Wharton Stories

Wharton Women: “Girls Supporting Girls”

Image: Wharton Women's Executive Board of undergraduate leaders. (Image: Wharton Women)
The student club Wharton Women seeks to foster a community of support and collaboration and create a comfortable space for female-identifying students.

What is the mission of Wharton Women and who are its members?

Wharton Women facilitates the personal and career development of women and underrepresented gender identities in business by building a network of exceptional undergraduates, professionals, and faculty.

Wharton Women is one of the largest on-campus organizations focused on gender equality and opportunities for women in the workplace.  The club currently has more than 150 active committee members and 21 fellows, but many events and conferences are open to the Penn community. Our membership spans a diverse array of backgrounds and interests. We choose members who are passionate about uplifting communities at Penn and who can successfully carry out the various initiatives of the club.

The club is often colloquially described as “girls supporting girls,” a theme of unwavering support that is central to all of our programming. Through its range of events and initiatives, Wharton Women creates a safe space for women exploring business disciplines to receive support in their professional and personal journeys.

What types of activities and events does the club organize?

Interviewing Sandya Magge, VP, North America Social Impact & Responsibility, at Visa at the 2022 Voices of Diversity conference. (Image: Wharton Women)

Wharton Women hosts three major annual conferences: Wharton Women Business Conference, Voices of Diversity, and our Annual Dinner. Each conference features esteemed keynote speakers alongside opportunities to engage with the organization’s corporate sponsors and fellow attendees.

Our 8th annual Wharton Women Business Conference, held in January, was themed “Entrepreneurship and Leadership.” It featured the COO/CMO of Etsy alongside four Penn alumnae entrepreneurs, all of whom shared their success stories and imparted advice to more than 100 attendees.

We also host a variety of events that foster a sense of community and belonging among female-identifying students at Wharton and beyond. Initiatives like Membership March and the Big/Little program help members find more intimate spaces within Wharton Women to make friends and connect on a deeper level. Committee socials and structure also support this community-building.

Professional opportunities include info sessions with corporate sponsors tailored specifically towards underrepresented gender identities in business, skill workshops designed to address resource inequities, and alumnae panels on a variety of potential career paths.

Playing interactive bingo at a Big/Little event. (Image: Wharton Women)

How does the club engage with the broader Penn and Philadelphia community?

Alumnae are frequently engaged through speaker opportunities and our alumnae mentorship program, both of which aim to enhance the accessibility of the university’s vast alumni network. Alumnae provide insight into both conventional and unconventional career paths through alumnae spotlights on Wharton Women’s website and panel events, such as Industry Insiders and Wharton Women Around the World.

Wharton Women also engages in philanthropic initiatives with the broader Philadelphia community. One cornerstone community initiative is Dressing for Success, a fashion show and speaker event whose proceeds go to local nonprofit organizations. This past fall, the CEO of Anthropologie spoke about her experiences and the proceeds of the event went towards The Wardrobe, a local nonprofit that provides clothing to unemployed individuals.

Our pro-bono consulting committee provides free business services to both local and nationally based women-owned businesses. We offer marketing analysis and SEO optimization, social media content creation, research, business pitches, and work catered to our diverse clients’ needs.

Lastly, our Dollar Scholars committee furthers our philanthropic efforts in the community, with a focus on supporting financial literacy and professional/personal development for high school students.

How do members benefit from being a part of the club?

Committee members benefit from taking ownership in the initiatives we promote. The club truly has a “something for everyone” structure and members enjoy working on projects that cater to their individual interests while uplifting Wharton Women as a whole.

Similarly, fellows get the opportunity to learn about the different committees and understand the mechanics of event planning in a large organization. Many of our fellows later become committee members to deepen their commitment to Wharton Women and apply these teachings.

Members at the 2023 Wharton Women Business Conference. (Image: Wharton Women)

What are the club’s future goals?

Overall, the club strives to remain a beacon of professional and personal support at Penn for underrepresented gender identities. More specifically, we’re constantly improving our event, initiative, membership, and fellowship experience quality from year-to-year. At the same time, Wharton Women holds diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of its mission, so we are constantly ensuring that every inch of our club’s efforts is reflective of the kind of inclusivity we aim to foster.

—Sara Hoover

Posted: March 22, 2024

Wharton Stories

Embracing Individuality: How Wharton Helped This Student Be Their Authentic Self

Xavier Hill wants the world to know that he is more than a swimmer, more than a student-athlete, more than a Penn student. His time at Wharton has allowed him to be who he is: a jazz pianist, bilingual student, and political junkie.

“You’re the Penn swimmer, right?”

With Thomas Biche, my swim coach at the Cercle des Nageurs de Fontainebleau-Avon (CNFA) when I trained on their team for the summer

I’ve always perceived myself as more than this.

I bumped into a high school classmate after years of not talking, and they said, “You’re the swimmer going to Penn, right?” Our interaction made me realize these identity traits dominated what others thought of me.

It’s normal for others to create perceptions of you based on a few characteristics. However, I realized how much the perceptions created by other people affect the way you perceive yourself. I inevitably put myself into a box that I wasn’t aware of. No matter what I wanted to do, my passions, my interests, I felt like I had to conform to a certain culture, a certain way of doing things, or a certain career path.

“Why do I need to decide my entire life during my first month here?”

College is a time in people’s lives where we get asked to make a decision on who we want to be and what we want to do, often before we have enough information to make that choice concretely. Fear of missing out and stress can often overwhelm students as they try to balance their interests and passions with the demands of school and the pressures of choosing a life and work after school.

