outside of MSFT, Rufus' experience includes 12 years of Client Service and Consulting where he led business development and service delivery initiatives for a wide range of fortune 500 organizations across the public and private sector.  

Outside of work, his energy is directed towards creating new experiences through travel, food and outdoor activities (hiking; biking; and fishing). He is originally a NorthEast (New Jersey) native and avid Philadelphia Sports fan, but experienced the Pacific Northwest via Redmond WA for several years before relocating to Los Angeles, CA. Driving change and increased opportunities in professional and non-professional communities for minorities is a passion of his, which he looks to continue through LABMBAA and associated partnerships.

Stephanie Chui (FTMBA ‘23)

she, her, hers

Founder, Gourmais

Stephanie is a second-year full-time MBA student and the founder of Gourmais, a better-for-you snack brand crafting organic polenta crisps baked, never fried, into globally-inspired amaising flavors. Prior to pursuing entrepreneurship, Stephanie gained six years of management consulting experience in the U.S. and Switzerland with PwC.

Tania Sweis

she, her, hers
Co-Founder & CEO, Brune

Tanis Sweis, co-founder and CEO of Brune Kitchen, met her co-founder, Jahan, at Berkeley, School of Law. Within days, they recognized a shared love for travel, baked goods…and the (not so) occasional late night nachos. Slowly but surely, those conventional processed “treats” took a toll on their bodies.

As they began to transform their diets, the pair scoured the aisles of their favorite health food stores for desserts that fit their new clean eating guidelines. Instead of sparking joy, these snacks just reminded them of their restrictions. Alas, the chocolate loving duo rolled up their sleeves and began experimenting with nutritious ingredients like tahini that were staples in their own homes growing up. The result: ooey-gooey, soft-baked cookies that were too delicious not to share with others on health journeys and really, anyone who loves cookies, and Brune Kitchens was born in 2021.

Tim Kawahara

he, him, his
Executive Director, UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate

Tim Kawahara is the founding Executive Director of the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate, a joint research center of the UCLA Anderson School of Management and the UCLA School of Law. Tim is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Center, including the development, implementation and oversight of the Center's numerous programs and activities. As the Center's founding executive director, Tim has guided the Center through a period of immense growth leading to global recognition.

Tim serves on several boards, including the Urban Land Institute’s Los Angeles District Council (ULI), were he also serves as chair of the ULI Housing Council; Lambda Alpha International (LAI), an honorary society for the advancement of land economics; and Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW). He has cultivated numerous strategic partnerships with both public and private organizations and institutions. Tim serves as an expert resource to the media, and frequently speaks to audiences on a wide range of topics related to real estate and the built environment.    

Tim is a graduate of UCLA and the Executive Program of the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Tina Castro, CFA (FTMBA ‘05)

Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Avivar Capital

Tina is a Managing Partner and co-founder of Avivar Capital, bringing over 20 years of experience in the fields of finance and investment management. Tina co-leads the firm’s overall business activities and serves as an impact investment advisor to Avivar’s clients providing guidance on the development and execution of impact investing portfolios and funds.

 

Prior to founding Avivar, Tina was the Director of Impact Investing for The California Endowment (TCE) and prior to that worked in the Investment Management Division of Goldman, Sachs & Co. At TCE, a health-focused private foundation with over $3 billion in assets, Tina developed financing vehicles and strategies that delivered solid financial returns, leveraged significant additional investment capital and supported TCE’s Building Healthy Communities goals. This included the California FreshWorks Fund, a $272 million public-private partnership loan fund to finance supermarkets and other forms of healthy food retail in underserved communities throughout the state as well as TCE’s $101 million Program-Related Investment portfolio focused on healthy food retail, community health centers, affordable housing and community lending.

 

Tina has designed and built impact investing portfolios for a range of institutional clients – from developing strategy, policy and processes, including designing social and financial portfolio monitoring and reporting systems, to sourcing, diligencing and structuring transactions across a range of asset classes and return expectations.

