Make It Happen 2010

Make It Happen 5th Edition, Fall 2010

FEATURING

TORY BURCH an exclusive interview with the entrepreneur and fashion icon

+ Tools for Success: On-Campus Recruiting + Revolutionizing Business: Emerging Ecocities + Business School Guide: Tips from Admissions Officers

AND

Rachel Moore

CEO of American Ballet Theatre A Publication of Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business

CONTENTS

HUUUIB

HARVARD UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN IN BUSINESS

CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Caroline Davis & Stephanie Newman STAFF WRITERS: Annissa Alusi, Harvard University JiaQi Bao, University of Arizona Iris Braunstein, University of Pennsylvania Mallorie Brodie, University of Western Ontario Amy Chen, Harvard University Nancy Flewelling, Harvard University Kimberly Herrmann, Harvard University Kriti Lodha, Harvard University Tessa Lyons-Laing, Harvard University Kate Ma, Harvard University Stephanie McCartney, Harvard University Sarah McKenny, University of Miami Chhaya Néné, University of Miami Virginia Ng, Harvard University Ann Oh, University of Pennsylvania Alexa Rahman, Harvard University Erica Sheftman, Harvard University Kylie Thomspon, Harvard University Alyssa de Ubl, New York University Maeve Wang, Harvard University Monica Zdrojewski, Harvard University Shirley Zhou, Harvard University

2010 HUWIB EXECUTIVE BOARD CO-PRESIDENTS Amy Chen & Tessa Lyons-Laing TREASURER/SECRETARY Alexa Rahman BUSINESS EDUCATION CHAIR Danielle Kolin CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT CHAIR Jessica Dias EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR Regina Escamilla FUNDRAISING CHAIR Neeral Gandhi INTERCOLLEGIATE BUSINESS CONVENTION CHAIR Elizabeth Ahern INTERNAL EVENTS & RECRUITMENT CHAIR Mary Caroline Szpak OUTREACH CHAIR Ashley Prince

CONTRIBUTORS: Ama Pomaa Andoh, Founder and Executive Director of Ghana Young Women Social Entrepreneurs Joanita Britto, Social Entrepreneurship Specialist J.J. Cutler, The Wharton School Admissions Valerie Gautheier, HEC Paris Admissions Gena Haugen, HUWIB Decennial Chair, Alumni Board

Harvard Office of Career Services Sarah Landsted, Navigator at Female Navigators Deirdre Leopold, Harvard Business School Admissions Ellen Reeves, Career and Workplace Expert Meicheng Shi, HUWIB Alum

Carol Stephenson, Dean of Richard Ivey School of Business

E-mail MakeItHappenMagazine2010@gmail.com Visit HUWIB at www. huwib.org Photo Credits:

p. 4: Jason Kibbler; p. 5-7: www.sxc.hu; p. 9-11: www.sxc.hu; p. 13: www. marysecasol.com, www.fanpop.com; p. 14: en.academic.ru, alex-duncan. co.uk; p. 15: www.fpif.org; p. 17: www.sxc.hu; p.19-20: www.sxc.hu; p.

21: Nathan Hale School, New Haven, CT. Photogrpah by Woodruff/Brown Photography, courtesy Newman Architects; p. 23: Eilean Siar; p. 25: www.sxc. hu; p. 27: Rachel Moore; p. 28-30: www.sxc.hu; p. 32-35: Tory Burch; p. 36: warrickbuffet.wordpress.com; p. 38: millennialtimes.wordpress.com; p. 39: www.nmeajazzintheschools.org; p. 41-42: picasaweb.google.com; p. 44: www. sxc.hu; p. 45: picasaweb.google.com; p. 46-47: Monica Zdrojewski; p. 48-49: Sarah McKenny; p. 50: Sarah Landsted; p. 52-53: Meiching Shi; p. 54: www. sxc.hu; p. 55-59: HUWIB.

Published by: Gnomon Copy

2

Letter from the Editors Dear Readers, The world is rapidly changing. Globalization, climate change, and increasing technological innovations are just three examples of significant trends that affect our everyday lives. With this in mind, we set out as Co-Editors to produce the 5th edition of Make It Happen Magazine with a two-fold goal: 1) to explore how business, like the world itself, is undergoing a tremendous transformation, and 2) to provide readers with the tools necessary to succeed in this exciting and evolving business atmosphere. Our section “The International Front” focuses on business in an expanding international context, investigating topics that range from the Indian social sector to marketing overseas. In “The Business Side of Industries We Love,” we explore the intersection between business and a variety of other fields, including the arts, entertainment, and even education. Most emblematic of this issue’s theme is our section “Revolutionizing Business,” which examines how business is developing in response to the growing world population and the pressures of environmental and social issues. This edition of Make It Happen features Tory Burch, who embodies the multi-dimensional impact of business. Not only is Tory Burch iconic as an entrepreneur and a fashion designer, but also as a philanthropist whose initiative, the Tory Burch Foundation, uses business techniques to empower underprivileged women. We hope that the information in our “Tools for Success” and “Business School Guide” sections will help you feel confident about your own ability to thrive in the business realm by pursuing your own interests while making a positive impact on the world around you. A rich variety of opportunities await: now go Make It Happen!

Yours Truly, Caroline Davis & Stephanie Newman

Letter from the Presidents of HUWIB Dear Readers, As we emerge from the greatest financial crisis of our lifetimes, we discover business to be revolutionized, redefined, and rewired. From the ubiquity of social networking to the increasingly integrated nature of global economies, it is clear that business – in all senses – is changing.

HUWIB is proud to present the 5th edition of Make It Happen magazine, which explores this revolutionized landscape, typified by a rapid shift in business towards a more innovative and connected world.

Women have played an increasingly important role in this movement. As business has embraced a world of greater globalization, technological advancement, and democratization, women have occupied an ever-growing influence in corporate boardrooms, C-suites, and idea generation itself.

In particular, women between the ages of 35 to 50 are the fastest-growing population segment creating and managing social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, in February of this year, working women reached a new milestone when they outnumbered men in the American workforce for the first time in history.

HUWIB is proud to announce our 10-year anniversary, and like the business world, we too have undergone substantial change and development. Our organization has continued to diversify with a growing focus on social enterprise and emerging markets in line with concurrent trends in the business world. We continue to build relationships with universities around the world while we also work to strengthen our bonds with the many female corporate leaders of America. Make it Happen has dedicated itself to the extraordinary strides women have made in today’s “rewired” business world. We hope you enjoy reading the magazine as much as we have enjoyed putting it together.

Sincerely, Amy Chen and Tessa Lyons-Laing 2010 Co-Presidents Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business 3

CONTENTS

Make It Happen Fifth Edition | Fall 2010

BUSINESS SCHOOL GUIDE 37 | Harvard Business School

By Kylie Thompson 39 | HEC Paris

By JiaQi Bao 41 | Richard Ivey School of Business

By Mallorie Brodie 42 | The Wharton School

By Iris Braunstein

REVOLUTIONIZING BUSINESS 45 | Emerging Ecocities The rise of environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable urban communities.

By Annissa Alusi 46 | Gracias a Dios por Grameen Microfinance is becoming a powerful force in fighting poverty.

By Monica Zdrojewski 48 | Fashion Gone Green Designer Abi Ferrin partners with her sister to adopt eco-friendly business methods.

By Sarah McKenny 50 | Female Navigators Eight young women unite to create awareness of the challenges women face in the workplace.

By Sarah Landsted 51 | The Impact of Social Media How businesses are learning to understand the world of Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.

By Chhaya NĂŠnĂŠ

ON THE COVER 32 | Tory Burch: Entrepreneur, Designer, and Philanthropist In an exclusive interview, fashion phenomenon Tory Burch speaks about her road to success and the Tory Burch Foundation.

By Caroline Davis & Stephanie Newman

4

52 | Empowering Ghanaian Women Ghana Young Women Social Entrepreneurs (GYWSE) pioneers promising initiatives.

By Meicheng Shi & Ama Pomaa Andoh

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS 7 | How to Ace On-Campus Recruiting Six tips to help you land a top internship.

By Virginia Ng 8 | The Ins and Outs of Interviewing Interview secrets revealed by best-selling author of interview guidebook.

By Ellen Reeves 9 | Business Success Through Networking Natural networking can happen casually every day.

By Mallorie Brodie 10 | Step-by-Step: Writing the Winning Cover Letter Detailed instructions on how to compose a successful cover letter.

Contribution from the Harvard Office of Career Services

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF INDUSTRIES WE LOVE

THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT

21 | Designed for Success A look into the interior design industry.

By Kate Ma

13 | Profiles of Major Business Cities Everything you need to know to work in the world’s business capitals.

By Ann Oh

22 | Running a University Q&A with Kathleen McCartney, Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

By Stephanie McCartney

15 | Who is That VIP? Evolving diplomatic protocol at the Shanghai World Expo.

By Maeve Wang

24 | To the Brink of Impossibility The Story of Myra Jenco Daniels, CEO of Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts.

By Nancy Flewelling

17 | Marketing Beyond Borders Q&A with Hana Huntnová, Marketing Professor at NYU in Prague.

By Alyssa de Ubl

26 | The Business of Entertainment Constant change defines the entertainment industry.

By Kriti Lodha

19 | Working in the Indian Social Sector Indian women increasingly commit to social enterprise.

By Joanita Britto

27 | From Ballerina to CEO Interview with Rachel Moore, CEO of the American Ballet Theatre.

By Erica Sheftman

HUUUIB

SPECIAL DECENNIAL SECTION

Celebrating 10 years of Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business 55 | Snapshots: HUWIB History, Compiled by Gena Haugen & Alexa Rahman 56 | The Founding of HUWIB, By Adela Acevedo & Kim Pope Stirling 57 | Ten Years of Progress, By Kimberly Herrmann & Shirley Zhou 58 | IBC Through the Years, By Amy Chen & Tessa Lyons-Laing

5

How to Ace On-Campus Recruiting The Ins and Outs of Interviewing Business Success Through Networking Step by Step: Writing the Winning Cover Letter

Tools for Success

How to Ace On-Campus Recruiting

By Virginia Ng

W

hen I was a junior in college, trying to land an internship at a financial institution or a consulting firm, I realized that on-campus recruitment (OCR) was a very humbling experience. Round after round of no second interviews meant more applications, to the point where I was taking a fifth course on how to find a summer internship. Despite the long process, I eventually landed an internship—one that I am quite happy with. After numerous applications and several interviews, I gained some insight on how to go through the process that I hope will be helpful for those going through it for the first time.

•

•

Know what you want to do, and why you want to do it: Recruiters know whether you are just applying for a position just for the sake of applying or if you are truly excited about an opportunity. Be able to explain why you want to go into consulting, private equity or whatever else it is you want to do. In addition, being able to narrow down the types of positions will make life a lot easier for you.

Do your research: Once you have figured out what types of internships you want to do (e.g. Is it Sales & Trading or Investment Banking? Would you prefer to do marketing over consulting? Do you want to work for a boutique firm or a large corporation?), really start to dig into the granular aspects of the positions. Know what the hours are like, what type of person best fits the position, what kind of work you will be doing. Do not be surprised if during an interview, they ask you what it means to be in XYZ job. Then, when you get to the specific opportunities, make sure you research on each company and how it might differ from others.

•

Go to your university’s career services center: This is a great resource. The counselors are trained to help you decide what career paths fit you, to tease out what skills you are best at, to read/edit resumes and cover letters and to prepare you for interviews. Become their friend.

•

Your peers are your best mentors: If you are applying for a position at XYZ firm, the best person to talk to isprobably an upperclassman or recent alum who interned at the firm or is working there currently. They will be able to provide unbiased insight to certain jobs. Having been in your shoes previously, they can give you a good idea of how to go through the process. Ask them to look over your resumes and cover lettersand to help prepare you for interviews.

•

Face time matters: Go to informational sessions, get

to know people at the firm and have conversations with them. It shows you are interested, and hopefully they will remember that during decision time. When I went to second round interviews for my current position, the VP I was interviewing with specifically recalled hearing a phone conversation I had with one of her employees about the internship a month before my second interview; I am sure it earned me brownie points.

•

Do not panic: No recruiter is out to get you. Most of the people I have met through the process have been extremely nice and would like to see you succeed. Be calm and be yourself. Only then can they truly get to know you.

The process is a tough one and does require a lot of time and effort. The most important thing to note is that not finding an internship through OCR is not the end of the world. There are many opportunities out there, and OCR positions are only a small fraction of what is available.

Virginia Ng is a senior at Harvard concentrating in Economics with a secondary in Psychology. At school, she has volunteered with PBHA, served as a member of Harvard College Consulting Group, and is currently one of the head tutors at the Writing Center.

7

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS

The Ins and Outs of Interviewing

By Ellen Gordon Reeves

I

nterviewing well is an art. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare to go forth and conquer. They might seem obvious but recruiters report that candidates routinely fail to present themselves in the best possible light.

It’s All About Your Attitude Remember: A successful job search is the intersection of 2 searches: yours for the right job, and the employer’s search for the right candidate. If you are the right person for the job, you have solved a big problem for the employer. If you keep this in mind, you’ll realize that an interview is really a two-way street, and that you should walk in feeling valuable, not vulnerable.

You’ve got to exude confidence, competence, and a can-do attitude. Yes, the employer holds the hiring reins…but you have the power to decide if this is the right place for your skills and talents.

Ask Not What the Employer Can Do For You… Understand that the interview is about proving what you can do for the employer, not about what he/she can do for you. So instead of saying “this is the perfect job for me,” reframe as “given my experience doing x, y, and z, I think I could hit the ground running and help reach your department’s goals.”

An Interview is an Open Book Exam You need to prepare thoroughly. You can walk in with notes and questions and take notes in the interview, as long as you confirm that this is all right with the interviewer, and don’t spend more time looking at the paper than the person. Recruiters tell me over and over that a well-prepared candidate who has done her homework always has a leg up. You should use the Internet, read annual reports, and set a Google alert for the company. You should also get the names and titles of those with whom you’ll be interviewing, Google them and set Google alerts for them, too. Find out as much as you can but be careful not to appear to be a cyber stalker. Use your network to set up informational interviews before you have the actual interview with anyone who can tell you more about the company, the position, and the people with whom you’d be working.

Show, Don’t Tell—and Don’t Talk Like a Teen In this economy, an employer has only two concerns: making money and saving money. Show how you can do one or both, and you’ll be way ahead of the pack. Make sure you illustrate with anecdotes that you know how to take direction as well as initiative. You need to have studied your own resume as

8

much as you’ve studied the company and its goals. Make sure you have brief anecdotes at the ready to illustrate everything on your resume and everything stated in the job description or ad, if there is one. Be specific in your language and always give concrete examples. Get rid of speech tics and teen talk— “my internship was, like…awesome”—and avoid up talk. You know, when every sentence is inflected up? As if it’s a question?

In need of validation?

Seal the Deal with a Closing Argument End the interview with a “closing argument” the way a trial lawyer would, expressing why you are the best person for the job. Having listened closely in the interview and taken notes and adapted a prepared statement you walked into the interview with (yes, you may write it down and refer to it as you take other notes in the interview), you need to leave the interviewer with a powerful and enthusiastic message reiterating how your experience fits his needs and solves his problem. Your theme is “I am qualified to do this job, I want to do this job, and I am the best person to do this job.”

Find Out What the Hiring Timeline Is Most people leave an interview with no idea what the hiring timeline is and then go crazy trying to figure out when and how to be in touch. Just ask! At the end of the interview, ask, “Will you contact me or should I check back? When would you suggest? Is phone or e-mail better?” Always follow up with a thank you note; I recommend sending a handwritten note as well as an e-mail. HR people have told me that the e-mail notes are great because they can circ them easily.

Ellen Gordon Reeves is the author of the best-selling Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview? A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job. A career and workplace expert, she has been featured in media including @KatieCouric, The CBS Early Show, CNN’s Your Money, EXTRA and NPR. Trained at Second City in Chicago in Comedy Writing and Improvisation, Reeves is a frequent public speaker specializing in interactive, community-building lectures and seminars, offering direct constructive criticism from the employer’s point of view. Currently the Career Expert for Learnvest.com, she is President-Elect of the Harvard Alumni Association. She may be reached at caniwearmynosering@gmail.com and www.caniwearmynosering.com.

Business Success Through Networking

By Mallorie Brodie

S

ince Margie Hooper has held the General Manager position of Canadian real estate company Keller Williams Ottawa Realty, Ltd, the Ottawa franchise has grown to be the most successful Keller Williams franchise in Canada since their opening in 2001. The numbers alone show the success this office has had, but even more remarkable are the positive air and social network that this office has created and maintained over the years.

Effective networking, integrity, and hard-work are among the many reasons why Keller Williams Ottawa Realty, Ltd., has reached an idolized position in the real estate community. Margie accredits much of the franchise’s achievement to successful networking on the parts of both themselves and their agents. These networking skills have enabled the franchise to grow from a small office of several agents to two offices and close to three hundred agents in nine short years.

Margie continually promotes networking as an important step to help a business thrive in the competitive marketplace. However, she also insists that it is the way in which you go about your networking that will help you to flourish: “You have to sincerely enjoy meeting people and learning about people in order to be good at networking. It is a social experience that has the fringe benefit of getting to know people that you want to do business with.”