Finding out who you are and who you want to be is not something that happens overnight. The decision making can easily take over students’ lives, preventing them from following their passions or interests they’ve held throughout their youth.

Personally, I was worried that coming to university would require me to stop practicing the piano. Being self-taught, consistent practice is required for me to stay in touch with this passion. Coming to Penn, I was afraid that the pressures that higher education places on students would necessitate me giving up practicing the piano.

However, this could not have been further from how things turned out. I brought a keyboard into my dorm room and played when I wanted to. I’ve gone to World Café Live to listen to jazz artists and come back home to play and emulate the music. Having a piano in my room was an excellent conversation starter, and I made many friends based on that passion. I ended up getting the opportunity to play in multiple piano concerts throughout the year and subsequent summer.

Studio Piano Gobelins, a piano studio I would often go to to practice while I was in Paris

A fundamental aspect of college is that it requires you to choose who you are going to be. Choosing a major or concentration will inevitably change your identity. Students owe it to themselves to keep the interesting parts of their identity and their unique interests alive at Wharton.

Summer Opportunities

My first day at work

I grew up in a bilingual household, speaking French and English. By 12th Grade, I had tested out of the requirements for taking language classes at Penn. Taking more language classes in a language you’re already fluent in feels repetitive and like a waste of time. Many of my bilingual friends stopped taking language in high school.

However, after taking a French class my first semester at Penn, I was introduced to a unique summer opportunity that would end up taking me to Paris for two months. After mentioning my desire to keep my French roots alive in my business life to my advisor, he introduced me to the World Research Assistantship Program (WRAP), one of Wharton’s summer research abroad programs.

This opportunity to live in Paris and work as a research assistant at INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau, France, was extremely rewarding. This experience started with the freedom to take language classes at Penn, and through the amazing programs that Wharton provides.

Pursuing your interests while getting a business education

Filming at the United States Capitol in DC

While continuing my business education, I was given the opportunity to follow one of my other passions. My first year at Wharton, I took a class in the Annenberg School of Communication taught by David Eisenhower, grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

I was tasked with creating a lengthy paper on a president. I was given a travel stipend to do research at a primary location. Having always been interested in politics, I chose to study a recent president who was beginning to campaign. As an independent journalist, I attended and studied a Donald Trump rally live, and used my experience to create a 90-minute documentary, filmed in three states with a 30-page script, on Donald Trump’s communication style and path through the American political establishment.

No matter what passion you may be interested in or what class you want to take, Wharton’s flexible curriculum allows you to do so.

To Thine Own Self Be True

Whether you want to become an investment banker, consultant, political scientist, healthcare professional, entrepreneur, or any other profession, Wharton is a school where everyone is given the chance to be rewarded for being themselves and pursuing their unique and individual passions.

Despite what you may hear, you don’t need to give up on your passions and interests early in your college career. They make you who you are, and you owe it to yourself to keep those alive. You still have a lot of growth left, and you shouldn’t feel pressured to grow up too fast.

—Sara Hoover

Posted:

Wharton Stories

Data Drives Humanity at Wharton & Penn Engineering’s Women in Data Science Conference

Image: President of the Wharton Undergraduate Data Analytics Club Aashika Vishwanath presents on her work developing an AI-powered teaching assistant. (Lamont Abrams)
“Having all these people together, sharing the same mindset, and the chance to talk with them is an opportunity you wouldn’t simply find by attending school, going to classes and participating in club meetings.” – Aashika Vishwanath, CIS’26

As the 2024 Women in Data Science Conference (WiDS) opened with tours and a storytelling workshop at the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, a journey as old as time unfolded for attendees. Led through galleries that included items from a lost queen of Persia to ancient Mayan glyphs, first translated in the early 20th-century by a trailblazing female archaeologist, professionals from across the country discovered the deep contributions made by women to the story of humanity. 

With auxiliary events and a speaker series that buzzed with an electrifying sense of purpose, the conference continues to set a benchmark for diversity, innovation, and academic discourse in the field of data science. 

Conference attendees kick off the two-day event in the Penn Museum’s Scythian galleries. (Image: Kyle Kearns)

Wharton and Penn Engineering students participated throughout the two-day event, including Aashika Vishwanath, CIS’26, who is president of the Wharton Undergraduate Data Analytics Club and also a senior data science consultant at Wharton Analytics Fellows, shared her work developing an AI-powered teaching assistant. Immediately after her panel discussion concluded, potential collaborators on future projects approach. “I was able to ask them questions about their work and experiences as well,” she says. “Having all these people together, sharing the same mindset, and the chance to talk with them is an opportunity you wouldn’t simply find by attending school, going to classes and participating in club meetings.”

Vishwanath’s sentiment rang true for attending Wharton faculty. “This is the first time I’ve been in a room with so many women,” said Wharton Professor of Operations Lynn Wu, who spoke on the effects of banning generative artificial intelligence-created content in online question-and-answer communities. 

Thoughtful conversations, spirited debate

This conference remains an important national touchpoint that unites data scientists from across disciplines and divides to emphasize the long-standing, yet often unacknowledged, role of women in shaping the world’s data landscapes. Director of Marketing and Communications at Analytics at Wharton, Jillian Rogers, notes that the annual event holds a special place in the hearts of returning data scientists and students alike. 

Wharton’s Lynn Wu, Associate Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions presents on the “double-edged sword” of banning gen AI in online communities. (Image: Lamont Abrams)

For many of the attendees, it’s often the case that they are one of a few women or the only woman in a conference room, classroom, board room, etc.,” said Rogers. “It’s a powerful feeling to come to WiDS and sit in a room of 150 people that are majority female.” 

