UCLA Anderson School of Management Blog

Anderson Student Scott Sugimoto Revisits the Sport of Competitive Fencing

Photo: Hannah Ye/Daily Bruin

UCLA Anderson School of Management MBA student Scott Sugimoto (’16) was a two-time All-American fencer at Columbia University from 2004 to 2007, and was also a member of the U.S. fencing team. The former world-class fencer finished eighth in last Sunday’s Okawa Three-Weapon Open fencing tournament at UCLA.

Sugimoto is reviving his passion for fencing after spending the last few years concentrating on his career as a technology consultant. Although he says he’s not determined to dominate the sport in the midst of earning his MBA, he still approaches it with a competitive spirit.

Sugimoto told the Daily Bruin, “I like to be on the offensive. I don’t like waiting for the other person. I like to direct what is going on. Either I’m going for the attack or I’m moving forward to get them to react.”

Read the full Daily Bruin story by Taylor Hollowell.

At Anderson and Beyond, Fostering Safe, Inclusive Work Environments for LGBTQ Employees

By Chris Weber (’09)

Around the time I applied to business schools, Kenji Yoshino’s memoir Covering had just come out (no pun intended). His assessment of how society denies equal treatment to people who refuse to cover up crucial aspects of their being (e.g., race, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, disabilities), and what we can do to build a new civil rights paradigm based on the desire for authenticity, were incredibly formative for me. After all, part of my role as the director of development and communications for the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center in San Jose was to help corporations foster safe and inclusive environments for their LGBTQ employees and allies. Finding a business school culture that was open to discussing diversity and respecting those who were different was not only essential, but also a priority.

Like many, I chose UCLA Anderson because of the unique collaborative culture that goes beyond working on group projects, organizing (amazing) social events, and winning the Challenge for Charity’s Golden Briefcase. In any environment where you have people from different backgrounds, not everyone will see things the same way, but the cultural norm at Anderson is in appreciating where someone is coming from, understanding where they want to go, and helping them get there both now and in the future. At A-Days, my future classmates embraced not only the unique professional experiences that I brought to our community, but also my openness about my sexuality. Sure, that openness led to some uncomfortable conversations, particularly during my second year with the passage of Proposition 8. My classmates had a lot of questions about what the proposition meant and how it would impact me and my other LGBTQ classmates. It was in those one-on-one interactions where the building blocks for understanding began. On a broader level, the dialogue we started with our Out in the Workplace panel created a better understanding of the challenges LGBTQ individuals face professionally and what people can do to help build a supportive workplace.

Allies Turn Out for LGBTQ Awareness Week at Anderson

---

Enjoy [email protected]’s photos from the week

 

By Carolyn Gray Anderson

During the week of April 13, the columns ringing UCLA Anderson’s Marion Anderson Courtyard were wrapped in rainbow colors to signify alliance with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer-Identified community. Central to Awareness Week activities was the Ally Pledge of solidarity with LGBTQ people, signed during the daily lunchtime Ally Rally by Dean Judy Olian and nearly 200 others at Anderson. Allies proudly added their signatures to a giant poster and wore an “I pledged” sticker.

Why is it important this is happening at a business school? Even in the U.S., total workplace equality isn’t a guarantee. As [email protected] Co-President Devon Dickau (’15) said in his Anderson TED presentation the previous week, “There are 29 states where I could be fired for who I am and it would be legal.” During Awareness Week he said, “My personal goal is for every student to graduate from Anderson with the language, the knowledge and the tools to be an active and engaged ally to all marginalized communities, as professionals and as citizens.”

Dickau, incoming [email protected] Co-President Derek Bailey (’16), and [email protected]’s ally leadership Kelsey Ziegler (’16), Kelly McKenzie (’16), Alexandra Carey (’15) and John Kapteyn (’15) all played integral roles in orchestrating the week’s events. “The outpouring of support from the Anderson community this week was incredible,” said Dickau. “Posts on social media. Participation in events. And the side conversations I had throughout the week — individuals taking me aside and expressing genuine interest and excitement about our effort. I could not be happier with the success of our first-ever UCLA Anderson LGBTQ Awareness Week.”

Interview with an Ally: Kunal Gupta

---

 
As interviewed by Alexandra Carey, VP of Education & Ally Relations for [email protected]
 
In honor of LGBTQ Awareness Week, I sat down with one of our strongest international allies, Kunal Gupta, to talk about being an ally. Kunal and I were on the same AMR team, and in between deliriously long hours in the library pods, we would have cathartic conversations about school and life. Kunal opened my eyes to the many challenges international students face when they start at Anderson, including the confusion around diversity and what’s acceptable.
 