Although quite the cliché, ‘practice what you preach,’ is clearly the way in which Margie manages her business. She exhibits pride, confidence, and sincerity in everyday business and these are among the characteristics that she emphasizes as essential to being a successful businessperson. People want to work with positive and energetic people that are confident in their own ideas and the ideas of others. If you are able to demonstrate an air of confidence when meeting new people, you will likely make a memorable impression. Being genuine will help you to take advantage of networking opportunities. “People who do not have the skill set to be genuine, and only focus on business, rather than creating social relationships will not generate as much success at networking events. Consider opportunities to get together with business people like you would a party, don’t go with an agenda, the agenda comes later,” she advises.

Contrary to what some may say, Margie realistically acknowledges that it is difficult for busy people to keep in touch

on a monthly basis with people whom they may have met at various events. However, she believes that if you made the right impression, people will remember you with a simple reminder of where and when you met.

If you are planning to start a business in the field in which you already work, as she and her husband and owner of the company Jeff did, it is extremely important to forge and maintain a reputation of integrity. Networking can happen in a formal matter, but it also happens in casual ways everyday.

When a new company is launched in the real estate industry, it is easy for other sales representatives to decide if it is a company they could see themselves working for in a flash. Because Margie and Jeff have established reputations as people of integrity, recruitment is no longer a Herculean task. By maintaining strong and respectable morals, you are able to engage in what Margie calls, “Natural networking- networking that just happens without it really being your main focus.” Networking, however, is no longer as simple as it used to be. The Internet age has opened an entire new realm of networking that has provided numerous advantages to many industries.

With the growth of internet-based networking tools, Margie notes that the ways in which people choose to network have absolutely changed: “People that may not have been as successful networking years ago can now take advantage of the Internet to do a lot of their communication.” This isn’t to say that social skills are no longer a necessity. Rather, the ways in which people network are becoming more diverse, which enables a greater number of people to conduct their business in various ways. There is no longer one way to go about meeting people to do business with. The pace of the business world is rapidly increasing and the Internet allows this pace to be manageable. The use of the Internet should nonetheless not be used as a replacement for networking, but as a tool to enhance networking capabilities.

Mallorie Brodie is in her second year of studies at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. She is currently enrolled as an Honours in Comparative Literature with an Advanced Entry Opportunity (AEO) to the Richard Ivey School of Business.

9

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS

Step by Step: Writing the Winn Cover Letter Format • •

•

Paragraph 1: Identify what job are you applying for, how you heard about the opening, and why you are interested.

Paragraph 2: Discuss your qualifications for the job and your interest in the organization. Use one or two accomplishments to illustrate the skills and experience you bring to the job.

Closing paragraph: Express your interest in meeting with the employer to discuss the requirements of the job and your qualifications.

Cover Letter Guidelines: • • •

What is a Cover Letter?

Your cover letter is a way to introduce yourself to a potential employer. Use your cover letter to describe your qualifications, motivation, and interest in the job so that the employer will want to interview you. Do NOT repeat the information already listed in your resume; rather, you want to translate those experiences into the skills honed, knowledge gained, and questions raised that are relevant to the particular job. Think of your cover letter as your chance to explain how your skills and interests, outlined in your resume, fit with the job or internship description, company, and industry.

• • • • •

Address your letters to a specific person if you can.

Know as much as you can about the industry, company and position to which you are applying.

Tailor your letters to specific situations or organizations by doing research before writing your letters.

Keep letters concise and factual, no more than a single page. Avoid flowery language.

Give examples that support your skills and qualifications.

Put yourself in the reader’s shoes. What can you say that will convince the reader that you are ready and able to do the job?

Remember that this is a marketing tool. Use lots of action words to emphasize what you have done (see box below).

Have someone proof read your letter.

Action Words * Accomplished * Achieved * Adapted * Analyzed * Assessed * Broadened * Budgeted * Built * Calculated * Centralized * Collaborated * Compiled * Coordinated * Counseled * Created * Derived * Demonstrated

10

* Designed * Developed * Devised * Directed * Earned * Enhanced * Established * Executed * Expanded * Facilitated * Formed * Founded * Generated * Headed * Identified * Implemented * Improved

* Instituted * Introduced * Invented * Launched * Lectured * Led * Liaised * Maintained * Managed * Marketed * Maximized * Modeled * Monitored * Motivated * Negotiated * Operated * Organized

* Originated * Participated * Performed * Planned * Presented * Prioritized * Programmed * Promoted * Published * Redesigned * Reduced * Regulated * Renegotiated * Reported * Researched * Reviewed * Revised

* Rewrote * Scheduled * Shaped * Simplified * Sold * Solved * Streamlined * Supervised * Supported * Surveyed * Synthesized * Taught * Tested * Unified * Updated * Verified * Wrote

ning Cover Letter The cover letter is addressed to a specific person.

340 Leverett Mail Center Harvard College Cambridge, MA 02138-6034

 

Sample Cover Letter

September 14, 2010 Jane Sprat Director, Human Resources Big Name Consulting Firm 500 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02110 Dear Ms. Sprat:

Please accept this letter and enclosed resume as an application for the position of entry-level Consultant with Big Name Consulting. Currently a senior at Harvard University, I am interested in applying my business knowledge and industry experience to the consulting field.

Jill mentions why she is interested in this firm.

Here, Jill highlights her client relations skills.

My interest in management consulting has grown out of a desire to combine my industry experience with the more analytical side of business. In particular, the internship I completed last summer at Local Consulting Firm solidified my commitment to the consulting field and helped me develop my skills in data analysis and research. I am particularly interested in Big Name Consulting after reading the article written by Fred Reichheld about corporate ethics which recently appeared in the Harvard Business Review.

Prior to my senior summer, I spent two summers as an analyst with F&S Alloys, a subsidiary of the German corporation Stinnes, a worldwide leader in trading industrial metals, minerals, chemicals, and other products. My clients included a variety of industries, including health care, consumer products, and legal services.

My work was project-based and involved conferring with clients on a daily basis to ensure that their needs were being met. I believe that my demonstrated communication skills, ability to prioritize, and broad-based business knowledge will serve Big Name Consulting well.

I look forward to discussing the contribution that I could make to Big Name Consulting with you in a personal interview and will call you next week to arrange a mutually convenient time to meet.

Jill markets both her analytical and research skills.

She also emphasizes the project-based nature of her work.

Jill shows interest in meeting with the employer.

Thank you for your time and favorable consideration.

Sincerely, Jill Goode

Information provided by the Office of Career Services, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University.

11

Profiles of Major Business Cities Who Is That VIP? Marketing Beyond Borders Working in the Indian Social Sector

The International Front

Profiles of Major Business Cities

By Ann Oh

LONDON With the delicate blend of rich English history and modern-day energy, London, the United Kingdom’s capital, is the pulse of the nation’s economy and culture. It was the breeding ground of the world’s first stock exchange, and for centuries, it has stayed one of the world’s global financial cities on par with New York. Today, the London Stock Exchange remains one of the world’s largest, the majority of FSTE100 companies are based in London, and the GDP of London is at the top of European cities. The city’s famous Tube system, its lasting traditions, and influence in almost every aspect of culture make London the most visited city in the world.

NEW YORK New York City, the largest and most influential city of the United States, puts other cities to shame. Home to Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange, the United Nations, Broadway, top broadcasting stations and publications, Fifth Avenue, and a plethora of trendy restaurants, New York is considered the global financial capital and center of international diplomacy, arts, media and entertainment, fashion, and culture. Work hard, play hard— this cosmopolitan city is rightly dubbed the city that never sleeps.

Quick Glance

Cost of Living: Ranked 17th most expensive city by Mercer Major Industries: Financial services, tourism, shipbuilding, cable, automobile, chemical and electronic goods manufacturing, and food processing.

Unique Business Customs: • Business cards are usually exchanged at the end of a meeting, rather than at the beginning.

• In the business setting, professional titles are reserved for doctors and clergy members; most people are addressed using Mister, Missus, Miss, or Sir (if knighted).

• In general, the focus is on short-term results; thus, meetings are relatively direct and straight to the point, and decisions are made based on hard facts.

• While relationships are valued, a certain level of privacy should be respected. Attempts to get too personal during initial small talk may be construed as offensive or desperate.

Quick Glance Cost of Living: Ranked 27th most expensive city

by Mercer Major Industries: Financial and legal services, media and entertainment, telecommunications, real estate, food processing, tourism, fashion.

Unique Business Customs: • In most cases, it is acceptable to address people using their first names straight away unless they were introduced with their professional title.

• Many companies with a stricter dress code have “casual Fridays” where employees are able to take a break from their three-piece suit and dress down.

• At 11:30 AM on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, employees of the New York Stock Exchange collectively sing “Wait ‘Til the Sun Shines, Nellie”—a festive tradition over a century old that helps ease their stress from the market’s activity.

• Office parties, cocktail parties, and other “social” events are common. However, these occasions are usually seen as business extensions, and thus common etiquette is followed.

13

THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT

SAO PAULO Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil and the entire continent of South America, overwhelms with its sheer size and extensive rows of skyscrapers. And simply put, Sao Paulo is where business gets done in Brazil. As the base for businesses of all sizes and origins, it is the driving force behind the nation’s thriving economy. Over 63% of foreign businesses in Brazil have their headquarters in Sao Paulo, but the city’s internationality does not end there. It is also Brazil’s most ethnically diverse city where rich culture thrives, whether it is through the 62+ types of cuisine, the international film festivals and fashion shows, or the unique architecture and skyline.

Quick Glance

Cost of Living: Ranked 21st most expensive city by Mercer Major Industries: Telecommunications, manufacturing of electronic appliances, automobiles, textiles, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, construction, banking.

Unique Business Customs: • Unlike the rest of Brazil and Latin American culture where time is very flexible, punctuality is very important in Sao Paolo.

• Businesspeople are viewed more as individuals than representatives of companies; thus, it is common to spend a rather large amount of time getting to know each other or catching up with small talk before starting the official meeting. Long-term business relationships are valued, and thus it is important that the people on the teams are kept the same throughout the project or negotiation period.

• Interruptions are frequent and common during meetings, and are not considered rude or disrespectful.

SHANGHAI

Over the last couple decades, Shanghai has emerged not only as the business center of mainland China, but also as a booming global metropolis. Boasting astounding double-digit growth for sixteen consecutive years until 2008, it is one of the most rapidly growing cities in world. It is home to the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Port of Shanghai—both among the largest in the world—and is booming as China’s leader in finance and trade. With over 500 multinational companies’ headquarters located in Shanghai, it seems to be the ideal city for foreigners looking to expand into China, and as the host of over 120 nations in the 2010 World Expo, Shanghai has proven itself as a truly international city.

Quick Glance

Cost of Living: Ranked 25th most expensive city by Mercer Major Industries: Trade, manufacturing of automobiles, steel products, petrochemicals, communication devices and electronics, biomedicine, finance, and commerce.

Unique Business Customs: • Shanghai businesspeople prefer soft handshakes rather than the confident and firm Western handshake; strong handshakes during an introduction may be interpreted as a sign of aggression or intimidation. This is representative of the Chinese tendency to be passive and subtle rather than explicit and open in their style of communication.

• It is a sign of respect to use two hands when exchanging business cards. After receiving a business card, it is rude to put it away immediately in your wallet or pocket. Instead, it is necessary to take the time to examine the card and place it in an official cardholder or on the table in front of you.

• Businesspeople are very sensitive to seating arrangements, as they represent the hierarchy both in business meetings and social gatherings such as banquets. Someone will always guide people to their proper seats; sitting down before one is seated is considered offensive.

Ann Oh is currently a sophomore attending the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. She is hoping to pursue a double concentration in finance and statistics or legal studies.

14

Who Is That VIP? Evolving Diplomatic Protocol in China

By Maeve Wang

The Chinese Pavillion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo

I

magine determining each element of every government official’s visit to an embassy. This includes greeting the principals of VIP delegations as well as establishing the backdrops for their visits, researching and understanding every detail— from how to directly address the Party Secretary or Minister in his or her native language to determining which entrance the delegation will enter according to precedence. Now shrink that embassy into a national pavilion and place it in a World’s Fair, pumping between 8 to 18 separate VIP delegations each day— from public and private sectors of any one of the 189 participant nations—over 6 months of the largest World’s Fair ever to be held in history. Now, in the midst of this commotion, try adhering to the rules of conduct in diplomatic protocol. And this is just some of the many challenges present when working in a protocol department at a World’s Fair, also known as a World Expo.

The 2010 Shanghai World Expo takes the challenge further by requiring protocol staff to understand the countless political and corporate systems in scores of different countries, whose sheer volume places the difficulty of such a task on an altogether high new level. The breadth of knowledge on various

social structures required of a protocol assistant to host successful Protocol functions is complicated by how the World’s Fair is hosted in the ambiguous territory of China, a country whose political organization has been shrouded in secrecy as it has undergone numerous changes, and more so in recent decades.

Such is the experience of working as a Protocol Assistant at the USA National Pavilion. (Talk about manifesting our national pavilion’s theme, “Rising to the Challenge.”)

Political authorities in China adhere to the nomenklatura system (Soviet terminology: list of names), the main instrument controling leadership selection and appointment in various government and party-controlled institutions. Nomenklatura consists of two lists. One list specifies key positions for which authorities will make appointments. The other list names the potential candidates for appointment to those positions.

Understanding the structure of political rank and hierarchy is critical to one of the main responsibilities of a protocol department—orchestrating ceremonials for diplomatic functions. To determine what etiquette and procedures are appropriate for which heads of delegations, diplomatic protocol functions on the grounds that there is an acknowledged system 15

THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT

prioritizing importance, order, and rank among different political positions.

If the U.S. had such a system in place, it would be the equivalent of having a single authority administering the appointment of state governors, city mayors, Supreme Court justices, chief executives of major corporations like Walmart, Pepsi Co., and Chevron,, editors of prominent publications such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and presidents of prestigious universities like Harvard and Yale.

However, China’s nomenklatura system has long been shrouded in secrecy, complicating the work of foreign protocol departments. And, to further complicate matters amidst such confidentiality, these lines demarcating authority, power, and status have been shifting markedly since the privatization of China’s economy. In a country where economic development comprises one of the strongest pillars of government legitimacy, the development of China’s market economy has allowed Chinese citizens, politicians, and businessmen to achieve upward mobility outside the nomenklatura appointment system, gaining resources outside the of the dominant political party’s control.

With the expanding opportunities of striking success outside of the party’s internal system, the classification of rank among Chinese dignitaries, as observed by current government officials, has subsequently undergone adjustments. Still, this nomenklatura system assigning status must be observed in diplomatic protocol when Chinese institutions are involved, which complicates preparations for Chinese delegation visits.

As an assistant to the Chief of Protocol at the USA National Pavilion, one of the main responsibilities as Protocol Assistant was to prepare the daily briefings referred to by the State Department and USA National Pavilion staff during preparations for the numerous delegations passing through each day. The massive volume of visits—which could rise to over 18 daily greets—required extensive research and preparation.

Researching the background information on a Chinese official demands even more painstaking investigation and verification to assure that all of the elements of the greet—including the VIP’s honorary, direct address, designated senior greeter from the U.S. State Department, visit officer from the Protocol Department, gift, and visit run-down—are arranged appropriately depending on the VIP’s status within the given organization.

Furthermore, any inaccuracies in English due to common mistranslations of Chinese titles and uncertainties of the functions of the many government agencies, could be amplified once entered into the Protocol Department’s central database—which feeds into the Congressional Reports and Commissioner General’s Report due periodically over the course of the Expo.

For roughly half of the 18 or more Protocol greets each day, I was assigned to be a Visit Officer for VIP delegations from the U.S. and foreign countries. Delegations were led by all kinds of principals—from U.S. cabinet secretaries to European parliament members to Southeast Asian royalty to heads of state across the world. Many delegations are led by Chinese ministers, vice-ministers, and secretary-generals from the whole slew of provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country.

When greeting the Chinese VIPs in person, there was 16

always the exceptionally large concern—relative to VIPs of other nationalities—of whether I was addressing the VIP correctly, because of ambiguous title and function of his or her post when hitting the wall of probing past classified information.

Within the realm of U.S.-China relations in both the public and private sectors, U.S. participation in the Shanghai World Expo is a start. Work in Protocol within the USA National Pavilion generates opportunities for U.S. representatives from the government and private corporations. This is where we can interact with China and other countries in a space of international diplomacy that observes the ceremonials of foreign affairs—but in the less official setting of a World’s Fair.

With China’s expanding political and economic influence, the appeal to foreigners of working in the country is growing in tandem at an accelerated pace. However, if the Shanghai World Expo reflects a microcosm, to any extent, of current international relations, the difficulties of working in protocol within any of the national pavilions speak to future challenges that the U.S., and all nations, may face dealing with China in the future.

While the system of diplomatic protocol may be robust in interacting with countries with long-established relationships, it lacks in addressing interactions between countries building new relations. Yet, the uncertain codes of behavior are not limited to work in foreign service. In both the public and private sectors, dealing with any country requires a clear understanding of the other party’s system of distributing authority.

For governments and businesses seeking to increase collaboration with China, establishing and solidifying tighter partnerships at all institutional levels may take enough time and patience to event a new system of protocol—or more simply, etiquette—to govern interactions. It is only then when we can more clearly define plans for realizing shared visions of progressively collaborative future, in any sector.

