Return on Equality

One Wharton Week is here! Full event descriptions at https://www.whartonroe.org/one-wharton-week-2019

"After morning physical training, a black Soldier of mine told me he wanted to file a complaint for racial discrimination. During training, the white Sergeant Major of another unit told him to pull up his shorts, saying “You ain’t back on the block.” I had heard similar comments made in other contexts; my instinct told me this had to be a misunderstanding. Despite my instincts, I knew that I had to act if my soldier felt that there was racial discrimination, whether or not it was a misunderstanding. If there was even the perception that I would not stand up and fight on behalf of my men, regardless of their color, how could I possibly lead?

In my experience in the Army, racism was extremely unusual. It was particularly rare in Combat Arms, like the Infantry unit where I served, because units have a strong identity that transcends race or background. This identity comes from working together under tough conditions toward shared goals. Because of this strong identity in Combat Arms, I was truly shocked when the black Soldier approached me complaining of racial discrimination. I decided there were two ways to approach this: one would be the formal complaint process, the other would be to talk to the Sergeant Major and figure out whether this was an incident of racism or a misunderstanding. I asked my Soldier what he wanted to do, and he decided to talk to the Sergeant Major, knowing that he could always file a formal complaint later if he so chose.

My Soldier and I went to the Sergeant Major’s office and sat down to discuss what happened. The three of us had a frank discussion of the incident. The Sergeant Major explained that he did not mean for his comment to be construed in a racial light. He regretted that he had given offense, and he actually thanked us for choosing to bring the issue up to him in a direct and professional way. We all walked away feeling better about what had happened."

It's One Wharton Week 2018 and ROE is featuring a series of stories from the Wharton Community. In today's story we hear from WG'19 Fanta Conde on how her new family here at Wharton has accepted her and pushed her to overcome her experiences that have been holding her back.

Join us today for our final event One Wharton Week: Understanding Consent at 12:00pm at JMHH 340 to have a discussion with both genders about the movement and enthusiastic consent.

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“So dad is never coming back?”
“Not anytime soon my dear,” my mother responded to me as I wondered when I would be able to see my dad again.
I was only 7 years old in my native Guinea when my father, a doctor, was accused by the government of having treated, and therefore supported, Alpha Conde, who is now President of Guinea, but was then an opposition leader. Unable to find any other work, my dad was forced into exile, and our lives turned upside down. We moved to a smaller house in the city, living off my mother’s income, and most sadly, as a divided family.
This trauma not only shaped me into the strong woman I am today, but it also left me with scars that I couldn’t imagine beginning to fade until I stepped foot at Wharton. I almost never shared my story until I found, in my SLF family, classmates and friends that made me feel at home. As I was sharing my story, my SLF family comforted me as they listened and shared my pain. When I concluded with this statement: “This is why I hate politics and anything that is even close to it,” many investigated with follow-up questions. One, who is now a good friend, even went as far as to challenge my conviction by telling me that the only way I could protect myself and others from going through the same injustices is to get involved and prevent them from happening. “You need to get over your fear and for that you can take baby steps. I think you should run for Cluster president.” I looked at her like she was crazy, but then I did run. It was the first time I ever ran for anything and it was a transformational experience. I still have zero political ambitions, but at least my perspective has changed.
This is just one example of how Wharton gave me friends who accepted me like family and who push me to overcome the experiences that held me back.

It's One Wharton Week 2018 and ROE is featuring a series of stories from the Wharton Community. In today's story we hear from WG'19 Kristen Dumbeck on her courageous fight to show the importance of gender equality in the workplace.


Join us today for One Wharton Week: Get Out Movie Screening at 6:30pm at 2401 Walnut to wind down and watch this Oscar nominated thriller.

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"Out of college, I landed a job at one of the world's largest investors in private equity on an all-male investment team. After meeting with other firms and working through countless investments, I began to realize that my all-male investment team was actually the industry standard. While still managing my day job, I then proposed an internal study tracking the impact of gender-diverse investment teams and returns over time. A few senior female mentors were very supportive and helped me assemble a team. Together, we found that investment teams with at least one senior woman tended to have better performing funds. While the data wasn't conclusive or statistically significant, I was still excited to present the findings to senior management and propose collecting more data on gender (and more broadly, diversity) going forward.

After a lot of preparation, I arrived early to the meeting with a stack of carefully reviewed presentations. Before I could even open my mouth, a top-level executive loudly declared, "I'm not sure why we're having this meeting. I mean this issue [of gender inequality in private equity] is simply one that will go away over time because people will quit caring."

The moment was shocking, such that even my senior female mentors stammered to find a response. My cheeks flushed red and I regretted having ever proposed the study.

Two years later the company was asked to speak at the World Economic Forum as well as the White House on the issue of gender equality within private equity. Investors became more interested in placing their capital with diverse fund managers, and therefore the company followed up on my suggestion of collecting more data on diversity in the industry (without giving me credit for the suggestion, which too often happens to women). We received numerous awards for promoting women at our firm, and the subject became the focal point of many diversity initiatives internally. The truth is that my study and the initiatives which followed were incredibly relevant to the future of the firm, despite not being recognized at the time.

Gender equality is not a trending fad. Ultimately, our generation will hold the keys to the world's capital 20 years from now, and it's up to us to decide what we want that world to look like. I came to Wharton because I want to make a difference not just for one firm, but for an entire industry."