UCLA Anderson School of Management Blog

A Latina in Business School: On Being the Bridge

By Amanda Sol Peralta (’20)

National Hispanic Heritage Month always prompts me to reflect on the community that I unwittingly joined when I moved to the U.S. 25 years ago. This fall, as I begin business school at UCLA Anderson, it’s made me recommit to how this community has enriched my experience as an American.

Among activist circles I have often heard that it shouldn’t be the burden of marginalized peoples to explain their experiences or educate others. This is a perspective I understand and respect, but one that differs deeply from my experiences in underrepresented groups (Latinos, first-generation Americans and college graduates, LGBTQ for context). Perhaps this makes sense, considering I have a tendency to pay attention to how I am different. What may equally affect my perspective is the fact that as a Chilean immigrant, I have rarely been in social or professional settings where even one other person shared my background.

California Census Effort Counts on UCLA Anderson Alumna Adriana Martinez

By Paul Feinberg

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Adriana Martinez (’02) believes that every person counts.

And when it comes to the 2020 United States census, it’s her responsibility to make sure every Californian is counted.

In August, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Martinez deputy director of outreach for the state’s California Complete Count effort. The organization’s goal is the development of a strategy for a complete and accurate count of California’s population and the creation of a campaign to reach some of the state’s most difficult-to-reach communities, including residents of rural communities, people with disabilities, the elderly, the homeless and immigrants.

Previously, Martinez spent more than six years with AT&T, where she served as director of public affairs and, later, director of external affairs for California; she also ran an eponymous public affairs consulting group. “I’ve always been really interested in managing and leadership,” Martinez says. “Going back to why I earned an MBA, I really wanted to lead an organization. Sixteen years later, that’s what I was focused on: managing teams, managing budgets, being a convener among various sectors.”

Gates Foundation’s Hugh Chang Put Technology to Work for Social Change

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By Julie Ortega (’19)

I’m always amazed by how many pathways can lead into social impact careers. As a first-year MBA student specializing in social impact, I find it heartening that: a) people from so many industries have found ways to fold impact into their disparate interests; and b) I don’t have to follow a single, rigid plan to attain a career in the impact space.

Hugh Chang (’90) is a great example of someone who didn’t initially plan to pursue a career underpinned by social impact but found his way there somewhat serendipitously (and is thriving ― most recently as director of strategy planning and management for global development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). Chang started his career in technology after obtaining an undergraduate degree in electrical and electronics engineering. His time in tech was nothing if not exciting: Chang worked at Microsoft when it was an organization of fewer than 5,000 people and experiencing massive growth. In fact, the whole country was undergoing momentous technological change at the time. “I got to help [Microsoft] make personal computers pervasive in people’s everyday lives,” he told a crowd at a recent UCLA Anderson School of Management High Impact Tea event organized by Impact@Anderson.

The Purpose Economy

UCLA Anderson students and staff collaborated to produce Impact Week. Back row, left to right: Impact@Anderson program manager Kelly Chung, Karthik Patange (’18), Qingqing Wu (’18), Katie Donovan (’18), Impact@Anderson director Bhavna Sivanand (’14); front row, left to right: Janna Stucky (’19), Elizabeth Heredia (’19), Jessica Lin (’18), Molly Tarrant (’19)

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By Carolyn Gray Anderson

Impact@Anderson and the award-winning UCLA Anderson Net Impact chapter presented Anderson’s 2018 Impact Week in April. Under the theme Purpose + Profit, invited thought leaders and company founders shared stories about mission-driven careers, businesses and projects that fulfill unmet needs in sectors from entertainment to real estate.

Impact Week attracted members of the greater UCLA and Los Angeles communities to engage with Anderson students, alumni, faculty and staff in interactive panels and workshops tackling topics that included impact investing, affordable housing, blockchain technology and finding purpose in traditional workplaces.

The week kicked off with a keynote address by Cara Chacon, VP of social and environmental responsibility at outdoor clothing retailer Patagonia. The privately held company is on its way to a 100 percent climate-neutral goal by nurturing a squeaky-clean supply chain that accounts for everything from healthy soil for regenerative organic agriculture to fair wages for a healthy community (and therapeutic surfing breaks for Ventura-based staff). “A responsible business model works,” said Chacon. The proof? Patagonia recently reached $1 billion in revenue.

A Panama Community Trained This Peace Corps Volunteer to Have an Open, Unhurried Mind in the Workplace and Beyond

During Impact Week (April 9–13, 2018), whose theme is Purpose + Profit, UCLA Anderson is highlighting stories of mission-driven careers, companies and projects that fulfill unmet needs in sectors from entertainment to real estate. On April 16, Anderson presents the annual Energy Innovation Conference, which focuses on companies striving for energy resiliency through new technologies, robust policy and inventive business models.