Maeve Wang is a senior Government concentrator at Harvard College. Her work as Protocol Assistant in the USA Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo was an experience that dovetailed seamlessly with her professional and personal interests in U.S.China relations.

Marketing Beyond Borders Q&A with Hana Huntová, Marketing Professor at NYU in Prague

By Alyssa de Ubl

P

rofessor Huntová is currently a Marketing and Media Coach, and has worked in marketing and communications for over 15 years. She has held various positions in advertising agencies in the Czech Republic and abroad, including Unilever, MindShare, Saatchi & Saatchi, and the Prague Post. In 2007, she established an independent coaching and training company, whose clients have included Unilever, Czech Television, Soigner, and more. I sat down with Professor Huntová to learn more about her international marketing experiences.

Make It Happen: When did you know you wanted to work in marketing?

Hana Huntová: Well, I think you first probably need to understand the situation in the 1990s in the Czech Republic. The market was opened from the communist plant, and at that time anything was possible. I finished school in 1992 and I could do

anything I liked. There were a lot of companies hiring people, and probably the only condition was speaking English, and I could. I don’t know why, but I was drawn to publishing at first, working for an English weekly magazine called the Prague Post. At that time, there was a big English-speaking community in Prague; about 40,000. It was quite an interesting environment to be in. Because I entered the field of media, it was quite close to marketing and advertising—which seemed to be a new area where things were changing rapidly with new opportunities. I didn’t wake up one day and decide to work in marketing, but I like it because it keeps changing, people keep changing.

MIH: What kind of cultural differences have you observed working in the UK and Czech Republic?

Huntová: I worked in the UK around 2000 and at that time working here [in the Czech Republic] meant long, 12-hour

17

THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT

days. So, when I came to the UK and they went home at five or six that was new for me—I was expecting the same kind of speed and length in the workday, but I realized that they probably were more productive. Additionally, at that time being in Prague, or being Czech, you spent quite long hours working but also socializing. The people you worked with were who you went out with and you knew their lives as well. In the UK I realized that the relationships at work were more formal.

Everyone was very polite and professional, and I liked it there, but the close relationships at work weren’t really developed.

Whether that is a stage of the economy or a cultural difference I’m not sure.

MIH: What, in your opinion is the Czech perception of the marketing field?

Huntová: Marketing is seen as part of business here. Because of the way the transition happened—going from state owned economy to private sector sometimes wasn’t totally clear. Because of that, the initial perception of business is not always clean. Marketing has some issue being a part of business and the other angle is that marketing is associated with promotional advertising, which is perceived as deceptive. Civil workers think there is weaker grounding in business, while coming from the business side, I feel the opposite. I have worked for mostly international companies here so I feel there is a credibility and honesty to marketing as long as it is done well. When I compared for example the perception of advertising in Britain with here, the British are more likely to accept advertising and like it, while here we are working towards building a trust in the industry. If you start with the first premise that marketing creates value, I think a lot of people dispute that here—that it is only an art of persuasion to buy something more expensive that doesn’t work.

had to progress my career. But, as a woman I felt it was okay for me to slow down and build a smaller business on my own.

Working for Unilever and working for the advertising agencies I never felt that they would not select me for a job because I was a woman, I got what I deserved. The biggest difference for me is the expectations and I wouldn’t say it’s worse—it’s different.

You don’t see the differences as an individual, but through how society shapes it. What makes me different or what makes me good isn’t being a woman, although it is definitely part of me, it’s my individuality. Nowadays it is possible to focus on indivduals rather than their genders.

MIH: Lastly, what does the marketing field have in store for the future?

Huntová: I expect a big transition actually not far from the roots of marketing which is providing value to the consumers.

Rather, transition in the sense that its digital. The future is digital and because of the interaction that it enables with consumers who are savvy and know what is being offered to them and then they tell each other. So maybe the future is less on branding, although that will still be important, and more on quality of the product. If you have a good quality product in the future that will hopefully be more visible in a sense. The consumers will tell each other and I guess because of the technology, things will become more global but also more local. It will connect things, but also will go more in depth. There has always been a debate about shallowness v. substance, and I think that both things will happen. Because there is too much information, people will decide on emotion [shallowness] and because there is too much information people will rationally choose [depth].

You have a chance to do both. The future will be more varied, more complicated, more interesting, hopefully.

MIH: What inspired you to begin teaching?

Huntová: When I worked at Unilever, part of my job was to create training programs. I have done quite a few internal seminars and workshops and innovative programs, and I realized I really liked doing it. I never wanted to be a teacher as a child, but I like the game aspect, the dialog and that I learn myself when I am doing it. It was part of my job that I realized I really liked it. I love creating the content and then enacting it with people.

MIH: How, if at all, has your career been shaped or impacted by being a woman?

Huntová: This is a bit of a stereotype, but I feel in general the society expects less form women, so they might expect less from themselves because they are not pushed to an extreme.

When I worked in my previous job I had a regional position that required me to fly around and see many different places. Part of my private life had to be compromised because of traveling all the time and if I were a man I would have stayed in that job, because it was a high position and I would have felt like I

18

Alyssa de Ubl is a junior at NYU’s Stern School of Business majoring in Finance and Accounting. She is Vice President of the Undergraduate Stern Women in Business and Stern Accounting Society organizations.

Working in the Indian Social Sector

By Joanita Britto

A

mong today’s youth, there is a large population of aspiring career-builders who are looking to make a difference and earn a living as well. Such desire has come about primarily because of an evolution in the career options available to presentday workers. A revolutionary trend in the industry has opened a new avenue in vocations, which has enabled one to pick service and corporate work in the same occupation. This has been made possible through the emerging social enterprise sector.

A large number of social organizations now claim their status as hybrid entities. This is the perfect amalgamation of the for-profit and non-profit worlds. In India especially, the number of such organizations has grown tremendously.

As a novel concept in a largely conservative society, the idea of working for a start-up social organization has often been frowned upon.

However, in response to this, a number of driven and committed young Indian women are acting as catalysts in the social sector and are bringing forth its evolution. They have gone from being identified solely as NGOs or people in khadi (homespun cotton) garments, to women now donning the “corporate” look and heading out to meet MNCs and remind them of their corporate social responsibility.

The Indian woman has found her calling in making a difference and making a living—so much so that she inspires many professionals in the corporate sector to move to social

enterprise. It is the likes of young, ambitious women like Priya Naik who give work in the social sector a face lift. Ms. Naik is currently the CEO of Samhita Social ventures, an online portal that aims to provide an ecosystem for social organizations and interested individuals to have a symbiotic co-existence. She has an impressive track record, having topped Mumbai University for her Masters in Commerce and completed post-graduate courses in Economics from Yale University and in Public Policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor USA. It was her work as a Researcher at the Poverty Action Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that drew her interest to social entrepreneurship.

Priya is only one of many accomplished women who have decided to focus on work with social organizations. Other like-minded women include Shaheen Mistry, a female worker at a school for street children called Aakanksha. There is also Shanti Raghavan, who works at Enable India, an organization helping challenged individuals. Impressively, women are taking the front seat in developing and organizing India’s social sector.

Joanita Britto is a recent graduate of St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, where she majored in journalism. She is currently pursuing an LLB degree at the Indian Law Society, Pune. After attaining her law degree, she hopes to work for Human Rights and someday join the Civil Service in India.

19

Designed for Success Running a University To the Brink of Impossibility The Business of Entertainment From Ballerina to CEO

The Business Side of Industries We Love

Designed for Success: A Look into the Interior Design Industry

By Kate Ma

Above: One of Newman Architects’ recent projects. Interior design by Michelle Newman. Nathan Hale School, New Haven, CT.

A

perfect balance of creativity and technology, interior design is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. Originating in interior decoration, interior design has since evolved into a profession that requires not only an eye for style, but an analytical and technical understanding of both structure and sustainability. The team at Newman Architects, LLC, a collaborative design firm located in New Haven, CT, recognizes the connection between people and the spaces that surround them and thus strives to improve people’s lives through their creations.

In speaking with Michelle Newman, Senior Associate at Newman Architects, LLC, her passion for the industry is clearly visible as we discuss the exciting and varied opportunities available in the field of interior design.

Getting Started When asked what first piqued her interest in interior design, Michelle Newman reflects, “I was first attracted to interior design when I became aware that through this work I had the ability to enhance people’s experiences at work, at school, and at play.”

Although she started out in college studying psychology, Newman ultimately fell in love with interior design and has since applied her BS degree to various market sectors.

Never a Dull Moment The nature of interior design defies the term “average workday.” Newman says, “My portfolio of client types is very diverse, which allows me to wear many hats. I will typically be working on 5 or 6 projects at one time.“ As an interior designer, you must employ not only the creativity and imagination of an artist, but the discipline and organization of a business person as well. For Newman, this entails “managing my team of con-

sultants and designers to meet hard deadlines, managing the expectations of my clients, and satisfying both my personal and professional office-wide goals.”

A Constantly Evolving Field One of the most exciting aspects of interior design is that it is always pushing the envelope in terms of innovation, sustainability, and technology. For example, new interactive threedimensional modeling programs are “dramatically changing the way designers conceptualize, document and deliver our services,” explains Newman. In addition, Newman is happy to report that “sustainable design practices are finally becoming integrated into standard practice. A broader awareness of the global impact of the design and construction industries has awoken public interest in mitigating this impact.”

Making Your Mark Interior design allows you the freedom to cultivate your own style and provides you with the tools to turn ideas into tangible results. “Understanding the difference between what is trendy and what is of enduring design quality,” advises Newman, “is something that every student should start thinking about very early.” As a caveat, it is important to remember that “great design does not come easy; it only looks as if it did,” says Newman. “Like a garden, design skills need to be nurtured. Ignored, they will fade.” Newman’s final piece of advice: “Keep an open mind, open your eyes and ears, and continue to challenge your assumptions.”

Kate Ma is a junior concentrating in Psychology at at Harvard University

21

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF INDUSTRIES WE LOVE

Running a University Q&A with Kathleen McCartney, Dean of Harvard Graduate School of Education

By Stephanie McCartney

S

erving as Dean of the School of Education since 2005, Dean Kathleen McCartney has always taken an interest in psychology, studying developmental psychology first as an undergraduate at Tufts University and then as a doctoral student at Yale University. McCartney began her professional career as an assistant professor in Harvard’s psychology department, moved to be a professor of psychology at the University of New Hampshire, and eventually returned to Harvard to serve as a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Today, Kathleen McCartney is the Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Gerald S. Lesser Professor in Early Childhood Development. She is a Fellow of the American Education Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Psychological Society, and a member of the NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, with which she published research in several articles as well as the book Child Care and Child Development. McCartney also co-edited The Blackwell Handbook of Early Childhood Development and in 2009 was awarded the Distinguished Contribution Award from the Society for Research in Child Development.

Here, Dean McCartney speaks to the challenges and rewards of running a graduate school, balancing a personal and professional life, and working as a woman in the field of education.

Make It Happen: What is it that initially got you interested in the field of education?

Dean Kathleen McCartney: Many of my earliest childhood memories are of “playing school.” As the oldest of five children, I was always the teacher. I studied developmental psychology as an undergraduate at Tufts University and a doctoral student at Yale University. From the very beginning, I was drawn to the study of early experience and development. How can we account for individual differences in development? That is what led to my research program on the effect of early childhood education.

MIH: Could you briefly explain how you came to be Dean of the GSE? What was your career path?

Dean McCartney: My first position was as an assistant professor at Harvard in the Psychology Department, then called Psychology and Social Relations. Because there was no tenure track then, I left to be a professor of psychology at the University of New Hampshire, where I directed the Child Study and Development Center, a school for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. In 2000, I was recruited for a professorship at the Harvard Graduate School of Education—every day when I drive to work I feel grateful to be a part of this special community of scholars.

MIH: What are some of the day-to-day tasks of working at the Graduate School of Education?

Dean McCartney: I have spent the last five years serving as Dean of the Graduate School of Education. There is no such thing as a typical day. My activities include: working with the faculty and senior leadership team on the school’s strategy, faculty recruitment, meetings with students, fund raising for the school, research, and much more.

MIH: Are you working on any long-term projects right now?

(Recruiting speakers, organizing events, etc) If so, what are they and what do you have to do to organize them?

At left: Kathleen McCartney, Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

22

Dean McCartney: Our most significant new initiative is a new doctoral program in education leadership (Ed.L.D). It is a 3-year program for aspiring system leaders in the education sector. This fall we will welcome our first cohort of 25 students, who were recruited from a pool of more than 1,000 applicants! We think this program is going to be a game changer – we are recruiting more of the best and brightest to education and we are influencing other schools of education.

MIH: Are you working on any research now?

Dean McCartney: I am struggling to keep up my research program because of the demands of the deanship. In January 2010, I published a paper in Developmental Psychology on the association between time spent in child care and behavior problems that I think is an important contribution to a continuing debate in my field. I also wrote a position paper on why preschool belongs in public schools.

MIH: What is the biggest challenge you face as a dean?

Dean McCartney: The biggest challenge I face concerns resources. This talented faculty and staff have so many good ideas about how to leverage the Harvard Graduate School of Education to address the pressing problems in K-12 schools across the nation. We are constantly searching for new revenue sources, new grants, and new donors to help us realize our dreams.

MIH: How do you motivate your staff?

Dean McCartney: They are quite self-motivated. Still, it’s my job to remind them about the importance of our work as well as the value of their individual efforts. I do this often. And sometimes we celebrate together at social events like an ice cream social.

MIH: What is your favorite part of the job?

Dean McCartney: There is so much I like about my job, but if I had to choose one aspect, I would choose institution building.

By that I mean working with the faculty and the senior leadership team on developing a strategy for the school.

MIH: What is it like to be a woman working in your profession?

Dean McCartney: I have thought a great deal about whether the challenges and opportunities facing women leaders are dif-

ferent than those that face men. It’s difficult to know. Some people believe that people expect women leaders to be more nurturing. Although this is probably true, I suspect there are more similarities than differences.

MIH: Any advice on how to balance both a successful professional and personal life?

Dean McCartney: Set boundaries. For example, never miss a child’s school play or date night with your partner. There is always more you could do at work, so goal setting is important.

And make time for yourself; for example, I begin most mornings with a 40-minute workout on my elliptical machine.

MIH: What are some of the differences between running a forprofit business and a non-profit organization?

Dean McCartney: It’s more difficult to assess how well a nonprofit organization is faring. There is no easy metric equivalent to profits. This is something my team and I think about all the time. We are data driven, so we look at teaching evaluations, student satisfaction ratings, research productivity of the faculty, and so on. And we try to use these data to improve our performance. But some things are hard to measure. For example, we struggle with how to assess the impact of faculty research or the work of our alumni.

MIH: What advice would you give someone aspiring to enter a similar field?

Dean McCartney: Find good mentors and listen to their advice.

Stephanie McCartney is a junior at Harvard College studying Psychology and English. In addition to being a member of HUWIB, she is also a writer for The Harvard Crimson and Co-Director for the Cambridge 1-2-1 Youth Mentoring Program.

23

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF INDUSTRIES WE LOVE

To the Brink of Impossibility The Story of Myra Janco Daniels, CEO of Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts

By Nancy Flewelling

M

yra Janco Daniels is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts. In 1965, she became the first woman to lead a national advertising firm when she became President of Draper Daniels, Inc. In 2009, she published her book Secrets of a Rutbuster: Breaking Rules and Selling Dreams, which details her rules of life and the story of her groundbreaking career.

Making Her Own Way When Daniels was a girl, her grandmother Sophie was a model of independence. In Secrets of a Rutbuster: Breaking Rules and Selling Dreams, Daniels writes, “At a time when women were expected to stay home cooking and cleaning, my grandmother hung out her own shingle—S. Janco Real Estate (S. because she believed that people would not have walked in if she called her business Sophie Janco Real Estate) and became a successful broker.” Like her grandmother, Daniels has never been one to stay inside the boundaries of what society thinks one woman can or cannot do. She has always forged her own road and created her own rules, and she credits a lot of her early independence to the role her grandmother played in her life. Sophie encouraged Daniels to express her ideas, even though her mother told her to “speak only when asked.” At the age of four, Daniels started her first business. As the President of Janco Party Favors, Daniels sold party favors to the parents of students in her class who were having birthday parties and even hired a local boy as her vice president.

Later, when her father passed away, she recalls making a decision about how her life was going to be. She writes, “I remember deciding during my father’s funeral that I was going to make my own way through life. My life was going to be an adventure.” And an adventure it was. After applying to write for the Terre Haute Star and being called a “paper doll” by the newspaper’s editor, she decided she was going to work even harder to prove people wrong about her. She marched right into Meis Department Store, spoke with the advertising manager, and got her first job in advertising at seventeen years old as a copy girl. She later became the company President’s assistant, and at nineteen years old, she became the highest paid woman in Terra Haute, all the while a full-time student at the University of Indiana.

To the Brink of Impossibility Working for Meis was Daniels’ first introduction to the world of advertising, but she eventually decided that she could handle her own company. At age 24, her entrepreneurial spirit kicked 24

in, and she started Wabash Advertising. The company was an office full of twenty-somethings, ready to make their mark in the ad world. Wabash Advertising differentiated themselves as a team that had a young, fresh perspective, and Daniels was committed to proving that this young team could produce sales for their clients. As always throughout her career and life, her fearlessness pushed her forward to the brink of impossibility.