Kunal grew up in India, a very diverse country with many languages and dialects that are spread over 29 states, but he was taken aback by a different kind of diversity when he came to the U.S. Instead of one ethnicity of people, as was the case in India, places like LA feature many races, cultures and people of different sexual preferences intermingling. Still, if you meet Kunal, you would probably think he is incredibly “well-adjusted.” Besides being awesomely smart and talented, his smooth transition to life in LA is one good reason why he will be working here full-time at Deloitte after graduation. He’s passionate about making it easier for new international students to adjust to living here and thinks learning the business-y stuff is just as important as assimilating culturally. In this interview, we wanted to get to know more about Kunal, why he decided to become an ally, and what we can do to help future generations of Ander-internationals be successful by embracing diversity.

Q: Did you have any gay or LGBTQ friends in India before you moved to the states and started at Anderson?

No, I didn’t – or at least I didn’t know anyone who was “out” back home. Sometimes you hear stories that someone’s son might be gay, but the culture and environment are very different in India. It’s not open like it is here. Speaking about gay people is very taboo and people don’t openly talk about these types of things, especially when it concerns family life. Religion is very prominent in India, which makes being gay less acceptable. Still, it might surprise you that there isn’t a lot of persecution or violence against gay people—no one has ever been sentenced to death or imprisoned for being gay. Rallies and protests for or against LGBTQ people rarely, if ever, get violent. I just watched The Imitation Game and was shocked by the statistics that the film shows at the end of the movie and how many gay people were arrested and persecuted for their identity in the UK. While it is not socially acceptable to be gay in India, it’s also not opposed violently.

Q: Did you know what an ally was before you came to Anderson?

No, I did not. But there’s actually growing movement of gay activism in India in the urban areas and growing presence of supporters for LGBTQ people. Rallies take place on International LGBTQ Day. Straight people and even Indian celebrities come out to show support. When I came to Anderson, many of my international friends did not know what an ally was. I think it’s a pretty new idea to people who haven’t experienced it before coming to the U.S.  I know a lot of international students who come to campus and they confuse allies for LGBTQ because they don’t know what an ally is.

 

Continue reading "Interview with an Ally: Kunal Gupta" »

---

 

Professor of Accounting Brett Trueman had a penchant for Wall Street at an early age and so it’s no surprise that he chose to pursue a career that involved finance and accounting. He plots his road to UCLA.

Q: With your early interest in Wall Street, did you always plan to work in areas related to business?

When I began my studies at Columbia, I was really into math and science and expected to major in aerospace engineering. But, I switched to industrial engineering once it became clear to me that my passion lay in business. Ultimately, I moved to the business school at Columbia and earned my MBA.

Q: No tugs from the private sector?

As I neared the completion of the MBA program, I applied for positions as a securities analyst. At the time it seemed like an ideal job for me, as it combined my interest in Wall Street with the desire to do analytical research. I got an offer to work as an analyst at Bank of New York. At first, I thought that it would be a great job. But, I came to realize that working in a corporation wasn’t for me. I like the idea of teaching, doing research, and having the freedom to choose my own research projects. So, I chose to get a Ph.D. in finance.

 

Q: You earned all of your degrees at Columbia? Why not stay in New York?

I grew up in The Bronx and was tired of the daily struggles associated with living in New York. The not-so-great weather, the crowds, and the very frenetic pace were all reasons to leave the city.

UCLA Anderson is thrilled to announce a gift of $10 million to launch a new marketing center. Donald Morrison, UCLA Anderson professor emeritus, and his wife, Sherie Morrison, UCLA distinguished professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics, provided their gift to establish the center, which will be named the Morrison Family Center for Marketing Studies and Data Analytics. Their donation is the largest single gift from a UCLA Anderson faculty member.

“Marketing isn’t just about creative thinking today,” says Don Morrison. “It includes more quantitative research that incorporates the art of econometrics, big data, psychology, behavioral research — all under the umbrella of ‘marketing studies.’ This center will support visiting scholars and Ph.D. students’ interaction across disciplines. It will also offer funding for faculty, and Ph.D. student research and conference participation to enhance the impact of research in the marketing field.”

"Don and Sherie are star members of the UCLA community,” says UCLA Anderson Dean Judy Olian. “Their vision for the Morrison Family Center for Marketing Studies and Data Analytics is inspiring and bold. This gift is truly heartwarming, coming from such beloved members of our community and a huge source of pride and inspiration as we launch Into The Next: The Campaign for UCLA Anderson.”

