When business students Nyayeek Deng, Jhareil Hutchinson, Emmanuel Okongo, Degoal Moses, and Abukar Hassan noticed there wasn’t a community for Black business students, they decided to create one. Black in Business is a student organization formed in 2023 to bring a voice to the David Eccles School of Business about the Black student body, expose Black business students to business opportunities locally and nationally, and tell stories about the success and experiences of Black business leaders to current Black business students.
Black in Business aims to create a space where Black students can grow professionally and create a network — especially for first generation students who may not have access to a professional network through their family. The student organization hosts monthly events and workshops where business and non-business majors can gather to learn professional skills and enjoy the community. They have hosted a resume workshop with Morgan Stanley and learned from a variety of guest speakers.
The impact of having a sense of community has been transformative within the Eccles School and beyond. Both the founders and the members feel the impact of having a place to connect, share experiences, and grow their skills. They have felt support from the community, including the Eccles School and local businesses. Black in Business defines success for their group as increasing their reach and increasing attendance to events, and are seeing the fruits of their labor as they receive positive feedback from students and outreach from businesses who want to support events.
Deng, CEO of Black in Business, has grown personally and professionally through her experience as a founding member of the student organization. For other students considering starting their own student group, Deng offers this advice: “Always ask for help. Nobody is opposed to helping you, and everyone here wants to see you grow. There are people who really care to hear what students think and want to help students. You just have to start.”
More articles like this in ‘Student Innovation @ the U!’
Find this article and a lot more in the 2024 “Student Innovation @ the U” report. The publication is presented by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute to celebrate student innovators, change-makers, and entrepreneurs.