Daniels even learned to fly a plane so that she could make trips to service clients. A year after starting Wabash Advertising, Daniels and her company had taken in $1 million worth of sales.

Daniels and her Mad Man Draper Daniels came into Myra Daniel’s life when she was working as Executive Vice President of Roche, Rickerd, Henri, Hurst, Inc. in 1965. The baby of Madison Avenue, Draper Daniels could do no wrong. He was the creator of the Marlboro Man, one of the most successful and iconic advertising campaigns of the 20th century, an idea that originated on the back of a cocktail napkin that Myra Daniels still owns. Incidentally, Draper Daniels later became the inspiration for the Emmy award-winning television show Mad Men, which follows character Don Draper through his career as an influential ad man in the 1960s.

In 1965, Draper bought Roche, Rickerd, Henri, Hurst, Inc., renamed the company Draper Daniels, Inc., and promoted Myra Daniels to President. Daniels likes to say that while she was president, the company did a lot of mergers, her favorite of which was her marriage to Draper, her very own Mad Man, in 1967.

The Only Skirt in the Boardroom Throughout her career, Daniels always found new ways to challenge and push herself. She worked diligently to put her best work forward. When she got a new account, she took the time to learn all the details of the industry so that she could produce an innovative ad and not one that mimicked its competitors’ advertisements. From time to time, she even created new techniques to service her clients. She was the person who originated the idea of putting recipes on the backs of the containers for food items so that customers would know how to use the product to make desserts and snacks. Additionally, after a visit to the L.S. Heath and Sons candy factory, she suggested to Mr. Heath that he use the crumbs from the Heath candy bars to make a crispy chocolate ice cream bar. This Heath ice cream bar became their bestseller.

Being the only woman in the boardroom never scared

her away from working with or even leading a team of men. In her interview, Daniels recalls her first day working for Roche, Rickerd, Henri, Hurst, Inc: “And here I was…in a period when women weren’t supposed to be executives, they were supposed to be in the back room.” Many times she was confused for a secretary, but as she proved herself, the men gradually came to recognize her as leader. “After a year and a half, those men realized that you didn’t need trousers to run a company.” She certainly proved that true. During her time as President of Draper Daniels, Inc., she gave everyone an equal playing field and hired many women. Daniels says in her interview that because of the unfortunate situation of the times where these women were frequently overlooked, she found that “they would work harder and longer, and unfortunately for less pay.” Daniels always took the care to balance out their pay with that of their male counterparts. By hiring these women, she helped them gain the work experience they needed. Many of these women went on to become presidents of other companies.

the Naples Philharmonic, it was the first of its kind, combining both visual and performing arts. Over the past 30 years, Daniels has developed her goal beyond simply building a home for the community orchestra. Today, the Naples Philharmonic is a $105 million non-profit corporation of which Daniels is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO. This nationally recognized performing arts center is home to the Grammy-nominated Naples Philharmonic Orchestra and the Naples Museum of Art and has hosted such masters as performers Luciano Pavarotti and Renée Fleming and masterpieces from Rembrandt, Picasso, Monet, Warhol, and others. Over 10 million people have walked through the doors of the Naples Philharmonic, and 44,000 children every year have had the opportunity to learn about art through performances, the museum’s exhibitions, and the children’s programs that this cultural center has developed.

Against all odds, Daniels succeeded in bringing world-class art to the “sleepy little fishing town,” its residents, and their children.

A Center for the Arts They told her it was impossible, that she could never turn the “sleepy little fishing town” of Naples, Florida, into a cultural center for the arts. Mr. and Mrs. Daniels had moved to Naples for retirement, but after Mr. Daniels passed away, Daniels decided that she wanted a challenge. So she turned her attention to her lifelong love of the arts, with a goal to build a home for the Naples community orchestra.

Daniels started fundraising for the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts in 1986, and by 1989, the $21 million complex had its grand opening. Like everything she did during her career as an advertising executive, Daniels put an innovative twist on the Naples Philharmonic. At the time Daniels built

To the Readers of Make It Happen Magazine A leader, entrepreneur, art-lover, woman, and wife: Myra Daniels has always been a fearless woman in business. In her interview, Daniels gave advice for the readers of Make It Happen: 1. Find out who you are: “Look at yourself with a hard eye. Put your characteristics down on a piece of paper and revisit it.”

You need to know where and why you are strong and where and how you can improve. She revisits her own list of characteristics at least once every six months.

2. Discover what you love. Like her grandmother Sophie used to tell her as a child, “Find something you like to do, and then be sure that there is a need or want for it.”

3. Get a lawyer and do the research. “Research before you leap.

If you don’t have the time to do the research, then you don’t have time to start an organization.” If you want to become an entrepreneur, her advice is to hire a corporate attorney and research the community’s tastes.

From selling party favors as a daring four-year-old, to marching right into Meis and getting a job as a copy girl, becoming a woman on top of the advertising world, and developing a world-class arts center, Myra Janco Daniels has always done the unexpected and pushed herself to the near impossible.

By refusing to let a glass ceiling hold her back and by ignoring the rules society placed on women in the workplace in the 1960s, Daniels helped paved the way for the women of our generation. Now, it’s our chance to be fearless.

Nancy Flewelling is a sophomore at Harvard College concentrating in Economics with a secondary in Spanish Language and Literature. In addition to serving as a Co-Director for HUWIB and running the panel speaker for its over 125 new members, Nancy is a Director under the Economic and Social Council of Harvard Model United Nations and a co-founder of the Harvard U.S. India Initiative.

25

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF INDUSTRIES WE LOVE

The Business of Entertainment

By Kriti Lodha

M

arketing. The Entertainment Industry. Both are broad terms that are commonly imbued with multiple connotations, expectations, and romanticizations. Put these two terms together, and if you are like me, you are left confused, intrigued, and wanting to learn more. In speaking with some of the incredible women I worked with last summer in the Brand Marketing department at Universal Studios Hollywood, I am only the more intrigued. Read on for a glimpse into the special, fast-paced world of entertainment, and to discover what brings these women to work everyday.

It’s the “Not-Boring Business” The entertainment world is all about visibility. Entertainment truly defines the cultural fabric of the world we live in and is ever-pervasive in our everyday lives. As Nicolette Munoz, Director of Marketing for Universal CityWalk put it: “[Entertainment] is something that everyone is universally interested in.

No pun on universal intended.” Associate Marketing Manager Stacey Kuramoto seconds this sentiment: “Our job is to sell and promote fun. And it’s Hollywood. It’s fun; it makes work not work.”

Stacy Deckard, the Creative Services Manager & Licensing for Universal Studios Hollywood, cited a common interest among these women for why they do what they do. Like others, she suggested that what she loves about her job is “the change about it. It’s not a boring 9-5 job. Every day is different…It’s ever-changing, and it’s exciting.” For these women, creativity thrives in an environment that is all about speed and pace. Even in the corporate side of entertainment, it is an everchanging game. Not only must these women adapt to the growing trends and transitions to online social media, but they must further keep track of the changing cultural tastes of a diverse target market.

The constant change that defines the exciting environment of the entertainment industry also defines the drive and commitment for the people who work in it. It is perhaps for this very reason that a need for flexibility and adaptability define a very reactive work environment where projects are constantly revised, discarded, or started anew. Munoz emphasizes the importance of passion and problem solving, explaining that in the entertainment business, “We are riding along with pop culture, so the business cycle is much shorter than, say, in a packaged goods environment.” Perhaps this explains why no woman interviewed could truly describe a typical workday, as quick thinking and decision-making characterizes all their careers, no matter what their specific business function may be.

Kuramoto seconds Munoz’s sentiments. When asked what piece of advice she would have for women interested in 26

entering this fast-paced world, Kuramoto suggested, “You just have to be ready for anything and everything…You work with people with different personalities. You can’t be offended and you just have to take it, fix it, and make it better moving forward.” It seems as much as the high stakes make the job right for these women, their understanding of these stakes make the women right for this job.

It’s More Than Just Movie Magic Who would have thought that working in entertainment could mean more than movies or television? The experiences of Deckard, Kuramoto, and Munoz are testament to the fact that many options and areas exist. Deckard admitted that she once aspired to “be a producer in TV or film with all that glitz and glamour,” but loves her involvement in the theme parks division where she can also see and experience projects from “start to finish.”

Munoz once worked in advertising for Paramount Pictures, but she loves the job she does today. Kuramoto further suggests that in promoting and marketing Universal Studios Hollywood as an entertainment brand, “you actually get to experience the program you built.” For all of these women, there seems to be something very tangible about witnessing their consumers and audiences experience entertainment firsthand, whether that be in a theme park or through a blockbuster film. As Munoz aptly puts it, “It doesn’t matter what the functionality is under entertainment; it’s the entertainment that drives me.”

So, just as entertainment is ever pervasive in our lives, so are the options to explore marketing in such an industry. As echoed by all three of these incredible female role models, it is important to be open to a variety of experiences in finding what is your right path. There are nuances that differentiate areas of entertainment, whether that be music, film, or theme parks.

For instance, Munoz explained how the business cycle and branding of movie-to-movie releases within a film production company might vary and be more unpredictable than the more consistent brand strategy of a theme park. Thus in entertainment, the working hours, the people, and the environment are all subject to which area and career one chooses to pursue. Passion and commitment are key to all those who embark in such a work environment, though the environment is as idiosyncratic and diverse as the individuals within it.

Kriti Lodha is a junior concentrating in sociology at Harvard University, hailing from both Northern California and the small yet vibrant country of Luxembourg. She hopes to pursue a career in brand management, marketing, or TV development.

From Ballerina to CEO Interview with Rachel Moore, CEO of the American Ballet Theatre

By Erica Sheftman

R

achel Moore, former ballerina turned CEO, talks to Make It Happen about her life in ballet, both onstage and as an administrative superpower at what has been proclaimed America’s National Ballet Company: American Ballet Theatre (ABT).

Profiled by magazines from Vogue to Women’s Wear Daily in the swift last six years of her career, Moore graduated from Brown and worked at the National Endowment for the Arts and at Boston Ballet before ending back where she began, at ABT’s studios at 890 Broadway in New York City.

Make It Happen: Tell me about the transition from dancer to student. What was that decision like, leaving ABT to pursue a degree at Brown?

Rachel Moore: My father was an economics professor so education was very important in our family, and when I was in high school it was made very clear to me that while ballet was great I couldn’t let my academics suffer. At the time I thought it was deeply unfair—(laughs)—but ultimately it was absolutely right. You never know, dance is a short career and it could be really short, you could blow out your knee tomorrow and it’s all over. I injured my foot and I went in and had surgery and sat in a cast for three months and didn’t know if I would get back out or not. While sitting in my cast I took my SATs, and I was able to get back to dancing, but not without a considerable amount of pain. So I took that injury as catalyst for moving forward. At that point I applied to Brown. Brown was a great place for me because it’s smaller and had a lot of support structures in place. I didn’t know how to use a computer, I hadn’t written a paper in years, so it was a really good choice for me.

They had writing fellows who would help you with your papers before you turned them in. I had a great time, I couldn’t believe that I got to read all day…but when I left ABT it was very hard being injured and feeling like I had failed in some way. So I needed to walk away from ballet for some time, and go on a journey and walk away before ever considering returning. And one of the ways I learned in this journey—I studied political philosophy at Brown—was through one of my papers, in which I did a Marxian analysis of a ballet company. It was revelatory for me because I started to see how systems produce people, produce an appearance or perception of failure which is completely unfounded, which was absolutely true of the ballet world at that time. If you didn’t have the right stuff…well, it was complete malarkey. Not even a single principal dancer I talked to over the years felt good about their experience. So I was really thinking about what constitutes a just society and how those lessons could be applied to the field of dance—how you treat people with respect, etc.

Rachel Moore worked at the National Endowment for the Arts and the Boston Ballet before becoming CEO of the American Ballet Theatre.

MIH: The feeling of failure…that’s something that also makes career transition for dancers tough. For you the career transition started while at ABT as a dancer, though.

Moore: When I was dancing here [at ABT], I was very involved with the union. I was in charge of the Dancer’s Emergency Fund and did a lot fundraising for that; working with people to give dancers non-interest bearing loans if they were in crisis. During the time I was a dancer was the height of the AIDS crisis in New York. A number of dancers came down with AIDS and they had no way to pay their medical bills, so that fund helped to support those dancers during a very awful time. I saw the way the company was run, I certainly didn’t understand some of the decisions that were made, so I was thinking in terms of the business, not just the art.

MIH: Did you continue any of this work while at Brown?

27

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF INDUSTRIES WE LOVE

Moore: At Brown, I spent my summers working at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), learning about fundraising, the role of government, etc. When I was there I was working for the congressional liaison office, and that was summer of the Maplethorpe /Serrano scandal [which dealt with censorship and public art funding]. These were the years of the cultural wars, between Congress and the NEA. It was an interesting time to be in Washington, to listen to the pieces of discourse, and to learn about the role of arts in society, the government’s responsibilities to the arts, and the balance of public and private. So at that time I thought what I really wanted to do is go to law school, do first amendment stuff for artists. A good friend of mine, an attorney in art, said, “Don’t do that… if you really want to help artists, help them run their companies better. Help artists by giving them jobs. Don’t get sucked into the court system to talk about institutional issues…you will be helping the arts in some esoteric way but artists want to produce and create and they want jobs.” So that’s when I decided to get an arts management degree at Columbia.

MIH: When you were here as a dancer and working with the union, what sort of observations did you make about administrative policies that have influenced what you’ve done here as executive director, politically and financially?

Moore: It was a very different time [sighs]. There was a patriarchal structure. Dancers were spoken to and treated like children. I remember one of the things that got changed was that on the call board you couldn’t call the dancers “girls and boys”.

MIH: Where did your arts management degree take you?

Moore: During that time at Columbia, I worked at a research center for arts and culture and did a lot of work on the plight of individual artists—the fact that most artists have multiple jobs, can barely feed themselves let alone their family, and it’s worse for a dancer. Out of grad school I went to DC and worked in arts advocacy. At the time I really wanted to go there to work on federal funding and legislation, but I discovered that it was too far from the actual production of art for me—I wasn’t dealing with artists, I was dealing with “the art” which was not fulfilling. But I learned a lot being on the Hill and seeing how the arts were used in various communities to gentrify; for example, artists are usually the first to move into a neighborhood. Also at the time there was a lot of talk about cultural districts- the opera and the orchestra all worked together, and it really did wonderful things for community. So then I went to Boston, and I ran a small ballet school and company for a while, and then I moved over to the classical music world and ran a classical music school for children of color, connected with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was wonderful because what we did in this small nonprofit is we went into every single Boston public school and identified kids with talent, and they got scholarships.

Everything was paid for as the goal was to diversify America’s orchestras. I learned about issues surrounding diversity, as well as cultural and financial challenges. The classical music world is much more sophisticated and moneyed than the dance world, so I got to see what a more established cultural institution would look like. And then when I got to Boston Ballet and ran their school—which has 2,000 kids, it’s the largest school in America—I learned a great deal about managing local sites and staff. There were lots of transitions at Boston Ballet while I was there, so at various points there was no executive director, artistic director, or director of development, so we all pitched in. Luckily, I applied for this job [Executive Director at ABT] and came here in 2004, so it’s full circle for me, as I had started as a scholarship student at age 16! Having been a dancer here I had instant street cred.

28

The fact that that was a big deal was outrageous. That sort of infantilization of dancers manifests itself in a million different ways, and it was something that both consciously and subconsciously I didn’t like. So that was a huge cultural change. Also, I think first of all many of my predecessors were very smart and capable people but they weren’t from the dance world and didn’t necessarily understand how ballet companies work. It’s hard in so many cultural institutions and especially the dance world—you have an executive director and an artistic director, and they need to work together, because the decisions that get made need to be made from multiple viewpoints. There is nothing that is purely an artistic decision or purely a business one. So I viewed my role as a bridge between the artistic community and the business community, since I could speak both languages. There was great skepticism between both parties and lack of communication. So the key was being able to explain to the board that yes we actually do need 24 swans in Swan Lake, this is not just pie in the sky. Being able to say to the artistic staff things like, this is important but it’s not essential, and if we don’t make those cuts we won’t meet payroll. So

I had credibility on both sides. Also, working with the dancers, we have spent a lot of time over the past few years building a really good relationship with the dancers, so there aren’t morale issues and distrust.

MIH: Most importantly, in the years that you’ve spent here ABT has overcome a lot of internal and financial turmoil.

Moore: I think the biggest thing we’ve been doing is shifting

Moore: It’s about the new vs. established balance that we have.

Swan Lake pays for works by Antony Tudor and we understand that; but also subscriptions are built around the new ballet. And one of the challenges ballet has, as opposed to opera or symphony, is that the canon is very small. We were very fortunate to have Alexei [Ratmansky, Artist in Residence at ABT, former Director of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow] come join us because he’s one of the most talented choreographers in the whole world but also he can tell a story, so he fits with ABT’s history of narrative work and the company very well. The decision not to do a fall season this year happened because we had to make a choice to give Alexei the nine weeks of rehearsal time that he needed to create something new. It seemed much more wise to have something that will sustain us for many years in the future and suck it up for a year. ABT has never really had a stable Nutcracker at home, but it helps us to have a pillar. And also it helps us to have an additional NY season.