 

Tina is a CFA Charterholder, has an MBA in Finance from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and an MA in International Affairs with a focus in International Business from the University of Miami. She earned a BA Cum Laude in International Relations with a focus in Latin America from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She currently sits on the Governance Board for the Center for Good Food Purchasing, National Advisory Council for the Building Healthy Places Network and is an Advisory Committee Member for the National Healthy Food Financing Fund Manager. She was also formerly a board member of Aeris Insight, the Dignity Health Community Economic Initiatives Subcommittee, the Mission Investors Exchange Steering Committee and an Adjunct Instructor for a graduate course on impact investing at USC as well as a Faculty Advisor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Tora Brown, Phys.D.

she, her, hers
Business Consultant & Branding Strategist, Tora Brown LLC; VP of Administration, National Black MBA

Dr. Tora Brown is an Organizational Psychologist and Performance Coach who has spent the last 15 years coaching, training and empowering leaders. In addition to conducting trainings within organizations on topics of leadership, diversity, unconscious bias, workplace safety, wellness and microaggressions. She holds a Doctor of Psychology in Organizational Management and Consulting from Phillips Graduate University, a Master of Science in Public Administration along with numerous certificates for continuing education programs including the Management Development for Entrepreneurs Program at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Along with running a thriving Consultancy, she is a Brand Ambassador for the Boisset Collection, a Luxury Lifestyle Company and the Public/Government Relations Business Advisor for the College of the Canyons Small Business Development Center. Committed to giving back to her community, she currently serves as the Vice President of Administration for the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Black MBA Association, Business Advisor for the Good Vibes Women's Business Program and is an Advisory Committee Member for the Entertainment Community Fund Western Region Career Center. Dr. Tora enjoys living life to the fullest and can be found enjoying wine with friends, or exploring the many restaurants, art and nightlife in her DTLA Community.

Torrie Harris (EMBA ‘21)

Assistant Regional Counsel, GSA

Wambui Waiganjo, MD, MBA (EMBA ‘20)

she, her, hers
Director of Corporate Strategy, Edwards Lifesciences

Wambui, EMBA 2020, began her career as a Medical Doctor providing clinical care for patients in various hospitals in Kenya. She then transitioned into management consulting via McKinsey & Co. where she served clients in various African countries, Middle East, Europe and US. This was a career inflection point that would lead her to train and develop skills in business strategy, which she combined with her passion for patient care and medical innovation. Beyond consulting, Wambui held strategy roles in the Life Sciences industry.

In June 2020, Wambui received her MBA from UCLA, Anderson School of Management, with certifications in Finance and Marketing and an International Business Residency in China. She received her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from University of Nairobi in 2009.

Wambui loves water and can be found enjoying a lap pool or fighting waves for an ocean swim during her free time. She is a full-time college-prep mum to a Senior in High School and a (self-proclaimed) ninja at making weekend recommendations.

Whitney Beatty

she, her, hers
Founder, Josephine and Billies 

Whitney Beatty is a dynamic former reality television development exec turned cannabis entrepreneur. After a 15 year career that saw her raise from an assistant at the iconic William Morris Agency to a Senior Vice President of Development at Warner Brothers / Telepictures, she transitioned to use her knowledge of brand and niche markets in the cannabis space. 

 

After living though the war on drugs in inner city Detroit, Whitney never saw herself as a “stoner.” Raised in the age of Nancy Regan and “Just Say No” she never touched marijuana until her senior year of college. After being diagnosed with anxiety, she extensively researched the benefits of cannabis, shook off the years of stigma and decided to try it. As her knowledge of cannabis expanded, she became a proponent of the herb, but still didn’t identify with prevailing weed culture perpetuated in the media, nor the goods dripping with bikini clad women targeted at them. 

 

Inspired by a lack of stylish, safe cannabis storage systems and a distain for storing medicine in a shoebox, Whitney's first company Apothecarry Brands, Inc. was selected for the first cohort of Canopy San Diego cannabis business accelerator. Whitney subsequently pitched and won the ArcView Groups 2017 Los Angeles pitch prize and was selected at the Fall 2017 Pipeline LA portfolio company. 


