UCLA Anderson School of Management

Introducing your 2021 John Wooden Global Leadership Fellows: Stephen A. Johnson (B.S. ’05, FEMBA ’21) As an educator, author, entrepreneur and investor, Stephen Johnson could add juggler to his resume. He has four young children at home, an education services business to run and a new venture equity startup focused on the intersection of real estate, entrepreneurship and social impact. And he’s making a movie about his life.... The former genetics researcher founded Bright Minds Tutoring after college to help students of all backgrounds achieve their academic goals. Johnson, whose family experienced periods of homelessness during his childhood, understood early that education could provide a path to a better, stabler life. His mother Crissina had been a straight-A student in high school, but she forfeited her own higher education shortly after having him at age 16. As a basketball fan, Crissina exposed Johnson to the sport as a toddler. So at a young age he became aware of UCLA and Coach John Wooden, and he developed the dream of one day becoming a Bruin himself. It required overcoming some unimaginable circumstances to advance his education. When he did, he embraced the academic challenge as well as the personal experience, marrying his college sweetheart Noemy. All four of their children were born at UCLA. In 2020, Johnson self-published his first book, Small Beginnings Require Bigger Dreams, a reflection on the lessons he’s learned in his life so far. He challenges the idea that birthplace, race, gender, religion or any other categorical limitations have power outside of what we decide to give them. He writes, Your starting point in life is like the starting block of a race. Paraphrasing Wooden, he says, You don’t get to choose where you start but you get to choose where you finish. Learn more: https://ucla.in/2ITNGie

In honor of Juneteenth, join us and the UCLA Anderson School of Management community to reflect on what it means to be anti-racist and what each of us can do to effect change. Register here: https://ucla.in/2TysEOe

Black History Month has begun! The Black Business Students Association (BBSA)in collaboration with several other groups at Andersonhas been hard at work putting several virtual experiences together under the theme Beyond Barriers. The goal is to highlight and foster the black community’s innovation, resilience, and brilliance in pushing beyond the hurdles too often faced. Accordingly, Anderson will play virtual host to a range of black leaders who exemplify the effective le...adership being taught in our classrooms. We hope this programming will inspire all members of our community to break out beyond their own barriers, and to lower them for others. Please find featured events in the attached flyer, as well as on Campus Groups, where you can find dates and times for many more events happening during the month. We hope that you will join Anderson, BBSA and our office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in supporting the wonderful celebratory events coming our way. Each one promises to be valuable, allowing us to consider how we may honor, support, and complement the great investments Black students, alumni, faculty, and staff have made to our culture of shared success.

Honoring Black History Month Thank you Jairo Mateo ('19), Jermeen Sherman ('20), & Derek Cox ('21) for generously taking the time to discuss your Anderson journeys, career re-inventions and reflect on Black History Month with the Anderson community in the latest episode of our Drive Time Podcast. Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/EkytegfP_94

We acknowledge that members of our community will be experiencing the next several days after this Election Day in different ways, and possibly with some intense emotions. With widespread and ongoing concern about the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic problems with racism and social injustice, many of us are wrestling with heavy issues. As we all move forward, we encourage you take care of yourselves, and each other. Many of us are juggling multiple stressors that are hard for observers to see. A little compassion can go a long way in supporting and strengthening each of us for the responsibilities we must manage. Read more from our office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: ucla.in/34XguSn

In the latest episode of How the World Works, Sr. Assoc. Dean Miguel Unzueta talks with Warren Olney about the psychology of systemic racism - that racism can actually manifest through policies & procedures in the world and not necessarily through nasty racists or bigots. Full episode https://bit.ly/3eoSxq6 How the World Works Podcast with Warren Olney features key Anderson faculty members in conversation to uncover some of the most fascinating aspects of business and how we work.

Times are tough, but Jada Black, an executive coach and associate director of our Executive MBA (EMBA) Program has some tips. Jada was featured in a Los Angeles Times article about how to handle a layoff and job search amid COVID-19. Read her advice here: https://lat.ms/34Ta9aC

In the latest episode of How the World Works, Stuart Gabriel, Professor of Finance and Director,UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate talks with Warren Olney about possible solutions to the housing shortage and homelessness crisis in California, which has exacerbated by redlining, systemic failures and now, COVID-19. Listen to the full episode here: www.podbean.com/ew/pb-62bwe-e682ca

Coming together in times of crisis, the One Anderson Student Relief Fund was established as a response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our students. For Professor Terry Kramer the impact of the pandemic, goes far beyond the migration of courses online: "Extraordinary times require extraordinary actions. When I looked at the current environment, knowing that people are having tough times with their jobs and getting work and thinking about whether they could afford ...school or not, I said, ‘Hell, this is the right time to make a contribution.’" Read Professor Kramer's full story here: https://bit.ly/2TBe7xZ

Empowered women, empower women. Congratulations to 15 year old Neha Shukla, a Girls With Impact participant, and her wearable distance sensor, SixFeetApart, for recently being featured on Nasdaq’s marquee billboard in Time Square. Girls with Impact was founded by CEO Jennifer Openshaw (BA ’88, ’98).

Now that the school year is well under way, it feels like a good time to talk about imposter syndrome, more specifically, getting past it. No matter where you are in your journey, know that it’s OK to take risks. It’s OK to fail. You’re going to grow and make it, because you have a support system of friends, family, and Anderson community.

Congratulations to Amer Alnajafi ('22), executive MBA student, on receiving Los Angeles Business Journal's CFO Rising Star of the Year award!

Research by Professor Margaret Shih, Associate Vice Chancellor, BruinX, UCLA Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, shows that interpersonal confrontations can be widely influential, reducing prejudice against multiple groups and multiple stereotypes. The latest from the UCLA Anderson Review: https://bit.ly/31xiqPp

Professor Corinne Bendersky offers students tools for leading and managing teams Spoiler alert: understanding conflict management and differing points of view is key Learn more https://bit.ly/37t09Gx

Our community has a lot to talk about. All communities do, especially after the shooting deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery brought race relations to the forefront of societal attention. Join us for Rising Against Injustice, an informal interview & conversation with Torrie N. Harris ('21) & Heather Caruso, Assistant Dean Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, as Torrie share her experience of the year’s unrest in light of her personal and professional journe...y to embrace diversity. https://bit.ly/3dHP6up UCLA Anderson Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is committed to leveraging the voice of the Anderson community for the greatest possible good. To this end, and in concert with the newly formed Anderson Student EDI Advisory Council, we introduce a new dialogue series: What’s Going On (WGO). Throughout each year, WGO will offer a safe space for the Anderson Community and distinguished guests to engage in open and honest dialogue on the social issues that greatly impact the educational experience. This inaugural year, the series will explore the nature and impact of the Black experience in our global society.