MIH: Do you think you will ever push for ABT to have a stable NY home?

Moore: Through the economic crisis, the fact that we didn’t have a home was very helpful to us, because we were much more nimble than others. If you look at other companies with stable homes/theaters, they have excess capacity and less places to go. It would be nice to have our own building, but I think it’s unlikely that we would build a theater as I don’t know that NY needs one, and we are so identified with the Metropolitan Opera House (Met). So I don’t see us having a permanent home that way, but what we would love is a permanent relationship with the Met. MIH: And you see your relationship with the Met changing?

[Author’s note: ABT has an annual summer residency at the Met; outside of late May, June and early July the Met is occupied by the Metropolitan Opera].

the reliance on earned versus contributed income. I think ABT used to rely a lot more on contributed versus earned, and over the course of a year and with the new addition of The Nutcracker, it will continue to shift and become much more 52% earned and 48% contributed. And especially in this economy, earned is much more stable. People will buy a ticket long before they’ll give a donation, so that produces a very stable economic model, as opposed to the model in ABT’s past where it was, let’s pray for the best and some big donor will come and save us.

MIH: I had the opportunity to hear Michael Kaiser [President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and former Executive Director of ABT] speak when he lectured at Harvard last year, and was struck by his emphasis on innovation in programming and choreography even in tough economic times. Can you talk about the decision, then, to mount an all-new production of The Nutcracker this year, in place of your annual more “innovative,” per se, fall season?

Moore: Everything is always open. We just signed a 5 year contract. It’s a very big part of who we are and what kind of repertoire we do, but if they were to push for a contract…right now that doesn’t seem likely. I think that what I’ve learned is that flexibility is what will keep you alive, and also never say never. And that’s also a lot of creative problem solving. When we performed at Avery Fisher Hall this last fall it was because we thought City Center [where ABT usually performs during the fall] was going to be closed. And it was a really cool experiment, it solved some structural problems and we came out with two pieces that will stay in our repertoire. If you had said to us five years ago that we were going to be performing at Avery Fisher [normally a concert hall for the NY Philharmonic and other orchestras and chamber music societies] no one would have believed us [laughs]. So I think that there are considerable values in that flexibility. While stability is great, I know people who have been lumped into 20 year contracts and have been completely detonated because the world has fallen apart, and we have no levers for change.

29

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF INDUSTRIES WE LOVE

MIH: In terms of building the endowment?

like our Swan Lake, which we wouldn’t lend to anyone else.

Moore: We really need to do that. This is not the time, though.

It won’t be until people are confident that there won’t be a second dip in the economy. And we have done a lot. When I came here the endowment was about 6 million and now I think it’s about 30 million, but we have put the major push for the endowment on hiatus until the economy is in better shape. But that is definitely a big long-term goal for us. Because that would provide tremendous stability, and you have seen it in organizations that have big endowments; they may be posting huge operating deficits but they have a place to go.

MIH: How would you describe the relationship between artistic and financial considerations when mounting ballets?

MIH: I’m also curious about the various acquisitions in the repertoire that you’ve made recently, like John Neumeier’s ballet Lady of the Camellias in the 2010 Spring Season at the Met. What are the legal and financial steps that you take?

Moore: Kevin [McKenzie, Artistic Director of ABT] sits down and he draws up a wish list for the Met season, and as a team we look at it from production, development, and marketing viewpoints, as well as the operations of a company; as in, we can’t do certain ballets in a row because the dancers won’t survive.

We feel that we need one new major work each Met season. We rented the Hamburg Ballet’s sets and costumes and then Neumeier assisted in staging the ballet on us. We licensed the work for a period of time. Renting a work like that is much cheaper than building; in our new Nutcracker, for example, just sets and costumes are $2.5 million, so renting would cost considerably less, but the new Nutcracker we are going to do every year.

So we look to either rent or co-produce the work with another company, like Othello which we did with San Francisco Ballet, so we split the expenses. And they wouldn’t be as iconic…not

Moore: When we look at a ballet it has to be something that really grabs everybody. For a full length at the Met, you need to understand that you’ve got to sell 4,000 seats a night. Many ballets that are done in Europe, they are built for opera houses a quarter of that size.

MIH: How involved are you in artistic decisions? Is it hard for you, sometimes, to distance yourself from the artistic component in the meeting room sometimes?

Moore: Kevin has the final say. I am very opinionated but he needs to take comfort with the decisions. We have very similar tastes and I think part of that is that we have a shared history.

We grew up on a lot of the same choreographers and dancers, so its definitely a conversation. We meet all the time and have constant conversations, but strictly artistic decisions like promotions and casting, they are his call.

MIH: How do you reconcile the desire to mount a grandiose new production with the need to cut back on certain production expenses? Would you pay for the more expensive costumes for a new Nutcracker hoping it will pay off in ticket sales?

Moore: First of all most people don’t see the Nutcracker as a ballet, they see it is as Christmas. Alexei is very involved with everything; it’s gotta be his vision at the end of the day and we are respectful of that. We knew we could spend more money on the Nutcracker because we know that it will be a real pillar for years and years and years.

MIH: In general, do you feel that to have this sort of position, one should have a dance background?

Moore: I don’t think it’s necessary to have been a professional dancer, but one does need to be knowledgeable about it. And probably the most important thing, in addition to the business background, is that ABT has been able to move ahead because Kevin and I have such a strong partnership. So really it’s how do you manage the relationship, how do you get along with your artistic director, is there respect on both sides.

MIH: And in terms of your team, what kind of backgrounds do they have?

Moore: My CFO trained as a ballet dancer, wasn’t professional, and was a big ballet fan.

My general manager came to ABT when I was a dancer, worked as a stage manager here for 25 years. My marketing director, before he

30

got his MBA he got a degree in violin at Juilliard, and worked at a number of different cultural institutions, so he had a real cross-disciplinary approach and understanding of what artists of a certain caliber need. My education director has been here for a long long time, she has a strong education background and loves dance. My new development director has been here for a long, long time; she has a strong education background and loves dance.

MIH: What do you feel about an MBA versus a degree in arts management/administration?

Moore: I have mixed feelings. One of the things I now teach is nonprofit finance at Columbia. Certainly at the time I was in this boat most of the arts management degrees out there did not have as strong a finance component as they do now. What I feel about a business degree is the problem is that they don’t understand that non-profit is completely different, drivers for nonprofit are completely different. What I found is that I took a third of my classes at the Business School at Columbia, and stocks and bonds and dealing with shareholders have a fundamentally different dynamic than raising money and managing a nonprofit board. So there are strengths to both, but I think that the real fundamental differences are in how you lead nonprofits.

MIH: What would you recommend for those looking to get into arts management who come from liberal arts colleges?

Moore: A strong liberal arts degree is important, but for grad school, the field of arts management is becoming increasingly professionalized, and I wouldn’t have gotten this job if I hadn’t gotten a graduate degree. I say this to my students at Columbia all the time: you need to have the finance down cold, because without understanding the money/finance everything falls apart. And you can have lots of wonderful theories but at the end of the day you have to pay your bill. Also what I find is that among arts management programs, a large number of students are women. There is that whole thing about math and women, which is completely counter-productive. When we go into finance meetings, we are the experts on non-profit finance. We could have the smartest people from Wall Street around us, but we know how the numbers work and how they have to work.

And you have to have ownership of it. By getting those technical skills in graduate school. So I would strongly recommend that.

MIH: Can you talk about being a woman executive in the arts world? I mean, it’s very ironic- ballet is so naturally a woman’s world, but somehow in its administration it is still dominated by men.

Moore: It is ironic. It’s very interesting. Women leaders are absolutely judged. And I know that I am judged by my appearance more. I am very, very careful, I do not have business dinners by myself with a man or a board member, because I can’t have any sense that there is impropriety there, and I’m really careful about that. Breakfast is one thing, lunch is another, dinner is usually there is alcohol and it’s a whole differ-

ent ballgame. I have to be squeaky clean. The appearance is especially damaging to a woman. Also, for the guys you go to a gala wearing the same tuxedo, whereas for a woman it’s always the struggle of how do you look, what are you going to wear, and the guys don’t think anything about that any of that.

It’s actually a huge financial and time burden! [Laughs]. You know, Michael Kaiser never had to worry about it. So there is definitely that. To this day, my general manager is a guy, and we’ll walk into meetings and they will look at him, and not me, until I make it very clear who I am. And you know, that’s just stuff you need to battle, you just need to make very clear who the authority is and what your role is. And I think there are also stylistic issues. I think that women by and large make better managers. I believe strongly the importance of teamwork and in checking your ego at the door. I think that’s sometimes harder for many men, setting their ego aside. I mean there are definitely women with huge egos but over and over I’ve seen that women are better team leaders. I also think that there is a much greater emphasis now on flex time, and maternity leave and making it more family-friendly, and I think that there is gender-breakdown…That’s why you need to have diversity, because people have different needs.

MIH: Can you speak a little bit about work-life balance?

What’s it like, being the CEO and balancing that with life?

Moore: Oh, that. Life. This is a very consuming job. It has also been my life passion so that’s a very important thing. My husband is also a CEO so I think that at home at night we can talk about our jobs and bounce ideas off each other. And he and I have been married a long time, we met at Brown. And I think that we’ve gone on the journey together. I really have a completely separate life up in Bronxville from my professional life. I have a whole group of friends who don’t know anything about ballet, and that’s really important for me; I’ve always tried to keep two separate worlds. So that when I go home, it’s not about work all the time. But it’s hard, it’s hard because you travel a lot and the hours are long. During the Met season I’m here every day. It’s a balance and I don’t think anybody has the answer. And that stinks.

MIH: So you commute from Bronxville to Manhattan every day?

Moore: I need that separation.

MIH: It must keep you sane.

Moore: And it’s strategic in terms of, don’t put all your financial and emotional eggs in one basket. Because at any one time it might all blow up, and it’s best not to have it all blow up at the same time [laughs].

Erica Sheftman is a History and Literature concentrator at Harvard University. She studied at the School of American Ballet for ten years as well as at summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre. She can be found at the Metropolita Opera House up to three times a week in June and July.

31

FEATURE ARTICLE

32

Tory Burch: An Exclusive Interview

By Caroline Davis and Stephanie Newman

T

ory Burch was born and raised in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. After graduating from the Agnes Irwin School, Tory attended the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in Art History. Upon graduation, Tory moved to New York City where she held several jobs in the fashion industry, including stints at Harper’s Bazaar, Polo Ralph Lauren and Vera Wang.

In 2004, Tory founded TRB by Tory Burch, now simply known as Tory Burch. Recognizing a void in the market for a designer aesthetic at an accessible price point, Tory wanted to create stylish yet wearable clothing and accessories for women of all ages. She opened her first store in New York’s hip downtown neighborhood, NoLita. The NoLita store was unlike most boutiques at the time. Rife with orange walls and green carpet, the boutique felt more like a room in Tory’s home than a clothing store. The label was clearly inspired by Tory’s love for art, travel, films, and the vibrant, bold color palettes of the late interior designer David Hicks. In 2005, after an appearance on Oprah as “The Next Big Thing in Fashion,” Tory Burch became an instant sensation. In 2007, as boutiques continued to open throughout the United States and the world, Tory Burch became another distinguished member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Just one year later, Tory was honored by the CFDA as the Accessory Designer of the Year.

In 2009, Tory made her mark on the world of philanthropy by incorporating the Tory Burch Foundation. Tory’s philanthropic efforts focus on microfinance in the United States and give people a chance to succeed when they might not otherwise have such an opportunity. The Tory Burch Foundation recognized that single mothers are at especially high risk for falling into poverty. To address this issue, the foundation partnered with ACCION USA, an esteemed U.S. microfinance or-

ganization, to provide loans to women to sustain or expand their small businesses.

Between her success as an entrepreneur and as a philanthropist, Tory is a businesswoman who truly embodies the qualities of a woman who can Make It Happen! Our Co-Editors had the opportunity to ask Tory some questions about the path leading to her career, the recent international expansion of Tory Burch, and the benefits of microfinance.

Make It Happen: What did you do when you worked for companies such as Harper’s Bazaar, Ralph Lauren, and Vera Wang?

How did your experiences influence your future decisions?

Tory Burch: I worked for amazing companies doing everything from public relations to marketing. It exposed me to both the creative and business sides of the industry, which made me appreciate everything that goes into running a company.

MIH: How did your undergraduate years at University of Pennsylvania help prepare you for your career today?

Burch: It laid the foundation for a strong work ethic. I majored in art history, which gave me an incredible appreciation for visually interesting things. I constantly find inspiration in works of art when designing a collection.

MIH: When did you realize that you wanted to work in the fashion industry?

Burch: I was actually a tomboy when I was young, but it would have been impossible not to develop a passion for style growing 33

FEATURE ARTICLE

up with my parents. They were such a chic couple—my father used to design his own clothes and my mother always accessorizes herself so perfectly and beautifully.

MIH: Many entrepreneurs speak about the “entrepreneurial itch” that led to the creation of their companies. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur with your own fashion line?

Burch: After 15 years of working in the fashion industry, it became clear that my passion was for design. As a customer, I noticed there was something missing in the market—clothes that were not only beautifully designed but also accessibly priced. Every season we think about the collection as a lifestyle—what do women need and what do they want? We strive to offer them everything in that spectrum, from ready-to-wear to bags, shoes, accessories and eyewear.

MIH: What do you think is the most important factor in attaining entrepreneurial success? An original business idea and promotion strategy? The conditions of the market? Good, old-fashioned hard work?

Burch: It is a combination of many things.

First and foremost, cultivate your own unique idea and have confidence in your vision. After that, I encourage anyone starting their own business to constantly research and gather information—to be an expert in your field. I have also learned over the years to go with my first instinct. It can lead to great things.

Lastly, you have to put in good, old-fashioned hard work—I don’t think anyone can build a business without it.

MIH: Did you have any mentors who helped or influenced you along the road to success?

Burch: My parents Buddy and Reva are my greatest mentors. They were not only an incredibly stylish couple but also amazing role models.

MIH: Do you focus mostly on the design of your line, the business side, or both? Which do you find more challenging? More rewarding?

Burch: I have a love for both business and creativity which works to my advantage. I am involved in everything from choosing buttons on a sweater to looking at our bottom line.

To me, they are both equally challenging and rewarding.

34

MIH: What has been the process of opening your new international boutiques? Are your international business strategies different from your domestic business strategies?

Burch: We opened our first free-standing international boutique in Ginza last year. We now have boutiques in the Philippines and Seoul and are expanding in London, Rome, China and Taiwan this fall. Each market presents a new set of challenges. We look at the needs of each customer and adapt the line accordingly.

MIH: Why did the Tory Burch Foundation choose to utilize microfinance as its method for empowering women?

Burch: I strongly believe that investing in small entrepreneurial businesses—and the people behind them—is one of the most effective ways to fight poverty and create jobs.

MIH: How do you balance your personal and family life with your demanding career?

Burch: Balancing family life and a career is one of the greatest challenges people face. I find it difficult, but I have found a way to create boundaries and make it manageable. No matter what is happening at the office, my children come first.

MIH: What has been the most exciting day of your career so far?

Burch: Winning the CFDA Award for Accessory Designer of the Year. I was so honored to be nominated and acknowledged by my peers in the industry. I never expected to win and was so incredibly excited and proud when I did.

MIH: What is it like to see people wearing your clothing designs on the streets and in the pages of fashion magazines?

Burch: I know women have many options to choose from, so I am always flattered when I see someone wearing our collection. It is as exciting to see someone wear it today as it was when we first started—I will always feel that way.

MIH: What is your advice for undergraduates who aspire to become entrepreneurs?

Burch: Have a unique idea and be tenacious.

MIH: Can you describe your experience launching and developing the Tory Burch Foundation?

Burch: When we started the company, I knew that I wanted to create a foundation to help other entrepreneurial women achieve their goals. Last year, we launched the Tory Burch Foundation and partnered with Accion USA to financially empower women. Through microfinance, we enable women to start, sustain and grow their own businesses. They can then help their communities, revitalize local economies and support their families.

Caroline Davis is a junior concentrating in History and pursuing a secondary concentration in History of Art and Architecture at Harvard University. In addition to severing on a committee for HUWIB, Caroline is a member of the Women’s Varsity Tennis Team and also writes for the Harvard Crimson.

Stephanie Newman is a sophomore concentrating in English at Harvard University. In addition to serving on the External Communications Committee for HUWIB, Stephanie works part time at the Harvard Alumni Association and also enjoys writing, playing piano, and traveling.

35

Harvard Business School HEC Paris Richard Ivey School of Business Wharton School of Business

The Business School Guide

Harvard Business School Interview with Deirdre Leopold, Managing Director of Admissions & Financial Aid

By Kylie Thompson Make It Happen: How would you describe your MBA program?

MIH: What skills or work experience should the ideal candidate have?