Central to the conference’s agenda was the dialogue around generative AI and its implications across various fields. The conversation between Wharton’s professors Hamsa Bastani and Lilach Mollick, Microsoft’s Heather Danforth, and Computer Science Professor at Penn Susan Davidson captured the audience’s attention with its depth and dynamism. In particular, their discussion on the impact of generative AI in their respective domains resonated strongly with the data-centric ethos of Wharton and Penn Engineering.

The spirited debate between Mollick and Davidson proved a standout moment from that conversation. Mollick, a proponent of integrating generative AI in educational settings, argued that this technology will revolutionize classroom learning, enhance student engagement, and personalize educational experiences. In contrast, Davidson raised critical questions about the ethical implications and potential biases inherent in AI systems, cautioning against unchecked adoption in educational contexts. 

Davidson (left) and Mollick engage in a panel discussion on the impact of generative AI in the classroom. (Image: Lamont Abrams)

“Some of my homework questions should take a student at least ten hours to complete,” noted Davidson. “Should we really claim that students can learn just as well by inputting the question into ChatGPT and getting a perfect answer in less than ten seconds?” 

“Well, academia has adjusted before and it will do it again,” Mollick responded, rounding out the discussion with additional historical examples of past structural changes in pedagogy, confident that academia can pivot and adapt as new tech continues to power the world.

Community moments that will resonate near and far

While this exchange highlighted the diverse perspectives found within the data science field, it also underlined the importance of critical thinking and ethical considerations in data science, a skill that remains paramount in any Wharton education.

The conference’s broader impact on students and the Penn community was multifaceted. For current students, it provided an invaluable opportunity to engage with leading minds in data science, broadening their understanding and sparking new interests. Prospective students gained a glimpse into the vibrant intellectual culture that Wharton and Penn Engineering foster, one that encourages challenging established norms and driving innovation.

Day two of the conference featured a packed floor in Huntsman Hall. (Image: Lamont Abrams)

More than just a series of talks and debates, the Women in Data Science Conference remains a confluence of ideas, a celebration of diversity, and a testament to the transformative power of data science. For attending Wharton students and faculty, the conference reiterates the School’s commitment to ongoing leadership at the forefront of data science education and research. 

As the reach of this conference continues to expand, so will its role as a space where the voices of women in data science are not just heard, but also celebrated, and where their contributions are recognized as vital to the advancement of their shared field.

– Grace Meredith

Posted: March 1, 2024

Wharton Stories

Advancing Healthcare Leadership in Wharton’s EMBA Program

Image: Dr. Day, WG'24, at dinner with program classmates in San Francisco. (Image: Dr. Luke Day, WG'24)
“I was looking for a solid, rigorous foundation in management, strategy, operations, and finance to help me make a larger impact in healthcare.” – Dr. Luke Day, WG’24

Physicians undergo years of rigorous and comprehensive medical education and training, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and expertise required to practice medicine.

“But as clinicians advance to higher levels of leadership, they typically don’t receive formal management training,” says Dr. Lukejohn (Luke) Day, Wharton MBA Program for Executives student. Luke learned the basics of healthcare management in his first job out of residency as Medical Director of the Gastroenterology Unit at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. His clinical expertise, natural leadership abilities, and strategic thinking skills earned him a quick promotion to Chief Medical Officer of the entire facility.

“As I gained more responsibilities at work, I started looking for a solid, rigorous foundation in management, strategy, operations, and finance to help me make a larger impact in healthcare,” says Luke. “The Wharton Executive MBA has given me that, plus the ability to maintain my full-time job and gain a huge professional and personal network.” Luke shares how the Wharton EMBA program transformed his daily routine as a physician and equipped him with the knowledge and confidence to make a more expansive impact in healthcare.

Immediate Career Impact

Students in the Wharton MBA Program for Executives work full-time during the week and attend class every other weekend, seamlessly integrating classroom teachings into their daily work routine.

“It’s been a radical transformation as far as how I approach my job,” explains Luke. “Every week I’m applying what I’m learning in class, whether it’s conflict negotiation, metrics efficiency within clinics, proven practices to improve operations, building strong teams…these are things I’ve had to do before, but never had the formal training on. Wharton puts these concepts into an evidence-based framework and allows me to test theories both in class and at work. Oftentimes I will share knowledge I’ve gained from the program with my team so they can implement it within their daily practice, too.”

After completing the first year of the program, Luke leveraged his newfound business savvy and applied for a higher-level role that would amplify his impact: System-Wide Chief Medical Officer at University of California San Francisco Health (UCSF). He credits Wharton with giving him the foundational knowledge and executive presence required to land the position earlier this year.

“Wharton played a significant role in helping me apply for this larger role,” he says. “I loved my work at Zuckerberg, but I wanted to expand that experience to a more integrated healthcare system. This program helped me feel more confident in my unique skill set and refined my vision and long-term goals. Many times, you think the career impact will happen after the program is over, but it happens before you even graduate.”   

After a long day of class, Dr. Day (pictured front left, at the head of the table) enjoys an evening out with classmates in San Francisco. (Image: Dr. Luke Day)

Global Learning Opportunities

First-hand exposure to international healthcare systems is essential for physicians to broaden their understanding of diverse medical practices, cultural nuances, and resource disparities. The Wharton Executive MBA program offers unparalleled global learning opportunities, exposing students to cutting-edge business and social issues in dozens of locations worldwide. Luke elected to participate in two Global Modular Courses (GMCs) which provided unique insights into the healthcare and business sectors of Ghana and Rwanda.

