The Alliance of Minority Business Students (AMBS) at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School will host its first annual conference on Friday, Dec. 7, 2018.
Entitled “Diversity: The Art of Thinking Independently Together,” the conference will examine how underrepresented minorities have achieved career success across major industries in the face of adversity.
AMBS is a student-run organization providing underrepresented minority students at UNC Kenan-Flagler with opportunities for career development, networking and community involvement in preparation for their post-MBA journeys.
Dr. Lawrence Drake II (BSBA ’77, MBA ’90, PhD ’14), president and CEO at LEADership, Education and Development Program will give the keynote address. He formerly served as president of the Nigeria/Equatorial Africa division of the Coca-Cola Company and CEO of Haven Media Group, Hope 360 Inc. He is an official member of the Forbes Coaches Council.
The conference will include two panels: “Coach, Mentor and Sponsor: How to find each in your organization” and “Becoming an Inclusive Leader Post-MBA.”
Panelists will include business leaders from Luminas Strategy, Google, Dell, Emerson Electric, Cisco Systems, Synchrony, Hamilton Beach Brands, GlaxoSmithKline and Ford.
AMBS serves the UNC Kenan-Flagler community in three main avenues, according to its president, Michelle Kimbrough (MBA ’19). “Our primary goal is to recruit more talented underrepresented minorities to enrich the UNC Kenan-Flagler environment,” she said. “We promote mentorship and guidance for underrepresented minorities in the MBA Program and Undergraduate Business Program. We also aim to educate allies and colleagues on the importance of diversity and intersectionality as they progress through the ranks of business leadership.”
Conference sponsors include Procter & Gamble, Amazon, Dell, Cisco Systems and Emerson Electric.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at UNC Kenan-Flagler. It is open to students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the business community. Registration deadline is Nov. 30. For more information and to register, visit the event website.