Harvard Business School: The Harvard Business School MBA program is an intensive two-year, full-time residential program. The focus is on general management and real-world practice, in keeping with the School’s mission of educating leaders who make a difference in the world. The cornerstone of our approach is teaching by the case method, which puts students into the role of decision makers every day and engages them thoroughly in the learning process throughout their two years at the School. In this way, HBS students learn how to make decisions in the face of too much or too little data, complex organizational realities, and intense time and fiscal pressures. They discuss and defend their choices among peers who come from some 70 countries and represent a wide variety of work experiences. With the case method, students go through this process over 500 times during their HBS career. The first year of the program consists entirely of a required curriculum, with courses such as Marketing; Finance; Leadership; Strategy; Technology and Operations Management; The Entrepreneurial Manager; and Business, Government and the International Economy. The second year is made up entirely of electives, with students choosing from some 100 second-year offerings that reflect professors’ most current research. In addition, field studies, career treks, the annual HBS Business Plan Contest, and in-depth immersions under faculty guidance take students to the frontiers of new markets, practices, and technologies.

HBS: The common characteristics of our students are demonstrated leadership potential and a capacity to thrive in a rigorous academic environment. We are looking for talented leaders who come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but share common qualities—curiosity, initiative, self-awareness, selfcontrol, sensitivity, maturity, honesty, integrity, and a proven track record of giving to vs. taking from the communities in which they have been members. As the managing director of admissions, I want to create a class “portfolio” that contains as much diversity—of all kinds—as possible in order to maximize the student experience. Many HBS students have several years of work experience, but that is not a requirement. In 2007, we launched an innovative program for college juniors. It’s called HBS 2+2, and it consists of two years of work, then two years of immersion in our MBA Program. 2+2 candidates apply in the summer after their junior year and are admitted in the fall of their senior year. We guarantee them a place in our MBA Class two years after they graduate from college, and we help them find a job for the two years before they arrive on campus.

MIH: What separates HBS from other top-tier schools?

HBS: The HBS MBA program consists of two years of leadership practice immersed in real-world challenges, a diverse community of peers, and a superb, world-class faculty of extraordinary depth and breadth who reflect a wide variety of backgrounds and credentials (from economics and history to sociology and physics, for example) and who excel in both their research and their teaching skills. We have extraordinary facilities, including a 40-acre campus with 33 buildings close to the rest of Harvard University. HBS was the first business school in the world to apply the case method to management education, and everything in the School’s learning environment is geared to this kind of pedagogy. Students certainly learn from their professors, but they also learn from their classmates, both inside and outside classroom. Our alumni body of 70,000 around the world comprises a network of high-achieving women and men across an incredibly broad range of for-profit and not-forprofit organizations.

MIH: What should applicants be prepared for during the admissions process?

HBS: We review each application carefully—several times, in fact—in our desire to get to know the applicants as individuals. We want to hear your “voice,” as it were, coming through the application and the essay questions that are part of it. My general advice to applicants is to make sure you think of your application in its entirety—as a presentation of your case for admission to the MBA Program. If there are themes you want to emphasize, make sure they stand out as part of the overall case. This is a time-consuming process that requires reflection and self-assessment. It is not something that can be done over, say, a long weekend. After we’ve read through all the applications, we invite approximately 1,800 applicants to interview with admissions board members. Everyone who is admitted is interviewed, but not everyone who is interviewed is admitted. Interviews are held both on and off campus by members of the admissions board. They are best described as 30-minute conversations that allow us to learn more about you and your ability to thrive in and enjoy our classroom experience. Finally, let me add that one of the most common applicant mistakes is trying too hard to stand out in the essays. This is not an essay writing contest, but an opportunity for you to tell us things that we should know about you.

37

BUSINESS SCHOOL GUIDE

“We are looking for talented leaders who come from a wide variety of backgrounds but share common qualities: curiosity, initiative, self-awareness, self-control, sensitivity, maturity, honesty, integrity…”

MIH: What resources does HBS provide for its graduates?

HBS: As I’ve mentioned, our graduates join a network of over 70,000 alumni in more than 150 countries around the world who are leaders in a broad range of organizations, including entrepreneurial companies, established firms, government, and nonprofit organizations. Our alumni maintain close ties to HBS and their classmates through formal School channels like our alumni directory and job bank, reunions and other alumni events, and the activities of more than 80 individual HBS alumni clubs and associations. HBS alumnae in the C-suite include Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook; Ann Moore, CEO of Time, Inc; Meg Whitman, former president and CEO of eBay, Inc.; Mary Erdoes, CEO of Asset Management at JP Morgan; Marjorie Yang, chairman of The Esquel Group; and Kathy Guisti, founder and CEO of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Ten to 15 years after graduation, some 50 percent of our graduates classi38

fy themselves as entrepreneurs. Marla Malcolm Beck, founder of Bluemercury; Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilson, cofounders of Gilt Groupe Inc.; Mei Zhang, founder and chairwoman of WildChina; Patricia Lizarraga, founder and managing partner at Hypatia Capital Group; and Donna Dubinksy, CEO and founder of Numenta and cofounder of Handspring are prominent examples. However, I think the most valuable resource is the two-year HBS experience itself. Our MBA program is an intense period of personal and professional transformation that prepares our graduates for challenges in any area of management—anywhere in the world.

Kylie Thompson is a junior concentrating in History and Literature at Harvard University. On campus she gives undergraduate admissions tours and information sessions, and is involved in Mock Trial and the community service group Peer Health Exchange.

HEC Paris

Interview with Valerie Gautheier, Assistant Dean and Director of MBA Admission

By JiaQi Bao Make It Happen: How would you describe your MBA program?

HEC Paris: HEC Paris is ranked as the #1 business school in Europe by The Financial Times. The school is also recognized as the most selective MBA program in Europe. Renowned for its academic excellence, customized experience, and the caliber of its diverse student body, HEC takes a humanistic approach to shape students into future leaders with an international perspective.

Unlike most MBA programs in the U.S. which often require a two-year commitment, HEC compacted two years (21 months) of academic work into a rigorous year and a half (16 months) curriculum. This set-up allows options and flexibility, while maximizing the learning experience for students—This intense yet feasible curriculum is designed to offer a holistic and challenging experience, and to make a quicker transition for those who desire to re-enter the work force right away. Yet it also offers the flexibility for students to customize their own course of study and to integrate additional programs into their MBA education, such as taking advantage of HEC’s unique double-degree programs and international exchange opportunities, as well as allowing time for students to participate in hands-on project and internship opportunities with French companies and European enterprises. HEC is dedicated to leverage its global resource and network to provide a nurturing environment to help each student succeed, not only from a post graduation career perspective, but more importantly, to be a leader and a learner in many aspects and to excel in life.

HEC MBA program is limited to 200 participants.

Approximately 50% of our students are from Europe, and nonFrench students make 85% of the total student population.

Courses are offered in both English and French. HEC’s student body, faculty members, and alumni are diverse individuals from various industries and international backgrounds.

In summary, the overall proposition for HEC Paris program is abbreviated as “S.E.E.D.,” which stands for selectivity, excellence, experience, and diversity. Participating in HEC MBA program is like planting a seed that will help an individual to grow as a leader and to discover the world.

MIH: What separates HEC Paris from other top tier schools?

HEC: International exposure and time duration highlight some of HEC Paris points of differentiation.

Completing an MBA program away from one’s home country itself is a unique experience for many students. Gaining international perspective and appreciating diversity are especially important in today’s business world, which will set the

students apart in many ways. Furthermore, HEC is especially proactive in pushing students to learn about the world. The school offers exchange program with more than 50 top world institutions, from New York University, Tufts, and MIT in the U.S., to Hong Kong University and Tsinghua University in Asia, to name a few. Through HEC’s special exchange program, students may choose to spend one year at HEC and one year at HEC’s partner school. Additionally, selected participants may qualify for earning two diplomas, one from HEC and one from the host institution. On average, approximately 50 students (25% of the HEC MBA class) participate in the exchange program per year. Reciprocally, HEC host top students from its international partners, creating an international and diverse learning experience.

39

BUSINESS SCHOOL GUIDE

Embracing diversity at heart, through a humanism approach, HEC bring together individuals with different personalities and talents from all industries and path of life. Diversity is not merely in the form of nationality and ethnic background, but in the sense of individuality and experience. Through a collaborative environment, HEC Paris mission is to draw affinity among these individuals and educate confident and competent leaders and thinkers who grow with others as well as grow others, and who drive innovation and add values to the global community.

The HEC Paris MBA program is rigorous and structured, yet flexible and tailored to fit each student’s need. Often, MBA programs, especially those in the U.S., are 21 months in duration. HEC program is 16 months. This arrangement is especially popular for those who plan to re-enter the work force immediately. On the other hand, for those who prefer to participate in study abroad and internship opportunities, the 16-month program will prepare them and allow the time for them to pursue such interests.

MIH: What skills or work experiences would the ideal candidate have?

HEC: HEC selects candidates who have demonstrate intellectual curiosity, appreciation for diversity, and leadership potentials. The selection process is not based on one single factor, but rather a demonstration of individual excellence, with academic achievement, work experience, and social involvement taken into consideration. The average GMAT score is 690 and the typical student has six years of work experience. It is also important for candidates to express their individuality and personal character, and to demonstrate versatility and adaptability to a multicultural environment and to situational leadership.

40

MIH: What should applicants be prepared for during the admission process?

HEC: The candidates often found HEC’s application process, which requires personal statements and in-person interview, to be a beneficial exercise to reflect life and clarify their personal goals. The application process is a way for HEC and the candidates to gain mutual understanding about each other, but more importantly, for candidates to evaluate and search their inner self. The admission process connects the past, a reflection and introspection about one’s life and professional development, to the future, what is the next step for the candidate, and what the candidate wants to take away from the MBA experience.

MIH: What resources does HEC provide for its graduates?

HEC: To connect students with alumni as well as the movers and shakers in the world of international business, HEC has a mandatory career management course. This course helps students further develop their personal and social skills, helps them become familiar with the recruiting process of their interested field, and helps them leverage the network of more than 43,000 HEC alumni. The program also arranges career days to have guest speakers sharing experience and industry expertise as well as pair up students with mentors for individualized guidance.

JiaQi Bao plans to complete her double degree in finance and accounting at University of Arizona. JiaQi is now studying busines at Beijing Tsinghua University through a Chinese government-sponsored scholarship program.

Richard Ivey School of Business Interview with Carol Stephenson, Dean of Richard Ivey School of Business

By Mallorie Brodie

Make It Happen: How would you describe your MBA program?

MIH: What resources does the Ivey school provide for its graduates?

Richard Ivey School of Business: Intense. Students go twelve months, without a summer off. Having said that, it is really all about the real world. Ivey’s real world learning experience is what differentiates it from other programs. Our students hit the ground running when they graduate because we make sure we expose them to the cross-enterprise perspective. Too often, people learn only by a function. Instead, Ivey encourages cross-enterprise leadership, which teaches our students how to find solutions for a marketing problem, for example, without negatively effecting other areas of the company. Ivey is also renowned for the case method. The reason this matters is because our students are exposed to an abundance of real cases, and for each case are challenged to make a decision and then defend their decision. Recruiters can tell an Ivey grad because they demonstrate their analytical skills and ability to articulate why their solution is worth acting on.

RISB: Before you even arrive, before the admissions process even begins we will do an initial scan of your resume and application to give you some advice. From that point onwards you will work with our career management advisors to help you throughout the program. The career management advisors are very engaging and helpful right from week one so students can really understand who they are and what exactly they can do for them. Our faculty are also a great resource that strongly support the MBA and HBA (Honours in Business Administration) programs.

Once students graduate, they are able to take advantage of the strong alumni network that Ivey has built. Our Alumi take their role seriously. They are open to students asking them questions, they stay connected, advise students on what skills they should be developing. They are very talented and loyal.

MIH: What separates Richard Ivey from other top-tier business schools?

MIH: What skills or work experience would the ideal candidate have?

RISB: The Ivey community. When you enter a class you are going to enter in to a learning environment with a very diverse and talented group of young leaders. Recruiters do not just look for academic strength, but also leadership potential. Ivey provides a world-class faculty and a strong alumni network, which forms a tightly knit global community. Our career management centre is one of the largest and most qualified in the country.

We integrate career management in to the curriculum from day one so students will learn the skills and techniques they need to be successful beyond initial job search. Every student works in the class and individually with our advisors, which prepares them for their future.

Further than many in just providing business knowledge, we also deliver key leadership qualities. Students are challenged individually and as a team, they are provided with opportunities to step forward as a leader everyday and enforced to accelerate training.

RISB: We have a minimum of two years work experience for our MBA program. The average is closer to four and a half years for the MBA class. The reason this matters in a case school is that students need some experience to be able to contribute to each case study. Work experience allows are students to apply the knowledge they have learned in the workplace and relate with the material they are learning.

In both the MBA and HBA (Honours in Business Administration) programs that Ivey offers, leadership potential and leadership skills are a key piece of what we look for throughout the application process in addition to their academic record. When we see that applicants are involved in extracurricular activities, or organizations and volunteer work through their work place it makes for a stronger application.

Mallorie Brodie is in her second year of studies at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. She is currently enrolled as an Honours in Comparative Literature with an Advanced Entry Opportunity (AEO) to the Richard Ivey School of Business.

41

BUSINESS SCHOOL GUIDE

The Wharton School

Interview with J. J. Cutler, Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid

By Iris Braunstein Make It Happen: How would you describe your MBA program?

The Wharton School: The student culture is very active, engaged, dynamic and a big part of what distinguishes Wharton. We encourage learning that takes place outside the classroom and that dimension fits very well with the collaborative nature of the student experience. The Wharton MBA program is a very feedback-rich environment. We expect students to make recommendations because the program gets better through feedback. The student government is active in helping us make improvements, and our student advisory board and admissions fellows are an integral part of decision making.

The curriculum at the MBA level is a mix of core business fundamentals and a broad array of electives that we think meet short and long term objectives for our students. Some of the principles of our program are a focus on breadth, a diverse student body with significantly more international students than our peer schools and an emphasis on fact-based and data-driven quantitative learning.

All of these are in addition to integrative skills not only across the business fundamentals but also in terms of leadership, ethics, and communications.

MIH: What separates The Wharton School from other top tier schools?

Wharton: We are the largest and oldest of the schools, and we offer more courses and programs.

Our curriculum is more flexible than most. It is a balance of fundamentals, but there is lots of customization. There are only three classes you can’t waive: Leadership and Teamwork, Ethics and Business Communications.

We believe in integrated learning through several different teaching and learning modalities; learning is class-based, case-based, experiential, simulation-based and team and leadership-based.

The Wharton School has always had one of the most diverse alumni networks and student populations with 86,000 alumni in 120 countries. The ability to build relationships and networks is important. For two years in a row, women have represented 40% of our MBA class. This is the highest percentage among the top tier business schools.

42

MIH: What skills or work experience would the ideal candidate have?

Wharton: We have no rules or quotas. The average is about four years of work experience post-undergrad, but people are applying earlier. 26% of our class has 0-3 years of work expe-

rience. We look for strong academic performance. It is less about experience and skills than achievements and accomplishments, not necessarily in the for-profit sector. We look at how an applicant has made the most of their own unique qualities and what kind of contributions the applicant will make to the School as a student and alumnus. We look for maturity, selfawareness and diversity because we believe that learning happens best in the most diverse environments.

MIH: What should applicants be prepared for during the admissions process?

Wharton: There are three rounds. We recommend you apply in round one or two—there is no real difference between them. It is a very transparent process, with essay tips available online. We ask for essays, a resume, recommendations, GMAT or GRE scores and a transcript. Halfway through round two a student, alumnus or admissions officer interviews some portion of applicants. This can happen in Philadelphia or wherever the applicant lives and works. The process ends for an applicant if he or she is not offered an interview.

Wharton: The executive education program we offer is very popular. There are alumni groups by industry affinity; for instance, there are organizations for alumni interested in health care management, private equity, social impact, etc. Knowledge@Wharton, our online business publication with 1.6 million subscribers, describes faculty research in multiple languages and on many topics. It is a great way to stay abreast of what Wharton contributes to the business community. We also offer career management resources, career advising, career data online, alumni job boards, clubs, and networking databases. Graduates also have access to the School’s libraries and services, alumni clubs globally, alumni weekends and three annual alumni global forums, in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Iris Braunstein is a senior in the Vagelos Dual- Degree Program at the University of Pennsylvania. She is studying Finance and Statistics at the Wharton School of Business and Molecular Biology at the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Arts and Sciences.

MIH: What resources does the Wharton School provide for its graduates?

Quick Facts

Harvard Business School: Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Full-time MBA Students: 1,843 Annual Tuition Fee: $106,880 Program Length: 18 months

HEC Paris: Location: Jouy en Josas, France Full-time MBA Students: 395 Annual Tuition Fee: $62,130 Program Length: 16 months

Richard Ivey School of Business: Location: London, Canada Full-time MBA Students: 165 Annual Tuition Fee: $65,543 - $75,614 Program Length: 12 months

The Wharton School: Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Full-time MBA Students: 1,726 Annual Tuition Fee: $101,865 Program Length: 21 months

43

Gracias a Dios por Grameen E-Readers: Side by Side Fashion Gone Green Female Navigators The Impact of Social Media Empowering Ghanaian Women

Revolutionizing Business

Emerging Ecocities O

By Annissa Alusi

ne of the greatest challenges our planet will face over the coming decades is climate change—an issue that is already impacting everything from the environment and global hunger to business and politics. While the vast majority of scientists agree that climate change is happening and constitutes a serious threat over the coming decades, there is certainly no consensus on how to deal with it. From the failed international talks in Copenhagen last December to the inability of the U.S. Congress to pass a comprehensive energy and climate bill as of yet, it would seem that many potential solutions to the climate dilemma are controversial, complicated, and often seen as an economic threat.

