Black History Month: Celebrating Representation At Stanford GSB

Maka Ngwenya, MBA ’22

What made you want to pursue an MBA? Before coming to the GSB, I was working in the audit service line of a public accounting firm. It was very atypical for anyone to leave and pursue an MBA, as most of my colleagues would leave for controller positions or other financial roles. However, I decided to take an unconventional path, because I knew that having an MBA would meaningfully shift the trajectory of my career and who I would become as a person.

Broadly, I wanted to pursue an MBA because I believed that it would provide an invaluable opportunity to hit pause, step back, and reflect on my career and life goals. More tactically, I knew that an MBA would allow me to strengthen my leadership skills, work on any new skills that I needed to develop, and connect with a network of highly motivated peers.

Why Stanford? I chose Stanford because I deeply connected with the GSB’s philosophy of change and innovation. My classmates share a deep desire to make a real impact with their work and in their communities. The focus throughout the program on developing soft skills demonstrates Stanford’s commitment to equipping leaders with not only the business smarts that we’ll need to be successful, but even more so with the emotional intelligence to be kind, thoughtful, high-impact leaders.

What value do groups like the BBSA provide for you? The BBSA provides a safe space to connect with classmates that share my experience of being black at the GSB. Although we all experience and embody blackness differently, having the opportunity to share our varied experiences and find understanding, comradery, and support has been really special.

What projects or work of the BBSA has been most impactful? Some of the greatest impact has occurred through the social events hosted by the BBSA. Together we have experienced everything from having barbecues on campus to skating in a roller rink to group trips taken to Tahoe or Miami. All that time spent together has fostered bonds that will last a lifetime, meaning that the BBSA has gifted each of us with a network of successful, black peers that we can call on for support, ideas, or just to celebrate major milestones.

Why is Black History Month important to you? As someone born in Africa, raised in Canada, and now living in the U.S., I haven’t always found myself in environments where black culture is celebrated. For that reason, Black History Month has always been a special time of personal reflection and celebration. Not only do I look inwards and think about who I am and where I’ve come from, I also look to my community and those that came before us and paved a way. I think of the saying often shared by Maya Angelou, “I come as one, but I stand as 10,000”. I end each Black History Month with a renewed spirit to keep thriving and carrying the baton even further.

What are your career goals? After the GSB, I am going into consulting and I’m excited to continue working with clients to help solve their most complex business challenges.

What don’t your classmates know about you? When I left Cote d’Ivoire at the age of 8, it was because of a coup d’état (a civil war) that made it an unsafe place for my family to live. We picked up everything and left quite suddenly in the middle of my second-grade school year. It was then that I learned that so little in life is within our control, but we can choose who we want to be. And that’s why when I show up in the classroom, boardroom, or in my community, I do so fully and with intentionality.

Tony Douglas, Jr., MBA ’22

Area of MBA study: Venture Capital, Entrepreneurship, Future of Work, Crypto

What made you want to pursue an MBA? From an early age, I took notice of the harmful psychological effects that can result from dissatisfying jobs. As a result, starting in high school, I was deeply motivated to chart an entrepreneurial path in life. Tied to this personal aspiration was a passion to “free” people from traditional work structures and offer more fulfilling work dynamics. While getting my undergrad from the University of Virginia, with these thoughts in mind, an MBA from Stanford became my north star. To me, an MBA from Stanford was going to be the best place for me to put together gained knowledge, relationships, experiences, and skills, to incubate a company that could positively change the world in-line with my dreams.

Why Stanford? In 2013, I viewed admission into Stanford GSB as a golden ticket. I was fixated by the fact Stanford was a top business school, respected globally as a leader in entrepreneurship; my thinking was that access to networks, skillsets and venture capital would ensure my success as an entrepreneur. I was in undergrad building my first startup, thinking, “all I need is X number of users to validate this project, and Stanford will accept me.” On October 10, 2015, I visited California for the first time to attend GSB’s event, “Many Voices: Perspectives on Diversity.” There, I realized how flagrant my previous attitude towards GSB had been. It turned out to be the most inspiring experience of my life. I was awestruck by the palpable energy and collective desire to impact the world, and by the values of the school and the students therein.

What value do groups like the BBSA provide for you? They serve as communities where you can find comfort, fellowship, build lasting friendships, learn, and seek refuge from the challenges of the MBA experience. They also serve as an advocate / stakeholder within the power structures of the school, to participate in shaping the MBA experience for current and future students.

What projects or work of the BBSA has been most impactful? For me, the most impactful “project” the BBSA leads is the annual BBSA conference. As I mentioned previously, this conference served a big role in my life, as I was trying to find direction. However, the group has done SO much impactful work, and too much to comprehensively list out – e.g., pushing the administration on DEI courses/requirements, on providing additional financial support, and just overall on not being complacent in the work required to strive towards a more equitable and inclusive environment for all students.

Why is Black History Month important to you? BHM has always been a complex time for me. A time for learning and celebration… to build a deeper appreciation for the rich history and progress of the African-American community. A time for reflection… to ask myself what more I can be doing for the Black community; to constructively challenge those in positions of power around me to do more as well. Lastly, a time for fellowship… to navigate all the complexities of the month with a community that is incredibly supportive and one that I could not be prouder to be a part of.

What are your career goals? My primary passion in life is designing new technologies that can enable more fulfilling and balanced lives (balance of people’s physical, social, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, environmental and occupational well-being). So far, that has translated to a focus on “Wellness Tech” and “Future of Work Tech.” I intend to spend the rest of my career investing and building in these spaces with my passions in mind. Right now, I am the co-founder and Chief DAO Officer of a crypto innovation network called Convex Labs.

What don’t your classmates know about you? I am pretty honest, open, and vulnerable – and this is a large part of the culture of the school. Plus, through my participation in programs like Arbuckle Fellows, I end up sharing quite a bit about myself with classmates, professors, etc.. Perhaps one thing that I don’t discuss a ton is the source of my motivation – which, in short, beyond wanting to change the world in a positive way, comes down to being able to pay back my parents for all the sacrifices they’ve made for me to get here, creating a new family legacy, and providing for the army of loved ones that have believed in and supported me over so many years. Even small acts, like me making a point to put “Jr.” in my Zoom name, email signature, etc., comes from my desire to always remember what I’m working so hard for.

Next page: Profiles of BBSA students Davon Robertson and Monique Malcolm-Hay.

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