“One of the things that attracted me to Wharton’s Executive MBA program was being able to do an immersive week or two somewhere in the world on a specific topic,” he says. “The Ghana GMC resonated with me because of its focus on healthcare innovation. When you have a healthcare system in a country like Ghana where people are so spread out geographically, you have to be very creative when it comes to access. My classmates and I met with senior leaders in the political, business, and health sectors to learn more about the country’s innovations in healthcare delivery, telemedicine, community outreach programs, sustainable infrastructure, and other topics. Gaining exposure to international healthcare systems allows physicians to witness diverse approaches to healthcare delivery, innovation, and best practices. Global Modular Courses were life-changing experiences for me professionally and personally.”

Future Healthcare Leadership

Set to graduate with his Wharton MBA this spring, Luke is well prepared to excel in his new role at UCSF Health, a nationally recognized major provider of patient care services in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“I’m honored and humbled to be in this new role,” shares Luke. “This is a new position within UCSF due to the rapid growth within the system. We’re transitioning to thinking of ourselves as an entire fully integrated system and scaling ourselves to prepare for future growth. I’ll be working closely with other physicians, nurses, and clinicians to onboard, develop, coach, and mentor leaders throughout the entire system as we provide the best, most optimal, highest quality of care to our patients.”

Looking to the future, Luke will play a pivotal role in shaping the clinical direction of UCSF Health, ensuring that the organization provides excellent patient care while aligning with broader strategic goals and industry best practices.

 

— Kendra King

Posted: February 23, 2024

Wharton Stories

How a Wharton Family is Disrupting the Beauty Industry

Image: Issa Rae, Malick's sister and co-founder of Sienna Naturals. (Sienna Naturals)
“Keep sacred space for family connection… that’s really important for anyone who’s going to pursue business with their family,” Hannah Diop, WG’09.

The year was 2012, and Hannah Diop, WG’09, was determined to launch a hair-care company from her Harlem kitchen. The apartment she shared with her husband, Malick Diop also WG’09, was full of beakers, pH meters and samples of textured hair tresses, as she worked alongside a chemist to mix shampoos, conditioners and other hair products formulated for textured hair. Malick, then a managing director at Morgan Stanley, would offer encouragement, but there was an ingredient missing. “I felt pretty isolated sitting at home working on this business that existed in my head and not in the real world,” says Hannah.

That’s where Malick’s sister — actress, producer, and entrepreneur Issa Rae — came in. As Hannah was developing Sienna Naturals, Issa was often traveling to New York City for interviews and talk show appearances, and the newlywed couple’s home was the perfect place in which to crash. She became Hannah’s co-founder and contributed to formulas herself, with the Dream Curl Cream as her brainchild. Throughout Issa’s success in Hollywood — as the co-creator and star of HBO’s Insecure and, most recently, a cast member in the Oscar-nominated movie Barbie — Sienna Naturals remained the only beauty brand she endorsed. In turn, when Issa needed a CFO for her growing media company,  Hoorae, Malick stepped into the role, drawing from his Wharton MBA, his background in M&A transactions and financial forecasting, and his familiarity with Issa’s voice and vision. The result was two businesses focused on the Black experience and fueled by family.

The couple’s American and African familial ties to the Black community are reflected in their work. While their businesses couldn’t be more different — media versus beauty products — they’re united by the goals of fostering inclusion and paying forward the pride Hannah and Malick felt in their culture at HBCUs and at Wharton.

This story is by Joanna Blaz. Read more at Wharton Magazine.

Posted: February 15, 2024

Wharton Stories

Black Wharton: Empowering Excellence at Penn

Image: The 2023 Black Wharton Board (Black Wharton)
Founded in 1975, Black Wharton Undergraduate Association is an undergraduate student club at Wharton with more than 150 active members from all four class years and Penn’s four undergraduate schools.

What is Black Wharton’s mission?

Our mission is to maintain and increase the academic success of Black students on the undergraduate level, increase communication between the student body and the University administration, establish and maintain relationships between students and the external corporate community, and represent Black interests in business or business-related issues for undergraduates at Penn.

Our goal is to enhance the college experience of our members by providing them with the opportunities to become well-rounded individuals through social, community service, mentorship, academic development, and professional activities and programs.

How does the club engage with the university community and beyond?

In the fall of 2017, the Black Wharton Undergraduate Association launched Black Wharton Consulting (BWC), the organization’s management strategy branch that connects our members with local Black-owned businesses that could use their help.

Morgan Stanley Career Trek with first-years and sophomores. (Image: Black Wharton)

We are proud to be entering our eighth consecutive year of extending our impact into the Philadelphia community by continuing to provide our members with opportunities to serve local businesses through BWC. As we’ve built upon and expanded this initiative, we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with nonprofit organizations, retail stores, and even restaurants whose trust in our services has allowed us to continue our mission of enhancing the undergraduate experience of our members. Without our community partners, we wouldn’t be the organization we are today; we’re extremely grateful to work with the local entrepreneurs who continuously break the glass ceiling and represent what the future holds for Black entrepreneurship in America.

How do members benefit from being a part of Black Wharton?

Warburg Pincus Career Trek with first years and sophomores

Club members benefit from a myriad of opportunities in professional development. On a corporate level, we regularly partner with our sponsors to host information sessions and résumé workshops that build an understanding of the recruiting process and the importance of company culture.