However, the convergence of climate change and another major challenge confronting our planet has created a buzz of opportunity around a new phenomenon called “ecocities.” Due to rapidly increasing population growth and urbanization, especially in developing countries, the need for newer and bigger cities between now and 2050 will be enormous. According to the World Bank, about 90 percent of urbanization is now occurring in the developing world—and developing countries are expected to triple their urban areas between 2000 and 2030. Furthermore, about 80% of carbon emissions come from cities (according to the Climate Group Smart Cities 2020 report with McKinsey).

The combination of climate change and urbanization has led many leaders in government and business to look into the idea of building ecocities, which are cities built to promote environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable urban communities. The ecocity plans springing up around the world often focus on targets for low carbon emissions (or in some cases, “zero carbon” targets), and many in the field believe that getting involved in the ecocity trend could be both beneficial for the planet and extremely profitable in the long run. However, current ecocity projects worldwide face major challenges around funding, public-private partnership cooperation, technical feasibility, and a host of other issues.

One example of a highly publicized ecocity plan is Masdar, a $22 billion dollar city being built in Abu Dhabi and financially backed by the government. It was planned to be the world’s first major example of a zero carbon, zero waste city and was expected to be 100% powered by renewable energy. The design and building process involved companies from around the world, including General Electric, CH2M Hill, Foster + Partners architects, and even cooperation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the development of an alternative energy focused university within Masdar. However, the project has run into significant challenges as of late.

Construction is moving at a pace slower than anticipated, the weak property market has led to financing issues, and the proj-

Above: an aerial rendering of Masdar

ect planners have backtracked on many of their original carbon and energy goals. The completion date for the city has been moved back from 2016 to 2020, but many critics remain skeptical and the Abu Dhabi government has been widely criticized of “greenwashing” its image by emphasizing overly ambitious environmental goals for the city—despite the fact that Abu Dhabi is an oil state.

Other ecocity plans underway can be found in China, which has recently been trying to publicize its proclaimed commitment to alternative energy and better environmental standards. These cities include Dongtan, Tianjin and Nanjing – the latter two of which are being built as joint ventures between a Chinese Consortium and a Singaporean Consortium, since Singapore’s expertise in this field is world-renowned. The cities are typically built at the discretion of the Chinese government, which forms public-private partnerships with developers who organize the city plans. None of the several planned Chinese ecocities are close to completion, and some are facing critical problems (in fact, the plans for Dongtan are as of now indefinitely on hold). However, the fact that major companies like Cisco, Siemens, GE, and Hewlett Packard now have ecocityfocused initiatives is highly promising for the future of the field, and shows that future innovations from major technology players could have a large impact. The next few years will provide much insight into how the both the industrialized world and the developing world can leverage the strengths and weaknesses of ecocity plans when seeking to address climate change.

Annissa Alusi is a junior at Harvard University, majoring in Environmental Sciences and Engineering. She also works as a research assistant for sustainable urbanization projects at Harvard Business School, serves on the Business Education Committee of HUWIB, and is President of the Harvard Society of Arab Students.

45

REVOLUTIONIZING BUSINESS

Gracias a Dios Por Grameen

By Monica Zdrojewski

“P

overty is a call to action - for the poor and the wealthy alike - a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in what happens in their communities.” – The World Bank

Almost daily, some half of humanity or more suffer a daily financial, social, and emotional crisis of poverty. In poorer countries, poverty is not the fault of the individual alone, but a combination of personal, regional, national, and— importantly—international influences. The international community has proposed some grand strategies to address poverty, but these are under significant duress given the recent turn in the global economy. Now more than ever, the corporate world needs to be reinvented, redefined, revolutionized by those students and budding entrepreneurs entering the workforce. Conventional charity methods have proven to be, to a large degree, unsuccessful in tackling the growing gap between rich and poor, and furthermore, in light of the economic crisis, it is highly unlikely that current levels of foreign aid will be maintained.

The late 20th century marked a sharp increase in the number of NGO’s worldwide, dedicated to tackling the world’s problems with ingenuity.

This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to spend eight weeks in the Chaco region of Argentina, an area characterized by its high poverty levels and impenetrable nature. Through A Drop in the Ocean, a student-run non-profit at Harvard, another Harvard student and I were set up with an internship at a grassroots microfinance organization, Asociacion Civil Lapacho, in Resistencia, the capital city of the northernmost region. Microfinance refers to a number of financial services provided on a very small scale. One of the most common forms of microfinance is microcredit – a system of offering tiny loans to the very poor without material collateral, and this is precisely what Asociacion Civil Lapacho, under its Proyecto Grameen Chaco. The NGO came into legal existence in 2001 to bring financial opportunity, and independence, to solely women in some of Argentina’s poorest and most rural communities through access to microcredit loans for their entrepreneurial projects. The purpose of these projects is to generate income and improve quality of life 46

through the borrower’s efforts. Credit is dispersed and subsequently repaid through the application of the highly successful Grameen Model, the brainchild of Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh. Grameen relies upon mutual cooperation, trust, and most importantly solidarity of the borrowers.

As the only two interns, we had a great opportunity to work with and learn directly from the heads of the organization, as well as travel to the six centers, attend the weekly meetings, and meet and interact with the women borrowers, giving us a multi-dimensional perspective of the bank and how it functions internally and externally. Asociacion Civil Lapacho is manned primarily by two incredible, selfless indivduals, Mabel and Antonio. It was Mabel who did all the talking when we first met.

The differences in their personalities are mirrored by the roles

they play in the organization. While the lack of human capital makes it virtually impossible to divy up the many tasks, Mabel is clearly the face of the organization, chatting incessantly with a sparkle in her eye that demonstrates a deep passion for her work. Antonio, a quiet man submissive to the dominating Mabel, is in her own words “un administrador excellente” and clearly the expert when it comes to the more technical aspects of the job. It is important to note that their tireless work for the organization is completely voluntary and essentially side work—they each have careers outside of the bank, Mabel as a professor of history in a local university and Antonio as an engineer.

The organization runs six centers in various communities in the Chaco region, each comprised of approximately 40 women.

The borrowers recieve small, ascending loans that range from US $100 ($300) to US $285 ($800), depending on where the borrower is in the lending process.

The repayment amounts are calculated by dividing the total loan into 50 weekly payments. In order to ensure loan repayment, “solidarity groups” of 5-6 women represent the social collateral that is used in place of traditional physical collateral.

These individuals take out their loans as a group.

If a borrower defaults, the rest of the group is mutually responsible for the debt and must work together to repay the loan. As the women are dependent on their peers to repay their loans each week, this system of accountability results not only in high repayment and low default rates, but also in a group based on solidarity, trust, and empowerment—and this in itself is an incredibly profound concept.

The weekly meetings and one-on-one interactions with the borrowers proved to be the highlight of my eight weeks.

Once a week, the women at each of the six centers gathered together to collect money, distribute loans, and discuss the progress of their various enterprises. The importance behind these meetings lies in the fact that they are run directly by the women.

They are in charge of keeping track of the money, numbers, and information gathered at the meetings and passing that along to Mabel and Antonio. Without a doubt this gives them a sense

of empowerment, independence, and importance that cannot be attained over night. The meetings are teeming with applause for the accomplishments of the women and a positive energy stemming from their multiple successes.

The house visits we made to see the businesses made possible with the loans and informal interviews we conducted further confirmed the success of the microcredit system. They welcomed us into their homes, offering us food and drink, proudly showing us their individual projects and expressing countless words of gratitude for what the organization has done for them. The improvements that resulted with each loan were palpable and this progress made by each and every woman provides direct evidence of how the distribution of small loans can pull individuals out of destitution. The generosity and gratitude of these beautiful people was heart-warming beyond belief and gave me a new appreciation and perspective on life.

The opportunity I had this summer to work handson and immerse myself in Asociacion Civil Lapacho confirmed in my mind the vast power and potential of such grassroots microfinance organizations that are present, and growing, throughout the world. By investing small amounts of capital in women, these individuals are given a sense of empowerment and economic independence that could not be achieved in any other way. The success of microfinance lies in the systematic and sustainable development of the world’s most impoverished communities, and therefore represents a practical solution for alleviating abject poverty on an international scale.

Monica Zdrojewski is a junior at Harvard studying Government and Global Health and Health Policy. She is an associate programming director on HUWIB’s IBC committee, as well as a member of the varsity women’s water polo team. After her summer in Argentina, she hopes to further pursue her interests in political and economic development in emerging markets in Latin America.

47

REVOLUTIONIZING BUSINESS

Fashion Gone Green

By Sarah McKenny

A

n increasing number of fashion designers are developing new strategies and techniques to adapt to the ever-changing world of fashion while keeping up with trends in business and social awareness. Abi Ferrin and Finey Moll are two such designers. Here are their stories.

In the early stages of launching her line, Abi Ferrin and her sister, a humanitarian worker, set out to create a sustainable philanthropic business model whereby a company could patronize deserving organizations while extracting a high quality product. Their label’s catchphrase speaks to the importance of their goal: “Fashion with freedom and purpose.”

The line’s first collaboration was with a non-profit organization in Nepal that provides training, fair pay, food, and a safe haven to female veterans of human trafficking and other oppressive situations. The women were commissioned to craft wooden buttons and toggles to be the finishing touches on the bohemian glam line. Through this collaboration, The Freedom Project was born.

Another chapter of The Freedom Project is in the works on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica, a region believed to house 5% of the world’s biodiversity. In addition to training

MIH: What aspect of the design, manufacturing, and distribution process typically generates the most pollution?

Ferrin: Textile and thread dye as well as all the paper use… also the production aspect based on where the power source comes from and what the procedures are from that power source.

MIH: What measures has your company taken to increase efficiency and/or reduce pollution?

Ferrin: We use all eco packaging, press materials, and hangtags, including recycled paper, tote bags, tissue paper, press kits and soy based printing—as well as Gutermann Thread from Germany which even recycles its water after the dyeing process. I have also gone through a lengthy process of sourcing my factory for growth and identified the factory that I will be partnering with. They plant trees to offset their carbon footprint and are in the process of building a solar powered factory.

Their quality is amazing and they are excited about our pending relationship. Additionally, being involved with the Rainforest Recovery Initiative is one of the [most meaningful] projects I feel like one could be involved with, as it is hands on, in the rainforest. The survival of this place is key.

MIH: How have your environmental initiatives impacted the finances of your business?

and working with the local women to develop pieces for the line, Ferrin has gotten involved with the Rainforest Recovery Initiative, an alliance of private landowners dedicated to the conservation of the area’s natural and cultural resources.

The Freedom Project’s initiatives do not appear to be mere marketing ploys, or an effort to “greenwash” the company’s image. The logistical decisions Abi makes behind the scenes are consistent with her public policy of eco and social consciousness. Abi strives to uphold her commitment to being a conscientious producer down to the last detail.

48

Ferrin: To date it is actually costing me more. I am not big enough yet to tell if people are really taking notice and it is not something I chose to do to be “en vogue” but truly in line with my core belief system based on being brought up on the land as a fourth generation native of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

MIH: In what areas do you pay a premium in order to be environmentally conscious?

Ferrin: Eco-based production, manufacturing, printing, printed materials, paper is all more expensive. What I do have is the clear conscience that I am truly doing the right thing and some people are talking about it. I don’t know statistically if anyone

is buying my product simply for the fact that it’s eco. I know that most clients enjoy that aspect of the brand, but I don’t feel like it is a quantifiable deal breaker or maker.

Finely Moll, whose flawlessly fitting blouses you’ve seen on the racks at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and boutiques nationwide under the eponymous Finley label, is another designer with an interest in social responsibility. MIH met with Finley at her wonderfully chaotic studio (complete with an overflowing recycle bin) in downtown Dallas to get her take on balancing environmental principles with prudent business practices.

Finley pointed out that once a clothing business and its clientele have been established, these are the main elements that direct the designer’s creative process. There’s a niche that must be filled; the demands of the existing customer must be satisfied in order for the business to stay profitable. Finley has experimented with incorporating organic pieces into her line, and seemed well versed in the environmental pros and cons of the different fabrics. The environmental consciousness movement is making its way into mainstream, but the textile mills have yet to address this trend in a major way. The organic fabrics currently out there—the ones that use vegetable dyes and undergo minimal processing—typically have a narrow aesthet-

ic, a distinguishable, earthy quality to them. There’s nothing granola about Finley’s typical customer, and thus the demand for the organic clothing was not sufficient enough for her to expand in that area. When the mills can get their whites white, and deliver the look and quality that her clientele expects, Finley is willing and able to absorb the additional costs that invariably accompany all organic products.

Until then, she finds other areas to address. A side project for an organic clothing catalog is currently in the works.

This company caters to a customer that wants an organic product because it is organic.

Abi and Finley are both prime examples of business owners willing to use their purchasing power to encourage sustainable practices. Every dollar spent sends a message. By choosing to buy organic fabric and using eco-packing, they are conveying that these additional expenses have merit, and that the costs of going the extra (green) mile are worth it.

Sarah McKenny is a junior at the University of Miami where she is majoring in Ecosystem Science & Policy and Biology, and minoring in Entrepreneurship.

49

REVOLUTIONIZING BUSINESS

Female Navigators

By Sarah Landsted

B

eing young, ambitious, and female sometimes makes me feel as if I am in the eye of a hurricane. I constantly have to defend and explain my aspirations and how I plan to balance a future career with a potential family.

Joining Female Navigators, where I met seven women with similar outlooks, made all the difference for me. In Scandinavia, where I am from, female networks tended to have a negative aura surrounding them—but Female Navigators was started by four talented women to combat this issue. They saw a need for a forum where it was acceptable to openly state your ambitions and discuss and receive feedback on how to realize them. Since then, the network has doubled in size and now consists of eight young women united around a common cause and vision.

Female Navigators is a network working to create awareness about the challenges and opportunities of young professional women in the workplace. Its misson is to change public discourse from its basis on biases and prejudices to a debate founded on rational arguments and respectful dialogue. By focusing on hard facts and concrete evidence, the aim is to eliminate myths and misconceptions and to engage young women and men in discussing and developing the frameworks, perceptions, and possibilities for young ambitious women.

Though small in size, the global network is widely dispersed with members located in Copenhagen, London, Dublin, Johannesburg, and New York, and is very diversified by having both business students and professionals within industries such as management consulting, Novozymes, Google, United Nations and Unilever. Its global reach has added greatly to Female Navigators, by facilitating an international perspective on women in business and also, on a more practical level, on living and working abroad.

Female Navigators is about helping and using each other to realize your aspirations. While old boys’ networks have existed for centuries and many important business decisions have been taken while hunting or golfing, women have used networking largely for private matters—primarily cen50

tered around the family. Times have changed and while women have taken a quantum leap in terms of entering the workforce, the same remains to be said for sustaining and utilizing professional networks and relations. That being said, there is a whole generation of ambitious and extremely talented women with the aim of overcoming the obstacles that come with networking. The challenge that lies ahead is the act of balancing great ambitions with a career and family life. It is, however, not an easy task—but then agin, changing a discourse has never been easy. That is why doing it with people who share your aspirations seems to be key.

The unity in Female Navigators lies in the fact that we are all young and idealistic, but we do not use gender as an excuse or barrier for future realization of goals.

On a personal level, Female Navigators has inspired me to constantly aim higher, and to focus my goals and ambitions by making conscious choices. Surrounding myself with seven inspiring women who never fail to impress me has acted as a key driver, and first-hand experiences have taught me that anything is possible if you really want to make it happen.

One Navigator, Sarah-Alice, became a mother two years ago and went straight from maternity leave to her first job in management consulting. She is just one example of many women who work hard to balance family and career.

There is no question that as you go along you will meet resistance, but it is in those critical moments that you define yourself, and if you persevere and have the courage to continue, you will emerge on the other side both wiser and stronger. As stated by co-founder Sophie Nelson, the vision and mission of Female Navigators is simple: Don’t wait for change—be the change.

Sarah Landsted, Navigator at Female Navigators, is 23 and a graduate student of Finance and Strategic Management at Copenhagen Business School. She was recently employed by Google’s European Headquarters in Dublin, Ireland.

The Impact of Social Media

By Chhaya Néné

B

eing electronically savvy is of the utmost importance for survival in the world that we live in today. For businesses, this means that it is imperative to understand the world of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. Businesses have to know when and where consumers are to market effectively to them. Today’s consumer generation is online, as opposed to previous generations when newspapers were prevalent. The demand for timeliness and brevity in marketing is on the rise, and this makes social media’s impact on the business world immense. The prime capabilities that social media provide include: 1. A refreshing ‘word of mouth’ personal touch to the way products are marketed using wall posts and tweets. Jaded consumers are distrustful of impersonal traditional advertising.

2. The ability for businesses to quickly target consumer interests based on the interest and activities they (consumers) have voluntarily divulged in their profiles and postings.

