UPLIFTING PEOPLE
One of the hallmarks of Berkeley Haas is our ability to change the lives of our students and the people they impact through their work.
New MBA fellowship creates pipeline for HBCU graduates
A first-of-its-kind endowment provides tuition support to Haas MBA students who have attended a Historically Black College or University. The fellowship aims to increase representation in business and to create a pipeline of Black applicants. Brittany Jacob Taylor from Howard University (shown left) was named the first HBCU Fellow for the current academic year. Leading support for this Haas HBCU MBA Fellowship was provided by Mike, MBA 98, and Kelly Smith; Eric, BCEMBA 04, and Cheryl McKissack; Lisa Jones, BS 85; Monica Stevens, MBA 96, and Paul Healy; and Jessica Lindl, MBA 00, and Anton Honikman.
Advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
Two funds were awarded for the first time to support members of the Haas community: the Allan Holt DEIB Fellowship and Holt DEIB Initiatives Fund.
After working as an engineer in the semiconductor industry, I pursued an MBA to activate my leadership potential. As a mom, I have responsibilities that create a strain on my time and finances. Receiving a fellowship was proof that Haas believed in me, and that was all the motivation I needed. Haas has walked me through the different paths to attain my goals, building skills and experience in business leadership with the ultimate goal of running my own company.”
— Adesuwa Nosakhare, MBA 24, first Allan Holt DEIB Fellowship recipient
The onus is on academia to make it clear that these are spaces where it’s safe for a marginalized person to operate in. Part of what I hope for as a postdoc is that I can be a Black man who experiences success here. I want to show other people of color and marginalized people that they can come here and experience success and signal that to other schools too.”
— Merrick Osborne, first postdoctoral scholar of racial equity, funded by the Holt DEIB Initiatives Fund
Undergrad scholarships provide key support
Undergraduates have new sources of support, which will be crucial to decreasing financial barriers for attending Haas.
The Joseph Pell Scholarship, a significant need-based scholarship to cover up to the full cost of attendance for students, was established by Eda Pell in honor of her late husband, a fellow Holocaust survivor who passed away in 2020. Joseph, who escaped to the woods during WWII, was a member of a group of renegades, called partisans, who disrupted Nazi communications and travel routes. Together the couple built Pell Development Co., one of Northern California’s most successful and respected real estate developers, and parented three Berkeley alumni.
The Jeffrey M. Manson Family Endowed Scholarship, established by Jeffrey Manson, BS 98 (shown left), will support undergrads based on need and merit. Manson made this 25th reunion gift because he was moved by the support he received from Haas faculty and advisors when he lost his father during his junior year at Berkeley. “I had such a wonderful experience at Berkeley, and within Haas, that I want to ensure someone can have a similar experience without as much financial strain,” says Manson. “I am so grateful that I did make the gift as it’s quickly become one of the most meaningful things I’ve done in my life.”
Haas Fund helps alleviate student emergencies
The flexible support we receive through the Haas Fund allows us to direct aid when and where it’s needed most. This year, we were able to help students who had exhausted their financial resources and still needed assistance to cover basic needs, such as food and housing. This had tremendous impact on the social, emotional, and academic well-being of recipients. As one student noted, “The [funds] not only helped me to cover my pressing expenses but gave me the mental peace to focus on my studies, resume a normal life, and start my internship in good condition. The feeling of being supported and cared for during a time of critical need is truly priceless, and it has inspired me to commit to paying it forward.”
Alumni DEI symposium explores purpose-driven work
Alumni joined prospective MBA students last fall for a virtual panel discussion that was part of the school’s annual DEI Symposium. Stacey King, MBA 20, then a senior data analyst at Vanguard, and Dujon Smith, global co-lead for Accenture’s Black Founders Development Program, discussed forging a path to purpose-driven work.
Preparing Black teens for financial success
The Economic Equity and Financial Education Pilot Program graduated 24 students in May, all from under-resourced local high schools. The program, created by Pacific Gas and Electric in collaboration with Haas, Berkeley Executive Education, and Mills College at Northeastern University, focused on teaching them about personal finance, investing, home ownership, and building intergenerational wealth. The students each walked away with an $8,000 college scholarship from PG&E as well as advanced financial acumen and a new network of supporters and mentors.