On a personal level, our Black Ivy League Business conference offers the opportunity to network with bright Black undergraduates across the Ivy League, all with a shared passion for success in business.

Finally, on a professional level, we offer the opportunity to create real impact in the Philadelphia area through Black Wharton Consulting (BWC), which also provides technical training through its APEX Consultant Development Fellowship Program.

What advice would current members give to students considering joining Black Wharton?

In the sometimes overwhelming pressure of Penn’s pre-professional culture, Black Wharton provides a safe space of support and guidance to ease your academic, career, and social journey.

Wharton Affinity Skating Event in Fall 2023 (Image: Black Wharton)

Everyone is friendly and inclusive, so don’t be afraid to reach out, attend events, and build lasting bonds that continue to grow beyond college.

— Sara Hoover

Posted: February 14, 2024

Wharton Stories

Navigating Wharton with the Leadership Compass

Image: Bonnie with her Compass Team at the Discovery Center Challenge Course in Philadelphia (Image: McNulty Leadership Program)
“I honestly created some of the best memories I’ve had at Penn, and the program helped me realize that leadership comes in so many different contexts, not just in classrooms and clubs, but in everyday life too.” — Bonnie Li, W’25

Why did you want to participate in Leadership Compass?

I applied to the McNulty Leadership Compass hoping to gain a new community filled with leaders embodying a variety of leadership styles that I can learn from. By learning from each other’s strengths and weaknesses, I wanted to gain more confidence as a leader while helping those in the community grow as well.

What did you learn personally and professionally?

Personally, I learned my unique style of leadership and what role I typically find myself playing in teams. I learned how I can harness my personality and strengths to curate a leadership style that was unique and comfortable for me. I feel like often times when we are taught about how to be leaders, it can be a bit cookie-cutter and not necessarily applicable to everyone. However, through the Compass experience, I’ve seen first-hand how different leadership styles can shine in different situations.

Professionally, I was able to work with an executive coach in examining which areas of my life I could improve my leadership skills upon and formulating a strategy on the best way to approach challenges. Through the hands-on field work that we did throughout the year, we were able to test out different leadership strategies in the activities we were involved in on campus and really put the advice our coach gave us into practice.

What was your favorite aspect?

My favorite aspect was no doubt the community I have found on campus through this program. I felt like I was able to really reflect on my experiences and open up to them in deep, vulnerable conversations that are typically hard to have in most communities on campus.

Bonnie and teammates on the Gunks Traverse Intensive in Minnewaska State Park and Mohonk Preserve in New York

Plus, I was able to make a lot of new friends through the leadership intensives (the Gunks mountain biking trip was my favorite!) and bond through the end-of-year retreat (it’s hard not to when you’re all sleeping in sleeping bags in a cabin together).

What was the most challenging aspect?

I think the most challenging aspect was making sure that I was thinking consciously about my field work. I feel that it is sometimes easy to forget that you are actively thinking about changing something and it can be easy to fall into habits.

Did you apply things you learned to real-world situations (internships, clubs, etc.)?

The year that I was participating in the Leadership Compass also happened to be the year I created a mentorship committee for Wharton STEP (Successful Transition and Empowerment Program). I was able to directly apply the lessons and feedback I was learning through the program into my committee formation. Knowing how to effectively lead a committee and establish a strong team culture of trust and support was important to me, and I was able to bring challenges that I was facing to my group and executive coach, who all helped me through them. Now, I’m really happy with how the committee has grown, and the amount of change we have been able to bring to the STEP community with mentorship.

I feel that the program has improved the impact I have had in my extracurriculars and summer internships as well. I feel more confident in being able to lead a team, but also knowing when to take a step back and be a good team player, which has led to several kudos from coworkers during my internships.

Was Leadership Compass what you were expecting?

I feel that I have gained everything I had initially hoped to and so much more. I gained a community of new friends, several mentors, and was given the opportunity to critically think about how my leadership style affects others in positive ways.

The entire Leadership Compass group celebrates completion of the program. (Image: McNulty Leadership Program)

It is rare to find such a tight-knit community filled with strong leaders who are not afraid to be vulnerable in sharing their struggles. The support I have found from this community has been so valuable, and the experiences I’ve had have become some of my best memories at Penn.

— Meredith Stone

Posted: February 9, 2024

Wharton Stories

Investing in Love: Wharton’s “Pairfect” Match

Image: Matchmaker D’Jonita Cottrell, MSW ‘24 (left), Founder & CEO Annie Xu, WG & MSW ‘24 (center), and matchmaker Elyse Cinquino, MSW ‘24 (right) with Robert Indiana’s LOVE Statue. (Grace Meredith)
“Creating Pairfect has been the most meaningful experience I have had since coming to Wharton, and it was only through the people in this community that I was able to build this service…I am able to realize my dream of creating something in this often misunderstood intersection of social work and business.” – Annie Xu, WG’24

“Dehumanizing. Exhausting. Painful.”

These are just a few words that I have heard when my peers describe the current online dating scene. The words I wish I heard more? 

Exciting, Romantic, Promising.”

Online dating has become increasingly normalized, with a nearly 20% increase in year over year usage, but a survey from data analytics company Singles Reports concluded that approximately 80% of respondents experienced emotional burnout with online dating. A recent New York Times article highlighted the influence of dating apps on an individual’s mental health

As a therapist, I am very concerned when someone asks me, “using apps almost always makes me feel worse about myself, but what other options do I have?” 