“Giving is about where your money and time make a difference,” says Sherie Morrison. “One of the reasons we have been generous with Anderson is due to our two daughters who earned their MBAs there, and who now enjoy very successful business careers. And during the 27 years that Don and I have been with UCLA, I have been embraced by the Anderson community.”

An additional $1 million of the financial support to launch the new center came from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation through Richard S. Ziman and Martin Blank, Trustees. Ziman, a leading Southern California real estate executive with a long history of philanthropic giving, endowed the Richard S. Ziman Center for Real Estate at UCLA. The Gilbert Foundation will sponsor several events within the Morrison Family Center, including a lecture series, conferences, and an annual marketing camp.

The Morrison Family Center will serve as a global resource for academics and practitioners as they use data and analytical tools to advance understanding of consumer markets and behaviors. The gift will enhance UCLA Anderson's marketing curriculum and academic research. The center will interface with the practicing marketing community and professional activities in this rapidly expanding field.

Read the full press release about the Morrisons' gift.

Check out photos from the entire TED Week at Anderson!

---

By Bijan White and Cheechee Lin

Last week’s exhilarating panel discussions and individual talks by leaders in the most eclectic fields culminated in UCLA Anderson’s live TED Week Campfire Talks. The late Thursday sun highlighted an elaborate outdoor stage, where several Anderson faculty and students spoke about personal experiences, endeavors and accomplishments in presentations that emphasized their individuality and the diversity of the Anderson community.

Devon Kelley (’16) shared his story of a summer working with the Israeli national lacrosse team. Kelley spent his days training and working in Tel Aviv amid violence and terror, which gripped the regions surrounding the Gaza Strip. However, despite the ever-present threat of violence, Kelley said, the people of Tel Aviv found solace in their community. He found it in the camaraderie of sport. And he said it could be a viable path to peace:

What if, just one in ten of every instance of a Jew and a Muslim coming together to a game of lacrosse — what if, one in ten of those started with catch and turned into laughter, which turned into friendship, which turned into understanding, which turned into trust, which turned into peace?

---

 

By Derek Bailey ('16)

 

To deepen understanding and support of the LGBTQ community during UCLA’s LGBTQ Awareness week, Derek Bailey (’16) shares his personal challenge coming out. A former Marine, Derek served under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law, which forbade members of the LGBTQ community from serving openly. His story is a deeply personal one of challenge, acceptance and strength.

Coming out was probably one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done in my life. I grew up in a relatively conservative military family, and the topic of homosexuality never came up. I realized I was gay at a very young age, but out of fear of being judged and marginalized for who I was as a person, I kept my sexual orientation a secret for years. I attended a very conservative, catholic university that at the time did not recognize the student-run LGBT organization on campus, and furthermore, did not provide protections for students, faculty and staff that identified as LGBTQ. I then entered military service under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), the law forbidding members of the LGBTQ community from serving openly in the armed forces. What I hope you can tell from my life story is that from a quality of life perspective of a gay man, I made some pretty poor decisions in my life. Now, although those decisions may not have been the best ones for me, I’ve never regretted them. I honestly believe that my time in college and in the Marine Corps have made me the person that I am today, and both provided me with unique insight into how the LGBT community is treated in very conservative circles. 

As time went on, however, I realized that keeping my sexual identity a secret would be an untenable way for me to live, and it was during my sophomore and junior years in college that I fell into a deep pit of depression. I had very little motivation in life, and I began to lose sight of what was important to me. This eventually led to some very destructive behavior, and at one point it got so bad that I even considered taking my own life. I couldn’t envision a pain greater than what I was going through at that moment. Imagine not knowing who you are as a person, and not being able to look up to anybody for guidance. It’s a suffocating feeling and, like many of today’s LGBTQ youth, the only solution that I saw to my problem was to end my own life. Fortunately for me, somebody entered my life and showed me that I could be happy, I could be successful, and I could look forward to my future despite the fact that I was a gay man.  I credit my being here today to this one person, because if he had not stepped into my life during my time of need, I don’t think I would’ve made it. And I am fortunate and blessed enough to call that same person my husband today.  He gave me the courage to come out and accept my sexual orientation.