Whitney’s newest endeavor in the cannabis space is Josephine & Billie’s, the first dispensary focused on the recreational and medicinal needs of women of color. It’s named for Josephine Baker and Billie Holiday, two black women who were demonized for cannabis use, and the store itself is a teapad — the black version of the speakeasy where black people would consume cannabis and socialize in the ‘20’s and ‘30’s, complete with a false wall entrance! Our true focus is on consumer education, and everything about the concept — from store organization with a focus on aliments and attributes, to the signage, to our extensive

FAQ

What is the difference between Embracing Diversity Week and the Embracing Diversity Conference?

Embracing Diversity Week (EDW) is the full week of events celebrating UCLA Anderson’s commitment to diversity. The week of programming concludes with the Embracing Diversity Conference on Friday and Saturday, which is a two-day event that introduces attendees to the Anderson experience via its culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion. While Saturday’s admissions-focused programming is an application-only event geared towards prospective students, EDW’s Monday-Friday programming is open to all. 
 
Prospective students interested in attending UCLA Anderson are encouraged to apply for the conference as well as engage with any other programming that interests them throughout the week.  
 
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Who should apply to the Embracing Diversity Conference?

Prospective applicants interested in the full-time MBA, FEMBA, EMBA, MFE, or MSBA programs who are preparing to apply within the next two years and are interested in connecting with students, alumni, and admissions. 
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Is there a cost associated with participating in the conference?

No, attendees do not have to pay a fee to participate in the conference.
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What is the deadline for applying to the Embracing Diversity Conference?

FTMBA: Early deadline: October 15, 2022. Final deadline: November 9, 2022. Applicants who submit a completed application by the early deadline will receive a decision email on October 21, 2022. Applicants who submit an application after the early deadline will receive a decision email within two weeks of submitting their application.

FEMBA, EMBA, MSBA and MFE: Advanced registration is required for the FEMBA, EMBA, MSBA and MFE programs. While there is no formal deadline to register, we ask that you please submit your registration by Friday, November 11, 2022.

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Embracing Diversity Week Steering Committee

 
Heather Caruso
Heather M. Caruso, Ph.D.

she, her, hers
Associate Dean, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Eleanor Garibay
Eleanor Garibay

she, her, hers
Senior Operations Manager, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Roy Quinto, MBA, M.Ed., Ed.D.

he, him, his
Head of Pre-Admission Initiatives

Amara Barakat (FTMBA ’23)
she, her, hers

Anderson Student Association (ASA), VP of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Nicole Gebriel (FTMBA ’23)
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Embracing Diversity Week, VP of Operations

Alejandra Perez Villavicencio (FTMBA ’23)
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Embracing Diversity Week, VP of Marketing

Caroline Van Allen (FTMBA ’23)
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Embracing Diversity Week, VP of Programming

Joyce Yin (FTMBA ’23)
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Embracing Diversity Week, VP of Identity Food Festival

José Samuel Clair (FTMBA ’23)

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Admissions Ambassador Corps, VP of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Sofia Jimenez (FTMBA ’23)
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Admissions Ambassador Corps, VP of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Afomia (Mia) Seleshi
she, her, hers

Associate Director, Student Life

Jessica Luchenta
she, her, hers

Assistant Dean, MBA Student Affairs

We are Grateful to the Organizers, Presenters, and Volunteers who Connected all of us during Embracing Diversity Week

 

Dawnyelle Addison
Noah Aldonas
Anastasia Ali '14
Brian Amabile
Cynthia Andrianjatovo
Ben Antoine
Nahum Armas
Ayesha Asif
Jesse Avellaneda '18
Kevin Bai
Ghermayn Baker '18
Jill Baldauf
Sam Balsubramani
Oke Bamgbose
Jordan Barillas
Mitzi Benavides
Diego Benitez '19
DaJuan Bennett '20
Pallavi Bhandari
Liz Bohinc
Enrique Bravo
Jack Browning
Jordan Budisantoso
Bri Buhaly
Mai Bui
Alem Bulcha
Juan Carlos Jimenez '19
Chavez Carmen
Shirley Ceja-Tinoco '17
Richie Chang
Parth Chauhan
Carmen Chavez
Andy Chen
Siyi Chen
Courtney Cheng
Nikki Cheon
Walter Cisneros '18
Ari Cohen
Camilo Cuellar
Jacqueline Delgado '17
Jake DerHagopian
Devon Dickau '15
Alberto Dominguez
Pallavi Doshi
Anika Duncan '06
Dani Ebersole '20
Julia Egan
Lucia Ehimika '17
Julia Eichenfield
Vickie Euyoque