Although the concept of matchmaking has been around for centuries, the idea of a matchmaker is often associated with an archaic method of setting people up for marriage, tailoring to an elite group of people, and charging enormous amounts of money, sometimes in the thousands of dollars, for a single match. My mission behind creating Pairfect is to make dating more personal, so that anyone seeking a meaningful relationship can find one. In other words, our goal is to make matchmaking, a deeply personalized service, more accessible and more affordable.

At the intersection of social work and business

Xu, center, brainstorms over coffee with her fellow matchmakers and social work classmates Cotrell, (left), and Cinquino, (right), outside of Huntsman Hall. (Image: Grace Meredith)

Before coming to Wharton, I studied Psychology and Economics at Yale and worked in management consulting. While I first embarked in graduate school here at Penn with the intention of combining my interests in mental health and management, I did not arrive with any intention of formally pursuing entrepreneurship. 

Once at Penn, I became fascinated with the current state of online dating. I was convinced there had to be a better and more personally rewarding solution. At first, I invited peers whom I knew to fill out a quick form so I could create matches among them myself. I pulled in my friends to then ask their friends, and we would make matches among our combined pools. The process was slow and manual, but I realized how much people appreciated the personalized efforts to support them in their dating journeys. 

Word began to spread, and I started receiving requests from strangers to meet with me and share their dating preferences in hopes that I could match them. I relied heavily on the skills I gained through being a peer counselor and social worker: active listening, asking open questions, and building trust. Now, Pairfect’s team has grown to 11 matchmakers who have backgrounds in social work, clinical psychology, or marriage and family therapy, and who actively devote their time to individually meeting with new Pairfect users.

Tabling outside of Penn’s Graduate Student Center, Xu is with Pairfect matchmaker Torie Ring, MSW’23. (Image: Annie Xu)

An ancient tradition turned new again

Since Penn’s founding, there have only been a handful of dual-degree MSW/MBA students, and I am the first student in over a decade. The dual-degree curriculum is structured so that the first year is devoted solely to the social work program. I spent my second year in the business school, and my third year in a blend of both. I am often met with surprise when I share that I study business and social work. Many wonder what I plan to do with that combination, believing that the two areas could not be further apart. Throughout my first year, I similarly questioned what this intersection would mean for my future career.

Now, I’m here, and establishing Pairfect as a business would not have been possible without the support of Wharton and Penn’s Venture Lab. I am especially thankful to David Hsu and Mark Zod, who are two professors who shaped how I approached Pairfect’s strategy and improved my ability to define our mission and deliver an effective pitch. Additionally, as a participant in the Venture Lab’s accelerator program over the summer, I consistently met with Jeff Babin and John Ondik as advisors who connected me with leaders in the industry, such as Elie Siedman, the former CEO of Tinder. 

As a finalist of the Penn Venture Lab Start-up Challenge, Xu (center) receives the 2023 Ashton Family Award For Female Founders and 2023 Summer Venture Award. (Image: Annie Xu)

I was honored to be chosen as a finalist in the 2023 Venture Lab Start-up Challenge, which opened the door to being a finalist in another pitch competition hosted by Contrary Capital and Maveron. My experiences as a Wharton student have demonstrated how Penn’s reach extends far beyond University City. 

Pairfect and the perfect match

One of the most exciting realizations since creating Pairfect is that we are able to support people’s first steps in entering into long-term relationships. Since launching, we have had over 1,500 graduate students sign up and have facilitated in-person dates at 12x the average rates of what dating apps are currently observing. Being a proud Philadelphian myself, I am thrilled that Pairfect has several local partnerships with restaurants and bakeries to provide first date suggestions and discounts for our users.

Philadelphia residents enjoy a meal inside of one of Pairfect’s local restaurant partners, Malooga, a Middle Eastern restaurant located in Old City, Philadelphia. (Image: Annie Xu)

Pairfect has changed the paradigm, moving past the negativity associated with using dating apps. A 29-year-old man using Pairfect’s services expressed the following about the type of experience we have created:

 “With dating apps, I’m not always sure that the people I talk to have the intention of actually wanting to meet me. With Pairfect, I felt more certain that I would actually be introduced to someone genuinely interested in meeting me.”

Moving forward, we will continue scaling Pairfect across Philadelphia to include more graduate universities and move beyond the graduate student population. Our goal is to become Philadelphia’s go-to matchmaking service and ease the burden on users who pursue online dating. 

Creating Pairfect has been the most meaningful experience I have had since coming to Wharton, and it was only through the people in this community that I was able to build this service. Thanks to Wharton and the School of Social Policy and Practice, I am able to realize my dream of creating something in this often misunderstood intersection of social work and business. 

– Annie Xu

Posted: February 8, 2024

Wharton Stories

Why Prof. Peter Fader Loves Teaching Executive MBA Students

Image: Professor Fader in the classroom with students from the class of 2024, also known as WEMBA 48s. (Image credit: Peter Fader)
“These are people with families, jobs, and lives, and they’re doing this program for the right reasons. They take the course content and immediately weave it into their professional and even personal lives – that’s what it’s all about.” – Professor Peter Fader

The Wharton School takes pride in its world-class faculty, who actively contribute to cutting-edge research, practice innovative teaching methods, and develop new coursework that reflects the evolving business world. These renowned educators set the standard of academic excellence in Wharton’s MBA Program for Executives (WEMBA). We asked Professor Peter Fader, Wharton’s Frances and Pei-Yuan Chia Professor of Marketing, to share his experience teaching in the program.

Why do you love teaching Executive MBA students?

