Introducing Jessie Tang
EGAL Student Fellow 2018–2020
The Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership is thrilled to announce Jessie Tang as our first EGAL Student Fellow! Jessie comes to us from Coalition for Queens (C4Q), a non-profit that empowers low-income and diverse women, underrepresented minorities, immigrants, and adults without college degrees to become software developers and entrepreneurs. At C4Q she led corporate giving & engagement to help change notions of talent and work with tech companies to commit resources to the training and hiring of non-traditional candidates.
Why did you choose Haas?
This might be cliche, but the culture of Haas was one of the biggest deciding factors for me. Haas’ Four Defining Principles really resonated with my own values and also signaled to me the type of individuals the program was trying to cultivate. My conversations with students, alumni, and program staff validated what an inclusive and supportive environment Haas is. I also liked the fact that so much at Haas was student-driven, from Dialogues on Race to the Gender Equity Initiative. My classmates continually inspire me with their openness, curiosity, and genuine passion to create positive impact in their communities.
From a career standpoint, I am interested in exploring social impact investing and entrepreneurship, and felt that the ecosystem of opportunities at Haas and the Bay Area were unmatched. I also knew that centers like EGAL would be unique resources to Haas that would push me to be the most empathetic and effective leader I could be.
Describe a time when you saw equity fluent leadership in action.
At C4Q I had the opportunity to work with Dan Teran, the founder and CEO of Managed by Q. Managed by Q was founded on the premise that traditionally low-end cleaning and service jobs could be “good” jobs, and they offer full-time “operators” health care benefits and a 401(k) plan. They invest heavily in the training and development of their operators, not only because it creates more productive employees but because they believe it helps reduce turnover and attrition. In other words, it’s a good business decision.
Managed by Q was one of the first companies to participate in C4Q’s “Level Up” pilot, where we trained one of their female operators through our coding program so that she could be hired back as a software developer. It was incredible to watch the transformation of this employee as she stepped into her new role with such excitement and confidence. Dan’s commitment to partner with C4Q on Level Up reiterated to me what a critical role people at the top play in empowering and ensuring equitable opportunity for all employees.
What excites you most about being an EGAL Student Fellow?
Coming to Haas, I knew I wanted to continue my work in amplifying underrepresented voices and perspectives within the corporate community. Through this fellowship I’m excited to serve on the EGAL student advisory board and work with others that care about issues around equity. I’m also looking forward to working with Kellie McElhaney to further grow the presence of EGAL. I hope we can continue to build on the great momentum set forth by the founding student board!