Stephanie Evans '16
Nuvie Ewharekuko
Charlotte Fagan
Miranda Fang
Sheldon Fields '16
Lauren Fior
Michael Fisher '16
Jackson Foster
Gonzalo Freixes
Alex Frumkin
Henry Gabriel
Deepak Garg
Eleanor Garibay
Mitchella Gilbert
Deon Goggins
Denice Gonzalez-Kim '19
Callie Gorman
Camryn Green
Jared Griffith '17
Cristobal Guell
Dave Guerrero
Dipesh Gugnani
Lesley Gwam '20
Janli Gwo
Lusiana Hadi
Mona Hampapur
Bernetta Hardy
Tia Harley '14
Torrie Harris
Mareena Haseeb
Emily Hite
Jordie Ho-Shud
Fanny Hoang
Jiali Huang
Eleanor Huntington
Ashley Husbands
PJ Iannone
Christy Inauen
Carol Issa
Shailaja Iyer
Erica Jackey
Ed Jean-Louis '16
Kaitlyn Jeong
Ashley Johnson
Jeffrey Jones
Austin Josiah
Francis Kang
Luke Katz
Anna Kernus
Stephen Kim

Levi Kirkland
Brandon Knechtle
Emily Kosko '19
Ari Kruger
Cody Kuhne
Athena L. '19
Alex Lawrence
Kateryna Lazoryshynets
John Lee
Gaelen LeMelle-Brown
Xing Li
Ann Lih
Brian Liu
Christopher Low
Jessica Luchenta
Pawan Mannava
Matt Marquez '17
Allyson Mason
Ritu Mathur '07
Saada Matthew '20
Jahrael Mcdowell
Fiorella Mejia
Daniel Melling
Damon Meng
Ingrid Meza
Jesse Meza
Michael Miller '15
Safia Mirabella
Brianna Morgan
Swathi Mummini
Mayra Munguia Herrera '15
Julia Navarro '19
Chris Nguyen
Ike Nnoli '17
Fola Odetola-Odeleye
Max Olivares
Maximiliano Olivares
Morgan Owens
Jose Pallares '18
Nicole Panega
Nicole Panovski
Leanna Parchment
Candace Parker '19
Danielle Pegnato
Alejandra Perez
Elizabeth Perez
Rachel Pettis
Nikki Phair
Perry Poussard, Jr.
Jamaal Powell

Katie Quilligan
Roy Quinto
Addy Quirk
Nicole Rabiu
Divya Rao
Lauren Reed
Donna Robinson
Jessica Rodriguez
Rhian Rogan
Gideon Rosenthal
Jaime Sanchez '16
Jorge Santana '19
Siddhi Sati Kunvar
Kalyn Saulsberry
Katie Schiff
Pam Schulz
Lincoln Sedlacek
Rosa Segura
Shoshana Seidenfeld
Mia Seleshi
Bebe Silberzweig
Taylor Smith
Katie Solomon
Madeline Spolin
Jarenn Stewart
Dan Sucher
Tony Tenicela '96
Viji Thulsiraj
Emre Titizer
Giselle Topal '18
Akshay Tyagi
Joseph Umanzor
Jaanhvi Vaidya
Sabena Virani
Mia von Sadovsky '94
Penelope Vorassis
Wambui Waiganjo '20
Tiffany Wang
Chris Weber
Daphna Weinstock
Anna Wilde
Keini Wilson
Ashley Wiser
Satiya Witzer '13
Lauren Wong
Kari Yu '20
Juan Zapata

Hear Our Diverse Stories

 

Past Highlights

 

Learn More

 

About Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

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Embracing Diversity
Week Q&A

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Embracing Diversity Week 2022

Embracing Diversity Week
2022 Highlights

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