The main course that I teach to undergraduate, full-time MBA, and Executive MBA students is Applied Probability Models in Marketing. I teach the course the same way for all three groups. I change almost nothing because I don’t like pigeonholing the students; they’re smart, they can handle it all. Here’s where the WEMBA students are unique: When the undergraduate students come up to me after class, they ask “Is this gonna be on the test?” When the full-time MBA students come up to me after class, they ask, “Is this gonna help me land my dream job?”

But when the WEMBA students come up to me after class, they ask, “Where can I read more about this?” And that’s it. They’ve stolen my heart.

Prof. Fader with a copy of “The Customer Base Audit,” published by Wharton School Press in 2022. (Image: Peter Fader)

These are people with families, jobs, and lives, and they’re taking this course for the right reasons. They take the course content and immediately weave it into their professional and even personal lives – that’s what it’s all about. I’ll keep taking that red eye to and from San Francisco as long as they’ll have me to teach such an extraordinary and unique group.  

Share some insights you’ve picked up through your involvement with WEMBA’s Global Business Week.

I’ve been teaching a course on Customer Centricity in Sweden for Global Business Week since 2018. One of the reasons I teach in the WEMBA program is because I really like to learn from them, as corny as that sounds. However, most of the time there’s still a barrier; I’m at the front of the class and they’re at the back of the class. Global Business Week breaks down that barrier and allows us to mix it up with more unstructured conversations and deeper thinking.

I’ve done this trip a half dozen times now and I hope I can do it forever. It’s a lot of work, because I want to make sure I put my best foot forward as a professor and that we put our best forward as representatives of the Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania. It’s a true labor of love.

Was there one corporate visit that most resonated with you from this year’s trip? How did WEMBA students respond to that visit?

It’s one thing to talk about customer centricity in the classroom, but to see it in real-time at real companies is incredibly valuable. It gives students a chance to see the way this stuff happens in practice, probe and ask questions, and potentially even teach some of these companies how they could do things more effectively. SAS Airlines was a crowd favorite. Airlines are interesting, because on the one hand, they initiated some of the main building blocks of customer centricity. Every loyalty program we know today, dynamic pricing, sophisticated data analytics – those all go back to airlines. 

Professor Fader with Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify (center), and Kyle Altshuler, WG’22 (right). (Image: Peter Fader)

On the other hand, strategically for them, the focus has always been on operational efficiency. SAS is right in the crosshairs of that because they’re going through bankruptcy. Anko van der Werff, the CEO, talked incredibly candidly with us about their reasons for doing it, the journey through it, and their vision for the future. No slides, no script, just complete transparency. And the WEMBA students came well-prepared; they knew the issues because they’d done their homework, and he appreciated that. I can’t tell you how much these candid conversations mean to the class. 

What cultural differences do you see between the U.S. and Sweden as it relates to the way we do business?

If you think stereotypically, it’s a more collectivist culture, so you may expect the Swedish people to be a bit more open, honest, and collaborative. But there are more subtle cultural differences in Sweden that students may not even notice. For instance, when you land at the airport in Stockholm, you may notice that unlike at most airline terminals, there’s a lot of wood. Lots of light-colored wood and Nordic architecture and design. At first, you might write it off as an aesthetic choice.

The Ericsson corporate visit during a Global Business Week trip in Sweden. (Image: Peter Fader)

But in doing research for a book I’m writing, I learned from cultural experts that the Nordic people have a deep affinity for trees. The cultural significance of trees in Nordic countries is deeply rooted in their history, mythology, and everyday life. Trees are very long-lived, and Nordics weave trees and wood into their lives in a much deeper way than we do here in the U.S. The more I thought about this, I realized this is one reason I respect and admire Sweden and its people so much. My whole thing is customer lifetime value, building lifelong relationships with your best customers. There’s a real analogy between how a company should be building relationships with customers and the way the Swedish culture values trees. I just love that metaphor. These types of visits make you start thinking much more deeply. When you’re immersed in the culture it hits you in a different way.

Kendra King

Posted: January 25, 2024

Wharton Stories

Dollars and Sense: How Wharton and AltFinance Carve New Opportunity

Image: HBCU students from across America converged on Wharton’s campus for the Wharton-AltFinance Institute conference. (AltFinance)
“We are building courses to inspire, to raise awareness that the finance industry is one that anyone can navigate with the right exposure, the correct skill sets. That’s why AltFinance is great for Wharton, and vice versa for our HBCU participants.” – Dr. Burcu Esmer, Academic Director of the AltFinance Institute and Senior Lecturer of Finance at Wharton

In Fall 2023, the School hosted the Wharton-AltFinance Institute conference on Penn’s campus in a two day workshop for historically Black college and university (HBCU) students to learn about the alternative finance investment industry. 

The Wharton School collaborates with the AltFinance initiative to introduce HBCU students to alternative investing, which involves financial processes outside the traditional system of banks. The establishment of the Wharton-AltFinance Institute is in conjunction with Dean Erika James’ vision for extending business knowledge and acumen, allowing programs like AltFinance to share Wharton’s research insights and curricular innovations with more students than ever before. 

Alternative finance meets tried and true business practices

Wharton first partnered with AltFinance in 2021, offering a virtual institute with coursework on alternative investment. AltFinance President and CEO Marcus Shaw said the initiative aims to expand access to finance education.  

“AltFinance is designed to help increase diversity in the alternative investment ecosystem by partnering with HBCUs and really arming students with industry-driven curriculum and sustainable financial support,” Shaw said.

