How have you dealt with differences in your personal or professional relationships? In what ways will you contribute to the community ... inclusive leadership as an MBA student and as a business leader? (2021)

Kenan Flagler Essay 2: How have you dealt with differences in your personal or professional relationships? In what ways will you contribute to the community and learning environment by embracing your authentic self while respecting others? How do you envision furthering your growth in inclusive leadership as an MBA student and as a business leader? [500 words] Working in the widget technology industry, with colleagues from China, Israel, and Thailand, and customers in Brazil and Saudi Arabia, cultural differences have often played a role in my daily interactions. At the start of my career, a Saudi client directed me to reference “wasta” (shared connections) and family small-talk when speaking to a potential client. These concepts were new to me, so I asked Ahmed what they meant: he explained that in Arabic culture, “wasta” and shared family information symbolize trust in a business relationship. Amongst my colleagues in Western Pennsylvania, cultural difference is an opportunity for celebration: we frequently highlight ethnic food choices through our individualized UberEATS deliveries, which we share and discuss over coffee chats. Through these chats, I’ve learned about Brazilian barbecue and South Asian history, while sharing classic local dishes such as scrapple and shoo-fly pie.

Outside the workplace, I work closely with differences as a youth volunteer at Masjid Al-Noor Mosque in Scranton, Pennsylvania. I was raised in a conservative Muslim household, and I remember the turmoil when one of my madrasa classmates announced that he was gay, so I draw on that experience today as the leader of a peer-support referral program with Lackawanna County’s Islamic Center, where I bring in experts and co-host an outreach table. One of my favorite involvements has been representing Masjid Al-Noor alongside the LGBTQ community during the 2017 Philadelphia Gay Pride March.

At Kenan-Flagler, I will contribute to the learning community by sharing in the cultural expression of my classmates and participating in the events of affinity groups. I will share my knowledge of the US widget landscape as part of the MBA International Widget Association, and learn from the club’s collaborations with the Jewish Students Association and Pride Club, listening to the “allyship” podcast episodes. Drawing on my experiences with Masjid Al-Noor Mosque in Scranton, I plan to contribute a strong voice as an LGBTQ advocate in Muslims@Kenan-Flagler and to ensure that our events encourage cross-pollination and intersectionality from all parts of the Kenan Flagler student community.

I aim to advance diversity at Kenan-Flagler through on-campus events, volunteer opportunities, and Diversity-focused coursework. I look forward to the Multicultural Club Fair, where I will share dishes from my family’s homeland and enjoy traditional songs and dances shared by my classmates from across the globe. During the BLUE Leadership Weekend in my spring semester, I will join thought-provoking conversations and case studies in the Jewish Students Club and Hispanic Business Association.

Post-MBA, I will promote inclusiveness directly in my role as a product manager, by building diverse panels to audit product, marketing, and design reviews. As Global Widgets has learned with their Widget Diversity Product Line, design is a key area where diversity can be addressed. As a manager, I will put together diverse teams and implement a non-biased hiring system. As a leader, I will form workgroups composed of people with a broad spectrum of genders, backgrounds, opinions, and experiences, to create internal equity and lasting impact.