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By Elizabeth Heredia (’19)

Bright-eyed and optimistic, college degree in hand, I was called by “the toughest job I’d ever love”: an environmental conservation assignment with the Peace Corps in a rural village in the mountains of Panama.

When I first arrived in Ojo de Agua, my job was to do nothing but pasear, which is to “walk around unhurried, stopping and chatting with townspeople.” I would often strike up a conversation right on neighbors’ porches, or perhaps at a grocery kiosk or even in the middle of the street. Niceties were exchanged, and town gossip, too.

In time, my community began to trust me and our conversations evolved. They began to share their stories and opinions. The porch visits were my favorite. As we swung back and forth on hammocks, I listened and absorbed, asked question after question, and slowly began to understand locals’ values as well as their aspirations.

For-Purpose Profits: UCLA Anderson Drives Change During Impact Week

Impact@Anderson and the UCLA Anderson Net Impact chapter present Anderson’s annual Impact Week, April 9–13, 2018. Under the theme Purpose + Profit, invited thought leaders and founders of mission-driven companies explain how they are shaping the future of business through the creation of a social, environmental and economic evolution. They share their insights in workshops, panels and a networking mixer open to the campus community and the wider public.

Jessica Lin (’18) and Karthik Patange (’18), both VPs of Impact Week and UCLA Anderson’s Net Impact chapter, which won NI Graduate Chapter of the Year in 2017, are spearheading Impact Week. As purpose-driven MBA candidates, they hope their peers will be inspired to build service and the greater good into their plans for profitable careers.

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Q: As Impact Week comes together, where do you anticipate MBA students and alumni will find particular value?

Karthik Patange: The technology theme will be prominent during Impact Week. We live in a world where tech governs everything, including our future careers. However, it’s hard for some to envision how tech and social purpose come together unless it’s through the traditional CSR “add-on.” This year, Impact Week delves into blockchain, social media and education through computer science. We hope to show MBA students that they can make an impact within their tech roles, and not as a peripheral initiative of their companies.

Jessica Lin: We wanted to highlight a variety of industries in which profitable companies also have meaningful impact. I expect that representatives from the big name companies, such as Patagonia, Google and BuzzFeed, will help expand people’s knowledge of and interest in having impactful careers.

KP: Definitely. I hope students understand that big companies with big business practices can also cater to big purposes, and that this mindset can shape their individual careers.

Q: What is the role of social media in realizing the “purpose + profit” goal?

KP: Social media directly influences social impact. Online social networks are outlets for individuals to be outspoken about their purposeful initiatives and generate awareness. How is the business side supporting this interest, especially in today’s always-online climate? From simple knowledge sharing to how to use data for social good to spreading the word on the human condition in other parts of the world, social media networks can support purpose in a sustainable and profitable way.

Devon Dickau Is UCLA's 2018 Young Alumnus of the Year

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Devon Dickau (’15), is the 2018 recipient of UCLA’s Young Alumnus of the Year award. The recognition was announced by Associate Vice Chancellor Julie Sina with the formal presentation to be made at an awards ceremony and dinner in June. He is a “double Bruin,” earning his undergraduate degree from UCLA in 2007 with a B.A. in American literature and culture. He also holds an M.Ed. in technology, innovation and education from Harvard University.

“The UCLA Alumni Awards Committee was truly impressed by the depth and breadth of Devon’s involvement from the moment he stepped onto our campus as a student through his multiple alumni leadership roles today,” said Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Affairs Julie Sina. “Devon’s passion and commitment to diversity and inclusion span his professional and alumni involvement. He exemplifies the Bruin narrative we recognize through the association awards.”

Currently, Dickau is a manager in Deloitte’s Human Capital Consulting practice and chief of staff for the Diversity & Inclusion Client Service Center of Excellence. Prior to joining Deloitte, he worked as a community educator in rural Tanzanian villages; a social impact consultant for the entertainment industry; and a higher education administrator, including as a co-founder of UCLA Parent & Family Programs.

Dickau made his presence felt during his years at Anderson. Among his key leadership positions and projects are:

• Anderson Student Association – Section President (2013–14); VP, Student Affairs (2014–15). In the latter role, he came up with the idea of shooting the “brick background” portraits for all students at the beginning of the school year. He also founded the Club of the Month honor and partnered with the school’s marketing and communications office to design the first-ever standard club posters.
• Orientation Program – Co-Director (2014)
• Management Consulting Association – Director, Digital Media Strategy (2013–14); VP, Communications (2014–15)
• Net Impact – Director, Impact Media/Technology (2013–14); Chair, Center for Social Innovation Planning Committee (2014–15), helping in this role to found Impact@Anderson.
• Out@Anderson – Director, Outreach (2013–14); Co-President (2014–15). He founded Anderson LGBTQ Awareness Week and worked with the marketing and commuications team on the first-ever LGBTQ-specific Anderson website.