Dean James converses with AltFinance President and CEO Marcus Shaw during the conference in October. (Image: AltFinance)

During her fireside chat on the last day of the conference, Dean James’ echoed these sentiments from Shaw, and also spoke on the specific value that HBCU students bring to not only the Wharton-infused partnership, but also the world of finance writ large. “There is a level of confidence and maturity that comes from students in the HBCU system,” said James. “When you’re in that environment, you don’t need to prove anything to any other group. You are surrounded by people who just want to support what you do.”

Both Dean James and the founding leaders of AltFinance recognize that to truly impact an industry, it’s important to get specific about the qualities future employers seek in their top candidates. Narrowing this scope includes expanding institutional reach and relationships to stay current on the fluctuating markets of today. “It’s very easy for academic institutions to become insular,” James remarked. “When you have very smart faculty, it’s easy to think you know everything. But when the world is changing, we make a point to get our faculty out into the world and meet with employers.” 

Caption: Hands raised, eyes forward: questions abounded during Dean James’ Q&A portion of the conference’s fireside chat. (Image: AltFinance)

Founding sponsorship of AltFinance came from Apollo Global Management, run by CEO and Wharton alumnus Marc Rowan, W’84, WG’85; Ares Management Corporation, co-founded by Bennett Rosenthal, W’85, WG’86; and Oaktree Capital Management, co-founded and co-chaired by Howard Marks, W’67. With robust models of leadership and success underscoring the overall mission of AltFinance, the program will continue to thrive. “We needed to make sure that the Wharton faculty members involved with AltFinance are aware of what competitive employers are actually looking for today. Diverse students bring unique perspectives and a set of experiences that challenge the status quo, which is an essential asset in this burgeoning industry,” said James. 

A convergence of diverse perspectives

Meet Florida A&M senior Jazmine Hughes, a business student who ascended to Philadelphia with fellow classmates and her mentor and FAMU professor Dr. Inger Daniels-Hollar. Hughes found particular value in the cross-institutional collaboration between not only Wharton and FAMU, but the opportunities for connection with other HBCU students from across the country. 

Florida A&M University senior Jazmine Hughes, pictured in the lobby of Wharton’s Huntsman Hall during the October AltFinance conference. (Image: Grace Meredith)

“I think the Institute is amazing,” said Hughes. “I appreciate all of the courses that are offered through the Institute, and that we have access to these workshops and outstanding professors. The exposure from HBCU students to Wharton professors – and then vice-versa from professor to student – is inspiring because we can take our Wharton learnings back home with us and really put them into practice.” 

Her professor, Dr. Daniels-Hollar, echoed these sentiments and also added that the intersection of HBCU students with Wharton’s network of esteemed peers and faculty offers a value that is destined to resonate, long after their involvement with AltFinance formally concludes. “HBCUs have hardworking faculty and talented students who navigate through certain historical yet persistent disadvantages. Access to elite networks, exposure to instruction inspired by cutting edge research, and opportunities to demonstrate their skills and talents to the right audience can make all of the difference for our students,” Daniels-Hollar said. 

HBCU students are striving for opportunities just like every other student in America. I am delighted that organizations like AltFinance are available to bridge the gap, to help get our students where they want to go. It’s invaluable.” 

Dean James (center) stands with visiting HBCU faculty at the AltFinance conference in October, including Dr. Daniels-Hollar, who is pictured to Dean James’ immediate right. (Image: AltFinance)

With Wharton’s support of AltFinance and the Institute, the School is carving paths for success in a burgeoning industry, while also connecting students to mentors and robust channels to explore high quality research and professional opportunities.

Looking on, Dr. Daniels-Hollar attends a lecture in a classroom within Wharton’s Huntsman Hall. (Image: AltFinance)

“Nurturing students is the name of the game,” Daniels-Hollar said. “When they go to various conferences and expose themselves to the public, or graduate and perform well in roles at prestigious firms, it enhances the reputation of schools like Florida A&M; which, in turn, attracts more talented students to come to HBCUs. At the conference, it is very clear that Wharton is also aligned with these goals, which is wonderful.” 

From the old guard to the new and the excellent, AltFinance connects 

Senior Lecturer and AltFinance’s faculty director, Dr. Burcu Esmer, envisions an equitable future for the finance industry, wherein excellence is never compromised with an emphasis on the importance of diverse representation in finance. 

“We want to show that there are different arms within the finance industry, and that finance is not scary,” said Esmer. “We are building courses to inspire, to raise awareness that the finance industry is one that anyone can navigate with the right exposure, the correct skill sets. That’s why AltFinance is great for Wharton, and vice versa for our HBCU participants. It’s great for us to be exposed to the strengths of these students; to hear what they want to learn, to better understand the diversity and potential in the field.”

Dr. Esmer is pictured lecturing during the AltFinance conference in October. (Image: AltFinance)

Looking to the future of AltFinance, Esmer reflected on a sentiment reiterated throughout the conference. “We are very lucky to have someone like Dean James,” Esmer said. “Her heart is in this, and she also sees the huge benefit of this partnership for Wharton, our faculty, and HBCU students around the country. We’re all looking forward to long and mutually beneficial relationships.”

As the Wharton-AltFinance collaboration continues to illuminate paths of success in the finance industry, the lasting impact extends beyond workshops and conferences. In the convergence of knowledge, mentorship, and ambition, this partnership not only breaks barriers but builds bridges designed to last, forging a path where every voice is heard, and every opportunity is within reach.

– Grace Meredith

Posted: January 22, 2024

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