Although I felt comfortable telling those that were close to me, I still lived in fear of others' discovering my true identity. When I entered military service in 2010, DADT was still a very real law and I faced serious consequences if I came out in the workplace. I remember having to change my now-husband’s name to a girl’s name in my cell phone, because I was worried that a simple, “I love you” text from him would be read by a colleague. If we were both out in town and accidentally ran into a co-worker, I would introduce him as my roommate or just a college friend. Looking back now, I’m ashamed for hiding such an important part of my life. 

What my story should demonstrate to you is that the coming out process is almost never an easy one. People in the closet often live in debilitating and paralyzing fear of not being accepted by their family, friends and co-workers.  Therefore, it is vital for us as a community to advocate for those who are silent and just don’t have the courage to realize their true selves. 

---

 

Distinguished Professor Christopher S. Tang, the Edward W. Carter Chair in Business Administration, came to UCLA Anderson in 1985 and counts the global perspectives and open-mindedness of his students as a major reason to stay. Tang has seen supply chain management evolve from a largely in-house concern into a decentralized global phenomenon that affects businesses large and small. Tang is one of the foremost scholars on the subject, having published more than 100 articles in academic journals, magazines and newspapers. His latest research addresses social and corporate responsibility, which he believes should be as important as profits to any company leader. Above all, he says, global leaders must expect and respect cultural differences in order to succeed.

Q: What does supply chain management entail?

This is a very important area that every single company is encountering — especially when they are no longer doing everything in house. Whenever you hear the words “vendor,” “independent contractor,” or “supplier,” you have supply chain issues in the context of producing products or producing services.

So no matter whether you’re dealing with manufacturing or service companies, including online retailers like Amazon.com, you have to manage material flows all the way from the supplier to the hands of the customers. You have to think in terms of information: How do you capture the information so that you can facilitate the transaction, as far as material flows as well as financial flows? Since the rise of global competition and global trade, things have become very interesting.

 

Q: What are some examples of companies with supply chain issues they didn’t have before they were outsourcing to contractors?

IBM used to make everything in house — copiers, batteries, everything under the sun. Same with Hewlett-Packard. Then, in the 1970s and ’80s, with globalization, with suppliers being more available, accessible and affordable, companies changed their business models. IBM’s Lou Gerstner actually may have been the first to eliminate virtually all the company’s manufacturing divisions. IBM transformed itself. They outsource virtually everything now. But because of that, they have to manage all their suppliers, from manufacturers to distributors to customers.

Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

---

By Claudia Varney

TED Week at Anderson’s final day of presentations kicked off with a panel on life stories. Radio producer and StoryCorps founder Dave Isay discussed his mission to capture the stories of everyday people, and his vision to make crowdsourcing of storytelling possible through StoryCorps’ smartphone app, a TED Prize winner. He began this work when he interviewed people who had participated in the 1969 Stonewall Riots, and he found that his understanding of the lives of the LGBTQ community was fundamentally changed.

Isay’s narrative created a kaleidoscope of emotions through a range of moving conversations, including those between a mother and her son with Asperger’s, a reformed gang member and the mother of a man he killed, and a transgender woman talking to her daughter about her transition. Isay founded StoryCorps to encourage the use of storytelling to bridge people of different backgrounds for greater shared understanding. He dares to envision StoryCorps’ archive and use growing to the point where entire generations are encouraged to interview an elder in their community and learn their histories.

“I like the idea of teaching, doing research and being independent”

---

 

Professor of Accounting Brett Trueman had a penchant for Wall Street at an early age and so it’s no surprise that he chose to pursue a career that involved finance and accounting. He plots his road to UCLA.

Q: With your early interest in Wall Street, did you always plan to work in areas related to business?

When I began my studies at Columbia, I was really into math and science and expected to major in aerospace engineering. But, I switched to industrial engineering once it became clear to me that my passion lay in business. Ultimately, I moved to the business school at Columbia and earned my MBA.

Q: No tugs from the private sector?

As I neared the completion of the MBA program, I applied for positions as a securities analyst. At the time it seemed like an ideal job for me, as it combined my interest in Wall Street with the desire to do analytical research. I got an offer to work as an analyst at Bank of New York. At first, I thought that it would be a great job. But, I came to realize that working in a corporation wasn’t for me. I like the idea of teaching, doing research, and having the freedom to choose my own research projects. So, I chose to get a Ph.D. in finance.

 

Q: You earned all of your degrees at Columbia? Why not stay in New York?

I grew up in The Bronx and was tired of the daily struggles associated with living in New York. The not-so-great weather, the crowds, and the very frenetic pace were all reasons to leave the city.