“As a student, Devon made a lasting impact on the Anderson community,” said Associate Dean Jill Baldauf (B.A.’79, ’81), who heads the school’s Office of Alumni Relations. “It’s no surprise that he continues to live an impactful life as an alumnus. On behalf of the entire Anderson alumni network, I want to congratulate Devon for this well-deserved recognition.”

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The official announcement of the award reads as follows:

Devon Dickau is the recipient of the 2018 UCLA Award for Young Alumni Volunteer of the Year. A mentor, volunteer and philanthropist, Dickau serves as co-president of the UCLA Lambda LGBTQ Alumni Association. Previously serving as co-chair of the UCLA Young Alumni Development Council, he was the founding assistant director of UCLA Parent & Family Programs and a 2016 Fellow with New Leaders Council. He is a manager in Deloitte’s Human Capital Consulting practice and chief of staff for the Diversity & Inclusion Client Service Center of Excellence. Dickau serves on the board of the Social Impact Fund, a community nonprofit organization providing management and oversight expertise to nonprofits undergoing the IRS 501©(3) determination process. Passionate about nurturing and empowering communities in challenging environments, Dickau facilitates design-thinking workshops and advises clients across sectors on diversity and inclusion, culture, talent and leadership. He emphasizes aligning corporate strategy with social values. After earning his bachelor’s degree in American literature and culture, Dickau moved to Africa where he worked with a non-governmental organization in rural Tanzania. Among his UCLA support, Dickau is a gold level member of the Alumni Association benefitting scholarships, and UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he received an M.B.A. In addition to his UCLA degrees, he holds an Ed.M. in Technology, Innovation and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Read the complete list of 2018 UCLA alumni awards.

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Women from Four Countries Find Unity amid Cultural Distinctions

Left to right: Sweksha Tripathi (’19), Alina Karimova (’18), Vasiya Krishnan (’18), Chenjie Ding (’19), Giovanna Santos Chapini (’19), Kayla Carpenter (’19)

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By Carolyn Gray Anderson

Considered by many the hub of the Pacific Rim, Los Angeles is nothing if not one of the most international cities on Earth. UCLA Anderson is a magnet for students pursuing careers with global companies — including women from across the U.S. and the world who work in diverse industries.

On March 8, UCLA Anderson highlighted the school’s global reach by convening a panel in honor of International Women’s Day. Representatives among the student body from India, Russia, Brazil and China participated in an informal chat with Kayla Carpenter (’19), president of the UCLA Anderson Women’s Business Connection, to reveal surprisingly unified experiences as women in their home countries and here in the U.S.

Seeking Truth: Nike Irvin Answers the Call to Action

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By Carolyn Gray Anderson

Woman Worth Watching … Philanthropist of the Year … Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow … Inspirational 100 Alumna …

These are a few of Nike Irvin’s (’89) distinctions, all earned in recognition of more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership, board service and private-sector brand management.

When Irvin walks into a room, she attracts the people in it with a palpable and open calm. Speaking in a quiet voice about such loud topics as poverty, social injustice, equality in higher education, Irvin exudes compassion and introspection. She served as vice president of programs at the California Community Foundation for six years, becoming a donor to CCF herself and establishing a fund to make her own grants to nonprofits. But she recently resigned to shift her attention to consulting and research. “I’m in a mindfulness mode,” she told a UCLA Anderson High Impact Tea audience. “A confluence of things going on encouraged me to slow down.”

But that doesn’t minimize the urgency behind the causes she champions. She devotes her time now to researching, compiling and drafting an intentional model for truth and reconciliation efforts in the U.S. In collaboration with fellow Aspen Institute thought leaders and scholars, as well as a diverse crew of professionals in academia and business, Irvin looks as far afield as the Solomon Islands for practices that have achieved reparations on a par with South Africa’s, and that might be emulated here at home.

“We’re in a moment of growing transparency,” she said. “Don’t you feel a sea change?”

Embracing Diversity Conference Inspires Attendees to Take Real Action

By Alexis Basaldu (’18)

I began my career in education-focused nonprofits dedicated to increasing diversity in higher education. As a full-time UCLA Anderson student, I continued my dedication to diversity and inclusion through my role on the board of Anderson Latino Management Association (ALMA). We have engaged the larger Anderson community in celebration of the American Latino experience. These cultural exchanges are supported by UCLA Anderson in recognition of the fact that strong leadership requires deep appreciation of all voices on campus and in the workplace.

UCLA Anderson’s Embracing Diversity Conference brought the conversation on diversity and inclusion beyond simply articulating the importance of D&I in the workplace to inspiring attendees to spearhead inclusion in their organizations.