Introducing EGAL’s newest Student Advisory Board

We are thrilled to welcome our newest student advisory board members to the EGAL family. We have a diverse set of accomplished students, bringing to EGAL experience in managing projects and advocating for DEI, together with a wide set of lived experiences, ranging from racial and ethnic diversity, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation, national origin, age, and socio-economic background.

Maryam Adewumi (she/her)
FTMBA ‘23

To build a more equitable and inclusive Haas community, I would like to focus on building a central database of information such as locations of gender neutral restrooms, how to request accommodations, and mental health resources to ensure that students who are struggling are not looking in multiple places for salient information.

Khoa Dao (he/him)
EWMBA ‘24

As someone who grew up with a lack of opportunities, I want to use my privilege as a Haas student to leverage culture and create diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces. I believe that more diversity leads to good business, but inclusion is important to make sure that all voices are heard and represented.

Madeline Deysine (she/her)
FTMBA ‘23

I constantly question the role my identity and goals play in promoting a more equitable society. As a white woman, I wrestle with my place in ongoing societal unrest, questioning how to actively dismantle systemic inequity and empower marginalized voices. As an impassioned advocate for equitable healthcare, I critically reflect upon how to help upend the deep-seated barriers that fuel health disparities across the United States. Despite these uncertainties, I am confident that I want to surround myself with others who challenge themselves and their communities to keep questioning and pushing for equity.

Elias Habbar-Baylac (he/him)
FTMBA ‘23

EGAL, as a center for business-smart research and cross-industry engagement, gives us an immediate community and platform to innovate and think through inclusive business models at scale — starting with our work on responsible AI and innovation. I look forward to the Student Advisory Board serving and scaling our impact across the Haas community and beyond.

Jyotsna Jayaraman (she/her)
FTMBA ‘23

How do you look to contribute to promoting equity-fluent leadership?
If equity fluent leadership is the vehicle through which we achieve belonging-rich spaces where collaboration is seamless and innovation can thrive, then I think psychological safety is the fuel that accelerates and sustains that journey. As a leader, I hope to champion for and actively create a culture that promotes psychological safety across all levels of an organization.

Sofia Katsaggelos (she/her)
FTMBA ‘23

I think EGAL’s AmpEquity Speaker Series presents a great opportunity to promote equity-fluent leadership; by bringing thought and equity-fluent leaders directly to campus, I believe that we can empower students in their own learning journeys to become equity-fluent leaders.

Afraz Khan (he/him)
FTMBA ‘23

How have your lived experiences influenced your trajectory and career purpose?
I serve as a part-time imam (religious leader) for my Muslim community. From delivering sermons and officiating weddings to counseling members of my faith congregation on their spiritual struggles, I’ve become more acquainted with the power of empathetic connection. In order to truly build a world centered upon equity and belonging, I have to ensure my work is led by a deep understanding of the people I hope to serve.

Kayla Noguchi (she/her)
FTMBA ‘23

How do you look to contribute to promoting equity-fluent leadership?
I hope to help EGAL partner with Haas’ student affinity groups to provide student leaders with the toolkits/roadmap to leverage their clubs as empowerment tools for shared identity and social justice.

Roxana Obregón (she/her)
FTMBA ‘23

I grew up in a pretty homogenous town in the Midwest. It was a wholesome place, but one that didn’t know how to tailor education to learners with different backgrounds. I remember realizing this in Kindergarten — even though I was a Native English speaker, my school assumed that the English as a Second Language program was what I needed simply because I was the daughter of Mexican immigrants, and they felt that the fact I spoke Spanish at home was a detriment. It made me realize that a one size fits all approach to creating a society does not work — figuring out a way to make sure that everyone feels at home where they are is important to me because I believe that all should feel like they belong.

Imani Salazar-Nahle (she/her)
Undergrad ‘22

How have your lived experiences influenced your trajectory and career purpose?
I am Lebanese and Afro-Guatemalan, the product of two commingling and cross-accepting cultures brought together from two opposite sides of the globe. Being a mixed child in a family of two dramatically contrasting cultures and belief systems was a challenge within itself, as I struggled with embracing every part of my own identity. However, this challenge taught me the beauty of coexistence: the coming together of unique perspectives in mutual appreciation of each other’s backgrounds and support for each other’s journeys. Through my work, I aspire to revolutionize the realm of global business by promoting this sense of coexistence, ultimately illuminating the path for the next generation of mavericks and revolutionaries to come.

Matt Solowan (they/them)
FTMBA ‘23

How have your lived experiences influenced your trajectory and career purpose?
As someone who identifies outside of the traditional gender binary, I have always seen navigating traditionally gendered spaces like corporate America as both a challenge and an opportunity. Media representations of trans and gender non-conforming people often serve to reinforce harmful stereotypes about the roles that we can and should play in society. One of the driving forces behind my career trajectory has been my desire to break these stereotypes and dispel myths about the value that people like me can bring to organizations. That said, I also recognize that I hold certain privileged identities, particularly as a white person born into an upper middle class family, that have afforded me many opportunities for academic and career advancement, and therefore I am also passionate about taking an intersectional approach to change.