Kellogg Wins Second Place, Gold Status in MBA LGBT Ally Challenge
Kellogg School of Management was awarded second place as well as Gold Status in the Friendfactor MBA Ally Challenge this week. The challenge, which took place over the course of the 2013-2014 school year, measured the success of each participating school in creating ally initiatives and an inclusive environment for LGBT students.
In addition to winning second place overall, Kellogg placed first in the inclusion score and activities categories and was one of only three schools to receive Gold Status.
Learn more about what Kellogg is doing to create an inclusive environment for LGBT students from Nisa Agrawal ’14, co-chair of Kellogg’s ally team:
Back in December, I wrote about Kellogg’s participation in the Friendfactor MBA Ally Challenge. At that time, we were in second place and had received a Silver Status distinction. I’m happy to report that as of the completion of the competition, we came in second place overall (out of 12 teams) and received Gold Status!
I think this is a huge accomplishment and a testament to what a great and inclusive culture we have here at Kellogg. At the beginning of the year, one of my big goals as the ally co-chair was to make the Kellogg community more aware of issues impacting the LGBT community, and this competition was a friendly reminder to me to continue spreading awareness about LGBT issues.
Some of our events included:
- Ally section in the Gay and Lesbian Management Association (GLMA) newsletter
- Periodic posts on our Kellogg Facebook page about facts and recent events impacting the LGBT community
- Organizing cross-club events, including a successful event with the Kellogg Veterans Association
- Ensuring GLMA-LGBT leaders were featured in events such as the Kellogg Student Association’s Hear My Story.
By allowing all members of the Kellogg community to learn how we as allies could support the LGBT community, we managed to increase our awareness score (per a survey by Friendfactor) from 43% at the beginning of the year to 66% by the end of the year. While there is still work to be done, I took this as a very promising sign that students are committed to supporting the LGBT community and that this is only the start of great things for Kellogg to achieve in the LGBT realm. In my eyes, we truly came out on top!
Note: Kellogg will be formally recognized for its performance in the MBA Ally Challenge on Saturday, July 26, at the Ally Challenge Awards Dinner (hosted in San Francisco). Eric Hui and Le Truong, both of the Class of 2015, will be accepting the award on Kellogg’s behalf.
Read about the challenge and Kellogg’s second place win in the Huffington Post.
Nisa Agrawal, 2Y – Class of 2014, is originally from the Chicagoland area. Prior to Kellogg, she was an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers but came to Kellogg with a desire to move into marketing. As an ally co-chair for the Gay and Lesbian Management Association (GLMA), Nisa enjoys helping her fellow peers learn more about issues impacting the LGBT community. In her free time, Nisa enjoys spending time with family and friends, singing, dancing and teaching Zumba.