$10 Million Gift to UCLA Anderson Launches New Morrison Family Center for Marketing Studies and Data Analytics

UCLA Anderson is thrilled to announce a gift of $10 million to launch a new marketing center. Donald Morrison, UCLA Anderson professor emeritus, and his wife, Sherie Morrison, UCLA distinguished professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics, provided their gift to establish the center, which will be named the Morrison Family Center for Marketing Studies and Data Analytics. Their donation is the largest single gift from a UCLA Anderson faculty member.

“Marketing isn’t just about creative thinking today,” says Don Morrison. “It includes more quantitative research that incorporates the art of econometrics, big data, psychology, behavioral research — all under the umbrella of ‘marketing studies.’ This center will support visiting scholars and Ph.D. students’ interaction across disciplines. It will also offer funding for faculty, and Ph.D. student research and conference participation to enhance the impact of research in the marketing field.”

"Don and Sherie are star members of the UCLA community,” says UCLA Anderson Dean Judy Olian. “Their vision for the Morrison Family Center for Marketing Studies and Data Analytics is inspiring and bold. This gift is truly heartwarming, coming from such beloved members of our community and a huge source of pride and inspiration as we launch Into The Next: The Campaign for UCLA Anderson.”

“Giving is about where your money and time make a difference,” says Sherie Morrison. “One of the reasons we have been generous with Anderson is due to our two daughters who earned their MBAs there, and who now enjoy very successful business careers. And during the 27 years that Don and I have been with UCLA, I have been embraced by the Anderson community.”

An additional $1 million of the financial support to launch the new center came from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation through Richard S. Ziman and Martin Blank, Trustees. Ziman, a leading Southern California real estate executive with a long history of philanthropic giving, endowed the Richard S. Ziman Center for Real Estate at UCLA. The Gilbert Foundation will sponsor several events within the Morrison Family Center, including a lecture series, conferences, and an annual marketing camp.

The Morrison Family Center will serve as a global resource for academics and practitioners as they use data and analytical tools to advance understanding of consumer markets and behaviors. The gift will enhance UCLA Anderson's marketing curriculum and academic research. The center will interface with the practicing marketing community and professional activities in this rapidly expanding field.

Read the full press release about the Morrisons' gift.

UCLA Anderson TED Week: Campfire Finale

Check out photos from the entire TED Week at Anderson!

---

By Bijan White and Cheechee Lin

Last week’s exhilarating panel discussions and individual talks by leaders in the most eclectic fields culminated in UCLA Anderson’s live TED Week Campfire Talks. The late Thursday sun highlighted an elaborate outdoor stage, where several Anderson faculty and students spoke about personal experiences, endeavors and accomplishments in presentations that emphasized their individuality and the diversity of the Anderson community.

Devon Kelley (’16) shared his story of a summer working with the Israeli national lacrosse team. Kelley spent his days training and working in Tel Aviv amid violence and terror, which gripped the regions surrounding the Gaza Strip. However, despite the ever-present threat of violence, Kelley said, the people of Tel Aviv found solace in their community. He found it in the camaraderie of sport. And he said it could be a viable path to peace:

What if, just one in ten of every instance of a Jew and a Muslim coming together to a game of lacrosse — what if, one in ten of those started with catch and turned into laughter, which turned into friendship, which turned into understanding, which turned into trust, which turned into peace?

Coming Out: Still a Problem for the LGBTQ Community

---

 

By Derek Bailey ('16)

 

To deepen understanding and support of the LGBTQ community during UCLA’s LGBTQ Awareness week, Derek Bailey (’16) shares his personal challenge coming out. A former Marine, Derek served under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law, which forbade members of the LGBTQ community from serving openly. His story is a deeply personal one of challenge, acceptance and strength.

Coming out was probably one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done in my life. I grew up in a relatively conservative military family, and the topic of homosexuality never came up. I realized I was gay at a very young age, but out of fear of being judged and marginalized for who I was as a person, I kept my sexual orientation a secret for years. I attended a very conservative, catholic university that at the time did not recognize the student-run LGBT organization on campus, and furthermore, did not provide protections for students, faculty and staff that identified as LGBTQ. I then entered military service under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), the law forbidding members of the LGBTQ community from serving openly in the armed forces. What I hope you can tell from my life story is that from a quality of life perspective of a gay man, I made some pretty poor decisions in my life. Now, although those decisions may not have been the best ones for me, I’ve never regretted them. I honestly believe that my time in college and in the Marine Corps have made me the person that I am today, and both provided me with unique insight into how the LGBT community is treated in very conservative circles. 