3. Placing consumers within reach at any time. The prevalence of smart-phones such as the Blackberry, Droid or the iPhone that connect people to their social media sites instantly makes this possible.

4. Democratizing the ability to reach a global audience in a manner customized to individual consumer preferences at viral speeds. At a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing mechanisms, this reach is no longer the exclusive privilege of large corporations.

5. Bridging the gender gap. Women ages 35 to 50 are the fastest-growing segment of people creating and managing social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace.

The major challenge for businesses is a lack of knowledge and understanding of social media, and what opportunities they provide. This leads to improper management of social media accounts. However, businesses are attempting to capitalize on the marketing opportunities of social media (with a widely varying degree of success).

If used correctly, social media present a fresh, extremely cost-effective means for exploding a company’s marketing reach. A limited comprehension of this tool has created yet another business opportunity: the need for organizations that can teach businesses how to effectively leverage social media. Empirical evidence suggests that women show a natural inclination and talent for social media. Interestingly, research shows that two-thirds of companies interviewed had women spear-heading social media. Could this be the next big area for women in business to succeed?

Chhaya Néné is junior at the University of Miami majoring in Broadcast Journalism and in International Relations. She hopes to incorporate both majors by covering stories about drug trafficking, malnutrition, and other topics that do not receive the attention they should.

51

REVOLUTIONIZING BUSINESS

Empowering Ghanaian Women

By Meicheng Shi & Ama Pomaa Andoh

T

ucked at the end of a quiet road in the East Legon neighborhood of Ghana’s capital city is the Ghana Young Women Social Entrepreneurs (GYWSE) organization. Located in a cheery green house amidst numerous other residences, the office is denoted only by a small canopy hanging over the entrance, which reads, “Women’s Center for Technology and Entrepreneurship.”

As I step inside I am immediately greeted with a friendly smile and a hug. Ama Pomaa Andoh, the founder of GYWSE, beams as she welcomes me in.

Equipped with several desks, chairs and computers, the one-room office is cozy and comfortable. “It’s not big,” Ama explains, “but it’s functional.” When training sessions for the GYWSE leadership series are held, the office can easily accommodate about 15 women.

Ama turns on the air-conditioning, a relief in the hot

52

and humid weather, and we sit down on the red and white striped couch to discuss the organization, which I will be volunteering with for the next four months. The goal of GYWSE is to empower young women and provide them with the tools necessary to start a social enterprise.

As a fellow nominated by the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, Ama traveled to the U.S. to participate in the 2009 Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership jointly hosted by the U.S. State Department and FORTUNE. During her stay, she worked at the Case Foundation under the mentorship of CEO Jean Case, where Ama became more aware of the time and preparation required to be successful as an entrepreneur. She realized that many aspiring innovators in Ghana, especially women, were unequipped with even the basic resources and knowledge needed to develop their business ideas. Few, if any, of these women knew how to write business plans or keep consistent re-

cords of their operations and financials. Especially since these documents are often prerequisites for securing commercial loans, lacking these skills makes it difficult for women to access capital and significantly limits their ability to expand their businesses. Another challenge that women face in securing

goals: Business Incubation Program: This program, launching later this year, will select six women who are promising social entrepreneurs and provide them with the necessary training and support to grow their social enterprise.

Leadership Series: This series comprises of training events that empower women to assume leadership roles in their communities. The upcoming event in October will inform women about serving on non-profit boards.

Social Investment Fund: Given that average interest rates in Ghana run upwards of 20%, GYWSE is currently developing a social investment fund that can lend money to social entrepreneurs at lower rates, while generating additional income which can be used to expand its own programs.

Community Magazine: Towards the end of this year, GYWSE is planning to launch a community magazine which highlights innovative and sustainable solutions that people have developed to social problems around the world. Ama hopes that spreading these stories will inspire local Ghanaian women to generate their own ideas and take action to change their communities.

Though many of her initiatives have been successful, Ama still faces challenges. For example, funding is a significant barrier to the execution of her ideas, especially since sponsorship from corporations and the government is much more difficult to obtain in Ghana than in the U.S. However, her own motivation, passion, and drive to change the world are admirable—she herself sets an inspirational example for the social entrepreneurs she is trying to help.

If you would like to get involved or learn more about GYWSE, contact Ama Pomaa Andoh at ama@gywse.org.

Above: Ama Pomaa Andoh at GYWSE.

bank loans is that their bank accounts are often registered under their husband’s name. When banks require collateral for the requested loans, these women are unable to produce evidence of financial assets that are registered under their own name. These are only some of the challenges to the proliferation of entrepreneurship among women in Ghana.

Ama’s grand vision is to build a resource center where, at any time, women entrepreneurs can access a wide range of resources to support them in their endeavors. Although that center is currently under construction, Ama has pioneered several promising initiatives to make progress towards GYWSE

Meicheng Shi graduated from Harvard College in 2010, and is spending the 2010-2011 school year in Ghana and New Zealand on the Trustman Fellowship, pursuing a project related to social entrepreneurship.

Ama Pomaa Andoh is the Executive Director and founder of Ghanaian High-Tech Women and Ghana Young Women Social Entrepreneurs. She has participated in an online Board Governance program from Kennedy School of Government at Harvard university.

53

HARVARD UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN IN BUSINESS

HUUUIB

Snapshots: HUWIB History The Founding of HUWIB IBC Through the Years Ten Years of Progress: A Timeline of HUWIB

Decennial Section

Snapshots: HUWIB History Compiled by Gena Haugen & Alexa Rahman “It was clear that WIB’s founders hit on a real campus need: each year from the time I comped in Fall ‘02 saw greater membership growth, more dynamic and popular events and larger campus influence. But it was in my senior year, when I had the privilege of serving as WIB President, that I fully appreciated the need these visionary ladies recognized and the foundation they built. In fall ‘05 we had the first IBC, taking WIB’s internal Harvard conference and opening it up to women across all campuses. We had over 500 people register, delegations from other schools attend and our most impressive speaker lineup to date. From there IBC has grown to become international and even more influential.

Showing dynamic and enterprising young women the world of diverse opportunities available to them in business and the power of networking with each other now certainly struck a timely chord; and many of my friends and I have the organization to thank for leading us down our own paths after Harvard.”

-Former President, Stacey Borden ’06

HUWIB members attend the 2010 outreach trip to New York City.

“2007 marked the expansion of many existing programs and priorities for HUWIB as well as the implementation of new efforts, including the first-ever Externship and formal Shadowing programs, the fully-funded Morgan Stanley Corporate Mentorship Program, and the inaugural Young Women in Business conference.

Most notably, HUWIB continued to grow its flagship offerings, including increasing WIBtern graduates to 185 (a 33% increase over the prior year) and IBC attendance to more than 700.” -Former President, Tiffany Niver ’07

Liz Ann Sonders and Barbara Bush comes to speak at the first 2010 WIBternship panel.

Attendees of IBC learn from executive speakers.

“The 2010 HUWIB undergraduate board had two main objectives: 1) to expand and solidify the HUWIB network and 2) to focus on skills-based programming. We accomplished the first by working closely with the Alumnae Board to develop an HUWIB Advisory Board comprised of women who are leaders in corporate America and by planning the HUWIB Decennial celebrations to bring together the women who have shaped, and been shaped by, HUWIB since our founding in 2000. In order to make our programming relevant and valuable to our associates, we focused on skills-based events such as an inaugural stock-pitch competition and an InFocus series on how to succeed in the non-profit sector.” -Presidents, Tessa Lyons-Laing ‘11 and Amy Chen ‘11 55

DECENNIAL SECTION

The Founding of HUWIB

By Kim Pope Stirling & Adela Acevedo, HUWIB Co-Founders

Harvard Undergraduate Women is Business has been built from the passion and keen interest of its student members.

I

n early September 2000, Kim [Pope] Stirling and Adela Acevedo attended a day-long workshop put on by Harvard Business School for women undergraduates interested in business. The pair was struck by the passion of the students at this workshop, and by the fact that no current undergraduate club existed specifically for women interested in the field.

There was a clear student demand for such a club, and during the walk back across campus, Women in Business was born.

After applying to achieve club status and funding from Harvard, the two laid out a broad plan for the growth of WIB and a structure for the club’s board. They postered for board members, and a few weeks later assembled a committee of eight women to help bring WIB fully to life: Kate Wagner ‘01, Masako Irie ‘01, Kate Greer ‘02, Sophia Virani ‘01, Jen Altaribba ’02, Patricia Glynn ‘02, Kristin Meyer ‘03, and Chia Jung Tsay ‘04.

On December 4th, WIB held its first semiannual conference, Preparing to Lead, which was sponsored by Goldman Sachs & Co. and included speakers from Goldman Sachs, ABC, and CEOexpress.COM. The following spring, WIB ran an 80-person mentorship program that matched freshmen with upperclassmen mentors, as well as a panel that highlighted speakers from advertising and brand management to increase industry exposure for WIB’s membership base.

56

The organization also held its second conference, Inspiring Women, sponsored by Morgan Stanley, and featuring speakers from Morgan Stanley, Deutsch Advertising, and Monitor Group.

From this strong foundation of programming, WIB has grown over the years and now provides several successful yearlong and seasonal events for its membership. Preparing to Lead evolved into the present-day Intercollegiate Business Convention (IBC), which drew over 1,000 attendees from more than 100 US and international colleges last year. WIB now runs separate “in-house” mentorships between upperand lower-classmen, as well as an external corporate mentorship program. Notable additions to the organization include Make it Happen magazine, the WIBternship fall comp series, InFocus panels that introduce different industries, and the biannual career exploratory trips to cities such as New York and San Francisco.

As we look back on the past ten years, it is clear WIB has blossomed both in its membership and programming.

This year we welcome the opportunity to celebrate the organization’s success, and look forward to the coming decades with the same enthusiasm for inspiring, educating, and empowering Harvard’s undergraduate women in business.

IBC Through the Years

By Amy Chen & Tessa Lyons-Laing

W

hen this edition of Make It Happen is launched at the 6th annual Intercollegiate Business Convention (IBC) there will be over 1,000 undergraduate women in attendance, along with the most diverse collection of speakers to date and three keynotes who—whether in technology (Marissa Mayer), publishing (Kate While), or fashion (Lauren Merkin)— are revolutionizing their fields.

As Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business (HUWIB) celebrates our decennial anniversary, we wanted to look back on the last 6 years of the Intercollegiate Business Convention to understand the origins and evolution of the convention that is now a cornerstone event for undergraduate women interested in business and for the 40+ corporate sponsors who make it possible each year. It turns out that the story exemplifies the same innovation that this year’s convention is working to promote.

In HUWIB’s early years, the organization held an oncampus conference exclusively for HUWIB associates which focused on finance and consulting. After attending this conference for two years, a HUWIB sophomore named Pia Desai began to ask herself three questions: 1. What about all those girls on campus who are interested in business, but would prefer to pursue a path that isn’t finance or consulting?

2. Are there like-minded women on other college campuses who aren’t afforded the same access to top professional women that we are at Harvard?

3. Would it be possible to create a forum for these women to meet and develop meaningful professional relationships?

When Pia proposed to the HUWIB Executive Board the idea of hosting an intercollegiate conference spanning a broad landscape of industries, the Intercollegiate Business Convention was born. A team was built from within HUWIB to recruit speakers, to market the convention on campuses across the northeast, and to confirm sponsors for the recruiting fair. Thanks to the support of the Executive Board and the determination of the HUWIB team, Pia’s vision came to life in the fall of 2005 at the first annual Intercollegiate Business Convention, which attracted 400 participants from over 30 universities and brought together more than 40 speakers.

Since that first year, the number of participants has nearly tripled from 400 to over 1,000 and each year more and more women travel internationally to attend, from as far away as Qatar and Colombia. The convention has grown not only in size but also in scope. The range of industries continues to diversify as the programming strives to reflect the changing nature of business and technology.

Over the years, a number of the most influential women in business have spoken at IBC. They include: Christine Beauchamp, former CEO of Victoria’s Secret Beauty and

The 2009 theme of IBC was “Be Bold.”

now President of Ann Taylor Stores; Bobbi Brown, Founder and CEO of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics; and Anne Sweeney, Co-Chairman of Disney Media Networks and President of ABC-Disney Television, among many others.

Each year a new team brings innovative ideas to the convention: this very magazine was added to the convention’s offerings in 2006, and recent years have also seen the introduction of an investment challenge, the creation of a National Women in Business Summit, and the development of a Social Enterprise Business Plan Competition.

We know that we will be looking around the ballroom on the evening of this year’s 6th annual Intercollegiate Business Convention wondering what the coming years will mean for IBC. As the career interests of participants continue to diversify and as more undergraduate women pursue entrepreneurial paths directly from college, how will our programming evolve? As we continue to attract an increasingly international audience and strive to make IBC a place where meaningful relationships are made with peers, mentors, and recruiters, how will we continue to improve the networking component of the convention?

If the next six years are anything like the past six years, we can expect two things: 1) The innovation in the scope and depth of the convention’s programming and the diversity of attendees will be beyond what we could possibly imagine now, and 2) Like Pia’s first convention in 2005, the 12th annual Intercollegiate Business Convention will remain committed to helping undergraduate women build the knowledge and network they need to have the successful careers they desire.

57

DECENNIAL SECTION

Ten Years of Progress

0 0 0 2

HUWIB is founded by ten undergraduate women, who both develop the organization and plan its first annual conference; the event, “Preparing to Lead,” draws 250 participants.

Over 200 women receive media and news from HUWIB. “Spheres of Influence,” the second fall conference, enlightens the Harvard Community on non-profit business.

2 0 01

A Timeline of HUWIB

By Kimberly Herrmann and Shirley Zhou

The first official comp, or “WIBternship,” inducts 40 new Associate members. HUWIB spearheads its first Corporate Outreach trip, sending Associates to New York City.

The undergraduates visit sponsors, participate in workshops, and meet executives across numerous industries.

2002

HUWIB plans a variety of campus programs, offering mentorship dinners and informational panels to both Associates and other Harvard students. In the spring, Associates once again head to New York City, continuing what would become one of HUWIB’s most popular traditions.

HUWIB continues to enhance programming, introducing the Leadership Initiative Series, the Harvard Business School 3-part Introductory Series, and a number of Business Roundtables.

2003

58

2004

The HUWIB website is renovated to include a contemporary design and an interactive user interface. Over 1000 students, hailing from more than 100 global universities, attend the fifth annual Intercollegiate Business Convention. On campus, HUWIB collaborates with two other student groups to offer the first annual Women’s Stock Pitch Competition. This coming year, current HUWIB members are joining alumni in celebration of the organization’s decennial anniversary.

2009-201

0

2

20 0 5

With a “Spotlight on Culture Dinners,” and international contributors featured in Make it Happen, HUWIB reinforces its commitment to global awareness and appreciation. Advising grows to include a Business School Mentoring program for Associates. The fourth annual Intercollegiate Business Convention, “Business Without Boundaries,” increases to two days of program-

08

The fall WIBternship attracts the largest class yet, marking HUWIB’s prominence as a leading on-campus organization. The first annual Intercollegiate Business Convention welcomes 400 attendees from across New England.

20

The Career Exploratory trip program makes further headway, sending Associates across the country to California.

HUWIB also launches InFocus, a miniMBA curriculum designed to educate Associates on a variety of business skills. The organization also launches its first edition of Make it Happen, presenting a plethora of interesting and informative articles in print.

007

6 0 0

2

HUWIB offers business school prep events, career development workshops, corporate mentorship, and an exciting Externship program. 185 WIBterns complete the comp process, surpassing the size of the last class by 35%. HUWIB also starts YWIB, a mentorship program that works to encourage and educate young women in business.

59

SPONSORS

60

61

SPONSORS

62

Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business Mission Statement

H

arvard Undergraduate Women in Business (HUWIB) seeks to empower a dynamic group of enterprising young women by uniting them through business education and experience.

HUWIB offers a unique opportunity for undergraduate women at Harvard to expand and sharpen their knowledge of business opportunities, giving them the skills they will need to become future leaders in the corporate world.

Serving the entire female Harvard undergraduate population, HUWIB is overseen by an executive board and seven committees. Through panels, conferences, outreach initiatives, skill-building workshops, leadership projects, mentorship programs, philanthropic initiatives and social events, HUWIB seeks to expose undergraduate women to a variety of business careers.

HUWIB’s unique blend of professionalism, pragmatism, and entrepreneurial spirit allows us to develop programs that are informative, effective, and diverse. Over the years, we have cultivated close relationships with many organizations in different sectors of the business world, including investment banking, consulting, financial services, software technology, entrepreneurship, and marketing, as well as Harvard Business School and the 85 Broads Network.

Membership in HUWIB requires completion of the WIBternship in which prospective members attend informational business panels and collaborate on skill-building projects. Associates enjoy the opportunity to gain a variety of management and organizational skill sets, from finance and development to marketing, design, and production.

Much of HUWIB’s success comes from the creativity and dedication of its members who are constantly seeking to expand the organization’s influence both on campus and off. Through established events such as the Intercollegiate Business Convention, HBS Day, and outreach trips, as well as new ones which include a conference for high school girls, HUWIB seeks to broaden its reach and influence, sharing our ideals nationwide while staying true to our ultimate mission of empowering young women to pursue careers in business.

63

HARVARD UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN IN BUSINESS

HUUUIB