As time went on, however, I realized that keeping my sexual identity a secret would be an untenable way for me to live, and it was during my sophomore and junior years in college that I fell into a deep pit of depression. I had very little motivation in life, and I began to lose sight of what was important to me. This eventually led to some very destructive behavior, and at one point it got so bad that I even considered taking my own life. I couldn’t envision a pain greater than what I was going through at that moment. Imagine not knowing who you are as a person, and not being able to look up to anybody for guidance. It’s a suffocating feeling and, like many of today’s LGBTQ youth, the only solution that I saw to my problem was to end my own life. Fortunately for me, somebody entered my life and showed me that I could be happy, I could be successful, and I could look forward to my future despite the fact that I was a gay man.  I credit my being here today to this one person, because if he had not stepped into my life during my time of need, I don’t think I would’ve made it. And I am fortunate and blessed enough to call that same person my husband today.  He gave me the courage to come out and accept my sexual orientation.

Although I felt comfortable telling those that were close to me, I still lived in fear of others' discovering my true identity. When I entered military service in 2010, DADT was still a very real law and I faced serious consequences if I came out in the workplace. I remember having to change my now-husband’s name to a girl’s name in my cell phone, because I was worried that a simple, “I love you” text from him would be read by a colleague. If we were both out in town and accidentally ran into a co-worker, I would introduce him as my roommate or just a college friend. Looking back now, I’m ashamed for hiding such an important part of my life. 

What my story should demonstrate to you is that the coming out process is almost never an easy one. People in the closet often live in debilitating and paralyzing fear of not being accepted by their family, friends and co-workers.  Therefore, it is vital for us as a community to advocate for those who are silent and just don’t have the courage to realize their true selves. 

“We need to expect differences.”

---

 

Distinguished Professor Christopher S. Tang, the Edward W. Carter Chair in Business Administration, came to UCLA Anderson in 1985 and counts the global perspectives and open-mindedness of his students as a major reason to stay. Tang has seen supply chain management evolve from a largely in-house concern into a decentralized global phenomenon that affects businesses large and small. Tang is one of the foremost scholars on the subject, having published more than 100 articles in academic journals, magazines and newspapers. His latest research addresses social and corporate responsibility, which he believes should be as important as profits to any company leader. Above all, he says, global leaders must expect and respect cultural differences in order to succeed.

Q: What does supply chain management entail?

This is a very important area that every single company is encountering — especially when they are no longer doing everything in house. Whenever you hear the words “vendor,” “independent contractor,” or “supplier,” you have supply chain issues in the context of producing products or producing services.

So no matter whether you’re dealing with manufacturing or service companies, including online retailers like Amazon.com, you have to manage material flows all the way from the supplier to the hands of the customers. You have to think in terms of information: How do you capture the information so that you can facilitate the transaction, as far as material flows as well as financial flows? Since the rise of global competition and global trade, things have become very interesting.

 

Q: What are some examples of companies with supply chain issues they didn’t have before they were outsourcing to contractors?

IBM used to make everything in house — copiers, batteries, everything under the sun. Same with Hewlett-Packard. Then, in the 1970s and ’80s, with globalization, with suppliers being more available, accessible and affordable, companies changed their business models. IBM’s Lou Gerstner actually may have been the first to eliminate virtually all the company’s manufacturing divisions. IBM transformed itself. They outsource virtually everything now. But because of that, they have to manage all their suppliers, from manufacturers to distributors to customers.

UCLA Anderson TED Week: The Power of Storytelling to Bridge Cultures and Generations

Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

---

By Claudia Varney

TED Week at Anderson’s final day of presentations kicked off with a panel on life stories. Radio producer and StoryCorps founder Dave Isay discussed his mission to capture the stories of everyday people, and his vision to make crowdsourcing of storytelling possible through StoryCorps’ smartphone app, a TED Prize winner. He began this work when he interviewed people who had participated in the 1969 Stonewall Riots, and he found that his understanding of the lives of the LGBTQ community was fundamentally changed.

Isay’s narrative created a kaleidoscope of emotions through a range of moving conversations, including those between a mother and her son with Asperger’s, a reformed gang member and the mother of a man he killed, and a transgender woman talking to her daughter about her transition. Isay founded StoryCorps to encourage the use of storytelling to bridge people of different backgrounds for greater shared understanding. He dares to envision StoryCorps’ archive and use growing to the point where entire generations are encouraged to interview an elder in their community and learn their histories.